To walk in a foreign city and trying to blend in is such a challenging thing to do. Mama and I bravely visited Macau (or Macao) without any friend to accompany us in this foreign and big place. We were nervous and yet excited if where will our feet will take us.

There are several ways to get to Macau depending on your time, budget and preferences. You can travel going there with a ride through ferry, by plane or by car. We chose to go through ferry.

Our adventure started at Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. We looked for the Hong Kong- Macau Ferry Terminal at Sheung Wan and chose the route going to Macau- Taipa Ferry Terminal. We rode the Cotai Water Jet for only HKD 165 per passenger. Check the table below.

	Weekdays	Weekends/ Holidays	Night Sailing
	HKD
Cotai Class	$165	$177	$201
Cotai First	$280	$297	$327
Cotai VIP Cabin  (8 seats)	$2,240	$2,376	$2,616

The schedule of the trips from Hong Kong to Macau is from 7:00 in the morning to 11:30 in the evening, while from Macau to Hong Kong is from 7:00 in the morning to 1:00 in the morning. Hong Kong to Macau and vice versa is roughly an hour ride by ferry. For more details, please visit the official website of Cotai Water Jet (www.cotaiwaterjet.com). 

I heard that there are free complimentary buses which big hotels and casinos offer to tourists and will lead you to and from border crossings. From the array of buses outside the ferry terminal, we chose the bus leading to the Venetian Hotel Macao. 

*Shop Like a Macanese!

Mama and I gleefully enjoyed the ride going to the hotel. Upon reaching the place, we were in great awe with the sight of the magnificent and famous hotel in front of us. We thought we were in Venice! We immediately explored the hotel which features stunning replicas of the famous canals and architectural icons of Venice, Italy. The hotel itself is truly a state of the art.  



The Venetian Macao has a lot to offer. It is an integrated resort offering accommodation, entertainment, shopping, restaurants, meeting and exhibition space. It is also a shopping heaven for shopaholics or even for window shoppers (like us, hihih). There are a lot of shopping malls inside The Venetian Macao that you can choose from which is, I believe, every shopper's paradise: Shoppes at Venetian, Four Seasons, and Sands Cotai. 

The Venetian Macao is also the largest casino in the world, and the largest single structure hotel building in Asia. We've never been in a casino, so we grabbed the opportunity to see and experience what was like inside a casino. Oh, we were thrilled upon seeing the tables, the players and even the spectators. I wanted to take pictures as a souvenir, however, it's a no-no for casinos. Indeed, Macau wouldn't be named as the "Vegas of the East" for nothing. 

The Parisian Macao (still under construction during our visit) is also a must visit place which offers a new iconic landmark in Macau which presents a half-size Eiffel Tower replica of Paris.


After exploring and taking photo ops at the Venetian Hotel, we headed to Macau Peninsula to visit other attractions. But, we were unsure of what bus to ride that will take us there. Luckily, the front desk staff of the hotel was a Filipino. She told us to ride a bus with a specific letter and number ~21, 21A, 26 and 26A~ (I totally forgot the correct code, hihih). By the way, you should be very patient in waiting for the bus to arrive because it will took minutes or hours waiting for it. Once the bus arrives, you guys should be quick on hopping on the bus since there are also a lot of passengers heading to the peninsula. 

Most public buses are air-conditioned middle-sized vehicles capable of carrying more than 20 people. Unlike here in the Philippines, there are no bus conductors so it is necessary for you to have the appropriate change in coins before getting aboard. The usual bus fare to or from Macau Peninsula and Taipa is from MOP$ 4.20 to MOP$ 6.40 (MOP- Macau Pataca). 

You guys should also bear in mind that when riding a public bus, you should not eat or drink inside it; you should also move to the back of the vehicle when you get inside; you should keep the passage aisle free; climb up and down through the entrance and exit doors, respectively; and do not get off or get on the bus until it is stopped. 

Back on track, we knew we were at the peninsula upon seeing the famous hotel of Grand Lisboa. We get off from the bus and headed inside the hotel. We didn't last long there. We just took some photos and proceeded to our next destination.

Is it real?...  Is it real?

*Visit a UNESCO World Heritage Site!
From Grand Lisboa, we took a 10-minute walk going to the famous Historic Center of Macau which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was awarded with this kind of honor as a result of its unique historical and cultural landscape.  This is also the spot where East meets West. 



In here, you'll spot the Leal Senado Building (Loyal Senate), St. Augustine's Square, St. Dominique's Church (open from 10:00am to 6:00pm), the Senado Square (Largo de Senado) which has been Macau's urban center for centuries, and the Ruins of St. Paul's which refers to the facade of what was originally the church of Mater Dei. 

















The distinct and impressive facades delighted our eyes. The wave-patterned mosaic floor of Senado Square is also picturesque. 

Ahh, my spot! (Hihih)

The wave-patterned mosaic floor of Senado Square

*Taste of Macau!

After touring around the Historic Center of Macau, mama and I were very hungry. We decided to taste the famous Portuguese specialty of Macau which is known as the "Pastéis de Nata" or Portuguese little egg tarts. It's our first! We didn't hesitate to take a munch on the cute and tempting egg tarts (hihih) while enjoying the sight of snaking busy shoppers and tourists. It is also best eating it, hot direct from the oven, trust me! 

We also tried their sausages. Hmm, the taste of it differs from ours in the Philippines, but it's also yummy, so yes, you guys should also try it. 



*Experience Macau, Your Own Style!

After we filled our stomach with yummy foods, we decided to go back to Hong Kong. I asked a police officer if what bus to take going to Taipa Ferry Terminal. Here's a very memorable story. Instead of saying Taipa, I think I said another place. Since I am unaware of my mistake, we followed the instruction of the police and took the bus going to another ferry terminal. We followed where the crowd and other passengers were going. Now, on the immigration, we had a feeling that, that was not the terminal going to Hong Kong. We went back and asked a staff if where the boats are headed. He told us it's going to a place in China (Shenzhen, Zhuhai or Guangzhou-- ahh, I forgot, haha). We told the officer that we got lost and that we're not intended to go to that place. He told us that he will bring us to their head officer and will check on our travel documents. We were VERY nervous and scared. We were brought in a room and the head officer was there. We told him that we are going back to Hong Kong and that we just got lost. He checked our papers and later told us that we can go out from the immigration office. He called another staff who guided us out from there. 

We were relieved when we saw an alley of buses leading back to the peninsula and Taipa. We hopped in the bus going to The City of Dreams Macau. While on the bus, mama and I recalled our experience of being lost and laughed as hard as we can. That was a hilarious experience! (hihih)



The bus stopped at The City of Dreams Macau, so, we took the opportunity to see what's inside. We were amazed by the grandeur of the place. After strolling around, we headed back to Taipa Ferry Terminal, but this time we checked if the ferries are really going to Hong Kong.✌ We were relieved again when we saw the ferry terminal and immediately went to the immigration and bought tickets going back to Hong Kong. That was the end of our 1-day Macau tour adventure.

To do a lot of things in a foreign city like talking with a stranger and asking for help, to eat something you've never tasted before, to tour a place you've never been and somewhat unsure if where to go, to be lost and be stuck in the immigration (haha) and a lot more-- gives me more reason to travel more. We left a new place and took a little piece of it home with us. This trip was indeed experiencing Macau, our own style! An experience that will last a lifetime! XOXO