Hong Kong 18-Hour Stopover

When my husband pointed out the empty building in Al-Hareth bin Al-Habab Street in Malaz, where Cathay Pacific reservations office was located, I suddenly remembered that our favorite airline ceased its Riyadh operations more than a year ago. It only meant one thing for us: no more long stopovers.


But before that happened, it was my husband's idea to avail of those long stopovers so we can roam around Hong Kong and explore the city before going back here in Riyadh from the Philippines. When he asked me before if I wanted to try it, I immediately answered, "Why not?" From then on, we always take advantage of the visa-free entry to Hongkong entitled to Filipinos and the airline's availability of flight with long stopovers. We already did it twice.

And here's what happened the first time. We had more than half a day to spare, but almost eight hours of it were spent sleeping because we arrived in Hongkong at 8PM. Below is a list of how we spent those precious hours.

8:20 - 9:30PM
We arrived at the airport wary of the idea that we had to move quickly because we had to pass by Hong Kong Airport's Immigration and Customs, and find the bus station which would take us to Tsim Tsa Chui where we planned to spend the night.

Tip: If you do not know where the Immigration is, you might have a little difficulty asking for its location because most of the airport staff we asked do not speak English. Do not be ashamed to ask until you bump into someone who speaks English. After passing through Immigration, do not take the train if you plan to visit Tsim Tsa Chui or any place near the airport. A local advised against it and told us to just take the bus which was cheaper.

9:30 - 11:00 PM
We reached Tsim Tsa Chui, checked in at Mansions, went out to see the mainland's skyline at night and eat at a local eatery. The food was so delicious! Until now, I don't have words to describe it. I shall come back to that eatery someday.

11:00 - 12:00 AM
Went back to the hotel, and retired for the night.

9:00 - 9:30 AM
Yes, we woke up too late! (And I regret that. I woke up hours earlier but I didn't wake F and the kids up.) We could have visited more places had we got up, remembered that this stopover doesn't happen in years, and realized later on that most tourist spots in Hong Kong become crowded from 10AM onward.

9:30 - 10:00 AM
Our hostel is near the Star Ferry port so we just walked. We boarded the Star Ferry, enjoyed the view, and hailed a taxi to the ticket area of The Peak.

We enjoyed our short stroll at The Peak. We didn't go inside the Madame Tussauds™ Hong Kong for lack of time. We were so right on anticipating the crowd past 10AM. On our way out, the lines spilled to the street. Good thing we finished early. We chose the double-decker bus without the roof to enjoy the scenery better.

When we reached The Avenue of Stars, F decided that the kids and I stay there while he gets our bags from the guest house. I agreed because I wanted to take more pictures. It's a good idea after all because I later found out, after over half an hour of waiting for him there, that the owner of the guest house left for lunch with the key to the main door! The walk to the bus station and the ride to the airport took more than 20 minutes.

Tip: Before leaving, inform the caretaker/owner when you will return and the time of your flight.

Our flight was at 4:20PM and we reached the airport in no time, thanks to the fast and efficient transportation system of Hongkong. We passed through the Immigration again which took a little longer than I expected.

12PM - 1:00 PM
Ate a sumptuous lunch. The best! I changed the HK dollars to Saudi Riyals. I forgot the time!

Yes, I saved the best part of the stopover escapade for last. It's one we won't forget for a long time.

I decided to change HK dollars to Saudi riyals, because we had a little too many. I had to go from one changer to another because they didn't have enough stock of the Saudi currency. I didn't know that I lingered too long and F was already looking for me. Turned out, boarding announcement for our flight was blasting on PA system and I was still there, looking for money changers! To make matters worse, we have to board the plane several terminals away from where we were! And to make it worst, Gabby was still recuperating from circumcision.

To make the story short, we ran for the train that will take us to that terminal - dash is a better term - while our son tried so hard to keep with our pace. The plane didn't leave us — it almost did! — but that instance left us with funny memories we can tell our relatives to.

If not for those stopovers, I wouldn't have experienced walking along the busy streets of Hongkong, taking the ferry, enjoying the seaside view, and learning two important lessons: the best things in life are free but it's always better to be early!


Where we stayed:
Capital Guest House*
Mobile: (Jhony) 93365358
13/F, Block A6-7, 36-44 Nathan Road,
Tsim Sha Tsui Kun, Hong Kong

*We opted to stay in this hostel found inside the notorious Chungking Mansions because we knew we would only sleep and stay there for less than eight hours. Most of the stopover hours, we were out strolling. I don't recommend checking in if you are alone, a woman, and you're not that familiar with Hong Kong yet.