I went to fulfill my last wish of 2014, and it was absolutely worth it – left me wanting more.

1. Transportation

I departed from Beijing, so the plan was: fly from Beijing to Shenzhen, then take the subway from Shenzhen across the border to Hong Kong.

The dates were January 2-5, 2015. Surprisingly, the flights were very cheap – a round trip between Beijing and Shenzhen was only about 1340 RMB. I recommend Air China; it’s usually the only airline I fly.

1.1 Accommodation

Cheap flights usually depart at night, so I stayed one night in Shenzhen – again at a Home Inn, which was about 130 RMB per night. From the Home Inn near Bao’an Airport to Luohu Port in Shenzhen is quite a distance, requiring a bus transfer to the subway. After that, things went smoothly. I suggest getting an individual travel permit rather than a group one – it gives you more freedom. First-timers must register at the counter, but after that you can use the self-service lanes, which is very convenient.

In Hong Kong, I originally wanted to stay near Jordan, but hotel prices were really high since it was New Year’s. A slightly decent 3-star hotel was over 1000 RMB per night, so I chose an ibis near North Point, which was 400+ RMB cheaper than the ibis hotels closer to central Hong Kong.

On the last night, I stayed at the Prudential Hotel in Jordan.

Overall, the ibis at North Point was decent – it’s near the subway and very convenient. However, rooms in Hong Kong are generally small and the soundproofing isn’t great.

1.2 Sightseeing

If you want to buy Apple products, head to the big shopping mall near Hong Kong Station. There’s a 3-story Apple flagship store, and it’s always packed with buyers.

Shopping tip for Hong Kong: many salespeople will keep trying to upsell you – “spend over 1000 and get X free, then add 200 more and get Y free.”

3.1 Disneyland

We bought tickets on Taobao beforehand. The seller was nice and the tickets worked. Disneyland is super fun and amazing. Unfortunately, we only spent one day there. I recommend spending two days, and definitely stay overnight at Disneyland – don’t try to save money on this. There’s a direct subway line, very convenient.

3.2 Victoria Peak and Madame Tussauds

I think the cable car is worth riding – it’s fairly cheap. I recommend buying the combo ticket to save money. The wax museum is small, but for a first-time visitor, I’d recommend going at least once.

3.3 Lan Kwai Fong

It’s a bar street, quite lively. But I don’t really drink, so I went there and bought my wife some Haagen-Dazs. Haha.

3.4 The University of Hong Kong

I almost ended up studying here. The campus is really impressive, though it gave me a lot to think about. The cafeteria is great – delicious and cheap.

4. Tips

4.1 Make sure to bring your ID card and travel permit. Apply for the travel permit in advance.

4.2 Consider exchanging some Hong Kong dollars beforehand, just in case. UnionPay cards are accepted almost everywhere.

4.3 Remember to bring a plug adapter, otherwise you won’t be able to charge your phone. You can buy adapters on Taobao cheaply.

Here’s a photo:

And a final thought:

I work this hard just to live the life I see on TV. Keep going :)