Ferry From Hong Kong International Airport to Macau

28 March 2013

I was planning for a short trip to Hong Kong and decided to include a trip to Macau as well. I realised that it was possible to take a ferry to Macau directly from the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), without first going to Hong Kong. That would save us a lot of time.

Besides, the HKIA is located on Lantau Island and Macao is nearer to it than from Hong Kong. Best time to visit Macao is on a weekday. Beside avoiding the massive weekend crowds, the rates for the hotels at the casinos are much lower on a weekday (Monday to Thursday)

Upon arriving at the HKIA, we went straight to the counter E2, without clearing the Hong Kong immigration. The ticket booths for the ferries to Macau, Shenshen, Guangzhou and other places in China are located here. For ferries to Macao, there are 2 operators – Turbojet and Cotai ferry. One way ticket cost HKD233 per person. I was informed by a man at the counter that the prices are increased to HKD246 per person the next day 29 March 2013 onwards. Tickets could be purchased online but it was better to buy the tickets upon arrival in case our flight into Hong Kong was delayed. 

No queues at the ferry ticketing booth near Counter E2 in HKIA. This is on a weekday.

Note: the ferry operator will collect any checked luggage from the aircraft and load them into the ferry. 60 minutes allowance before scheduled ferry departure time is needed for this. Just need to show them the checked luggage claim tags.

For us, we did not checked in any luggage, so we could just take the next available ferry.

We arrived at 12.45 PM and booked the tickets for the 2 PM ferry operated by Turbojet. We wanted to take lunch at the airport while waiting for the ferry to depart but the Noodle and Congee restaurant (only restaurant at counter E2) was packed with people. So we went to the ferry boarding point at the SkyPier and bought some take-away food from Starbucks to consume on the boat.

The departure time was slightly delayed due to a malfunction of the crane used to load the checked luggage onto the boat. The staff had to manually haul each piece of luggage on-board. After that, the trip across the sea from the Sky-pier in HKIA to the Macau Ferry terminal was nice and smooth. No waves, no seasickness. The journey was about 30 minutes.

Our boat, shot from the Skypier in HKIA. The rack for checked luggage containers was at the bow of the boat.

Upon arrival at Macao at 3.30 PM, we cleared the immigration for Macao and then walked through an underpass to the bus terminal to take the free hotel shuttle bus to our hotel, The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel located in the Cotai area. Bus journey was about 15 minutes and we got a glimpse of the MGM and Grand Lisboa casino/hotels on the way.

Note: Cotai ferry will arrive at a different ferry terminal (Cotai Ferry Terminal) which is nearer to the hotels located in the Cotai area. In any case, most or all hotels provide free shuttle bus service from the ferry points to the hotels.

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Stay in “Venice” while in Macao

28 March 2013

The Venetian Macao is one of the luxury resorts located in the Cotai area of Macau. Upon arrival at Macao Ferry Terminal from Hong Kong International Airport, we took the complimentary shuttle bus from the Ferry Terminal and arrived at the West Lobby of the Venetian Macao. The bus terminal was really like a busy bus interchange back home - full of people, buses and tour groups moving in and out.

We had booked a Royal Suite at the Venetian Macao. All 3000 rooms  at this hotel are suites. I was a bit worried that the checking in process may take a long time as mentioned by many previous feedbacks on Tripadvisor. I was actually quite happy that I received an email from Venetian Macao to register for a Express Key Pass about one week before my trip. With that pass, I was able to quickly pick up my room keys upon arrival, all details being previously submitted to the hotel via email.  No queues. On top of that, I was informed that we were given free wi-fi (else wi-fi for a day will cost HKD160 per device) and also late checkout at 2 PM. Great!

One of the downside of such a big hotel is that it would be easy to get lost looking for the right elevators to take us to our room. The directions given to us by the staff at the check-in counter was quite clear. It was easy to locate our room.

Once we got into our Royal Suite, we were impressed by the size and finishing. There were two TVs in the suite. The TV located in the cabinet next to the bed was a large flat screen TV while the one located in the sitting area was an old CRT TV. There was even a All-in-one fax/printer/copier machine on the writing table.

