Hong Kong & Macau, Day 6 & 7: Macau 2-Day Itinerary

I felt the need to finish this travelserye when someone left a comment on my last HK-Macau post asking where the continuation or the Macau posts are. I feel so guilty. Am so sorry! Mejo malapit na din mag one year anniversary this trip and I haven't finished blogging this trip. But here it is! Finally. :)

So to recap, we flew from Manila to Macau on Day 1, immediately took a ferry going to Hongkong and spent 4 days there before going back to Macau, this time with my sister in tow. We decided to allot 2 days and 1 night in Macau so we could thoroughly enjoy the place unlike my previous trips na day trips lang, so we were always in a hurry. This time, we were able to explore the country or town more and chill a bit. Here are photos and stories from our 2 days in Macau!

After checking out, we took a bus going to the Star Ferry Terminal which turned out to be wrong. Haha! If you're going to Macau, go to the China Ferry Terminal. That's different from Star Ferry Terminal. Take note! Star Ferry only cater to local boat rides. 

 Para lang maexperience mag bus haha

 Baket may bra dito? Haha!

 Finally, Bus #8!

 Hi guys

 We decided to stand coz we had luggages

 Went down at East Tsim Sha Tsui or Mody Road ata.

So we went inside and asked where the ferry to Macau is, wala dito guys. Haha! We were told to go to the China Ferry Terminal located along Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. It's more or less a 10-minute walk from Victoria Harbour, TST where Star Ferry Terminal is located. 

 Victoria Harbour:)

 Harbour City mall

 OOTD! H&M sweater, Forever 21 skirt, Romwe coat, Payless bag, Mikkas Closet shoes

  So we walked...

 Will miss the busy streets of Kowloon / TST!

 Finally here!

 Hi sis!

 We bought 3 one-way tickets to Macau via Turbojet for $150 HKD each or roughly P950.

 But first, late lunch or early dinner muna at Cafe de Coral!

 Ordered fried chicken pero lasang Chinese pa din. Hihi. Paid $27 each or P170.

 Finally time to board!

 Immigration

 Our ferry or boat going to Macau!

 It's spacious inside:)

 Bye, Hongkong!:)

 Tatlong itlog haha

D kami magkamukha noh?

 After almost an hour, finally docked in Macau!

 Macau Ferry Terminal:)

Big hotels provide free shuttle service to and from ferry terminals or the airport. You can hop on these free shuttle even if you're not a guest of the hotel. If ever someone asks, you could always say you're going to their casino! Haha. It's one of the best ways to save money on transportation.

 We hopped inside Sofitel's shuttle because it's nearest our hotel. 

 So many hotels & casinos

 This place looks familiar! This is the street heading to Senado Square!

 We went down at Sofitel and then looked for the exit agad. Haha.

 Thanks for the free ride, Sofitel! Haha. Nakasave kami dun.

 View outside Sofitel

 Okay, now where to go? Haha

 Love the street signs in Macau:)

 From Sofitel upon exit, we turned right, walked straight, went up sa overpass, crossed to the other side and entered a side street.

 I used maps.me for navigation :)I also printed out the map from Booking.com :)

 Finally! Hotel Hou Kong!

So, I booked this hotel via Booking.com. Why? So no credit card payment yet and so we could just settle our payment straight sa hotel. Booking.com only reserved the room for us and we paid the whole balance in cash when we got to the hotel. :)

 It's a few steps away from the main street R. Das Lorchas where Sofitel is located:)

 Our quiet street

 Map! Yellow arrow is Sofitel, Orange is Hou Kong :)

 Reception area. Don't forget to bring extra cash because they ask for a deposit. It is refundable upon checkout. :)

 Elevator

 Lobby 

Hallway going to our room

 Our room is on the 5th floor

Welcome!

 I booked the Triple Room with 3 single beds for more or less P3,800 a night. Accommodations in Macau could really be quite expensive so this is a good deal na. :)

 We had a TV, extra blankets, towels, kettle, window with a nice view, slippers:)

 Bathroom with hot & cold shower

 It's just perfect for the 3 of us. It's location is also very convenient:) Just a 5-7 minute walk from Senado Square!

 View from our window:)

After we've settled and rested for a bit, it was time to go out again to explore the vicinity. :) We decided to go to Senado Square and see the Ruins of St. Paul at night...

