The Ultimate Macau Vacation: 8D7N in the Las Vegas of the East!
The Cotai strip in Macau, all lit up at night.
When people hear the word "Macau", they take it as one of China's special administrative regions (SAR) and just a popular side trip from its sister SAR, Hong Kong. Macau is relatively small, about 29.5 square kilometers in area size, so it comes as no surprise that potential travelers just assume that activities and attractions there will be little to none. This entails the possibility that even when they do decide to visit, they just allocate a few hours or days.
This will prove to be a travel faux pas, as any non-Tripadvisor subscribing traveler would later find out.
*Optional: Jump to:
Page 2: Fisherman's Wharf, Hotels and Casinos Tour, Senado Square, Ruins of St. Paul and more!
Page 3: Shrekfast, Studio City's Golden Reel, Batman: The Dark Flight, and The Venetian!
This will prove to be a travel faux pas, as any non-Tripadvisor subscribing traveler would later find out.
*Optional: Jump to:
Page 2: Fisherman's Wharf, Hotels and Casinos Tour, Senado Square, Ruins of St. Paul and more!
Page 3: Shrekfast, Studio City's Golden Reel, Batman: The Dark Flight, and The Venetian!
The first time I proposed a family vacation to Macau, my father voiced out that the only exciting thing that happens there is if you win big in a casino. Such is the image of Macau as a cheap Chinese replica of Vegas built only for the enjoyment of adults with money to burn. I managed to convince him to give the place a try, as I was determined to prove his prejudice wrong. I booked plane tickets for three adults, one twelve-year old child, and one two-year old haughty princess for eight days and seven nights starting from April 28. I figured that'd be enough time to get to know this modernized yet old-school former Portuguese colony.
In booking our plane tickets, I chose a time of departure that I thought was convenient for us to see some parts of Macau even on our first day. However, as a lesson I have always failed to learn, I wrote a detailed itinerary that I had to modify about four weeks from the day of our flight because our airline changed the regular schedule of their flights to Macau. Our chosen airline only flies once a day for three days in a week. I couldn't change the date because we already finalized our hotel reservations, so we flew on the same day as planned-- except we arrived in Macau at 6:20 in the evening, six hours later than our previous time of arrival.
Welcome to Macau!
(Stay in Macau for cheap! Book via Agoda for discounts of up to 30% or more!)
From Macau International Airport, we hailed a taxi to our hotel for the night. At first, the driver could not understand where we wanted to go. I opened the folder that contained the printout of the itinerary that I wrote and the printout of the confirmation of our hotel reservation so I could read the street address, but when the driver saw the Chinese translation of our hotel he finally understood where to take us. Later, we would find out that most of the taxi drivers here do not speak any English nor can they read English.
Tip: Print everything, including hotel receipts and confirmations, and especially logos of the places you want to go with their Chinese characters/translations so you can transcend language barriers and easily ask for directions or communicate with drivers.
THE GRAND COLOANE RESORT
Off we were driven to our home in Macau for two nights: the Grand Coloane Resort, a 5-star hotel located in Coloane which is one of Macau's old villages. Formerly known as the Westin, this hotel also boasts its close proximity to Hac Sa (lit. "black sand") beach. There are no casinos in this hotel, so it was peaceful and quiet. In fact, when we arrived, the only people were us and one receptionist that we thought we've been scammed into a ghost hotel. The receptionist spoke good English and took a MOP 500 security deposit.
(Related: Read my Tripadvisor review of the Grand Coloane here.)
The beautiful but empty lobby of the Grand Coloane. I could imagine myself calling out, "Hellooo? Is anyone there?" like a horror movie trope.
(Want the best, discounted rates for the Grand Coloane Resort? Book via Agoda!)
Tired, parched, and a little hungry, we were directed to our room (we toted our own luggage) on the fifth floor, a deluxe ocean-view room. It was spacious at 66 sqm with two queen-sized beds, a flat-screen, a bath and shower, and our very own private terrace. The room was quite pretty, as is the view of Coloane Village from the terrace at 9:00 in the evening.
That bunch of papers there is actually my printed itinerary. You can download it here.
