Hostel of the Day: YESINN YOUTH HOSTEL @ YAU MA TEI – 4 Nights in Hong Kong’s Most Economical Quality Accommodation for Less Than ₱5,000 Each

Early last year, my friends and I won free roundtrip Cathay Pacific Airways tickets from Hong Kong International Airport’s World of Winners campaign. We used these free tickets in December 2023 and spent 5 days and 4 nights around Hong Kong.

Spending four nights in Hong Kong can be expensive given the high per-night costs of quality accommodations. Luckily, we came across Yesinn Youth Hostel @ Yau Ma Tei. We stayed at Yesinn for all four nights and paid less than ₱5,000 each.

Join me in today’s hostel of the day feature as I share with you why I think Yesinn Youth Hostel @ Yau Ma Tei is one of Hong Kong’s most economical accommodations.

Yesinn Youth Hostel @ Yau Ma Tei

Yesinn Youth Hostel @ Yau Ma Tei is an affordable accommodation located in a 25-story building in Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon. Formerly known as Wing Shing Hotel, the property offers a wide range of room options for guests traveling alone, with friends, and/or families. The hostel has its central operations in the second-floor reception and has rooms scattered throughout the building.

Location & Access

Yesinn Youth Hostel @ Yau Ma Tei is located at 1B Wing Sing Lane, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, Hong Kong, Hong Kong. It is located within the busy Yau Ma Tei area, just a few meters by foot from the famous Nathan Road. It is about 5 minutes by foot to exit C of Yau Ma Tei MTR Station of the Kwun Tong and Tsuen Wan Lines, literally 1 minute by foot to the Temple Street Night Market, and about 15 minutes by foot to the Ladies Market and the Sneaker Street in Mongkok. The hostel is also near various local restaurants, supermarkets, shops, and convenience stores.

The property is one bus ride away (A21 bus) to and from Hong Kong International Airport and Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Hong Kong Port. The bus fare costs HKD 34.6 per person, and the trip takes about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic.

The hostel’s location is an easy 10 out of 10. It is in a small and quiet street off Nathan Road but is close to everywhere. Its accessibility to the airport through the A21 airport bus makes it more attractive and convenient for its guests.

Room Options

Yesinn Youth Hostel @ Yau Ma Tei offers a long list of room options for those who want to stay. The property offers both shared dormitory rooms and private rooms.

The hostel offers the following dormitory room configurations: an 8-bed mixed dormitory room, a 4-bed mixed dormitory room, and a 4-bed female dormitory room. All these rooms feature bunk beds with individual reading lights, privacy curtains, shared bathrooms and ensuites, power outlets, air conditioning, and limited storage spaces. Rates start at HKD 99+ per night if you book directly with the property.

Yesinn’s long list of private room options is as follows: standard single room, standard twin room, standard triple room, comfort bunk room, comfort double room, and quadruple bunk room. All these private rooms feature in-room bathrooms (with heaters) and ensuites, air conditioning, bathroom amenities (towels and toiletries), desks and chairs, cable televisions, kettles, hair dryers, and power sockets. Rates start at HKD 199+ per night if you book directly with the property.

My friends and I booked our stay with Agoda and took advantage of Unionbank Visa’s 15% discount at the time of booking. We got 2 comfort bunk rooms and paid ₱19,954.57 for 4 nights. Each person only paid ₱4,988.64 for 4 nights. Cheapo, right?

We asked the ladies to pick their room, and we got the comfort bunk room on the 15th floor. We arrived with little to no expectations given the price we paid, but we were pleasantly surprised with how our room looked. We got a small bunk room with a surprisingly big (Hong Kong standards) shower and ensuite. I told my friend that I had seen a smaller room and toilet during our 2018 Hong Kong trip. My friends and I were happy and content with our rooms, given their location, inclusions, and the price we paid.

Guest Facilities & Amenities

Guests of Yesinn Youth Hostel @ Yau Ma Tei enjoy the following facilities and amenities:

Complimentary Wi-Fi Access – Hostel guests have access to fast Wi-Fi connections both in common areas and inside the rooms.

Communal Lounge – The hostel has a communal lounge area beside reception where guests can chill, kill time, and talk to other guests.

