Traveling from Hong Kong to South Africa, the cheapest way will probably be via Singapore with Singapore Airlines. You can also allow yourself to explore Singapore, stay a day or two or more. I do have 7 hours in transit which is good enough. I will be meeting a friend for breakfast and I can roam around for a while - probably the Marina Bay Sands area or any interesting museums. 

Visa:

Here are the requirements for applying South Africa visa if you are holding a Philippine passport and living in Hong Kong:

- application form

- 1 passport size photo

- HKID 

- Passport and copy

- Flight itinerary copy

- Proof of accommodation in Hong Kong

- Official leave letter from employer (tourism or business purpose)

- invitation letter (if applicable)

- Yellow fever vaccination if your journey will cover a yellow fever zone

- Cash payment

Address: 

South African Consulate - General

Suite 1906-1908, Central Plaza,

18 Harbour Road, Wanchai

Contact number: 3926 4300

Processing time will be around 5 - 10 working days. 

My itinerary will cover Kruger's National Park, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, Plettenberg, Knysna, Oudtshoorn, Wineland and Cape Town. I shall post the itinerary soon once completed.

 

PS: Frankly speaking guys, the closest African feeling I have only experienced is by watching the Disney show of Lion King, so you can imagine how big thing this is for me. Thank you God for creating Africa and for giving me an opportunity to explore it. :)

Here's a glimpse of what our room looks like.

I will be away from my husband for 12 days and God knows how I am going to miss him, we've never been this far away from each other this long since we started living together. Don't worry though, surely we will survive, and besides it's New Zealand! 

Our itinerary will cover South Island and we will be doing a lot of sight and hotel inspections. I applied my visa here in Hong Kong and since I'm holding a Philippine passport, they asked me lots of things like who's gonna sponsor me, am I going to work there and my marital status. They even asked me to submit a marriage certificate as well as my husband's Hong Kong ID who is not coming with me at all. I think it's a way of making sure that I'm not going to New Zealand to work. I mean, I will be going there for work but under OUR company, not theirs. The list of requirements I have submitted are as follows:

1. Confirmed itinerary and confirmed flight tickets;

2. Bank statement - making sure that you can afford this trip;

3. Passport copy;

4. Original passport;

5. My and Husband's Hong Kong ID - since we're a resident of Hong Kong;

6. Employment certificate;

7. Leave letter;

8. Marriage certificate;

9. Letter from the employer.

There is no visa fee for Philippine passport, rather they will ask you only for the processing fee which costs me around HK$200. Most important thing to remember is that, processing may take 2 - 3 weeks!!! Yes, that long! And there's no express visa or anything. 

So anyway, I've been feeling lazy today so what I did is pretty much movie and tv shows marathoning! I haven't done this for a while and surely with all things that will happen next week, I surely will be able to do this after 3 weeks or who knows after a month. Damn.

One of my to-do-list during the holy week break is to pack my things up. Here is a list of what I am going to bring which you may refer to as well:

Documents:

1. E-ticket;

2. Itinerary with contact details of hotels and your tour guides (if any);

3. Passport with visa;

4. ATM & Credit card - make sure all cards are working overseas, better call the bank;

5. Enough cash - check the currency exchange rate and check where is the best to exchange your money, in your current country or in NZ itself?

6. Notebook and pen;

Essentials:

1. Warm clothes- some days will be chilly;

2. Socks and rubber shoes - since we are going to do a lot of walking, rubber shoes is a must;

3. Face cleanser (toner, moisturizer, cream with spf);

4. Body lotion and deoderant;

5. 1 big towel + 1 face towel - hotels have the towel but you just would never know...;

6. Cotton, tissues, panty liner and tampons;

7. Phone charger and ipad charger;

8. Ipad and phone;

9. 1 phone extra battery;

10. Contact lenses and solution;

11. Glasses & sunglasses;

12. 1 book;

13. Earphones;
14. Medicines: paracetamol, anti nausea, water cleaning tablets;

Remember to put new songs on your phone which you can listen to during long hours flight. Damn, it's going to be a 10 hrs. flight. I'm going to be dead tired...

Also remember to bring enough clothes and must be appropriate with the weather of your destination.

Anyway, I hope the above helps in planning on what to bring on a trip. I'm gonna follow that list tomorrow... or maybe the day after tomorrow when I pack my things up!