Somewhere in that bunch of lights is a stage with a performing live band. They were barely audible from our room, though.
My little princess was too excited to sleep, so we headed to the pool area on the second floor, down through The Club. The receptionists informed us that the pools, mat area and fitness gym open from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and that the outdoor pool was not heated. We had no choice but to head to the indoor pool for a quick swim.
They have a whirl tub, too!
In the morning, we woke up to find a different, more inviting view from our terrace. I decided to take a walk along the hotel grounds and the outdoor pool and take pictures before exploring indoors. Everything was so serene and peaceful, I felt like I had the whole hotel all to myself! Plus points for their Kids' Club which baby absolutely loved.
Breathtaking! I'm in love!
The hotel building from the outside.
Hac Sa beach. The sand is actually not black anymore.
At the lobby of the hotel.
The lifts.
They've a souvenir shop, too.
Cafe Panorama on the first floor.
The second floor is where the gym, kids' club and indoor pool, and the gateway to the outdoor pool can be found.
The kids' club.
"Nirvana" is the Grand Coloane's spa.
The mat area is directly in front of the reception area.
There's a swim shop, too. They also sell athletic wear and shirts.
Welcome to The Club, the Grand Coloane's fitness gym.
Bikes can be rented for the bike trail for MOP 300 per session.
Go through one of the doors beside the gym to reach the outdoor pool.
A panoramic shot of the outdoor pools at the Grand Coloane.
In my written itinerary, 9:00 AM signals my tour of Coloane Village with my mom. We also planned to have a breakfast of piping hot Portuguese egg tarts and coffee at Lord Stowe's, the original store of which is located there. We asked the front desk to call a taxi for us. We wanted a taxi even though there's a bus stop nearby because we didn't have any change with us and because we didn't research about how to use the bus. We waited for about thirty minutes but no taxis came. It turned out that there were none available, so we gave up on the trip. This cancellation might have been a blessing in disguise as baby woke up then and started to tearfully look for me. Long story short, we all just headed to Cafe Panorama on the first floor to inquire about breakfast. Turns out that they have an eat-all-you-can continental (with some Chinese dishes and dim sum) breakfast daily from 7:00 up to 10:00 AM for just MOP 188 per adult, MOP 98 per children aged 4-12, with an additional 25% off the total price if you're a stay-in guest. Not a bad deal.
The Cafe Panorama on the first floor.
They do dinner, too. I've seen the affair (they do it outdoors) and thought the setting was rustic and romantic.
Grand Coloane has a shuttle service that I very much appreciated! It leaves the hotel once in every thirty minutes with stops at The Venetian/City of Dreams, Taipa Village, and Macau Ferry Terminal. Guests have priority seating as long as they make a reservation beforehand.
If we'd followed my itinerary, we would have ended up at Coloane Village with the following activities:
1. Tour Coloane Village, a quiet and quaint little fishing village. Photo from Coloane Wikitravels Guide.
Beautiful photo by Speakzeasy.
Tam Kung Temple in Coloane; photo from Speakzeasy.
Beautiful village charm; photo from Speakzeasy.
2. Eat Portuguese Egg Tarts from the famed Lord Stow's (this branch in Coloane is the pioneer branch); photo from BBC Travel.
3. Walk barefoot along Hac Sa beach and take pictures in Hac Sa Park; photo from the Government of Macao website.
4. Shake hands with Giant Pandas at the Macau Giant Panda Pavilion along Seac Pai Van Park.
DAY 2
SPOTLIGHT LUNCH BUFFET
On the afternoon of my second day in Macau, I went to Spotlight-- another buffet-style restaurant located on the second floor of Studio City Macau-- for lunch. This would not have normally been a part of my itinerary if not for the fact that I had it for free. It happened when I booked a Category B ticket for the House of Dancing Water via the City of Dreams Macao website and they happened to have a promotion where my ticket comes with the free buffet (another alternative is claiming a MOP 250 dining voucher that could be used in various restaurants elsewhere). So using the free hotel shuttle, I boarded and alighted at the Venetian and walked about 300 meters down to Studio City.
