Dianne's Nook

It was our first time in Hong Kong this December 2011 so the first and foremost fear we had is getting lost. Once we're out of the airplane, we're on our own. So our first adventure practically began at the Hong Kong International Airport.

It was almost a week since we left for Hong Kong and I can absolutely say that Hong Kong International Airport is very tourist-friendly. We just walked and walked, followed the signs and got out hassle-free. Everything was a smooth process. So from experience, I will list down the important procedures upon touch down at Hong Kong International Airport.

Hong Kong International Airport to City

We rode Cebu Pacific Flight 5J 110 which left Manila at exactly 7:55am. We arrived at Hong Kong International Airport in 2 hours. We deplaned and walk towards the Immigration counters. The immigration counter was our first destination.

The best way not to get lost is to follow where everyone goes. Most likely, they are heading to the Immigration counters. In any case, there are always plenty of signs inside the airport.




The signs to the Immigration led us to the Automatic People Mover (train). The train regularly transfers passengers from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 and vice-versa.



Following the directions, we easily saw the immigration counters. We lined up and waited for our turn. The immigration officer asked for our travel documents (passport and arrival card). By the way, the cabin crew of Cebu Pacific distributed the arrival cards while on board the plane. Also, I think Hong Kong immigration officers are more friendly than the immigration officers in the Philippines. They give out smiles to the tourists.

After clearing with the immigration, we exited to the door behind them. You can get your check-in luggages from the luggage counter announced by the cabin crew. In our case, we don't have check-in luggage so we didn't have to go through this process.

We saw the exit door that says "Nothing to Declare" and went out. Along the way, we saw the Airport Express counters where we bought Octopus cards. You can also buy single journey tickets here. Then we looked for signs that say Buses to City since we'll be taking the A21 bus to the city. For those who are planning on taking the Airport Express, I won't be much of a help here. Sorry.

Outside the airport, there are designated stops for the different buses. We looked for the A21 bus sign and lined up. Almost all people here are Filipinos. It didn't feel much like a foreign country because you'll hear people speaking Tagalog all the time. The weather was the only thing that spelled the difference, or maybe the buses.



The A21 bus came in in a little while. We tapped our Octopus cards on the machine beside the driver's seat.  Remember: you only tap once. Always remember to either buy single journey tickets or even Octopus cards. Don't pay large bills because the driver will not give you change. If you're paying cash, be sure you pay an exact amount. The fare for the A21 bus from the airport to the city is HKD 33.

One important note. Know your bus stop. In our case, we stayed at Golden Crown Guesthouse at Tsim Sha Tsui so we got out at the 13th stop. Landmark is the Muslim Mosque.

City to Hong Kong International Airport

From the Golden Crown Court building, we walked to the other side of the road. We looked for the bus stop under the big ROLEX sign. The A21 bus stop is located in front of the entrance to the Tsim Sha Tsui Mansion. We lined up and in a few minutes, the bus came.

Again, we tapped our Octopus card and was charged HKD 33. We put our luggages on the luggage racks in front and found a seat near them. The bus ride to the airport is very smooth because there's practically no traffic. The bus only stopped when the red traffic light is on. How efficient! By the way, we don't need to count to 13th stop because the airport is the first and last stop of the A21 bus.

We got out of the bus in front of Hong Kong International Airport's Terminal 1 Building. This is where the check-in counter of Cebu Pacific is found. We found Aisle D where the Cebu Pacific counter is located right in front of the entrance to the Terminal 1 building.

Checking in at Hong Kong International Airport is quick because we're quite early for our flight. After that, we passed through an X-ray machine inspection. Then we headed to the Immigration counters. We filled out our Departure cards before lining up. The lines are quite long but we were lucky to be accommodated quickly by a newly opened counter. The immigration officer did not ask anything. They just typed our information on their computer and put a stamp on our passport.

After that, we looked for the large TV monitors to find our boarding gate number since our boarding passes didn't have our boarding gate number in it. We're boarding at Gate #48.

The signs to the boarding gates are everywhere. On our way to Gate #48, we were again led to the Automated People Mover. We followed the signs to Gate #48 which is located at the very far end of the terminal. We had to use the walkalators to reach it.

At exactly 7:30 in the evening, we boarded the plane bound for Manila.

Hope this helps!

Researching for our Hong Kong trip, I came across a number of blogs recommending the dishes at Tim Ho Wan. Tim Ho Wan, which means "Add Good Luck" in English, is one of the cheapest Michelin star restaurant in the world. Located at Flat 8, Ground Floor, Phase 2, Tsui Yuen Mansion, 2-20 Kwong Wa St, Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong, this hole-in-the-wall restaurant is something else. The place is always jampacked, with people always waiting to be seated outside. I got intrigued so I made sure we'll include this in our itinerary.