Shared Kitchen & Dining Area – Guests can prepare food in the shared kitchen. There are also seats and tables that can be used while eating. The kitchen is also complete with cutlery, plates, glasses, and other kitchen or meal needs.

Daily Housekeeping – The hostel staff goes around and cleans all rooms every day. Guests can opt out of this daily housekeeping service by putting the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on their room doors.

Vending Machines – There are vending machines in the common area. These machines have drinks and snacks that guests can purchase with cash or an Octopus card.

Friday Movie Nights – Yesinn Hostel @ YMT hosts free movie nights every Friday at 8:00 p.m. All guests are welcome to join this movie night.

Free Boardgame Rental – Guests can borrow boardgames and play with them in the common area.

Hostel Shop – The hostel has a shop that sells basic hostel amenities.

Concierge Services – Yesinn Hostel offers concierge services. Printing services are also available for a fee.

Luggage Storage – The hostel offers luggage storage to guests who need to leave their bags before check-in or after check-out. Please let reception know if you want to keep your bags with them before check-in or after check-out.

Long Reception Hours – Hostel reception hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Please let the hostel know if you are arriving earlier or later than the stated hours. The hostel’s reception is found on the second floor.

Express Check-Out System – The property adopts an express check-out system where outgoing guests only need to drop their keycards in the mail box near the vending machines.

Multi-Lingual Hostel Staff – The Yesinn hostel staff speaks multiple languages: English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, and Spanish.

Lift Access – All hostel guests have access to two lifts that run from the ground floor up to the rooms.

Secured Room Access – Room keycards are issued to guests upon check-in. These keycards only work on the assigned floor (in the lifts) and in the assigned room during the stay. It does not work anywhere else on the property.

Secured Hostel Premises – The hostel premises are equipped with security cameras and surveillance systems. The building entrance is also manned by security personnel all day.

Hostel Experience

I had an awesome stay at Yesinn Youth Hostel @ Yau Ma Tei. Knowing what affordable Hong Kong accommodations look like, I was pleasantly surprised by how nice this hostel is given the price we paid.

Yesinn Hostel is one of the most economical and value-added hostels in Hong Kong. My friends and I paid less than ₱4,988.64 each for 4 nights and got 2 comfort bunk rooms with private toilets and showers. We also liked the hostel’s relatively quiet location, but it was near everything. We were near Temple Street Night Market, Nathan Road, Ladies Market, Sneaker Street, and Mongkok. We were one ride away from Hong Kong International Airport. We were near Yau Ma Tei MTR station, supermarkets, shops, and local restaurants.

We also liked the number of amenities the hostel provided inside these comfort bunk rooms. We had bath and face towels, a television, a water kettle, a hair dryer, and toiletries inside the room. We also had a nice view of the city from our room windows. We also liked how the hostel kept the rooms clean and tidy every day. A massive thank you to the housekeeping staff who make up our room every day.

I, honestly, do not have anything to say negative or against the property. I have read reviews about a few things and experiences, but I have not experienced them. I will probably just warn the readers to manage their expectations regarding the room size. I can tell you the rooms are small to the point where one might not have space to open two medium- or large-sized suitcases.

Other than that, all is well with this amazing hostel. I will consider booking this again on my next Hong Kong trip, especially when I am on a tight budget. I hope I have given insights about the hostel, what they offer to their guests, and how our experience went. In case you have questions about the property, you may reach out through the following:

Yesinn Youth Hostel @ Yau Ma Tei
Address: 1B Wing Sing Lane, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Phone Number: +852 5608 9966 / +852 3703 7333
Email Address: ymt1@yesinn.com
Website: www.yesinn.com/en
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/YesinnYMT
Instagram: www.instagram.com/yesinn_ymt


This wraps up my stay with Yesinn Youth Hostel @ Yau Ma Tei. What do you think of the hostel? Do you have any questions about anything mentioned above? Feel free to post them in the comments section below. You may also send these questions to me via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thanks for joining me in today’s Hostel of the Day feature. Please also take time to check out my previous HOTD features by clicking this. You will find my other hostel reviews about Le Village Montmartre in ParisThe Bed KLCC in Kuala LumpurThe RomeHello in Rome & Z Hostel here in the Philippines.

