Hongkong 2016: Post-Winter Trip

Here is our Hongkong itinerary for 2 adults and 1 child staying for 4 days in Hongkong:

Total Cost for the trip (per head):

P10577.6

Breakdown of Itinerary and Expenses:

Day 1	Group Rate In HKD (3pax)	Cost per Head in HKD	Cost in Peso Per head
0740 AM
The Airbus Station is located near Hall B on the Arrivals Level (Level 5) of Hong Kong International Airport. In 45 – 90 minutes (varies with traffic) you will reach the 13th stop – 82- 84 Nathan Road near Tsim Sha Tsui Station (Exit C1)
You could buy an octopus card inside the airport prior to riding the bus. Buses only accepts exact fare. Fare for senior citizens and kids 11yrs below is half the price for MTR and buses.		33	198.33
Breakfast (Café de Coral-Recommended)	57	19	114.19
This restaurant is found right beside Chungking Mansion. Just ride the escalator going up and you will find this restaurant on the 3rd floor. The prices here are cheap compared to other restaurants in the area. Their menu varies as well.
We bought an Octopus card at the TST station since we were not able to buy at the airport. Minimum 50HKD per load and card costs 50HKD which is refundable.		150	901.5
Peak Tram/ Sky Terrace/ Madame Tussauds Combo Ticket		207	1244.07
From Tsim Tsam Tsui take MTR to Admiralty Station, embark in Central Station and walk go to exit K. The tour guide from Klook will be outside exit K to assist on going to the Peak Tram.
We bought bought our tickets online via Klook. The line to buy Tram tickets and wait time to ride the tram usually takes 1-2 hours. Since we had our online tickets via Klook, we had a VIP line so it took only 5 minutes to ride the tram upon entrance.
Lunch (Burger King)	116	38.67	232.39
We headed back to TST and walked around the area
Dinner (Chinese restaurant in TST- not recommended)	135	45	270.45

Day 2	Group Rate In HKD (3pax)	Cost per Head in HKD	Cost in Peso Per head
Disneyland- Tickets were bought online at Klook		455	2734.55
FROM Tsim Tsam Shui, take the Tsuen Wan MTR train towards Tsuen Wan Get off at Lai King Station Transfer to Tung Chung line. The train should be Tung Chung-bound. Alight at Sunny Bay Station. Transfer to Disneyland Resort Line.
Dinner (Satay King- Recommended)	210	70	420.7
Head to Tsim Tsam Tsui station, exit at N1 and head to 5F Carnarvon Plaza at 20-20C Carnarvon Road

Day 3	Group Rate In HKD (3pax)	Cost per Head in HKD	Cost in Peso Per head
Brunch (Café de Coral)	69	23	138.23
Street Shopping at Mongkok	410	136.67	821.37
Initial prices provided are always twice of its price. Always haggle.
Ladies Market (Tung Choi Street) ; Electronics Street (Sai Yeung Choi Street) ; Rubber Shoes Street (Fa Yuen Street)
Iced tea		8	48.08
Adidas Sweater		280	1682.8
Dinner
Grocery for food at Nong Ping and snacks	70	23.33	140.23

Day 4 (Ngong Ping 360)	Group Rate In HKD (3pax)	Cost per Head in HKD	Cost in Peso Per head
Ngong Ping 360 (RoundTrip Crystal Cabin)- Tickets were bought online at Klook		185	1111.85
From TST Station, embark in Lai King, then transfer train going to Tung Chung From Tung Chung, walk to the Ngong Ping cable car station. Just ask directions upon exiting the MTR station or follow the road signs.
Where to go around Ngong Ping 360: Walking w/ Buddha $4.60 Monkey’s Tale Theater $4.60 Ngong Ping Tea House Po Lin Monastery and Giant Buddha – Monastery with interesting architecture – open daily 9am-6pm. The world’s tallest outdoor, seated bronze Giant Buddha – open daily 10am-6pm (last admission at 5:30pm).
Citygate Outlets: 10AM to 10PM
Lunch (Café de Coral)	70	23.33	140.23
Ride A21 bus to airport- Bus lane will just be found almost across Chungking (Find the Emperor Sign, outside exit C2 of TST station)		33	198.33
Mcdonalds at HK Airport	84	42	180.3

Travel Tips:

1. Book flights that arrive early morning and leaves Hongkong late evening to be able to maximize your stay.
2. You may feel uneasy staying at the Chungking Mansion if you are a group of girls. If you opt to stay in Chungking, Learn to ignore the people outside who would insist on offering you stuff.
3. Buy tickets via Klook app or website. They offer discounts and you would not need to fall in line once you arrive at Hongkong's tourist attractions.
4. Always check for the country's temperature prior to preparing clothes for the trip. Climate when we arrived was cold. We visited during the 1st week of February.

South Cebu Tour - Mactan, Oslob and Moalboal

Here is our 5-day Itinerary for our South Cebu Adventure.

We decided to mix our usual budget trip with a luxury stay in Movenpick and Bluewater Sumilon.

We availed of the Cebu Movenpick sale which costs P7000 for 2 adults and 2 kids. Since there were 3 adults and 1 child we had to pay additional 1500 for the extra person which includes breakfast.

We came-in early so we were able to use the hotel amenities while waiting to check-in. Usual check-in time is 3pm. We arrived at the hotel at 11am and was able to check-in at 1pm. You can already use their amenities once you arrive at the hotel. Welcome drinks will be served. They are also not strict on bringing outside food and drinks. Try their happy hour and avail buy 1 take 1 on cocktails at the Ibiza bar.

