Got some "free and easy" days from your Hongkong family vacation? Then visit Macau!
For a day and a half, here are 9 places to go/things to do there.... OLA MACAU!
For a day and a half, here are 9 places to go/things to do there.... OLA MACAU!
Macau is divided into three main sections: Macau Island (Ilha de Macau in the map), Taipa Island (Ilha da Taipa) & Coloane Island (Ilha de Coloane). From Hongkong, one enters Macau through Macau Island; from the international airport, one enters Macau from Taipa Island.
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| http://www.geographyiq.com/images/mc/Macau_map.gif |
Affordable Ferry from Hongkong to Macau. TurboJet offers a very convenient and fast route to and from Macau. If you are able to catch the 6am sailing schedule, the trip will cost USD17.50 economy class, while the next trip at 845am costs higher at USD27.50.
Affordable hotel. We stayed at Metropark Hotel Macau. Depending on the tourist season, a superior double bed room can go as low as USD70 a night (we went November). If you arrive earlier than check-in time, you can leave your luggage with the concierge; same case if you have to check out but still have some places to cover, leave the luggage with the concierge.
Affordable meals. If one takes the 6am trip plus immigration procedures, you are ready to tour Macau as early as 8am. Generally, Macau is still asleep at this time. But local restaurants serving breakfast are already open at this time. We found these restaurants along Rua de Pequim, along Metro Park. Breakfast is very reasonable at around USD5.
For a gastronomic feast in Macau, read this post Macau Has Taste!
Affordable budget: Macau's official currency is MOP - Macau Pataca. For this blog, conversion rate used is USD1: MOP7.75.
For a USD250 per person, you have toured most of Macau and enjoyed its sumptuous food!
Turbo jet to and from HK - USD 45
Hotel USD 70
Entrances/ Other fees:
Gondola ride - USD 14
Macau tower observation deck USD13
Meals and transportation and souvenirs USD 108
Optional shows/activities (and will, of course, entail additional budget!):
Dancing Water in City of Dreams - USD49-USD165 depending on seats
ZAIA in The Venetian Macao - USD50-USD166 depending on seats
Adventure in Macau Tower, like Mast Climb, Bungy Jump, Skywalk, Sky Jump - USD75- USD321
Casinos - how much are you willing to lose?
The Tour.
DAY 1:
Coloane Island (9-10:30am)
(Bus trip from Macau Is. to Coloane Is. may take around 30mins)
After breakfast, ride the bus going to Coloane Island where the original Lord Stow Bakery selling egg tarts are. We wanted to taste the freshly baked egg tarts from where it all started. And it was worth the trip - there is nothing like the original! The bakery is a very modest shop in Coloane Town Square.
Since you just had your breakfast, just buy some egg tarts to go!
2 Stroll through the main street (right from Lord Stow if facing the street) and you'll find tree-lined highway along a beautiful lake with mountains in the background. The place is simply peaceful and picturesque. Further along the street, on the right side is the Chapel of St. Francis Xavier.
From Coloane, ride the bus to Taipa Island (15minutes).
Taipa Island
3 City of Dreams (11am-1pm)
This property houses three hotels and features attractions such as Dragon Treasure (free, 10mins, starting 12nn), Kids City (free, opens 10:30), Vquarium, and The Dancing Water (evening shows, tickets ranging USD49 to USD165).
One has the option to dine within the City of Dreams, but if you want a gastronomic experience at a much lesser price, take a taxi ride for 3mins OR walk for 18mins. to Rua do Cunha (Food Street), 1.5kms away from City of Dreams. (Tip: Ride the taxi across City of Dreams, on the Venetian Macao side of the road so you take the shorter route to Rua do Cunha.)
4 Rua do Cunha (1pm-2:30pm)
A Food-lover's Haven, is a narrow pedestrian street in the town center of Taipa, lined by shops selling almond cakes, koi-kei, peanut candy, egg rolls, etc. Within the area are restaurants, like the Dumbo restaurant, serving Portuguese food, at very reasonable price. One can have a full sumptuous meal at USD15-20.
From Rua do Cunha, take a taxi ride for 5mins OR walk for 20mins. to Venetian Macau Resort Hotel, 1.9kms away.
5 The Venetian Macau Resort Hotel (3pm-5pm)
This is a hotel where one finds shoppes, restaurants, casino, and a dome painted with a sky to depict a day that is forever sunny.
Gondola rides are available at USD14 per person, on board Venetian gondolas while gondoliers serenade as you ride through the "canals". This scenario is copied from Venice gondolas.
If you are fond of dance and aerial acrobatic shows, check out ZAIA by Cirque de Soleil. Performance is for 90 minutes and schedules vary monthly so it's better to check out the performance schedules first.
There's a reason why I suggested The Venetian to be the last on the Taipa island itinerary. From The Venetian, one can take free shuttle rides to designated parts in Macau Island.
From The Venetian, ride the shuttle to Sands Macao Hotel. From Sands, walk 600meters in 3mins to the Fisherman's Wharf for dinner or sightseeing.
Macau Island
6 Fisherman's Wharf (6pm-9pm)
From Fisherman's Wharf, you may go back to the hotel to wash up or rest for an hour or go straight to the Casinos. Here, seafood restaurants may be a bit pricey but food is really good!
7 Casinos (10pm - till you drop)
Outside the casinos, we took lots of photos. Very prominent among the casinos is the Grand Lisboa, standing tall and grand among all the casinos in the area. The lights are a delight to the eyes.
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| Grand Lisboa, deserving of its name, is in the middle of Macau Island and can be seen from almost any vantage point (night view and day view) |
One casino you have to go into is Wynn, not for the games, but for the Tree of Prosperity show. It's free and a must-see! Outside Wynn, there is also the Dancing Fountains Show.
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| Tree of Prosperity, shows every 30 minutes |
DAY 2:
Macau Island
8 Senado Square and St. Paul's Ruins (9am-11am).
Stroll through the Historic Centre of Macao, inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. UNESCO briefly describes the historic centre as follows:
Macao, a lucrative port of strategic importance in the development of international trade, was under Portuguese administration from the mid-16th century until 1999, when it came under Chinese sovereignty. With its historic street, residential, religious and public Portuguese and Chinese buildings, the historic centre of Macao provides a unique testimony to the meeting of aesthetic, cultural, architectural and technological influences from East and West. The site also contains a fortress and a lighthouse, the oldest in China. It bears witness to one of the earliest and longest-lasting encounters between China and the West, based on the vibrancy of international trade.
The highlights in the Historic Centre of Macao, includes the Leal Senado Square, which is the main town square, the Cathedral, St. Dominic Church and the Ruins of St. Paul. Bazaars, small shops, FOOD shops line the road going up to the Ruins. Shops hawk their items for sale, mostly food, and offer free food tasting. One can get their gastronomic fill tasting these food products all the way up to the Ruins. The beef products are very good here.
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| St. Paul's Ruins, captured from a window reflection |
Other places of interest within the Historic Centre are Barra Square with the A-Ma Temple, Moorish Barracks, Lilau Square, Dom Pedro V Theatre, St Joseph's Seminary Building and Church, Sam Kai Vui Kun Temple, Na Tcha Temple, The Section of the Old City Walls, and Mount Fortress.
The first TurboJet trip out from Macau to Hongkong in the afternoon is 1:15pm. Make that side trip to Macau!
For a gastronomic feast in Macau, read this post Macau Has Taste!
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