I’m back from my trip to Hong Kong<\/a> over the weekend. Since I always keep track of my expenses for every trip, the budget is always the first entry to be finished.<\/p>\n This Hong Kong trip was certainly one of the cheapest trip I’ve had lately, specially since it was an international trip (coming close to Batanes<\/a> and Boracay<\/a> in terms of value). I’m quite proud that I was able to stay below my budget. I even have extra money! I guess the perk about being so exhausted is that I’m not in the mood to buy anything. <\/p>\n I was so used to seeing prices in US, Australian and Singapore dollars that when I see the prices in Hong Kong, it all seemed expensive to me. The average rate for US$1 is Php 48, AU$1 is Php 30.84, and SG$1 is Php 31.42, while HK$1 is only Php 6.3.<\/p>\n Another thing about this trip was that we avoided the usual tourist hotspots. We did go to the Temple Street night market, but that’s about it. Our major activity was watching the local festival, and hiking on the Wilson Trail in eastern Hong Kong.
\n<\/p>\n
| Hong Kong<\/font><\/b><\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/b><\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| February 2009<\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | Assumption: HK$ 1 = Php 7<\/i><\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | HK$ 1 = Php 6.32<\/i><\/td>\n | <\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n <\/td>\n | Cost<\/b><\/td>\n | In Philippine<\/b><\/td>\n | Actual<\/b><\/td>\n | In Philippine<\/b><\/td>\n | <\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n <\/td>\n | (Estimate)<\/b><\/td>\n | Peso<\/b><\/td>\n | <\/b><\/td>\n Peso<\/b><\/td>\n | <\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n <\/td>\n | <\/b><\/td>\n (Estimate)<\/b><\/td>\n | <\/b><\/td>\n <\/b><\/td>\n <\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Air Transfers<\/b><\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Philippine Airlines<\/td>\n | PHP 5,896.00<\/td>\n | PHP 5,896.00<\/td>\n | PHP 5,896.00<\/td>\n | PHP 5,896.00<\/td>\n | 1<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Manila International Terminal Fee<\/td>\n | PHP 750.00<\/td>\n | PHP 750.00<\/td>\n | PHP 750.00<\/td>\n | PHP 750.00<\/td>\n | <\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Airport\/Ferry Port Transfers<\/b><\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Manila (Two way)<\/td>\n | PHP 600.00<\/td>\n | PHP 600.00<\/td>\n | PHP 420.00<\/td>\n | PHP 420.00<\/td>\n | 2<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Hong Kong (Two way)<\/td>\n | HKD 200.00<\/td>\n | PHP 1,400.00<\/td>\n | HKD 110.00<\/td>\n | PHP 695.20<\/td>\n | 3<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Transportation<\/b><\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Octopus Card<\/td>\n | HKD 150.00<\/td>\n | PHP 1,050.00<\/td>\n | HKD 52.80<\/td>\n | PHP 333.70<\/td>\n | 4<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Accommodation<\/b><\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Couch Surfing with Vincent<\/td>\n | PHP 0.00<\/td>\n | PHP 0.00<\/td>\n | PHP 0.00<\/td>\n | PHP 0.00<\/td>\n | 5<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Food Expenses<\/b><\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n HKD 70 per meal (6 meals)<\/td>\n | HKD 420.00<\/td>\n | PHP 2,940.00<\/td>\n | HKD 310.90<\/td>\n | PHP 1,964.89<\/td>\n | 6<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Miscellaneous<\/b><\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Travel Insurance<\/td>\n | PHP 400.00<\/td>\n | PHP 400.00<\/td>\n | PHP 400.00<\/td>\n | PHP 400.00<\/td>\n | <\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Token\/gift for host<\/td>\n | PHP 400.00<\/td>\n | PHP 400.00<\/td>\n | PHP 304.50<\/td>\n | PHP 304.50<\/td>\n | 7<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Souvenir magnet<\/td>\n | HKD 30.00<\/td>\n | PHP 210.00<\/td>\n | HKD 12.00<\/td>\n | PHP 75.84<\/td>\n | <\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Pasalubong<\/td>\n | HKD 150.00<\/td>\n | PHP 1,050.00<\/td>\n | HKD 110.00<\/td>\n | PHP 695.20<\/td>\n | <\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | <\/td>\n | Total<\/font><\/b><\/td>\n | Php 14,696.00<\/font><\/b><\/td>\n | <\/font><\/b><\/td>\n Php 11,535.32<\/font><\/b><\/td>\n | <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/td>\n | <\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 1 Mabuhay Miles had a Great Miles Giveaway promo, where miles needed for redemption are cut by 50%. I was able to redeem a round trip ticket to Hong Kong for only 7,500 miles! I had to pay taxes, which includes the Philippine Travel Tax already.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | 2 My taxi cost is lower than usual because I came from Megamall in Ortigas, and from the airport, I just took a regular metered cab from the departure level.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | 3 The HK Airport Express train has three stops: Tsung Yi, Kowloon and Hong Kong. I was supposed to go to Olympic station, which is just one station away from Kowloon. Both Vincent (my CS host) and the guy at the Octopus card booth advised me to buy the ticket up to Tsung Yi and transfer to the MTR line to save on cost.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | 4 I was supposed to buy an Octopus Card for HK$ 150, but Kaoko lent me hers, saving me HK$ 50. I just loaded it up with HK$ 100 at the airport. I used this for the MTR, buses, mini buses, and paying for food at the convenience store and McDonald’s.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | 5 Accommodation in Hong Kong can be quite expensive, even the hostels. I decided it was high time for me to try Couch Surfing.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | 6 I had considerably less meals than I anticipated. What kept this high though was a Japanese all you can eat buffet lunch.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | 7 One of Vincent’s requests for couch surfing with him is to bring a token from your home country. I gave him an Ifugao idol and a pack of dried mangoes.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||