Broke in Hong Kong: Getting to and around the city on P10,000

As both a full-time student and employee, taking the time to get out of the country has become a luxury. There are always so many things to do, and so little cash to spread around for school and other, more adult expenses. But when I heard of an airline promo that allowed me to go to Hong Kong in three months for P1,700, I quickly booked without thinking. I figured the worst that could happen is I'd have a paycheck or two to live on. After mortgage and credit cards were paid for, I was left with P10,000 to spend on my trip to Hong Kong. How to get there Booking promo fares demands a lot of patience. I try to make it a habit to check airline websites weekly for sales. Also, booking in the wee hours of the morning is the best time to check for better date choices and less lag time. Last July, Air Asia offered a promo that let me go to Hong Kong for P1,700 all in. I just had to prepare the P1,620 for the travel tax and P450 for the terminal fee. Total: P3,770 Where to stay One common worry of travelers bound for Hong Kong is the price of accommodation. Usually, hotels in the city cost around $100-$150 a night. As stingy as I am, I refused to give my earnings to a hotel. But I also wanted to save myself from dodgy hostel experiences, so I went for another alternative. Travelmob.com is a website that offers apartments for rent for less than P2,000 a night. A 3-bed studio in the shopping district of Mongkok can go for as low as P1,148 per person. We booked a two-bedroom apartment that fits eight people in the heart of the city, next to the subway for less than P4,000 a night. There was a double bed in one room, a double bed deck in another, and a sofa bed. It had a decent bathroom with heated shower, and the kitchen had all the basic equipment. The best thing about it was the location, as it was only three blocks away from Mongkok. On the ground floor of the building was a grocery, too, so we saved more money buying a pack of hotdogs and a loaf of bread for breakfast for HK$20. Upon reservation, the host/apartment owner gave us the address and agreed to meet us outside the apartment at a specific time. They led us up to our room and gave us some tips and instructions about the switches, water heater, and other appliances. When it was time to go, all we had to do was leave the key inside the room. Total: P1,142 Grand total: P4,912 What to eat I promised myself that I would immerse myself in true Hong Kong cuisine, but apparently, the language barrier can be a problem. It got a little frustrating to see a lot of interesting hole-in-the-wall restaurants but we couldn't order because there was no English menu or English-speaking staff. One interesting man who owned a shop that sold chicken and duck really tried, though, telling me "mamyapa." I didn't get it at first, before we realized that he was still closed and that things would be available "mamaya pa." In our attempt to rid our vacation of fast food, we walked into local open-air restos and surveyed what was on the table. The adventure started there, as we gestured that we wanted three of whatever one table was eating. But at the end of one long day, I figured what's the point of boycotting perfectly decent fast food meals, especially if they sold egg tart? At that time, KFC's chicken and rice looked more appealing to the tired and hungry, instead of McDonald's burgers for the same price. KFC's egg tart was also glorious. It was not too dense, but perfectly flaky. It was light, creamy, and bruleed perfectly. I could have gone to Hong Kong just for that alone. We did splurge on one meal, though. On our last day, we went to the popular Taiwanese chain Din Tai Fung, where we had wanton, fried rice, and their famous Xiao Long Bao. We had seven dishes in the restaurant in total, while I got to take home memories of dimsum heaven to last me a lifetime. Sit down restaurant meal: P158/meal x 9 Din Tai Fung: P700 Total: P2,122 Grand total: P7,034 Getting around Like Dora The Explorer, I have been a longtime advocate of the map. There are so many free maps in Hong Kong that highlight all the worthwhile things to do. Some of it are free, too. The first thing to do after getting through immigration is to get an Octopus Card. The best one to get for travelers is the Airport Express travel pass. For HK$300 (P1,650), it includes a trip to and from the city to the airport. It also gives the bearer unlimited use of the subway, buses and trams in the city for three days. Since stops have signs indicating the destination of each bus, it's easy to just hop on a double-decker and soak in the sights. It was tempting to use the subway all the time because it was faster, but on the way home when time wasn't of the essence, we chose to hop on buses to see the bright lights. The card comes with a HK$50 deposit so at the end of the trip, there's still $50 to spend on whatever else. Total: P1,650 Grand total: P8,634 What to do Most local museums are free on Wednesdays. At night, we trooped to the Avenue of the Stars at 8 p.m. to see the buildings on Hong Kong Island participate in a choreographed spectacle of lights as music played in the background. We weren't traveling with a child so we decided to skip Disneyland and Ocean Park altogether. With the city a crisp 15-25 degrees, it was all about forgetting humid Manila and feeling the breeze on our faces. Hong Kong is also very much an educational experience. In our three days, I learned most about how I was missing out on fun fall fashion. The bigger stores like Forever 21 and H&M do offer tops and jeans in the P1,000 range. There was always a reasonably priced item on a clothing store rack. When tempted to cave, I quickly thought about how I would never really get to wear those back home, so after spending time admiring how the cuts favored my body, I left every last piece of item I tried on (with half a heavy heart). Total for me: Free Grand total: P8,684 For additional savings, it's best to plan an itinerary based on geographical location. Criss-crossing MRT stops will take time. I also made sure that I brought my most comfortable pair of shoes because there was a lot of walking involved. I stretched myself in the morning before every walkathon, and at night before I slept to combat soreness brought by the excessive walking. With a bit over P1,000 to spare, we ventured into a local supermarket to buy anything else that was interesting. I brought my professor fresh green tea, dried seaweed for the officefolk, and some chocolates for my classmates. And as I waited in the airport departure area for the plane, feeling so accomplished that I didn't break the bank, I thought: Can I survive in Bangkok on P7,000 all-in next year? — BM, GMA News