Royal Suite – view from sitting area.

TV console with CRT TV. Painting above is a scene from where else but Venice.

Luxury bathroom at the Venetian Macao.

Checking out the map of the integrated resort. It is so big that you need a map to find your way.

We had planned to go downtown to explore the historical part of Macao on our first day. It was raining slightly, so we decided to stay indoors and explore the shops and casino of the Venetian Macao instead.

Here are some of the photos.

One of the first things that I noticed about the Venetian Macao hotel was the luxurious decor. Beautiful ceilings, fittings and marble flooring throughout the hotel.

Beautiful painted ceiling at the Great Hall.

Stairs and escalators leading down to the casino below the Great Hall.

We did not go down to the casino since we have no interest in it and there was a slight stench of cigarette smoke. Interactive information boards were available near each junction and it was useful as a tool to help us determine where we were in this huge complex. We wandered around and found ourselves in the Canal Shoppe. This was where most visitors would go “Wow”.

The Venetian Macao Casino/Hotel or integrated resort is modelled after its sister casino in Vegas. It features the same faux Venetian design and canals in the biggest shopping mall in the region.

I had been to Venice, so it was quite clear this was far from real but it was a good attempt. Quite interesting to see the details and effort put into the design of the whole complex. There was even gondolas offering rides on the canals within the complex. 

I especially like the painted ceiling that simulate the sky. I was wondering if the ceiling lights would turn darker during the night and with “starlight” coming through some pinholes in the ceiling. It didn’t.

Canal Shoppe with its waterways, bridges and gondolas.

Simulating St Mark’s Square with the winged lion on the facade of one of the building.

Street entertainers can be found around the shopping areas.

Interesting exhibits at the Canal Shoppe.

Food Court with large selection of international cuisine. Al fresco dining it is not. Painted ceiling that simulate the sky and I was wondering if it would turn dark with stars during the night (it didn’t!).

After an hour of wandering around, we realised that the rain had stopped and there was still time to make a trip to the historic Portuguese town in Macao. So, we did just that!

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Evening walk in “Portugal”

28 March 2013

Macau was a Portuguese colony and many churches, squares and government buildings constructed by the Portuguese are still standing throughout the city. Most of the best Portuguese Macau sights are clustered around the Largo de Senado (Senado Square). The best time to visit this historic area of Macau would be in the evening when it is less crowded and the buildings would be lit. Also, once it is dark, we can walk to the nearby casino belt and explore the brilliantly lit-up casinos.

Senado Square at night.

One tip that I found on the internet was to take a taxi to the Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral since it was on high ground and then walk downhill back to Senado Square. We took a taxi from our hotel, The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel.

After a wait of about 10 minutes in a taxi rank, we got into a taxi and pointed to the picture of the Ruins of St. Paul's on our tourist map to the lady driver. She lowered the window and yell at the concierge to ask him where were we going. My god! She does not even recognise a famous landmark in her own country or just that she does not bother to look. The hotel concierge told her the name of the street in Cantonese and the grumpy lady driver told us rudely that she would not alight us at the ruins of St Paul’s but near to it, citing traffic jams.

“OK, how near is near”….I was about to ask but I don’t want to get into an argument with a grumpy lady. So we just went for the ride and see where she would take us, since we planned to explore the area on foot anyway.

The ride costs us about HKD 75 from the hotel to a narrow street in downtown Macau. I was following our progress using the GPS in my smartphone so I know we were “not taken for a ride”. After getting down and paying her the fare, she redeemed herself by pointing us the way to walk to the ruin. I wasn’t expecting that from her. The Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral was just about 200 meters away, round the next corner.

First glimpse of the Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral. This icon of Macau was used as filming location in many movies.

Closer look at the facade. All that was left of St. Paul's Cathedral after it was destroyed by fire in 1835.

It was interesting to see the skyline of Macau, the old and new together.

Glittering tower of the Grand Lisboa Macau casino and the old Portuguese buildings as seen from St Paul’s church.

It was also interesting to see a residential building right next to a historical icon.