Before you go, I hope you can like, follow and share my social media pages – Facebook and Instagram. This will help me increase my reach; it will also keep you up-to-date with the latest blog posts, itineraries and flight reports on this website. Thank you and see you in the next hostel of the day feature!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

2018 Run-Through: Reuniting & Travelling With Friends

Hey, you! I hope you’re having a wonderful holiday with your families & friends. 2019 is just a few hours away. Another year will soon pass. Before we go into 2019, join me as I look back on how another year of travels went by.

2016 was all about going solo & exploring places by myself. 2017 was about exploring both known & relatively unknown places. 2018’s theme is about reuniting & travelling with friends. After months & years of travelling alone, I reunited & travelled with friends in all of my trips this year.

Let me share with you where my friends & I went to this year. It was a fun & memorable year exploring with friends!

sapporo🇯🇵

Last February, Shane & I went to Sapporo for a week. We flew in to Tokyo & took another domestic flight to Sapporo. We explored Sapporo city on our 2nd day – walked around historic buildings & structures plus tried the famous Genghis Khan meat for late lunch. We tried the world-famous Hokkaido king crab in Nijo Market on our 3rd day, then went to explore the port city of Otaru in the afternoon.

Shane & I went skiing on our 4th day. We took a beginner’s ski course in the morning & skied on a downhill slope in the afternoon. It was tiring but a fun experience. We enjoyed it & we plan to do it again on our next winter trip. We chose to relax on our 5th day & tried a traditional Japanese onsen on a snowy day. At first, it was weird walking around naked but hey, everyone’s naked so there’s nothing to worry. We flew to Tokyo on our 6th day & do some last minute pasalubong shopping before flying back to Manila on our last day.

Believe it or not, we only spent less than ₱45,000 each including airfare & hostel accommodations. It was a trip of many firsts (my first legit winter trip) & also an affordable one. Check out the Sapporo blog list below.

Blog List:
Hokkaido Winter Series: The Ultimate Japan Winter Experience Without Breaking The Bank (7 Days For Less Than ₱45,000 all-in)
Hokkaido Winter Series: SAPPORO – A Winter Paradise City
Hokkaido Winter Series: OTARU – An Afternoon In The Nearby Historical Harbor City
Hokkaido Winter Series: SAPPORO TEINE RESORT & HOHEIKYO ONSEN – Recommended Day Trips From Sapporo City
Hostel Of The Day: THE STAY SAPPORO – Budget Sapporo Accommodation With Top-Notch Amenities
Hostel Of The Day: OAK HOSTEL ZEN – My Favorite Tokyo Hostel
Tuesday Tip: 7 SAPPORO Eats You Shouldn’t Miss

Hong Kong🇭🇰

My high school friends & I went on a weekend trip to Hong Kong last March. We left for Hong Kong on a Friday late afternoon & arrived back in Manila Sunday night. It was a quick 48-hour trip but we managed to visit a number of interesting places. Jericho & I explored went to Victoria Peak, Quarry Bay Monster Building, Nan Lian Garden & Kowloon Pier while our friends went to Hong Kong Disneyland. We met them in Mong Kok for dinner & went shopping together.

The following day, the whole group went to mass at St Teresa’s Church in Kowloon Tong in the morning. We all went to Ngong Ping via the cable car in the afternoon & went last-minute shopping at Citygate Outlets. We headed back to our accommodation to pick up our bags & went straight to the airport for our flight back to Manila.

Blog: High School Squad Weekend: 48 Hours In HONG KONG

Nacpan Beach🇵🇭

Maanne, a friend who is now based in Vancouver, went home for a few weeks & asked us to join her visit Nacpan Beach in El Nido. I’ve been to El Nido & Nacpan Beach a number of times. It was Maanne’s 1st time in Nacpan. We spent a whole day at the beach area. The weather didn’t cooperate so we found ourselves having a good time (having lunch + free drinks / shots) at Mad Monkey Hostel Nacpan Beach. Our stay in El Nido & Nacpan was mostly spent in our hostels, Mad Monkey & Outpost Beach Hostel due to rainy weather.

Blog List:
Hostel Of The Day: MAD MONKEY HOSTEL NACPAN BEACH – Beach & Party In One Place
Hostel Of The Day: OUTPOST BEACH HOSTEL – Social El Nido Hostel By The Beach

Port Barton 🇵🇭

After spending 2 days & 2 nights in El Nido, we headed down south to the small coastal village of Port Barton. I’ve been to this place in 2017 & had the best times so I decided to bring my friends to this paradise. We spent another 48 hours here, went island hopping, relaxed on the village beach & had great times with old & new friends.

