Day 1: Davao to Changsha via Guangzhou

As promised. I’ll be sharing a bit about my recent trip to China (Zhangjiajie-Changsha) with my husband and our two friends.

Here you go—Day 1 of our 6D/5N Zhangjiajie–Changsha trip (Davao-Changsha). It was a full travel day: early alarms, airport hops, a little drama at security, and a midnight food win I’ll be talking about for a while. If you’re planning something similar, this is precisely how it felt from my seat.

2:00 AM Start: Davao to Manila

We left the house at 2:00 AM. It took around two hours to travel to Manila on our 4:00 AM flight. Upon disembarking from the plane, I was devastated to find my suitcase open. I panicked a bit and sat on the airport floor to examine my suitcase. Thank goodness nothing was lost, and I probably just forgot to lock it. We went from NAIA Terminal 3 to Terminal 2 for our trip to Guangzhou at 8:20 AM. We ate a quick breakfast and went to our gate. Someone met us outside the gate and helped us check in quickly because we were on a group trip. Our well-compiled documents made it easy to pass through immigration. I finally grabbed my first cup of coffee of the day, and boy, I needed it.

Manila to Guangzhou: The Long Circle

 

The flight should have been quick, but we ended up circling for more than an hour before landing. I can’t even recall what the PA said since I was too focused on the food. The hubs ordered beef, and I had chicken stir-fry. Both were good. In the nicest manner possible, China Southern astonished me. We didn’t need to collect our bags at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, as we had already checked them through to Changsha. Our group lined up by the numbers on our itinerary, and we waited a bit for the remaining members of our group to pass through immigration.

After immigration, an airport employee told us to wait at the X-ray scanner near the security checkpoint. A random inspection resulted in the hubs receiving an additional baggage check. I felt the usual flutter of worry, but my friend assured me that everything is okay since his hand-carry backpack was randomly checked as well.

Guangzhou → Changsha: Smooth and Early

The flight to Changsha took about 1 hour and 30 minutes. We even landed around 20 minutes early. Our bags came out right away—a small win that set a positive tone for the night.

Outside the arrivals area, we met Francis, who was our guide for the Changsha–Zhangjiajie trip. There were about 20 of us on the bus. I was cautious after a bad experience with a tour guide last November, and it was my first time availing a tour package, but Francis felt different from the start. I’ll save that story for another post.

We drove a little over 30 minutes from the airport for dinner. The meal was okay; the mushrooms were the standout for me. After a quick bite, we continued to Changde for about four more hours to check in. I forgot the hotel’s name, but it was a clean, modern 4-star—really lovely for a late check-in.

Midnight Food Hunt in Changde

We took a quick rest, then did our usual neighborhood walk. Past midnight, hunger hit again. Most places were closed. Convenience stores were open, but I, the hubs, and friends wanted rice (Asian hearts, you understand). We found a small shop beside our hotel still serving hot food—bless them.

We ordered fried rice, skewers, assorted “Chinese balls,” and I got noodles. The bill for four? Around ₱400 total. It was so good we joked that nothing back home could beat that Changde fried rice. And honestly… we weren’t really joking.

Why Do I Already Love Traveling in China?

Food is affordable, portions are generous, and even at odd hours you can still find something warm and satisfying. Day 1 was long, yes—but with my husband and friends beside me, it felt more like an adventure than a chore.

Tips:

• If they ask you to open your suitcase, it’s usually just a random security inspection, not customs. Take a breath. Open. Put it back together. Done.
• If you’re going to take a similar route as we did (transferring from one airplane to another), wear sneakers. Your future self will be grateful.
• Most of the stores prefer QR or cash. Pay through your GCash. It’s more straightforward 🙂
• Get your internet in Klook. Especially the E-Sim
• Group Tours: Stick with your number; it saves time and stress.