HKU has one
week of no school in the middle of the semester to give students time to work
on projects, catch up on readings and assignments, and have some fun. Reading week for my semester was from Oct. 29th
to Nov. 2nd. Some students use
this time to study, some go back home to visit family, and many exchange
students use this time to travel to other countries in Asia. For me, my friends and I decided to go to
Taiwan, Thailand, and Singapore. I do
not have any classes on Fridays, so we left on Friday Oct. 26th to
Taiwan for 3 days. Then we spent 4 days
in Thailand and another 3 days in Singapore and finally came back on Sunday Nov.
4th. Although I had class the
very next day, it was really fun to go and see so many places within that week.
The most I
spent on that trip was buying plane tickets.
For those who plan on studying abroad and traveling, I would advise you
to plan early and buy plane tickets as early as you can. Buying plane tickets a few weeks early compared
to about 2 weeks before your departure really makes a big difference. You can save a lot of money that way. Sometimes buying holiday packages (those that
include airfare and hotel stay) is also cheaper compared to buying airfare and
booking hotels separately. It may also
be nice to check travel agencies, which I did not have the time to do. I know some students bought their packages
from travel agencies and some agencies give student discounts.
It is also a
good idea to plan your travels. Plan out
where you want to go in each country, and look into how you can get there. Many countries have a subway system, which is
very convenient. In Taiwan, we mostly
took the subway to our destinations in Taipei.
We also decided to visit the villages and other tourist attractions by
taking the train and buses, which can be a bit difficult to use when you are in
a foreign country and are not familiar with the area/geography. In Thailand, we took the railway from the
airport and got off at the last stop and then took a taxi to our hotel. Taxis in Thailand are very cheap. However, be careful and alert when taking
them in Bangkok. Many taxi drivers try
to rip you off because you are tourists.
Also, make sure they turn their meter on when you get in so that they do
not make up a random price when you get off.
Also, check the meter once in a while, especially when you are getting
close to your destination. One of our
taxi drivers pressed a button and changed the numbers on the meter at the end,
but we saw what it was before he changed it, and we only paid the amount before
he messed with it. When we were taking
the taxi back to the airport, the taxi driver also tried to keep the meter off so
we said we would get off if he does not turn it on, so in the end, he turned it
on. In Singapore, taxis are more
expensive, so we only took it when we had to go back to the hotel late at night
when buses stop running. Most of the
time, we took the MRT which I found to be very easy to use and is very similar
to the Hong Kong version, the MTR. We
also took the buses to get to the parks (Bird Park and Night Safari).
My last bit
of advice would be to travel early on in the semester or during Reading
Week. It is more difficult to travel in
November and December because there are so many midterms, papers, projects,
assignments, and presentations due around this last month. HKU really likes group projects and
presentations. I have been pretty busy
with them lately, but I still take some time off from school to enjoy myself
here in Hong Kong.
