Travel Guide - Hong Kong

Wed, 11 Feb 2015 09:28:52 +0000

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 :)

Travel Guide - Harbin

Wed, 28 Jan 2015 03:17:57 +0000

I went with the excitement of fulfilling the first wish of the new year.

Transportation:

I took the bullet train from Beijing to Harbin both ways. It’s quite convenient, taking about 8 hours and 10 minutes. But make sure to choose your travel time wisely. Actually, there’s one approach I’d recommend: take an overnight sleeper train departing in the evening and arriving the next day. This way you can save a night’s accommodation cost.

The arrival station is Harbin West Railway Station, which is quite far from the city center. However, you can take a taxi from the taxi stand at Harbin West station. I assumed taxis at the train station would be reliable, but it turned out to be slightly disappointing. I had called the hotel staff in Harbin beforehand asking how much a taxi from the station to the hotel would cost. They said about 25 RMB, or 30 at night.

After I got in the taxi, I opened Baidu Maps, which also estimated about 26 RMB. I felt at ease – until I noticed the driver was taking a longer route. The driver enthusiastically explained that this road had fewer traffic lights and less congestion. But it was already 11 PM. I said nothing. The fare was 38 RMB. When I pointed out the issue, the driver calmly offered a bunch of excuses that I didn’t consider valid [“I don’t care about your 1-2 extra RMB; sitting in traffic costs money too”]. I said nothing. OK, paid and got out.

Travel tip: Book an overnight hard sleeper arriving the next day; keep your eyes open after getting in a taxi, agree on the route in advance. Xizhi Street in the city center does indeed have many traffic lights.

Accommodation:

I booked a Home Inn. I personally quite like staying at Home Inn – good value for money. This time, however, there were a few issues:

The Gold Card comes with free breakfast, but the voucher says it must be used within 5 days. On the last day, I brought the vouchers I had saved up, only to find none of them could be used. The staff gave me no reasonable explanation – just “you can’t use them, deal with it.”
If you can book online, pay online. I ran into an awkward issue: my room rates should have been 184, 166, 166, 166. But the staff charged me 184 every day. Fortunately, I caught the problem and got it resolved.
Bring some cash. You must pay a deposit at check-in, or they absolutely won’t let you stay – even bank cards weren’t accepted. And it was almost midnight.

Travel tip: I later complained to headquarters, and the operations manager apologized, which I was satisfied with – after all, I wasn’t trying to cause trouble, just felt wronged. So I still recommend Home Inn, with these suggestions: book and pay online in advance; bring some cash just in case; check the charges carefully; confirm any promotional offers.

Food:

Dining in Harbin has two somewhat unpleasant aspects: 1. Napkins aren’t free – you need to buy them yourself; 2. You may need to share a table with strangers.

I had spring pancakes:

For spring pancakes you need to share a table and buy your own napkins. But the taste was decent. I recommend Maomao Spring Pancakes and Laochang Spring Pancakes.

Had hot cola:

Ginger cola – available everywhere on Central Street. Be careful though, it spills easily. I saw 2-3 people spill theirs.

Had rice cake hotpot:

The restaurant is in Ha Yi Bai (Harbin No.1 Department Store). This pot costs 59 RMB and comes with two drinks and kimchi. The staff is friendly, there’s wifi, and I highly recommend this place. It’s called Congee Story.

Had desserts:

This dessert shop is quite famous – it’s called “Pack Happiness” and is on Central Street. A bit pricey though. The taste is decent, suitable for artsy types. I did get a stomachache that evening – not sure if it was related to their yogurt. I still recommend this place overall.

Had Thai food:

Thai cuisine. I couldn’t quite get used to the taste. It’s in an alley off Central Street. Overall it’s OK, but if you’re not a big fan of Thai food, proceed with caution.

Travel tip: Bring your own napkins, try to use group-buy deals, and avoid peak dining hours.

Search on Dianping: Maomao Spring Pancakes | Laochang Spring Pancakes | Pack Happiness | Impression Thai Southeast Asian Restaurant

Attractions:

Ice and Snow World: Just take the bus there – don’t listen to tour salespeople. Bring your student ID.

Saint Sophia Cathedral: Don’t go inside. Just enjoy the pigeons from outside.

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