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Aids and I are going to Hong Kong this October for our 5th anniversary (OMG 5 years?!) – it’ll be my 2nd trip (though the first time I went was way back in high school) and his first overseas trip ever. So yes, being the sort-of travel veteran compared to him, the trip planning was mostly done by me 😛
Some of the references I used:
“Hong Kong (Step by Step)” by Ruth Williams (Insight Guides)
Some of you may be asking “why buy a guidebook when everything is online for free?”. Three reasons: 1) I wanted something I could carry around, 2) this guide organized the interesting places into self-guided walking tours (I love walking tours – I try to walk everywhere whenever practical), and 3) this one includes a full-color map. I love maps. My sense of direction isn’t the greatest so having a map on-hand is important. Bonus: it has lots of pretty pictures that inspire me to take my own pretty pictures 🙂
Hotels in Hong Kong are super expensive in October owing to the trade fairs that bring lots of people to town but we didn’t want to stay in a hostel either. (Hey, it’s our anniversary. We wanted something nicer than the standard hostel.) The answer – getting a room via Airbnb! I’ll post photos of the room we booked when we get back. Location’s great (right in the middle of Tsim Sha Tsui), free use of the Wi-Fi, linens, kitchen, and roof deck, and reasonably priced (US$85 per night plus Airbnb’s $34 processing fee).
Hong Kong International Airport’s transportation page
Everything to need to know on how to travel to/from the airport is right here 😀
Most places you’re likely to visit on a short trip to Hong Kong can be reached via MTR. This website calculates the fare and approximate travel time between stations. Tip: get an Octopus card. It’s a reloadable card that you can use to pay for the MTR, Star Ferry, public buses, groceries, and fast-food. Aside from the convenience, you get a discount on the MTR if you pay via Octopus card 🙂 Mark P is lending us his Octopus cards while Jovan is lending us her HK SIM card. This reminds me: I must do a proper post on the “Brotherhood of the Traveling Octopus Cards”.
Whee I’m excited 😀 I’m even getting a new bag for the trip – will write about it soon. All I can say is that good things come to those who are persistent!
Islander Girl 
I love Hong Kong – how exciting for you!
I’m really excited too 😀 Well, worried and excited. Haha. Worried that I’ll get lost or the weather will be horrible or I’ll lose my luggage… The list is endless 😛
What an awesome Airbnb shoutout! Islander Girl, come and hang out with us in Hong Kong. We’re going to be in town on October 22nd. Here is an RSVP link if you’re interested in attending: http://bit.ly/airbnbhk
I already RSVPed 😀 See you guys in HK!