Exploring Places to Visit in Macau with 1-Day Tour
Macau is known for its bustling hotels and casinos which is why it got branded as Asia's Las Vegas. However, there is more to Macau than casinos, which is what we explored for one full day.
We woke up on bad weather on the day that we were scheduled to take a day trip in Macau. However, regardless of how bad it was, we needed to push through with our plan, since we already paid for the ticket.
Budget Tip: In case you are planning to visit Macau from Hong Kong, I suggest you purchase your ticket from Klook. That way, you can get about $5 to $10 (i.e. P250 to P500) depending on its ongoing promos. We booked ours on September 2017, and the round-trip ticket costed us P2,100 each.
Day trip vs Overnight
We heard that hotels are expensive in Macau, and we didn't have any idea of cheap accommodations in Macau. Hence, we all agreed to have a day trip instead. In my opinion, it's already sufficient to experience Macau, after all, the SAR is not that huge.
Taking the ferry in Sheung Wan to Macau
Klook partners with Turbojet, so the ticket you'll be getting from the site will be from this carrier. The port we specifically chose was Sheung Wan because that's what the tour guide told us. This tour I'm speaking of is the day tour included in iVenture.
Apparently, there was storm signal no. 1 issued during this day, so our ferry ride took about 1 hour and 15 minutes, instead of the usual estimate of 45 minutes. From the seaport, we approached the TKW Travel &Tours which is the official partner of iVenture.
As soon as we were complete, our tour guide ushered us to the bus we would be using for the entire day tour. Unfortunately, the tour included in iVenture's was sort of a preview, and it was only good for the morning.
Initial impression on Macau
Macau has a huge similarity with Hong Kong upon first look, but slowly it revealed itself into something interestingly different. The culture has more European influence evidenced by some architecture and the presence of Portuguese translations in street signs. The people seems to be less uptight matched with the more "country-side vibes" in some parts of the region.
Anyway, more of Macau's beauty was revealed as soon as we started our tour.
Tourist Destination #1 - St. Paul Ruins
The first stop was this famous ruins of St. Paul Church which, according to the tour guide, was burned down hundreds of years ago. The only remaining structure was the facade, which was then reinforced to preserve its historic significance.
The area where the ruins stand has this European feel, which was due to the Portugal influences (as Macau was under her jurisdiction for time period). I was not able to focus much on the details shared by the tour guide, since I was busy taking photos and appreciating the scene, but anyway, I hope I was able to get the gist.
Tourist Destination #2 - Museu de Macau
Not far away from St. Paul Ruins was this museum. Unfortuantely, we didn't get to go inside the museum itself. We just toured part of the museum that is freely accessible.
It's interesting enough due to the presence of greens as well as the "canons" within the walls. On top of all, you'll get a good view of Macau.
Tourist Destination #3 - Temple + Bakery
We visited this particular temple along the street R. de São Tiago da Barra. Like other temples, it has this arch which is a favorite selfie spot.
Also, you can take advantage of the serenity when you drop by. You'll be motivated to pause for a while and reflect about simple things. Unfortunately, my mind was already empty during that time because I was so hungry.
Our lunch in Li Jing Xuan restaurant signified the end of the day tour, but it was a perfect way to conclude it. Buffet was served so we really had the opportunity to pig out. We were satisfied with the inclusion of this buffet in iVenture. It made the price we paid all worth it. You can check out this article on why you should get iVenture via Klook when you visit Hong Kong and Macau.
Visiting the famous Macau Tower
Thankfully, the tourist guide allowed us to be dropped off to Macau Tower, which is another inclusion in iVenture. Yeah, going to Macau Tower further maximizes your "savings" using your iVenture.
The experience and joy was somehow similar to that of in Sky100 Observation Deck (read more), but the difference is you can test your fear of heights here in Macau Tower. There is a part where the floor is transparent, so you can visibly see what's below. It took me a lot of courage to conquer my fear, but I managed to take a shoefie.
To read more about our experience in Macau Tower, you can check out the post here.
Aside from that, there is nothing much, so I suggest that you prioritize other inclusions from the iVenture. I'm saying this because we came very late for the Viva La Broadway show. We were not able to estimate the time well, when in fact, we could have skipped Macau Tower so that we can watch the full show rather than just the last 2 minutes of it.
We also didn't know how to get there efficiently, so we walked 2.2 km as advised. This took out most of my energy, and the worst part is, we still ended up severely late. At least, I was able to take this photo which shows the entire cast of the show.
Unfortunately, I still felt a wave of sadness when the thought of missing the show sank in. This further drained my energy. Hence, some of us (including me) opted to just stay put within the area to rest, while some went hotel-hopping. Thankfully, there is a food voucher included with the Viva La Broadway ticket allowing us one (1) meal each.
There is a list of restaurant where you can avail the voucher, but we chose this as we were craving for noodles. Unfortunately, we regretted the decision.
The noodles was apparently similar to a "hot and sour" soup, to which my palate is not accustomed to. If you are looking for a fantastic noodle place in Hong Kong, I suggest this noodle shop in Mongkok (read more).
Maximize the free shuttle services
As a tip when you are in Macau, you just need to be smart in order to save up money on transportation cost. Taxi is expensive, so you might as well utilize the free shuttle services the casinos and hotels offer.
From Galaxy Hotel which is near Broadway Hotel, we took a free shuttle in going to the ferry terminal. We just waited for an hour there to further rest, and cure myself of all the disappointment I felt throughout the day.
Still with a smile
Luckily, there was an opportunity to take the earlier trip back to Hong Kong. It was a blessing enough to somehow help me recover. Upon arrival in our Airbnb accommodation (read more), I just blacked out and it was timely for our Ocean Park adventure the next day.
Macau Quick Guide
Things to see/do: St. Paul Ruins, Museo de Macau, Macau Tower and various hotels within Macau
Budget needed: Aside from either the ferry or plane ticket going to Macau, you will need to set budget for your accommodation and other expenses. For a day trip, all you need to do is to allot budget for your round-trip ticket, meals and entrance fees
Is it wander-worthy? Yes! Macau will surely awe you with its luxurious overall. I have never been to Vegas but this somehow gave me an idea.
How to get there: You can take ferry from Hong Kong or you can take a direct flight from Manila to Macau
