5 Firsts in Hong Kong

I had been to Hong Kong twice in 2013, but when Cebu Pacific had another crazy seat sale which meant that round trip tickets cost only PHP 2,200 (USD 47), the prospect of going back for the third time suddenly became more appealing.

I was so looking forward to flying to Hong Kong on October 17 because my last day at work / event happened to be on the 16th.

It's been three weeks since I became funemployed. I am currently enjoying my first long vacation after working for more than two years and I am in the process of achieving a few goals I set for myself. It's also been three weeks since my 3-day stay in Hong Kong.

I wasn't expecting much from this short trip; I was just really keen on the idea of getting away from Manila for a few days, but it turned out to be pretty sweet and it gave me the opportunity to do some things for the first time.

• ROOMING SOLO
My trip to HK wasn't exactly planned with friends. I actually came across the seat sale and told them about it when Michelle informed me that she had already booked with her office mate, Cherish. Eventually Joshua booked with his sister on that same weekend, as well. So I just decided to tag along.

This setup meant that I had to room solo. I considered booking a triple room with Michelle and Cherish, but they were only going to stay till the 19th and I didn't want to hassle myself by moving to another room after the checkout. 

Cherish, Michelle, and I at Mong Kok on their last day + yummy soft-served ice cream

Michelle and Cherish had booked their room already and, despite my apprehensions about Hong Kong Hostel, I thought it would be more convenient if we stayed in one place. (Joshua and his sister stayed at a hotel in Sheung Wan.) I ended up booking a single bed in a 4-bed dormitory.

That wasn't the best hostel; one of the only few things I liked about it is its location. (The wi-fi connection was terrible!!! Good thing I had a local sim with data.) It is only a 3-minute walk from Causeway Bay MTR Station. If you're not picky at all, it could be good enough for you. But you might also wanna look into the following hostels (as mentioned in my KL entry, I use Agoda for my bookings):

Check Inn HK - Flat B, 3/F, Kwong Wah Mansion, 269-273 Hennessy Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong, Hong Kong (5-minute walk from Wan Chai MTR Station)

Urban Pack Hostel - Unit 1410, 53-55 Haiphong Road, Haiphong Mansion, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, Hong (2-minute walk from Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station)

Yesinn @Causeway - 2/F, Nan Yip Building, No.472 Hennessy Road (entrance on Tang Lung St.), Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, Hong Kong (2-minute walk from Causeway Bay MTR Station)

Yessinn @Fortress Hill - Flat B, 15/F, Continental Mansion, 294 King's Road, North Point, Hong Kong, Hong Kong (4-minute walk from Fortress Hill MTR Station)

• BEING A KID AT THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH A.K.A. DISNEYLAND
Yes, I had been to Hong Kong twice but never to Disneyland, so I made sure to go this time. It was pretty fun and we were lucky because it wasn't that packed. We never had to wait more than 10 minutes for any of the rides. No matter your age, you could still find something you'd enjoy as there are seven different lands / themed areas with their respective gimmicks (Main Street, U.S.A., Adventureland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Toy Story Land, Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point).

Since I'm scared of heights (I'm actually more scared of falling and dying, but to make things simpler I just say I'm scared of heights lol), I don't particularly like extreme rides (although I had fun riding Battlestar Galactica: Human vs. Cylon roller coasters at Universal Studios Singapore) or anything that has extreme drops or would cause butterflies in my stomach (falling in love not included hahaha whut), but I found out that none of the more intense rides (Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars, Space Mountain, Toy Soldier Parachute Drop, and RC Racer) we tried had that effect on me, so it was all good and, more importantly, I was still alive.

With Joshua, Michelle, Cherish, and Kei.

After going around for hours, enjoying the rides, and watching the Festival of the Lion King, we stayed for the Paint the Night parade (7:30pm) and Disney in the Stars fireworks show (9:00pm). Those fireworks were a great way to end our fun-filled day at Disneyland.

• ADMIRING HONG KONG'S SKYLINE AT NIGHT FROM VICTORIA PEAK
I had heard that the panorama at night from Victoria Peak is breathtaking. When I was there a couple of years ago, my friend and I visited the Peak at around lunch time. It was amazing, but this time I wanted to admire the skyline at night time. It was incredible! Good thing I brought a cardigan with me because it was so windy. Next time I go there, I'll probably watch the sunset and wait for the city lights to turn on. I reckon that'd be a great view too.

Nearest MTR station is Central. From there, walk to the tram terminus on Garden Road. The Peak Tram Sky Pass (two-way tram ticket and entrance to Sky Terrance) is HKD 83 (around PHP 500 / USD 10).

• RIDING THE TRAM
After having dinner at Tsui Wah, I rode the tram from Central all the way to Paterson St. Although that wasn't my first time to ride a tram, it was my first time to ride the double-decker tram in Hong Kong, which only cost me HKD 2.30 (PHP 14 / USD 0.30). It's actually a fun and inexpensive way to see more of the city. I enjoyed it so much so that, the next day, I decided to ride it again from Central after a super late lunch. No matter where you go, the flat fare is HKD 2.30.

• EMBRACING MY DAY AS A SOLO TRAVELER
Michelle and Cherish had left on the 19th and Joshua and Kei in the morning of the 20th. I was officially alone. Although I wanted to go to Lantau Island to see the Big Buddha, I didn't want to be pressed for time. (I'm definitely not missing it next time.) I stayed in the city and, as an alternative, visited the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery.

Before heading to Sha Tin MTR station though, I dropped by Jordan MTR station to have a quick breakfast at Australia Dairy Company. There was a line, but it moved so quickly that, after five minutes or so, I was able to get a seat. The staff didn't speak English, so I had to show them pictures of what I wanted to order: scrambled egg toast and French toast. BOTH WERE SO GOOD. THERE WAS A PARTY IN MY MOUTH. One of the best breakfast meals I've ever had and worth the price (HKD 37 /  PHP 225 / USD 4.75). I'll try their macaroni next time! 

YUMMIEST breakfast at Australia Dairy Company + path leading to the monastery complex

The Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery is a Buddhist temple located a few minutes away from Sha Tin MTR station (from Jordan MTR station, I took the Kwun Tong Line, got off at Kowloon Tong, and switched to the East Rail Line). There are no resident monks, so it is not an actual monastery. Beware of the fake ones who might ask for money. 

There weren't a lot of people and I absolutely loved that. It was so peaceful and I could enjoy the path up in silence. To get to the monastery complex, 431 steps and 500 golden statues in different poses lead your way. 

As I've discovered in KL, there's really something about temples that attracts and captivates me, so my visit to the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery was really something that I relished.

The stunning nine-storey pagoda + Mong Kok again

On the way back to the MTR station, I figured that, since I still had time, I could make a quick detour and go to IKEA. I hadn't been to IKEA in years; my last time was still back when I lived in Italy, so it was definitely fun. 

I went back to Mong Kok before heading to Central, where I ate some great-tasting wonton noodles at Mak's Noodle.

My experience as a solo traveler was short, but it made me realize that it is something that I could do and actually enjoy. The only question is... WHERE? :)

How about you? As cliché as this may sound, let me ask you this: When was the last time you did something for the first time?

I made another compilation of my snaps. Check out the video here below! :)