Macao - City Of Dreams Overnighter
Ferries run every 15 minutes from the Sheung Wan terminal on Hong Kong Island, and a less frequent timetable from Tsim Tsa Tsui.
We walked up bought tickets (current price $162 HKD) and were aboard the fast-cat within 10 minutes, it is worth noting that before boarding you proceed to the little counter at the boarding gate to get seats allocated.
On arrival in Macao, immigration procedures are simple and quick. As we were staying overnight in the Hard Rock Hotel we left the terminal building, under the road to the bus lanes. Boarding was quick and easy and the drive over to Cotai.
First thing to notice is that Cotai is one large building site at the moment, but don't let that put you off any visit. Checkin was efficient and soon we were in our room on the 25th floor with a view over Cotai and the airport and the rest of the City of Dreams complex.
We had tickets for the evening performance of the House of Dancing Water show, which was an extravagant mix of swimming, diving, acrobatics and motor cycle stunts. If you are considering a visit to Macau try get to see this show. There is an alternative on offer at The Venetian of Beauty and The Beast. Forthcoming attractions include two gigs by Bon Jovi in September 2015.
Following morning we checked out, and ventured over to the massive Venetian complex, based on Las Vegas , the hotel is vast as is the shopping malls and lanes beneath it, under a cloud painted blue sky ceiling. The shops catered for every taste and price from very exclusive brands to the more well known high street stores like H&M, UniQlo and several brands of sportswear including Nike, Adidas, and a featured Manchester United shop too.
Foodies are catered for by a vast food court, offering mostly Asian fayre, we had been advised to give Portofinos in the Four Seasons a try. We did and it was worth it, with an extensive menu available and an 'all you can eat' pasta, pizza and basta menu. We chose the fixed menu and grazed for a couple of hours.
After lunch we took the shuttle back to the ferry terminal and dropped our bags at the left luggage and took a short taxi ride to the centre of Macau.
It is also worth taking in a visit to the A-Ma statue to the south of Cotai, easily reached by taxi or local bus, which drop you at the car park, and a shuttle bus takes you up the hill to the temple and statue beyond. On the way down take the short walk back along the road to the Panda Paviion, where one giant Panda is on view, along with some monkeys and visit the ubiquitous gift/coffee shop. Entrance is only 10 MOP (or 10 HKD).
There is also the Macao Tower which is a large complex of shops, cinema and restaurants and an observation deck, where you can either walk around the tower on the outside of the building, or bungee from the top.
The centre of Macao reminds me of a typical Portuguese style town, for the main, small, tightly packed pedestrianised streets. There were crowds of people in the square on a Saturday, I would advise a midweek visit as crowds are less.
We then took a public bus back to the ferry terminal, cost was 3.40 MOP. Good news is everywhere takes HKD though change may be given in MOP. There is parity exchange rate agreement between Macao and Hong Kong It may be worth picking a ferry time to return and pre-book seats, especially at a weekend. We found when arriving at the terminal all ferries were full and would have to wait nearly 2 hours for seats. Thankfully as ferries run to two terminals in Hong Kong we were able to purchase tickets for a ferry to Tsim Tsa Tsui, with only a wait of 15 minutes. the cost of ferry tickets to TST is a little higher than those to Sheung Wan. Boarding was quick, ferry again was full, and the movement of the fast-cat entering open sea, meant we were soon dozing our way back to Hong Kong. On arrival, immigration is quick and easy, though you do have to complete an immigration card.
Whichever route you decide to take, back to Hong Kong you are deposited in the centre of large shopping malls, with entrances to the Underground system and handy taxi ranks.
If you'd like to know more about Macao, Hong Kong, or indeed anywhere in Asia, do get in touch with me.