A Day Trip to Macau Island
After the cluster of disasters with our attempt to get to an island in China without prior bookings, we didn’t want to make the same mistake getting to the island of Macau (also spelled Macao). We only had one chance to get there so we wanted to make sure we did.
We were only in Hong Kong for 3 nights (click on the link to view our blog on Hong Kong).
About Macau
Hong Kong lies about 64 kilometres to the east of Macau. It is a relatively small island of 30.5 square kilometres. Its population is around 700,000 which makes it the most densely populated region in the world.
Thankfully we did not find it to be overcrowded at all during our visit. In fact, we thought that it was quite nice to be away from the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong.
It was a former Portuguese colony for 300 years and returned to the Chinese in 1999. Its a city of blended cultures. You wander around ancient Chinese temples which are on streets paved with traditional Portuguese tiles.
Best known as the ‘Vegas of China’, it is indeed a mecca of gambling and glitz. I have never seen so many ‘high end’ shops in such a concentrated area before.
Getting to Macau
We decided that the fast ferry would be the best way for us to get to Macau from Hong Kong. There are a few companies to choose from but we opted for TurboJet.
We booked online at a cost of $342HKD/$60NZ from Hong Kong to Macau. It cost us $320HKD/$56NZ for the return trip. I’m not sure why it was cheaper to come back. Maybe something to do with peak vs off-peak.
The ferry was modern, clean and it could certainly move well through the water. The trip took us 1.10 hr and so we were there before we knew it. The most important part is to ensure you have your passport with you as you do go through immigration and security.
How to Get Around on Macau
For us, the best use of our short time on the island was the Hop on Hop Off Bus.
It was quite a comprehensive tour of Macau on an open-top bus. There is a total of 16 stops that gives you access to the city’s top landmarks.
We just turned up at their allocated bus stop once we disembarked the ferry and paid the driver direct. It cost us $150HKD/$26NZ each.
It takes 70 minutes to do the entire loop with two buses running. You are provided with an information pamphlet, a list of the stops and the sites it covers. It also advises when you can expect the next bus to come past. They also provide a running commentary pointing out places of interest.
Operating hours are 9.30am to 4.05pm and the buses are around 45 minutes apart.
Highlights
Casinos
No one can visit Macau and not be blown away by the sheer size and glitz of these casinos. We passed numerous casinos not long after leaving the terminal. All of them quite unique in their own way and quite an impressive feat of engineering.
We walked around the impressive MGM Grand Macau Casino first. This is a 35-story, 600-room casino resort.
Later in the day, we wandered inside the Parisian and the Venetian.
The Parisian has a half-scale Eiffel Tower as one of its landmarks (probably the closest I’ll ever come to the Eiffel Tower!). The hotel officially opened in 2016 at a cost of US$2.5 billion.
It has 3,000 hotel rooms and 170 shops. The interior has a large fountain and atrium giving a feel of modern France. The elaborately painted ceilings were simply amazing and I spent some time just gazing up at the dome shapes. The photos don’t do it justice as there is just so much detail and the entire masterpiece is huge.
Next door stands the Venetian Casino. It is modelled on its sister casino resort in Las Vegas. With 980,000 square metre floor space, it is the 7th largest building in the world by floor area. It is also the largest casino in the world.
These photos are all taken inside the massive structure. It was easy to think you were in Venice for sure
The main resort officially opened in 2007. As well as 3,000 hotel suites, it boasts 3,400 slot machines and 800 gambling tables.
It is surrounded by an outdoor lagoon which is equivalent in size to 11 Olympic swimming pools.
The Ruins of St Paul’s
Constructed back in the 1600’s by Portuguese priests. It is located at the top of a hill and it was the largest church in Asia at the time. It was claimed to be ‘The Vatican of the Far East’.
The structure was made of wood, so of course, as most structures of the day was gutted by fire not once, but 3 times. The latest fire during a typhoon in 1835 saw the end of the large impressive church. All that was left was the beautiful stone facade that still remains today.
Monte Fort
Of all the forts in Macau, the Monte Fort is the oldest. It is located beside the Ruins of St Paul’s. It was built in 1616 and originally belonged to the church. The fort was used to defend the church from the pirates. Later it became solely a military fort.
We climbed the hill and the ancient stone steps to the top of the fort. There were barracks, large stone bastions and storehouses. Most of the cannons that guarded the fort still remain in place.
Time to Head For Home
Our last stop was at the grand casino resorts mentioned above. Instead of waiting for the next bus to come past, we hopped on the casino’s free shuttle bus back to the ferry terminal. This meant that we could go on standby for an earlier ferry. We successfully made the 3.10 pm departing ferry and we were back in our hotel room by 5 pm.
It was pretty special to be able ‘pop’ over to another country for a day trip. I was disappointed that they didn’t stamp our passports though!
Click on the link below to view a video on the highlights of our day trip to Macau.