My whole family, for the first time ever has travelled out of the country. We were so excited! But I was a bit apprehensive at first because we will be travelling with 3 kids (my 18 month old infant, a two year old toddler-my niece and my 5 year old preschooler). But then again, we travelled in a group of seven adults and 3 kids: My family, my sis-in-law's family, my parents-in-law plus an aunt. We were able to handle the kids well but we had to say goodbye to a relaxing kind of getaway. Ours was the crazy, chaotic, fun kind of a getaway. It was tiring yes(because of running after the kids!) but we had a great bonding time with the family and it was all worth it.
Here's a rundown of our travel experience: expenses, itinerary, what we packed, and comments on the tour and hotel we stayed in. Read on!
Destination:
Hong Kong and Macau Tour for 4Days and 3Nights
Airfare Per Person:
1. Roundtrip Airfare (Adults and Kids 2 yrs. old and up) - P 9,708.63
2. Infant - less than 2 yrs. old) - P1,125.20
(Airfare may vary depending on the available flight, inclusions and promos.)
Travel Tax and Terminal Fee (Philippine Airport)
1. Adults- P1,620 (Travel Tax); 550 (Terminal Fee)
2. Kids- Children below 11 years of age may apply for a reduced travel taxt certificate. It will cost you P200 plus the reduced travel tax rate of P810 = P 1,010 per child. This can be applied at the DFA booth at the airport.
3. For Infants (2 years old and below)- you can apply for travel tax exemption directly at the DFA booth at the airport.
(Requirements for the reduced rate and travel tax exemption certificates are: Certified True Copy of Birth Certificate and Photocopy of Passport)
Pocket Money: HKD5,000 per family
Hotel Accomodation at Shamrock Hotel Plus Tour and breakfast:
1. Adult - USD 359
2. Kid (4 y/o) - USD 240
3. Infant- 2 y/o) - USD 75
(Our family availed of the tour package offered by Mosconi Travel and Tours near SM Fairview Supermarket)
We enjoyed our stay at the Shamrock Hotel. The staff are friendly and courteous. We were given a room that is quite small for my family. We requested to be transferred to a room with the same rate but big enough to accomodate us. They obliged and we were happy with our new room. The rooms are clean and the beds are comfy. I am particular with bathrooms, and theirs are nice and clean. It has a bathtub and hot and cold shower.
We had our breakfast at the hotel. Since ours was a tour package, our breakfast was set up each morning. We were not a part of the buffet breakfast at the hotel. The food was tasty and filling. But it lacked variety. We were served hotdog, fried rice, scrambled eggs and coffee. The next day was the same but instead of rice we were served bread. I was hoping we would get fruits. My 5 year old was served the same meal. My 18 month old was not included in the breakfast, so I brought cerelac and cereals for him. The staff are nice enough to give him yogurts and eggs for free!:)
On our last day, we checked out early because we wanted to do more sightseeing since our flight was not until 7:30PM. The hotel kept our luggage in their lobby for safekeeping, until it was time for us to leave.
Trip Intinerary:
Day 1 9:55am arrival then transfer to Shamrock hotel -Free Time
Day 2 Whole Day Disneyland Tour
Day 3 Macau Tour with Lunch
Day 4 Free Time until 4PM transfer to Hong Kong Airport
(Day 2,3,4 inclusive of breakfast)
What I Packed- Essentials for the Kids:
1. Change of Clothes and Undies: 3 sets of clothes per day (1 Pyjamas, 2 Day Clothes).
2. Diaper (4 diapers per day) for my 18 month old
3. Milk bottles for my 18 month old
4. Milk Powder
5. Small basin for washing the bottles
6. Bottle brush and bottle cleaner (no need to sterilize)
7. Snacks: cereal packs, biscuits, cerelac
8. Drinking water
9. Vitamins, Anti-allergy Med and Paracetamol for Fever
10. Baby Soap and Shampoo
11. Towel for the Kids
12. Baby Wipes and Drapolene (anti diaper rash cream)
13. Hair Clips and Hair Tie for my little girl
14. Cloth Diaper/Bib for wiping- comfort thingy of my 18 month baby. :)
15. Toy/ ipad to keep boredom at bay
16. Harness (Safety First) for my 18 month old boy- a big lifesaver. Especially because he tends to walk around pretty much everywhere.
I brought with me a back pack big enough to fit in my kids' essentials for the day: change of clothes, drinking water, 3 milk bottles, wipes and drapolene, small soap, snacks, my camera, wallet and travelling documents. I just replenish the supplies before we go in our next adventure. It really helps to be organized, so you can enjoy and have fun with the kids.
DAY1
We arrived at the airport at 9:55 am. There, we met with Anita, our tour guide from Holidays World Tours and she explained to us the itinerary of the whole trip. She offered to give us a tour of the Victoria's Peak for HKD 280 per adult. Since this was our first day and it was our free day as well, we decided to avail of the tour. We were all tired from the lack of sleep and travel that we just went along with what she offered. It was a good enough deal because we did not go through the hassle of queueing for the tram ride up to the peak and the view was really nice. We even availed of having our picture taken at the highest point of Victoria's Peak. But take note: There's an entrance fee and you have to pay, if you want your picture to be taken and printed on the spot.