  

 The famous Koi Kei Bakery where pasalubongs could be bought

 And delicious Portuguese Egg Tart!!! Of course had to have one agad.

Saw this small stall na box office the line

 What's this kaya?

 Saw this chorizo rice vendor! Looked sooo good. We bought from him the next day but I did not like the taste. It's quite malansa. My sister finished her bowl though!

 Winter diplay

 Yey! Senado Square!

 Street signs

The Senado Square, or Senate Square, is a paved town square in Macau and part of the UNESCO Historic Centre of Macau World Heritage Site.

Street vendors

Santa Casa De Misericordia or Holy House of Mercy built in 1569 on the orders of the bishop of Macau. It served as a medical clinic, orphanage & refuge for widows of sailors.  

 St. Domingo's or St. Dominic's Church was built in 1587 by 3 Spanish Dominican priests for Our Lady of the Rosary.

Love the Baroque style architecture

 Lots of shops lining the streets

 They close at 9pm

 Hehe cute ng costume ni Kuya

 Road leading to the Ruins

 Koi Kei Shop na naman!

 I can see it!

 Love this cobblestone paved street.

 Turista shot

 Saw a few kababayans drinking Empi lights sa gilid. Hihi.

 Forever 21 was still open and on super sale, so we shopped a little muna!

 View from the stairs of the Ruins

 Got hungry so we bought snacks from this stall. My favorite! The best their fried dumplings. Also love the sausage wrapped in bacon. 

 Love corners and streets like this

 Decided to continue our exploration the next day, so we looked for someplace to eat.

 The old and the new.

 We continued walking and ended up near the Macau Bay. 

Macau Tower from afar:)

We ended up eating at Mcdonalds. Haha! There were not much restos or fast food joints in sight. After eating, we passed by this small grocery store and bought water, beer & snacks. We walked all the way home. Tiring but fun. :)

The next day... 

 From our hotel we walked towards Senado Square, crossed the street and went inside this alley.

 Look for this building

 Morning hustle in Macau

 Turned left after this restaurant (we're using maps.me pa din for navigation)

 Hello, beautiful!

Rua De Felicidade or "Happiness Street" is a street in China that has buildings and street painted in red. It was once the heart of Macau's red lights district. Today, it is an authentic shopping street with a few great eateries.

 Nice ride!

 It was as if I am in an old Chinese movie! Love the vibe of this place:)

 See that steep slope? That's where prostitutes and their clients used to meet when opium was still legal in Macau.

 Love the architecture

 Did not go inside but I think this is a cafe? So nice.

 Also saw this nice alley! So photogenic noh?

 Aura aura din shempre

 There are lots of preserved old houses and buildings in Macau

 Some restaurant that has a long line outside! Next time. :)

 Went up the slope and saw more establishments and restos.

 There's a stall that offers Filipino dishes! Cool!

Saw this Thai resto and decided to eat here!

 We relied on the photos for our orders. Hehe.

 My order! Forgot what it's called but it's fried rice with pork & chorizo. Tasty and delicious!

 After eating, we continued walking towards Senado Square. It's just easy to find if you have a map. 

 Gong Cha is quite popular here

 Across Senado Square is Instituto Para Os Assuntos Civicos E Municipais or Civic & Municipal Affairs Building. :)

  Senado Square at daytime

 Daming tao mga beshie!

 Local pharmarcy. So cute! Lakas maka vintage.

 Saw this small Hello Kitty bakery / cafe  

 So much cuteness!

 56 MOP for 6 pcs off egg tart or roughly P350

  Nico decided to try out this local resto. He bought curry soup with I don't know what's inside. Haha! He did not like it. Try pa more. Lol.

 There are lots of cafes & restos around 

 One of the side streets inside Senado Square

 Sometimes, we forget we're in Macau. Love the fusion of Asian and European architecture everywhere.

The fountain near Cartorio da So and Lou Kau Mansion 

 Cartorio Da So Church

 Entance to Lou Kau Mansion

 It's free!

Travessa De Se, street where the mansion is located

 Shabu shabu anyone?

Let's go inside!