Blog: PORT BARTON Revisited – 48 Hours In Palawan’s Next Popular Destination

Siargao 🇵🇭

My colleague & friend, Shiela, & I went to Siargao for 4 full days last July. We booked our tickets a few months back before I left for the airport for my Sapporo trip. Another friend in the name of Geof (from Siquijor 2017 trip) was also on the island with friends. We met up on our 1st day for dinner & decided to go together for crazy party nights & inland tours. We took the Sugba Lagoon & Magpupungko Rock Pool tour together & met a new set of friends. This marked the birth of the Siargao Squad. Half of the group left the island on our 3rd day while we took the Sohoton Cove & Tri Island Tour.

Shiela & I also had crazy nights with our roommates at Bravo Beach Resort & our ex-colleague Vanessa. This trip was all about exploring the island in the morning & drinking / partying at night – typical Siargao getaway. I look forward to flying back to Siargao to do the same time.

Blog List:
4-Day Siargao Weekend: It’s All About Epic Tour Days & Crazy Party Nights
Hostel Resort Of The Day: BRAVO BEACH RESORT SIARGAO – Reasonably Priced Shared Luxury Accommodation in Paradise Island

Sydney 🇦🇺

Last August, I flew to Sydney with my N9 buddies, Shane (from Sapporo trip) & Leng. It was my first trip outside Asia (finally lol). We took the free walking tours & explored Sydney by foot. The weather was not too hot & not too cold (well for me) so it was perfect for walking. My friends & I also went to see Bondi Beach & Coogee Beach, 2 of the many suburban beaches of Sydney.

We took a wine-tasting day trip to the mountains of Hunter Valley. We went to 3 wineries, tried different kinds of wine & had lunch at a fancy country club. We drowned ourselves with free wine that same day. We took another day trip to Blue Mountains National Park in Katoomba. The place is about 2 hours by train from Sydney. We walked around the peaceful rainforest of Jamison Valley plus enjoyed the thrilling rides of Scenic World. It was a perfect day out with the nature. Check the N9 in Staya Series blog list below.

Blog List:
N9 In Straya Series: Exploring SYDNEY By Foot Part 1 – Heritage Sites Within The City
N9 In Straya Series: Exploring SYDNEY By Foot Part 2 – City Icons, Alleys & Harbours
N9 In Straya Series – BONDI BEACH & COOGEE BEACH – A Short Trip To Two of Sydney’s Suburban Beaches + BOUNCE SYDNEY HOSTEL Tribute
N9 in Straya Series: HUNTER VALLEY Day Tour – Australian Wine Tasting At Its Finest
N9 in Straya Series: SCENIC WORLD BLUE MOUNTAINS – Nature & Adventure In One Place
Hostel Of The Day: THE POD SYDNEY – Minimalist & Contemporary Hostel In The Middle Of A Busy City

Brisbane 🇦🇺

I left my friends in Sydney & flew to Brisbane to spend a weekend with my relatives & cousins. My uncle, aunt & cousins took me around the city. We went to the koala sanctuary, had lunch at Mount Coot-tha overlooking Brisbane CBD, walked around South Bank, rode the Brisbane Wheel & drove around the central business district. They also took me to Gold Coast to see the famous beach, to go up Gold Coast’s highest view deck & to have lunch in a revolving restaurant.

Blog: N9 In Straya Series: BRISBANE Weekend – Quality Family Time In QLD

Bohol 🇵🇭

My high school friends & I went on a quick weekend getaway to Bohol last September. We flew in Saturday morning, went straight to the countryside tour. We saw both the chocolate hills & the tarsiers on our first few hours on the island. We decided to skip the Loboc River Cruise & went to Bohol Bee Farm to have lunch. We passed by a few more places before heading to our booked accommodation near Alona Beach. On our 2nd day, we chased dolphins, swam with the turtles & snorkelled in Balicasag Island. We flew back to Manila the morning of the 3rd day. The trip was just right for a small island like Bohol.

