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Archive for Macau

Jun

How we spent our day in Macau?

Posted by: yourtravelbuddy | Comments (0)

Hi Travel Buddies,

Most people will take the ferry to the Macau Ferry Terminal at Macau Peninsula. But we decided to arrive at the Macau Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal at Taipa island.

It was a wise choice because at Taipa island, not only we visited the famous Venetian Macao Resort and Casino, we also found and tried all the famous Macau snacks all at Taipa. We also took the complimentary shuttle bus to the Barrier Gate at Gong Bei for an hour shopping before heading to the Senado Square and The ruins St Paul’s.

Categories : Destinations, Macau

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Nov

Visit Macau in a day

Posted by: yourtravelbuddy | Comments (1)

Hi Travel Buddies,

Since we only have a day to spend in Macau, we know is impossible to see everything in what Macau has to offer. Below is our “to see” or “to do” list in a day in Macau, starting from the Historic Centre of Macau.

Historic Centre of Macau is an urban area comprises of 8 squares and 22 historic buildings. It is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 2005. The uniqueness of this site lies in having many temples, churches and cathedrals built in close proximity, a clear display of the cultural exchange between East and West on this Chinese territory today.

If we only have a day in Macau, we will not want to miss:

* Ruins of St. Paul’s - the most famous and prominent landmark in Macau. The facade of the remains of the Church of Mater Dei after a fire outbreak in 1835, was carved with a mix of Christian symbols and Chinese characters.

* Mount Fortress – originally used as an altar for over 300 years and subsequently converted into a fortress by the Portuguese, offers paranomic views of the Ruins of St. Paul’s and the whole of Macau.

* Na Tcha Temple – located just beside the Ruins of St Paul

* Senado Square - well known for its black and white wavy-patterned cobbled streets. The square has been the heart of Macau and hosted many major public events and festive celebrations.

* St Augustine’s Square – cobblestones pavement reflects the traditional Portugese streetscape.

* Dom Pedro V Theatre - the first western-style theatre in Macau.

* Avenida Almelda Ribeiro (San Ma Lo) - walking tour along this bustling Main Street of Macau and passing shops and restaurants famous for dried salted fish, Macanese cookies, Portugese egg tarts, pork-chop buns should be an enjoyable and yummy experience

* Grand Lisboa Casino - one of the most ostentatious designed building in Macau.

* A-Ma Temple – the oldest temple and longest surviving building in Macau

* The Venetian Casino – the world’s largest casino and 3 times the size of its counterpart in Las Vegas sitting on Cotai, the reclaimed land joining Taipa to Coloane.

* Macau Fisherman’s Wharf – an open-air theme park with many retail, dining, bars and entertainment venues. We will probably visit this first when we arrive by ferry or our last stop on the way back to ferry terminal.

Categories : Destinations, Macau

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Nov

Hong Kong Ferry Services to Macau

Posted by: yourtravelbuddy | Comments (1)

Hi Travel Buddies,

If you are planning to visit Macau from Hong Kong, unless you are going direct from Hong Kong International Airport or you intend to splurge on the helicopter service for a different experience, there are basically only 2 ways to reach Macau.

1. From Hong Kong Island, Sheung Wan to Macau Ferry Terminal OR
2. From Kowloon, Tsim Sha Tsui to Macau Ferry Terminal

As we plan to do a day trip in Macau during our Hong Kong’s trip next year, we did a little research on which ferry route to take. Interestingly, there is not much difference in the rates run by the 2 operators. We also learned that return trip from Macau to Hong Kong costs more.

1) New World First Ferry
From Kowloon – China Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui
	Weekend/Holidays		Weekdays
	HKD	SGD	HKD	SGD
Hong Kong –> Macau – Day Service	148	25	133	22
Return Night Service (1800hrs to 2230hrs)	175	29	175	29
Journey time: 60 to 75 minutes	323	54	308	51

2) Turbojet
From Hong Kong Island – Shun Tak Centre in Sheung Wan
Hong Kong –> Macau – Day Service	146	24	134	22
Return Night Service (1715hrs to 2359hrs)	176	29	176	29
Journey time: 55 to 65 minutes	322	54	310	52

All the above SGD is stated using the estimated exchange rate of 1S$ = 6HK$ and round up to the nearest SGD.

As we have already booked our hotel in Hong Kong Island and considering the slightly shorter journey time, Turbojet is certainly the way to go for us. We also decide to go on a weekday after the first 3 days of Chinese New Year when weekday rates apply.

Read related post: About Hong Kong and Macau and Visit Macau in a day.

Categories : Destinations, Macau

Comments (1)

Oct

About Hong Kong and Macau

Posted by: yourtravelbuddy | Comments (7)

Hi Travel Buddies,

There is no better time than now to visit Hong Kong and Macau! Singapore dollar against Hong Kong dollar is the highest now for the past 5 years.

Before we pen down any itineraries, it is important to get some simple orientation right. Lonely Planet is our all-time favourite travel guide book and has been our great companion for many trips.

About Hong Kong and Macau

When China resumed sovereignty over Hong Kong and Macau in 1997 and 1999, they are reborned as Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China.

Hong Kong can basically be divided into 4 distinct areas:

* Hong Kong Island - commercial heart of Hong Kong, discover Hong Kong’s top tourist attractions, Victoria Peak, Ocean Park….

* Kowloon – the peninsula to the north of Hong Kong island, you can find some of the best museums, sights, hotels and shoppping starting from Tsim Sha Tsui

* New Territories - offers some of the most stunning landscape and hiking trails

* Outlying Islands – there are more than 200 idyllic islands to explore, just to name a few, Lamma, Lantau, Cheung Chau…

Macau is divided into 3 main parts:

* Macau Peninsula - unique mix of East meets West, churches, cathedrals and temples are common sights

* Taipa Island – the International Airport and top class hotels and resorts are here

* Coloane Island – rustic countryside and still remain very much a fishing village

Read related post: Hong Kong Ferry Services to Macau and Visit Macau in a day.

Categories : Destinations, Hong Kong, Macau

Comments (7)

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