 Portaits of the owner and his child

Believed to be built in 1889 during the reign of Emperor Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty, this was the home of Lou Kau, a prominent Chinese merchant who owned several imposing properties in the city. The location of this grand old house depicts the diverse social profile present in the centre of the old "Christian City", where this traditional Chinese residence stands near Senado Square and Cathedral Square. Lou Kau Mansion is a two-storey, traditional grey-brick courtyard house, with the architectural characteristics of a typical Xiguan Chinese residential building. The mansion perfectly integrates Portuguese decoration materials and methods into Chinese-style architecture. (source: Travel China Guide)

Three courtyards can be found in Lou Kau Mansion for the purpose of better lighting and ventilation. Inside, visitors can find Chinese architectural features coexisting superbly with western styles. To be specific, the Chinese-style brick carvings, wood carvings, and lime sculptures contrast well with the western-style iron handrails, colorful glass, and French windows, making it very interesting and beautiful. 

So happy coz this place has free wi-fi! Hihi.

The brick carvings and the lime sculptures above the doors on the first floor can also be appreciated and studied clearly. The second storey consists of a master bedroom and a living room with a lot of ancient flavor. We were not able to go upstairs 'coz it was closed that time. The window frames are carved with elaborate patterns. The wood boards under the windows bear inscriptions and paintings. 

In the living room on the first storey stand a row of spectacular screens. Behind them is a door which bears the inscriptions "Great Wealth and High Position". All the front windows towards the street are in Portuguese style, among which the upper two are the most delicate. They are embellished with lime sculptures and the corners are wrapped with metal.

 After almost an hour inside the mansion, we left and headed straight to the late 16th century Baroque style church St. Domingo or St. Dominic's. It's open na this time so we went inside...

 The church was established in 1587 by three Spanish Dominican priests who arrived from Acapulco, Mexico.

The church's high altar features a statue of the Madonna and Child  and is flanked by wood and ivory-carved statues of several saints

 

 Tarts pa more! $9 hkd per piece or P56.

 Box office sa araw hehe

 Kaguley! Wala nang space oh haha

 Left Senado Sqaure at around 3pm and decided to go to Venetian Hotel naman.

 We boarded Bus #26A or Bus #26

For complete bus routes & bus numbers, click here: 

http://www.metropolasia.com/macau-bus-routes-guide

 Bus ride from Senado Square to Venetian Hotel took about 15 minutes. :)

 

 Lakas maka Italy! Or Mckinley Park? Haha

If you love shopping and gambling, then this place is perfect for you. If you're budget travelers like us, then there's not much to do inside. Haha! I bought gelato lang and then we left agad. We were flying back home that night so we also did not have enough time to casino or hotel hop. Next time! :)

 Mejo struggle sumakay ng bus that time coz it was rush hour na. Boarded the same bus #. We got off at Almeida Ribeiro which was just in front of Senado Square.  

 Last minute pasalubong shopping!

 Nico had fun trying out samples of everything. Haha. Nabusog na sha dun. Lol.

Almond Cookies fo' layfffff

Went back to our hotel after buying pasalubong. We collected our bags, refunded our deposit and walked to Sofitel again to check if there's a shuttle going to the airport. :)

 Bye, Hou Kong Hotel!

 Hello, Sofitel! Pahitch naman. Haha.

 But the line was so long! As you can see. Haha.

 We also tried waiting for  bus going to the airport. But it was scarce. :(

 We didn't want to miss our flight so we hailed a cab nalang. I think we paid P600 from Sofitel to the airport. 

 Made it!

 Our flight got delayed so we had to wait for almost 2 hours before we finally boarded. Buti there's free wifi!

 So cute their restroom

And then, it was finally time to come home. Bye, Macau!

I think 5 days in Macau is enough to cover all tourist spots and all areas. The place is quite small so it's easy to go around. Just don't forget to bring a map! There are still a lot of places I haven't seen like the Macau Tower, some temples and maybe the countryside? Will save that for later. 

So, this ends my Hongkong - Macau 2016 posts! What an amazing 7-day trip spent with 2 of my favorite travel buddies. :) Can't wait to be back! Planning to go back this January since I won G Hotel Hongkong's overnight staycation contest! What do you think? G na?:)

Expenses in HKD (excluding hotel):

Ferry from HK to Macau - $150

Lunch - $30

Shopping at Forever 21 - $100

Snacks - $20

Mcdonalds dinner - $28

Grocery - $50 

Lunch - $30

Bus to and from Venetian - $5 x 2 - $10

Pasalubong - $100

TOTAL = $518 or P3,200 for 2 days:)

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