Blog: High School Squad Weekend: 48 Hours In BOHOL

Penang 🇲🇾

Both planned trips in November got cancelled so I booked a last-minute trip to Malaysia. My initial plan was to spend 3 days in Penang & another 3 days in Kuala Lumpur but I had to cut short my trip for another last-minute invite. This 36-hour Penang stopover was the only ‘trip’ of the year when I was alone.

I flew in to Penang via Kuala Lumpur on the 1st day, explored Kok Lek Si & Georgetown (plus the murals) on the 2nd day & left for Singapore on the 3rd day. I stayed in a very cool shop-turned-guesthouse property called The Frame Guesthouse. I haven’t posted about my Penang trip, but watch out for the article soon.

Blog List:
Penang Blog – To Follow
(Hostel) Guesthouse Of The Day: THE FRAME GUESTHOUSE PENANG – Beautifully Restored Heritage Property In The Heart Of Georgetown

Singapore 🇸🇬

As mentioned above, I had to cut my Malaysia trip for another trip in Singapore. I flew into Singapore a day before the event. I headed my hostel near Haji Ln & Arab St & met up with my friend Lord who is now based there. We first had late lunch in a Japanese restaurant at Bugis Junction Mall then headed to ATLAS Singapore to have afternoon drinks.

I sneaked in a quick trip to Marina Bay Sands & Gardens By The Bay before heading over to Zouk Singapore for the pre-sailing party of Its The Ship 2018. Check out how I managed to spend by 24 hours in Singapore. It was a quick one, but hey, I’ve been to a lot of places in such a short span of time.

Blog List:
SINGAPORE Stopover: Quick & Packed 24 Hours In The Lion City
Tuesday Tip: SINGAPORE Tipid Hits – 9 Ways to Explore On A Budget

Its The Ship 2018 🇸🇬🇹🇭

Its The Ship 2018 was the main reason why I had to cut short my Penang / Kuala Lumpur planned trip & why I flew to Singapore on the 3rd day. Lord, my friend based in Singapore, invited me to join him in this party cruise. Thank you, Lord! Double meaning, I know. LOL.

This yearly 4 days / 3 nights cruise trip to Phuket (from Singapore) & back is Asia’s largest festival at sea. This year, the cruise turned into a massive party boat with international DJs over 3 stages. The cruise also had scheduled fun activities with the artists, plus an international buffet (which runs almost 24/7). This was my 1st cruise experience & will definitely be not the last.

I haven’t posted anything yet about my Its The Ship 2018 experience. Make sure to wait for that post next month.

Blog: To Follow

Cancelled Trips 🇨🇳🇲🇳🇯🇵

I know I have a long list of trips that pushed through this year, but I also had 2 international trips that didn’t push through. First is the 10-day trip to Beijing, China & Mongolia. My friend & I booked tickets to Beijing for less than ₱1,800 each & planned to go to Ulanbaatar by land. Unfortunately, we had to forego of this trip due to visa restraints. Apparently, the Chinese consulate does not grant double entry visas to first time applicants. We need this type of visa because we planned to go back to Beijing to catch our flight back to Manila.

Another cancelled trip was another set of flights to Japan. I was supposed to fly to Tokyo & Nagoya with my high school friends (from Hong Kong & Bohol trips) but I had to cancel. I had to attend an important family event that falls in the middle of that supposed to be 11-day trip. These China, Mongolia & Japan trips might have been cancelled, but I know I’ll visit these places soon. I’m still thankful most of my planned trips pushed through.


This pretty much sums up my year full of travels with friends. It was a year of many firsts – first winter trip, first out-of-Asia trip, first cruise experience & the list goes on. It was a year full of unforgettable experiences & memorable laughs. I may not have a clear plan on what’s in store for 2019 but I am positive it will be another year full of travels. Thank you very much for joining me. Happy new year & cheers to more fun travels in 2019!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

High School Squad Weekend: 48 Hours In HONG KONG

¡Hola! I know I’ve been quiet the past few weeks – I’ve been very busy with work & personal life. There’s so much going on around me & I barely have time to write & catch-up. I still owe you everything about my Sapporo trip last February but that’s coming really soon. For now, I will share to you some details about recent trip to Hong Kong.

Touchdown Hong Kong International Airport!

Last March, my high school friends & I went to Hong Kong for the weekend. You heard it right, just for 48 hours! We left Manila Friday afternoon & went back Sunday night. Yes, it was that quick but we managed to visit many places. I’ve been to Hong Kong in 2013 with my office friends so I made sure that I went to new places this time.