Tim Ho Wan is owned by Chef Mak Pui Gor, a former chef at the Four Seasons Hotel - also a Michelin star restaurant. Currently, there are only 2 branches of Tim Ho Wan. The original branch is at Mong Kok. They recently opened another one at Sham Shui Po where you can make reservations. We chose to eat at the original branch because I heard that the food is better here (not sure, though).

We arrived at Tim Ho Wan before 11 am. The restaurant opens at 10 am so we made sure we get there before lunch to get a number. The restaurant is not difficult to find. We rode the MTR Tsuen Wan Line to Yau Ma Tei and exited at Exit A2 at Pitt Street. We walked along Nathan Road until we reach Dundas Street. We walked along Dundas street, passing along Tung Choi Street and Fa Yuen Street. We reached Kwong Wa Street in no time. The restaurant is usually filled with people so you can see it very easily.



I immediately walked towards the receptionist to get an English order slip, the pink one. The green slip is in Cantonese. The receptionist wrote a number on our slip and her list. Number 45. I asked her when to come back. She said after 2 hours. Woah! But that's expected. So we left and roamed around for a while.



After 2 hours, we came back to the restaurant. The number called is already 47. Good thing, even though your number is already called, they can still squeeze you in. I was able to talk to some backpackers - an Indonesian couple and a Caucasian man who's a frequent customer in the restaurant.

We got our seats at around 1pm. We handed our order slip to the waitress. After some time, our orders were served one by one. By the way, we ordered steamed fresh shrimp dumplings (hakaw), steamed pork dumpling with shrimp, steamed beef ball with bean curd skin, deep fried spring roll filled with shrimp and fungus and the famous baked bun with BBQ pork. We were also served an unlimited serving of their tea or "pu-erh".






























I wasn't able to take a picture of steamed fresh shrimp dumplings because I was too preoccupied with the dishes served. Finally, I was able to taste authentic Chinese food. For me, the food is great. Only that we're not good using the chopsticks. Haha! We really had a hard time. There are no spoon and fork available. After eating, we approached the counter to pay our bill which is a surprising HKD 97 - very affordable for a Michelin star restaurant.

We've seen different kinds of people inside Tim Ho Wan. There are locals having their lunch, a group of friends meeting up and even corporate Americans in suits trying out the dishes. The experience in Tim Ho Wan is not just about the food, but the interactions we've made with other cultures while waiting outside. I highly recommend Tim Ho Wan for those who want a taste of the local Hong Kong culture - it may be small as this little hole-in-the-wall restaurant but it definitely has a lot to offer the world.

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Tim Ho Wan
Flat 8, Ground Floor, Phase 2, Tsui Yuen Mansion, 2-20 Kwong Wa St, Mong Kok

After long months of waiting, finally, we have gone to Hong Kong. It was a blast! The feeling of being lost in a foreign soil made everything so exciting. And I want to share that excitement to everyone who wishes to go to Hong Kong, or probably to those who want to relive the experiences in what is so called, "Asia's World City".

Credits to Rayed AlFaraj


Finally, after 2 years, my dream to travel abroad is almost here. On December 11, 2011, me and my boyfriend will be conquering Hong Kong for the very first time for 3 days/2 nights. 


I've wandered around Pinoyexchange.com and Girltalk to check out some tips and recommendations from those who have been to Hong Kong already. It was such a great help because with those tips, I can feel that I already knew Hong Kong. I want the trip to be seamless as much as possible. But I'm also open to some adjustments with the schedule. After all, this trip is not a race. It's meant to be a vacation where we can relax. 


Though the trip will only be for 3 days, we wanted to make the most of it by seeing the most recommended tourist attractions for first timers. On my list are Disneyland, Avenue of Stars, Ngong Ping Village via Ngong Ping 360. During free time, we'd like to get a real feel of how life goes in Hong Kong. We'll explore their food, the streets as well as ride public transportation, as what Hong Kongers usually do. We'd like to avoid the taxi. We'd like to experience getting lost but not all the time, of course.


I booked Golden Crown Court which can be found along Nathan Road near the Mirador Mansion. According to my fellow Girltalkers and Pexers, Golden Crown Guesthouse and Taisan Guesthouse are two recommended hostels for first timers in Hong Kong. By the way, I chose to book a hostel because we'll be staying outside most of the time and booking a posh hotel will just divert our attention from exploring Hong Kong.


So far, the hostel is the only pre-booked thing for our trip to Hong Kong. I plan to buy tickets to Disneyland in CTS (China Travel Services) located at the airport. I believe there's also another branch along Nathan Road.


This is the first part of my Hong Kong travel series. Stay tuned!