Hongkong Travel: The Six Things You Need to Bring Before You Go
Going on a trip to Hongkong for the first time but you’re not sure what you need to bring? Here’s a guide to what I think are the six essential things that you need to bring before you go to Hongkong. If you want to add something to this list, feel free to leave a comment below.
Camera
Camwhoring, anyone? It’s every Filipino-on-Facebook’s dream to have tons of pictures. Whether you have a compact point-and-shoot or a pricey DSLR, your vacation gives you all the excuses to capture those memorable moments and be a camwhore whenever you want, wherever you want.
I advise you to bring an extra memory card or a USB flash drive to store your pictures in case your camera runs out of memory storage.
You also need to bring along a durable camera bag.
Passport Holder
Aside from your passport, you also need something where you can tuck it — something that’s durable and within reach. A passport holder that can be worn around your neck or your waist is good since you’ll be spending a lot of time going to places. Choose something that has pockets where you can also put your credit card, tickets, a durian-flavored condom or a few bills.
Rule of thumb: keep your passport with you at all times and never leave it anywhere — not even in your hotel room.
Just in case you lose your Philippine passport while you’re in Hongkong, you can read the Philippine Consulate’s website for the things you need in lieu of a passport.
Hongkong Map
When we arrived in Hongkong, there were times that we got lost so knowing where to go in Hongkong is extremely important. While you’re still in the Philippines, buy a map of Hongkong at your nearest bookstore and choose the one that also has the subway map. You’ll mostly travel by train so you need to know where the train stations are. Maps are also available inside Hongkong’s airport — beside the Immigration counters, which are printed both in Chinese and English.
If you want to go high-tech, you can also download an offline map of Hongkong with CityMaps2Go on your iPhone/iPod.
Comfortable Pair of Shoes
You’ll undoubtedly be doing a lot of walking in Hongkong so bring your most comfortable closed shoes or you can buy a good pair in Adidas/Nike stores scattered virtually everywhere (especially in Mongkok district) but I’m not sure if those are genuine. You know China.
You also need a few pairs of fresh socks. Hongkong can sometimes get humid and your feet might get sweaty while you’re wandering around. Hygiene, guys.
And by the way, leave those flashy jejemon shoes if you have one.
Grounded BS-1363 Power Plug
One of the mistakes that my friends made was that they forgot that our power outlets are different in Hongkong. I was lucky that my iPhone came with the grounded BS-1363 power plug so I had no problem charging both my phone and my camera, which can also be charged through USB.
If you don’t have this plug, you can buy the universal adapters sold in most hardware stores, which cost less than a hundred pesos.
Hongkong’s electrical sockets supply electricity at between 220 and 240 volts AC so that won’t be a problem.
Water Container
Lastly, it’s extremely important that you’re always hydrated so you need a clean water container. Pick something that is not too bulky for travel or you can buy those foldable water containers unless you’re willing to buy a bottle of mineral water in 7/11 stores, which is pricey by the way — around HKD5-6 for a small bottle (similar to Coke’s Sakto).
As travelers, let’s make a contribution to mother nature by reducing our waste.