Plane Ticket

Last September 2017, Citibank Philippines offered promotional Cebu Pacific Air fares to Hong Kong. Flights from Manila cost as low as ₱1,299 (not including booking fee) per person. Cheap, eh? My high school friends & I took advantage of this promotion; we booked tickets for 10 people. Yes, cheap fares were overflowing that time.

My return ticket to Hong Kong; bought it for only ₱3,710.60

We got our round-trip ticket for ₱3,710.60 (including airport taxes & booking fee) each. A normal return ticket to Hong Kong will cost you around ₱5,000 – ₱8,000; we still got it for an affordable price!

Curios how I get access to or how do I get informed of these promotional fares? You might want to like my Facebook Page for alerts & updates on upcoming & current seat sales. I also wrote how I manage to book super tickets to various local & international destinations. Check the post here.

ACCOMMODATION

Looking for a decent & affordable place to stay in Hong Kong is quite hard. It got harder because we were a group of 10 people. Hotel & services apartment rates in Hong Kong are very expensive. A room in a decent hotel can cost around ₱5,000 per night for 2 people. There are a lot of guesthouses & inns but most of they aren’t that cozy.

Our small & basic double room at Shinny Inn, Hong Kong

My friends & I got lucky for booking our stay (via Booking.com) with Shinny Inn. It is a small inn in the 8th Floor of Alhambra Building along Nathan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong. We booked really early so we got the double room at HK$ 360 per night – that’s HK$ 180 per person / night. What a bargain! We booked 5 rooms in the property.

Had Tsingtao again after so long! Bought this while having dinner in a restaurant near Shinny Inn

The air-conditioned rooms were small (this is normal in Hong Kong) & basic. Each room has a private shower & ensuite, a small table & a cable television. Space is limited but it was alright. We were out most of the time anyway; we only need a place to sleep & prepare. Jeki (the owner) provided each room a free local sim card with a few credits & mobile internet. Our stay comes with free coffee & tea in the morning.

View from Shinny Inn’s balcony

They also allowed us to leave our bags after check out. Overall, I recommend staying at Shinny Inn. The place is affordable for such an expensive destination. The rooms are small & basic – again you just need a place to sleep!

48 Hours In Hong Kong? Challenge Accepted! Places Visited –>

As mentioned above, I’ve been to Hong Kong in 2013 so I decided to skip some places to visited like Hong Kong Disneyland & Ocean Park Hong Kong. Majority of the group went to Hong Kong Disneyland during our second day; but my friend, Echo, & I decided to go our own way.

Central Hong Kong

Central is Hong Kong’s business & retail district. You can find everything here – affordable & luxury brand stores, restaurants, businesses, etc. I’ve been to this area way back in 2013; but I missed visiting the famous Graham St mural. The mural shows rows of townhouses & apartment buildings beside each other, depicting the current Hong Kong situation.

Graham St mural 

Echo & I also tried the mid-levels escalator in Jubilee St. This 800-meter escalator is the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the word. We went there for the experience – it only works one way per few minutes plus you will see people at every end waiting for the escalator to go the other way.

Tried the mid-levels escalator in Jubilee St

Access: Central MTR Station

Peak Tram & Sky Terrace 428

Converted our Klook vouchers into tickets!

I’ve been to the Peak Tram & Sky Terrace 428 in 2013 but Echo asked if I can go there again & go with him. I had no choice but to say yes. We got our Peak Tram Fast-Track Combo Tickets from Klook for US$8.9 or around ₱460. The ticket included an express entry to The Peak Tram & a ticket to Sky Terrace to 428. Ticket redemption was easy & the express entry to the tram saved us a lot of time (instead of lining up in the regular queue).

Inside the Peak Tram on the way to Victoria Peak

Dropped by the Trick Eye Museum before heading up to Sky Terrace 428

The tram ride to Victoria Peak took us a little over 7 minutes. We skipped the Madame Tussaud’s & the Art of Chocolate Museum & we headed to the free Trick Eye Museum. We took some photos & then we finally went up to Sky Terrace 428. The weather was cloudy, windy & cold. We were not able to see the skyline in its glory. We stayed for a few hours but the weather didn’t improve. We had no choice but to leave.

