Macau: East meets West

Macau is a place where two cultures are existing together. The buildings are of western style, but there is a trace of eastern culture everywhere. Like Hong Kong, Macau is not a country. It is Special Administration Region of China (SAR). It is often described as Las Vegas of the East.

Currency

They have their own currency called Macau Pataca but Hong Kong dollar is widely accepted.

Exchange rate as of May 7,2019 at NAIA : HKD1 = ₱6.85

Mop 1 =Hkd 1

Transportation

Take advantage of the shuttle buses provided by luxury hotels. They are free even for non-guest. 

From the airport board City of dreams Shuttle bus. I think they are the only hotel that brings visitors to the Peninsula where the historical spots are located. 

You may also use public bus. Flat rate is MOP 6, just make sure you have the exact amount for they will not give a change. There are shops at the second floor. Buy some snacks at Mcdonalds  or 7 Eleven to get coins. Bus 26 will take you the San Malo (Senado Square)

You may also ride a taxi. It's a lot faster. My friends arrived late at night, they took a taxi from the airport to San Malo for HKD130.

I came from Hong Kong via Turbo Jet. From Macau Ferry terminal I boarded the Grand Lisboa shuttle bus. It is a walking distance from  Senado Square.

Attractions

Senado Square

Calm and peaceful at night. The rain finally stopped. 

Senado Square without the crowd. 

The Ruins of St. Paul

Few minutes walk from where we were staying. We were there around 7 in the morning and there's already a flock of tourist in the area. We went on here twice,  but it's still crowded no matter how early you visit.

Fisherman's Wharf

From Senado Square turn right, walk straight heading to Grand Lisboa Hotel. For non-guest, you have to get a ticket at the 2nd floor before boarding the shuttle bus.  From the ferry terminal you can walk to Fisherman's Wharf for about 15 mins or board their free shuttle

Doca dos Pescadores

Sands Macau is next to Fisherman's Wharf.  You may board their shuttle bus going to Venetian. In our case, we locked the keys inside our room so we have to go back to Senado to meat the lady owner for the spare keys. After eating lunch at Sands KFC, we took the bus to ferry terminal then interchange to Grand Lisboa.

Shuttle Bus Schedule

Parisian Macau

One of the reasons why we wanted to visit Macau. Board City of Dreams shuttle bus, they are waiting near the Grand Emperor Hotel. From City of Dreams walk until you reached Sheraton Hotel before crossing to Venetian or Parisian. It has the best spot to take a picture with the Parisian Tower on the background.

Grand Emperor is near Sintra Hotel. Few blocks from Senado square, you will see it on the right side of the road before you reach the Lisboa hotel. 

The Venetian

Grand Canal at Venetian Hotel. You may try the gondola ride and do some shopping.

Jagra de Ovos

Custard Egg Tart for Mop 10. Best seller. I recommend this one. It tastes so good. 

City of Dreams

Ferrari Exhibit

They have free luggage storage. Drop bags then explore casinos before heading to the airport.

Accommodations

It's difficult to find a decent hostel. Luckily, I found a post about this home stay  in Senado Square owned by a Filipino. Contact her for availability and reservation.

Room Rates

1pax = HKD 220

2pax= HKD 250

3pax= HKD 280

The flat has two rooms which can accommodate 4pax each. Fully furnished. Air conditioner and water heater are working. TV has no signal though. You can also cook.

They will be asking you to deposit Hkd 100 to reserve the room.

Expenses:

Room for 2 nights  560/3   =  187

Meals  50-60/meal             =  240

Magnet 15/3                       =  5

Total                                   =  HKD 442 or ₱3,027

This budget itinerary is possible if :
* You will be sharing room with two other  friends.
* You will be bringing snack like chips, biscuits, cup noodles, and instant coffee for your breakfast. I have filled my tumbler at the airport so I wont have to buy water outside.
* You will be eating fast foods like Mcdonalds, KFC or Jollibee.

Macau Airport

* If you have no luggage to check-in, you can go directly to the immigration after printing out your boarding pass. Strictly, one backpack and one handbag are allowed on board. We have seen the airline staff scolding the passenger for not obeying the rules. That's how they are :))

*They have confiscated my facial wash and eyebrows scissors. It doesn't matter if it's half empty or full. As long as the bottle size is more than 100 ml, they will get it. 

That's it. That's how we've spent 2 nights 2 days in Macau. There are other spots to check out and it's possible to explore these places in one day. It all depends on your stamina. If you have questions, feel free to ask me :)