Living right next to Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral.

From here, we headed down the steps and explore the cobbled streets of old Portuguese Macau.

 

Sculpture near Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral.

Many shops were still open, including numerous bakeries and shops selling local snacks. We tried some fried pork buns, pot sticklers and of course the famous Portuguese egg tarts.  We eventually ended up at the Senado Square surrounded by old Portuguese buildings and its wave-design calcada - portuguese style pavement of black and white stones. 

St Dominic Church, one of the many churches  constructed by the Portuguese.

Street names and most signs in Macau are in Portuguese, Chinese and English.

Largo de Senado (Senado Square), with Holy House of Mercy in the back.

One could take an hour or two to explore the various narrow streets and buildings. We had enough of the old town and decided to head towards the glitzy side of Macau to explore the various Casinos and also check out the restaurants for dinner.

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Exploring the glitzy side of Macau

28 March 2013 

After exploring the historic part of Macau, it was a short walk from the Largo de Senado towards the towering Grand Lisboa hotel and casino to start our exploration of the glitzy side of Macau.

The casinos are located close to one another, much like Las Vegas or Reno in the USA. So, we decided to go hotel hopping and admire the decors.

Our first stop was the Grand Lisboa.

Beautifully lit facade with moving and ever changing colour lights.

The decor at the lobby of the Grand Lisboa was impressive. The “must-see” items were the fine displays of carvings on mammoth tusks!

Monkey King and his entourage carved on a single mammoth tusk at Grand Lisboa Macau.

One carving was that of the Monkey King with his entourage of monkeys.

The other carving was that of the Great Wall of China. I did not bring my DLSR for this trip, so the I took some photos and videos of the exquisite piece of art work with my Galaxy S3 smartphone.

Carving of Great Wall of China on a mammoth tusk

The piece of work of the Great Wall took 6 years by more than 10 expert craftsmen, including onsite surveys, research and examination of the actual Great Wall of China. It includes scenes portraying everyday life of locals in great exquisite details.

Further in, there is a golden dragon boat. Again, the fine craftsmanship and details were amazing.

Gold dragon boat at Grand Lisboa Macao.

Across the road from the Grand Lisboa is the Casino Lisboa.

 
Bright lights of Casino Lisboa.

We only admired the lights on the facade of the Casino Lisboa and did not venture into the place. Further-on, we came to the Wynn Macau and a view of a brightly lit bridge linking old Macau to the new developments in the Cotai district.

Bridge linking old Macau to the new developments in the Cotai district. The Galaxy Macau integrated resort could be seen in the background.

There is a musical fountain outside which plays on a regular basis.
Musical fountain outside the Wynn Macau.

The music was nice and apt. Consoling the people who have parted with their money at the gambling tables; that they should “always look at the bright side of life”.

We went into the Wynn, hoping to find a restaurant for dinner but what we saw were only shops selling the luxury goods and another lobby with the 12 Chinese zodiac symbols on the domed roof, and the western zodiac on the floor.

12 Chinese zodiac symbols on the domed roof of Wynn Macau. Western zodiac ( Capricorn, Leo, etc..) were on the floor.

Fierce tiger and the smart rabbit, and playful monkeys and rats all over.

Moving on, we came to the Star World, which offers free and frequent shuttle bus services to and from the Galaxy Macau located in Cotai.  So, from the world of Stars we went to the bigger world of Galaxies! There were more shops, restaurants located at the Galaxy integrated resort. 

The chandelier at the lobby of the Galaxy seems to create the impression of millions of stars as in a galaxy.

Model of the Galaxy Macau integrated resort showing the scale of the development. Massive.

We finally had our dinner at the Gusto, a Portuguese restaurant since we wanted to try some Portuguese food at Macau. Good service, ambience but the African Chicken dish was not to my liking. I found the meat too dry and overdone and the sauce had a unique flavour. The curry prawn was also quite unique and tasted good with steamed rice.

If we had more energy, we would have explored the Galaxy a bit more. Instead, we decided to take the short bus ride (Free of Charge, of course) back to the Venetian Macau, our hotel in Cotai, Macau.

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