The best view of skyline from Sky Terrace 428 – it was cloudy that day!

Access: Central MTR Station | Klook Ticket Redemption Area – Exit K

Hong Kong’s Monster Building

Quarry Bay’s Monster Building became popular on Instagram. Since then, Hong Kong visitors make their way to Quarry Bay area to see the building for themselves, also to get nice photos for their Instagram accounts.

Hong Kong’s Monster Building from the ground

This area is composed of 5 buildings, namely Montane Mansion, Oceanic Mansion, Yik Cheong Building, Yik Fat Building & Fook Cheong Building, which form a gigantic E-shaped complex. Echo & I went to this complex to see the buildings in person & to take photos. There’s another famous & colorful complex named Choi Hung Estate but we didn’t have enough time to go & visit.

Another one!

Access: Quarry Bay MTR Station – Exit A + Walk along King’s Road to Tai Koo

Nan Lian Garden

Nan Lian Garden is a serene classical Chinese garden in Diamond Hill, Hong Kong. Surrounded by skyscrapers, this garden features several walking paths, ponds, wooden & stone structures, trees & a wooden pavilion. The garden’s design followed the designs during Tang Dynasty.

A good friend of ours recommended this place to us. I’d like to echo her. This garden is truly a must-see when in Hong Kong.

Access: Diamond Hill MTR Station – Exit C2

Kowloon Public Pier

View of Central skyline from Hong Kong Convention Center grounds

Given the Avenue of Stars is closed for renovation until early next year, Echo & I looked for a place to relax while enjoying the view of the Central Hong Kong Skyline. We sat down in one of the benches in Kowloon Public Pier & enjoyed the view on a cold windy late afternoon. The skyline wasn’t at its best due to the not-so-favorable weather.

Central skyline from Kowloon Public Pier

Access: Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station – Exit E + Walk towards Hong Kong Space Museum

Hong Kong Clock Tower

The Hong Kong Clock Tower is an iconic landmark in Hong Kong. Located at the back of Kowloon Public Pier & beside the Hong Kong Convention Centre, this iconic tower is the only remnant of the former Kowloon Station of the Kowloon-Canton Railway built in 1915.

Access: Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station – Exit E + Walk towards Hong Kong Space Museum

Mong Kok

Busy Mong Kok on a Saturday night!

Mong Kok is Hong Kong’s busiest & most crowded shopping district. One can find everything here – from original pairs of shoes to class A one. This is the best place to go shopping for tourists. The famous Ladies Market is also in this area. Make sure you know how to haggle when visiting this place.

Had Cafe de Coral’s roast duck meal for dinner. Yum!

Echo & I met the rest of the group here for dinner & some shopping. We also walked around the Ladies’ Market & got some nice finds.

Mong Kok’s Ladies Market!

Access: Mong Kok MTR Station

St Teresa’s Church – Kowloon Tong

The whole group attended the 8:30 am English Sunday Mass at St Teresa’s Church in Kowloon Tong. This church is along Prince Edward Rd West, about 15 minute walk from Prince Edward Station. You will pass by the Hong Kong Flower Market when you walk to the church from the MTR station.

Access: Prince Edward Station – Exit B2 + Walk straight towards Prince Edward Rd West

NGONG PING

Gate to the Tian Tan Buddha & Po Lin Monastery Complex

The group decided to visit Ngong Ping before flying back to Manila in the evening. Weeks before our trip, we bought the Ngong Ping 360 Standard Cabin tickets from Klook. Each person paid US$21.3 (around ₱1,100) for a round-trip cable car ticket. Upon arrival in the ticket station, we exchanged our Klook vouchers to physical tickets, then boarded cable car to Ngong Ping. The cable car to Ngong Ping was 25-minutes long.

Lantau Island’s famous Tian Tan Buddha

Upon arrival in Ngong Ping, we hiked 268 steps up to see the bronze Tian Tan Buddha up close. This status is commonly known as Lantau Island’s Big Buddha. Access to outside of the Buddha is free of charge. After going down from the Buddha, we went to Po Lin Monastery. Located opposite of the Buddha grounds, this Buddhist monastery houses different Buddha statues & Buddhist scriptures.