How to get to Movenpick from Cebu Airport:

		Travel Time	Group Rate (3 adults)	Rate per Head
Apr 7, 2016
10:00	Arrival Cebu
	Jeepney from Airport to Marina Mall Travel time: 5 mins			7
	Bought take-out lunch at savemore		450	150
	Taxi to Movenpick Travel time: 20 mins		120	40
11:00	Check-in Movenpick		8500	2833.333333

On the 2nd day, we  woke-up early for breakfast and enjoyed the hotel amenities. Buffet options was good. They serve American, Filipino and Asian dishes. You again could use their amenities even if you have checked-out. They have showers and changing rooms available. We left around 2pm for SM Cebu since we were headed for Moalboal.

How to get to Moalboal from Movenpick:

Apr 8, 2016				Rate per Head
14:00	Check-out Movenpick
	Free Shuttle from Movenpick to SM Cebu Travel time: 1 hour (due to traffic)
15:00	Late Lunch (Golden Cowrie)		800	266.6666667
	Taxi from SM Cebu to South Bus Terminal Travel time: 15 mins		100
16:00	Off To Moalboal
	At SCBT (South Cebu Bus Terminal) take the bus with signage Bato via Barili or Badian. Tell the driver youre going to Moalboal. Travel time: 3-4 hours	3-4 hours		116
	Trike to Panagsama Beach (Hotel Sisters Inn) +63 09159552400 or +63 09173248415 Travel time: 5-10 mins		80	26.66666667
19:00	Check-in Moalboal . Hotel Sisters Inn		1276.21	425.4033333

Moalboal Tour

We had our sea tour at Moalboal on the third day. Moalboal was more than  expected. The dolphins were swimming in parallel with our boat, sea turtles were seen while snorkeling, the sardine run was beyond awesome. The best part of this is areas are not far from each other. I surely recommend going to Moalboal for Cebu bound friends. Once done with Moalboal, we were Oslob bound. We were not able to try canyoneering since we had a kid with us. We would definitely go back to try canyoneering.

How to get to Oslob from Moalboal:

Apr 9, 2016				Rate per Head
	Moalboal Tour
06:00	Walk from Hotel Sister's Inn to Panagsama Beach (5mins) Sea Tour Pescador Island Turtle Bay Sardine Run Basdaku Beach (Drop-off) Boatman: Kuya Dodong (Moalboal) - 09239376699		2000	666.6666667
11:00	Tricycle from Basdaku Beach to Hotel Sister's Inn Travel time: 20-25 mins		150	50
12:00	Lunch at carinderia while waiting for the bus
13:30	Bus from Moalboal to Bato Travel time: 1 hour 20 mins			100
15:00	Bus from Bato bus terminal to Oslob/ Cebu Travel time: 20 mins			20
16:00	Check-In Isla Bonita Resort in Tanawan Oslob		1555.72	518.5733333
17:00	Dinner at TJs		600	2

We woke-up early the next day for whaleshark watching. Since it was a Sunday, we were surprised to see a lot of tourists lining up. We had to wait an hour or two to be able to do whaleshark watching. It was worth it and all of us enjoyed doing this the second time. When in Oslob, try eating at TJs. The restaurant serves food with a reasonable price and could be good for sharing. This is a few steps away from the whaleshark area and is across a school (I forgot its name). After whaleshark watching, we headed to Sumilon Bluewater Resort.

How to get to Sumilon Bluewater from Oslob:

Apr 10, 2016	Whale-shark watching			300
	Bought packed food for Sumilon trip at TJs		500	166.6666667
	Trike to Sumilon Port		50	16.66666667
	Check-in Sumilon Blue Water		7000	2333.333333

We got a discounted rate for Sumilon at 7000 without breakfast. This was purchased at the MOA Travel expo. The rooms here are nice but amenities needs improvement. Their pool is up to 8 feet deep and they won't allow adults to swim with a life vest. Too bad for non-swimmers like me. Lol! The infinity pool looks 10 times better in picture. You may get a bit disappointed once you see the actual pool. You can opt to do kayak, fish feeding or snorkeling at the beach.

Before leaving Sumilon the next day, we stayed at the sandbar in front of the resort. Its best to go to the sandbar early morning since tourist tend to flock this area after their whaleshark watching. We left the island around 1pm and left for Cebu.

How to get to Cebu from Oslob:

Apr 11, 2016
14:00	Travel to Cebu City via bus Travel time: 4 hours			165
18:00	Taxi from South Bus Station to Larsians Travel time: 10 mins		70	23.33333333
	Dinner at Larsians		500	166.6666667
	Uber from Robinsons to Express Inn Mactan Travel time: 1 hour		318	106
	Check-in Express Inn Mactan		1444.63	481.5433333

We arrived at Cebu exactly dinner time so we headed for Larsians. Since our flight was early the next day we booked a hotel near the airport. Be mindful on booking hotels if you have an early flight. It would always be best to book in Mactan.

Apr 12, 2016
07:45	Taxi to Airport Travel time: 15mins		110	36.66666667

Budget for the trip: P9000 per head for 3 pax and 1 child
This can be cut down to P5000 per head if you choose not to stay at Movenpick or Sumilon.

Tips:

1. For budget travelers you can opt to stay at cheaper hotels in Cebu and Oslob. Do not always splurge on your trip accommodations unless it is worth it.
2. Movenpick vs Sumilon- I would definitely choose Movenpick.
3. You can bring food at luxury hotels to avoid the extra cost for meals.
4. It is best to do whaleshark watching during the weekdays.
5. Moalboal sea tour can be finished half-day. You could go canyoneering after.