I'm Flying to Hong Kong This Month — Here's Everything I Did to Prepare

Okay so — it's happening. Hong Kong. This month. And if you know me, you know I cannot just show up somewhere without having a list, a plan, and at least three backup plans. So I figured let me just put everything here for you guys because honestly I wish I had something like this before I started prepping.

This is everything I did. Real ones only, no fluff.

First Things First

Fly Direct — and If You Can, Fly Out of Cebu

I got a direct flight from Cebu to Hong Kong and honestly this is a tip I'll keep giving forever. I know Manila is the default for most people but from my personal experience, Cebu immigration is just better. Calmer. Faster. Less chaotic. I've gone through both and there's really a difference.

So if you're based in Visayas or you're willing to fly into Cebu first — do it. It removes so much stress before you've even left the country. And direct means no layover anxiety, no rushing through another airport with your luggage. Just board, sleep (or not lol), and you're there.

Book This Before You Go

Klook for Everything — Seriously

Klook became my go-to for this trip. I used it to book our accommodation, activities, and transport. It just makes everything so much simpler because it's all in one place and you're not running around figuring stuff out when you land.

We stayed at Hop Inn on Nathan Road — booked through Klook. Honestly? It was an alright stay. Nothing crazy, but it was quiet and that's what I needed. Finding it was a struggle at first, I won't lie. But the people around were so helpful and eventually we got there. It's in a good spot in Kowloon so location-wise, it's really great.

We also booked our Hong Kong Disneyland tour through Klook and the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus — and that bus was amazing, for real. If you're in HK for the first time and you want to see the city without stressing over which train or bus to take, this is your answer. You just ride, hop off at whatever stop looks interesting, and hop back on. So good.

Non-Negotiable

Get an Octopus Card — It Is Your Life

I cannot stress this enough. The Octopus Card is your life in Hong Kong. Tap and go for the MTR. Tap at 7-Eleven. Tap at fast food. Tap at shops. The whole city runs on it and without one, you'll be fumbling for coins every single time which is not the vibe.

We originally planned to claim ours at the Klook booth in the airport — but by the time we got there, it was already closed. They close at 9 PM. So just a heads up on that! We just bought ours directly at the airport instead and it was totally fine. No issues. Some smaller local shops still use cash, but for everything else — Octopus Card.

Heads Up: The Klook Octopus Card redemption booth at HK airport closes at 9 PM. If you're arriving late, just buy one at the airport arrival hall directly. Same card, same function — no problem.

Money Talk

Bring Some Cash, But You Don't Need to Overdo It

Before we left, we prepared around ₱5,000 worth of HKD in cash. Most of it went to food — local spots, small restaurants, that kind of thing. Some places in the older parts of the city are still cash-only so it's good to have on hand, but you really don't need to carry a lot.

We actually withdrew another batch when we were already on our second or third day — also around ₱5K — just to top up. So in total we had roughly ₱10K in HKD throughout the trip but it wasn't all at once.

Smart Money Moves

Set Up Your Cards Before You Leave

This is where I think I did well. Instead of using a regular debit card with forex fees (ugh), I used two things:

• Maribank Card— for ATM withdrawals in HK. Zero forex fees which is honestly such a big deal. This is what I used when we withdrew our second batch of HKD.

• Atome Credit Card— this one I used mostly for shopping. Especially in Disneyland when I was buying souvenirs and didn't want to carry a ton of cash around. Credit card is still super helpful to have especially for bigger purchases.

Having both gave me a good balance. I wasn't carrying too much cash and I wasn't paying unnecessary fees either.

Don't Skip This

Prepare Your Documents Like You Mean It

I'm a VA so being prepared is basically part of my personality at this point. But even if you're not — please don't sleep on this part. Having your documents in order is what makes everything smoother, from the immigration line to the moment they ask you "what's the purpose of your visit."

Here's what I brought and recommend you bring too:

• Certificate of Employment (COE)

• Confirmed flight bookings — departure AND return

• Hotel / accommodation confirmation

• Activity bookings (Klook confirmations work!)

• Valid passport with enough blank pages

Have digital copies on your phone AND printed copies if possible. You never know which one they'll want to see, so just have both.

This One is Important

Be Consistent at Immigration — They Will Ask More Than Once

Okay so. Cebu immigration asked me three times — in different ways, at different moments — when I was coming home. Three. Times. Different wording, same question. And I answered the same way every single time because the answer was true and I knew my itinerary.

That's really the secret: know your plans. Know your return date. Know where you're staying. Be honest and be consistent. They're not trying to catch you doing something wrong — they just want to make sure your answers don't change. If you've got your documents, you know what you're doing there, and you're not nervous for the wrong reasons, you'll be completely fine.

Immigration Tip: Know your return date, your hotel address, and your purpose of visit before you even board the plane. Consistent and honest answers are everything. Don't overthink it — just know your trip.

And Finally

Prepare Well So You Can Be Present

All this prep sounds like a lot but once it's done, it's done. And the whole point is so that when you land and you're looking at the HK skyline for the first time — or you're boarding the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus or standing in front of Disneyland — you're not stressed. You're just there. Fully there.

I believe that traveling well starts with preparing well. God has been so faithful in every trip I've taken and this one is no different. I'm going with a grateful heart and a very organized doc lol.

If you're planning to go to Hong Kong too — I hope this helped. Feel free to drop your questions below or DM me on Instagram. I'm always happy to help!

This post contains referral links. Using them costs you nothing extra and helps support this little corner of the internet — which means the world to me. All opinions and experiences are entirely my own.

With Love,

Channie