Outside Po Lin Monastery in Ngong Ping

Access: Tung Chung Station – Exit B + 5 minutes walk to Ngong Ping 360

CITYGATE OUTLETS

Our last stop before heading to the airport is CityGate Outlets. This retail center is the largest outlet mall in Hong Kong. The mall has a lot of international brands, with almost all shops offering discounted items. We did some shopping here before going back to the inn to get our things.

Access: Tung Chung Station – Exit B

To more 48-hour (or more) trips with these people!


And that’s 48 hours in Hong Kong! Our schedule was a bit tight (not for the other group who spent a day in Disneyland) but was all good. We managed to visit a lot of new places given the limited time. My highlight of the trip was definitely the visit to Nan Lian Garden. I can easily spend a day there! I look forward to going there again.

View from the Ngong Ping 360 cable car on our way back to Tung Chung Station

Have you been to Hong Kong in the past? What places did I miss? I plan to go back there winter of next year to try the hiking trails in the different islands. Suggestions are welcome! Got any questions about anything mentioned above? Feel free to post them in the comment section below.  You can also send you questions or thoughts via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. You can also drop me a message on Facebook, post a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter.

Thank you for your time & have a nice day!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Throwback Thursday Treat: 2013 Hong Kong & Macau Photoblog

Soooo guys, today’s Thursday & I thought of having another Throwback Thursday Treat! My friends & I are flying to Hong Kong tomorrow for a short weekend break. Yes, we’ll be there just for the weekend. Before flying out, it should be nice to look back how my previous Hong Kong trip went.

Last October 2013, my friends & I went to Hong Kong & Macau for 5 days. To be honest with you, it’s one of the trips which I did not plan. I was still a noob to international travel. As a Hong Kong first timer, I asked my friends to do our trip itinerary. I also asked them to look for the best possible accommodation.

I forgot the name of the place we stayed, I forgot some of the restaurants we had our breakfast, lunch & dinner. I forgot how to go to this place & how much this ticket exactly cost. All I have with me are the good (and bad? haha) memories I had with my friends.

2013 Hong Kong – Macau crew 😊

There were times where we got lost as a group in Mongkok, lost each other in Central Station, lost a group in Ocean Park (eventually found out they went home early), ate raw & bad food in a random restaurant, enjoyed the thrilling rides of Ocean Park, went back to our childhood during our Disneyland visit, hopped on different buses between Macau hotels & walked literally from 5:00 am to 10:00 pm. These stories will never get old.

PS. I have to say this. Hong Kong is not a cheap destination to visit. Everything is expensive – from food, to water & transportation. Also, majority of the locals we had a chat with were not helpful / welcoming at all. Glad we met co-Filipinos who helped us with some of our questions.

Somewhere in Hong Kong – I think I took this on the bus to the city

I won’t be talking too much in this blog; I’ll just show you photos of the places we visited both in Hong Kong & Macau.

Places Visited In Hong Kong

The Peak Tram & Sky Terrace 428

Central Hong Kong

Hong Kong Disneyland

Ocean Park Hong Kong

My favorite ride in Ocean Park (together with Hair Raiser!!)

Mongkok

Places Visited In Macau

Senado Square

Pork & beef jerky shops right before reaching the Ruins of St Paul’s

Ruins of St Paul’s

‘Forgot-the-name’ Portuguese Egg Tart Shop

Grand Lisboa Hotel

Wynn Macau

Galaxy Macau

The Venetian Macao

We went hotel-hopping in Macau. These hotels provide free shuttle bus rides from one hotel to the other up to the ferry terminal. Very convenient going around Macau. Too bad we only had a few hours in Macau – I’d love to go back to explore more.


These photos pretty much sum up our 2013 Hong Kong Macau trip. Add up some clothes & pasalubong shopping on the side. I apologize for now remembering a lot of details about this trip – I was still a newbie (I think this was my 3rd) to international travels. Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to everyone in my upcoming weekend trip.

I look forward to flying back to Hong Kong this weekend. I want to see how much the city has changed from how it was 5 years ago. I’ll be going with another set of friends; that means new memories (hopefully all good memories lol)!

Is there a place, a shop or a restaurant I should check out in Hong Kong this weekend? Feel free to mention them in the comments below. You can also send an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Drop me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter.

Thank you for reading. Watch out for the next Throwback Thursday Treat! 😜