After that, we went to Mongkok Night Market. It was similar to divisoria in Manila but I noticed it was cleaner and there were even shops that carry different branded goods. We were all tired and hungry, so we were not able to do much shopping. We chose to eat at McDonalds. The selection of food is limited to burgers, fries, chicken and chicken nuggets. In the end we all settled for a Big Mac Meal. There was no rice and no spaghetti for the kids. For Claire, I ordered Happy Meal of chicken nuggets in sweet and sour sauce and steamed corn kernels. I ordered Fried Chicken for Ivan. He was so hungry and wanted to eat it all up right away. But I was surprised to find him crying after the first bite. I gave him one more bite and he screamed in pain. When I tasted the chicken, it was really spicy! Poor Ivan. Lesson learned for Mommy, taste the food first before feeding it to your child. :( I gave him milk instead.
DAY 2
Our second day was supposed to be a whole day Disneyland Tour. But when we arrived at the airport, Anita our guide was explaining that the itinerary for this day will be a half day city tour with a Disneyland Tour afterwards. We asked if it's ok to forgo the City Tour and just go directly to Disney. But it was a compulsory tour. We decided to go along with it-as if we had a choice-thinking that at least we would be able to see as much of Kowloon as we can.
KOWLOON CITY TOUR: We went to the Avenue of the Stars by the Bay Area. They brought a photographer with them and he took pictures of all of us. Later on the pictures were printed in Hong Kong Souvenir plates, which were sold to us at a special price.
Next stop is TSL Workshop, a jewelry shop or factory. Here, we got to see up close, how they make their jewelries. Afterwards, we were directed to the shop where you get to purchase your own necklace if you want to. They have free refreshments on the side.
The Souvenir Outlet is the last stop of the city tour. This shop does not look like an outlet, it looks more like a warehouse where you get to buy clothes, bags, cookies, teas and other items for pasalubong. The shirts here are of better quality than those shirts sold at the night market. But it was more expensive.
DISNEYLAND TOUR: We arrived at Disneyland at around 1:30 PM so the first thing we did (after taking pictures at the entrance) was to go look for some place to eat. We found a Chinese restaurant, and tried their lunch set menu. It was a good meal and we were fully satisfied. Energized, we then went out to explore. We had so much fun and I felt like a kid again. Disneyland closes at 8 PM- also the time wherein they showcase an elaborate fireworks display. The Disney tour was awesome. But we were not able to try out all the rides and visit all the areas. Half day at Disneyland is not enough. You should spend at least 1 whole day to be able to see all the attractions and line up for the rides. One more tip, go to Disneyland on a weekday. So you can avoid the crowd of locals and tourists who visit the park on weekends.
DAY 3
MACAU TOUR: We practically just went along with the flow. We rode the free transfer bus going to the Ferry Terminal. We bought our tickets. Then we lined up for the immigration check before boarding our Ferry going to Macau. Don't forget to bring your passports/travel documents with you.
At Macau, we went to the usual sights and had our pictures taken- Ruins of St. Paul, The Old City Wall, NaCha Temple, Fisherman's Wharf and A-ma Temple and Casino. The last stop is at the Venetian Hotel.
The view at night is beautiful, especially when the lights in the hotel/casinos are all lit up. I felt like I was in Vegas. Even the inside of The Venetian Hotel is the same as the one in Las Vegas. We took lots of pictures. We wanted to check out the casino, but sadly, kids are not allowed.
DAY 4
We checked out early from the hotel, because we still haven't had the chance to do some real shopping! We went to Mongkok (Night Market), where prices are not too steep. We rode the MTR going there. It was challenging because we are not familiar with the places. But we had a map and it was manageable. The MTR and the whole transport system in Hong Kong is so efficient. The fare is not expensive and you can pretty much go where ever you want using public transport. We rarely encountered heavy traffic in the streets.
We walked around Mongkok and whenever we see somebody, who looks "Pinoy" we call on them and ask for tips on where best to shop. They became our personal guide. I also learned a new shopping trick: Chinese merchants often drop their prices for the first customer who checks out their goods. The reason? They believe that if the first customer of the day did not purchase anything from their shop- the whole day will be unlucky- in terms of sales. I experienced this first hand. I asked a stall for the price of their bags, the merchant said HKD150. I decided to leave to look for something cheaper. To my surprise, she seemed frantic and dropped the price to HKD50! So, I bought 2 bags from her.
From Mongkok, we rode a taxi going back to our hotel and had a quick lunch. We were then picked up by the free transfer going back to the Airport for our flight back home.
***
Travelling abroad on a guided tour has its advantages: First, you don't need to worry about the different sights to visit because they have it all mapped out for you. Second, there is a tour guide explaining the history and culture of the places you're visiting. They even suggest of the best places to dine and shop. Lastly, it is convenient especially if you have kids towed along. No time is wasted on navigating unfamiliar streets on your own.
Disadvantage: Everything is structured. You have to be on a certain place at a certain time. Sometimes, we wanted to stay longer but we are only allowed to explore for 30 mins.-1 hour. Although we had the choice to stay longer, transportation will be up to us. And it will be difficult to commute with sleepy, tired and cranky kids.