Spotlight, as it turned out, is themed after Studio City's tribute to the legends of the silver screen. The entrance was decorated with bits of film reel, and a little further in trees with paper flyers of classic movie posters designed to make them appear like leaves greet the would-be diner. There was also a great black and white portrait of Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh as they were in Gone With The Wind, and a balcony overlooking Studio City's Times Square below.
(Related: Read my Tripadvisor review of Spotlight here.)
As a sign of solidarity with the victims of the Thailand bombing, there's a Thai flag pinned up above.
As for the food, I could say that it was okay-- there was nothing really spectacular about it. I was neither impressed nor disappointed, but I had to say that dining here was kind of delightful.
The beverages station.
The seafood station-- notice the reel in the background.
Sushi and sashimi station.
Mmmmm, dessert.
Churros!
They grow their own herbs!
Some salad add-ons and dressings.
Assorted cold cuts.
Bread station.
Soup. Try the Thai chicken! It's great!
People are queuing for noodle soup.
Chicken and duck.
Dim sum station. I remember they had beef siew mai, barbecue pork steamed buns, vegetarian dim sum, and gyoza.
Meat carving station. They had lamb (which I did not find good at all) and pork neck (which is better than the lamb, for sure).
Some main dishes from the Indian cuisine section.
THE HOUSE OF DANCING WATER
After feeling more stuffed than a turkey for Thanksgiving Day, I said goodbye to Studio City temporarily and went back to the Grand Coloane for a little shut-eye. Six-thirty in the evening was my cue to head to the City of Dreams Macau for The House of Dancing Water. Before the show, I made sure I had a physical ticket; per policy, an e-ticket needs to be exchanged into a physical one for a viewer to be admitted.
(Related: Read my Tripadvisor review of The House of Dancing Water here.)
After feeling more stuffed than a turkey for Thanksgiving Day, I said goodbye to Studio City temporarily and went back to the Grand Coloane for a little shut-eye. Six-thirty in the evening was my cue to head to the City of Dreams Macau for The House of Dancing Water. Before the show, I made sure I had a physical ticket; per policy, an e-ticket needs to be exchanged into a physical one for a viewer to be admitted.
(Related: Read my Tripadvisor review of The House of Dancing Water here.)
A little background about The House of Dancing Water: it is a show that peruses different stunts and acrobat performances, dances, and stage acting with a little twist from the usual-- the stage dynamically molds itself to either accommodate water in some (or all) parts of it or to drain it. Actors and performers dive and glide into the water one moment, splashing onto some of the (luckier) viewers, then tap dance on a dry stage the next. It's a show that is the only one of its kind in Asia, and so it was a thrill for me to experience it!
The souvenir shop, The House of Dancing Water.
Twenty minutes 'til showtime!
The opening scene, where an innocent fisherman gets caught up with the appearance of a menacing-looking ship.
And yes, there were daredevil stunts, too!
If I had to describe The House of Dancing Water in two words, I'd use "beautiful" and "breathtaking". I had never witnessed a show such as this in my entire life. The stunts were great and well-executed and the whole show was well-choreographed. My twelve-year old brother even said he wanted to go and see it again. Truly, I'd say it's a must-see when in Macau-- especially when you're with kids!
DAY 3
THE HOTEL GOLDEN DRAGON
After two nights were spent in the Grand Coloane, we said our goodbye and transferred via taxi to our second hotel located in the Macau peninsula-- the Hotel Golden Dragon. Once again, the taxi driver initially didn't understand where we wanted to go until I showed him a picture of the hotel's logo on the receipt.
(Stay at the Hotel Golden Dragon for as low as 650 HKD per night! Book via Agoda!)
We booked our room in advance beforehand and initially, management sent us two receipts with one having an error which was corrected at once. They also said that since we used a credit card to book, the card would only be used to secure a reservation but the amount will not yet be charged until after we arrive. However, two weeks before the trip, they charged the card and we were forced to contact them about it.
The receptionists were well-versed in English. Check-in was smooth and they allowed us into the room early (12:00 NN) since the room had no occupants. They also gave us one free extra bed! Hurray!
(Related: Read my Tripadvisor review of Hotel Golden Dragon here.)
Check-in counter. Yeah, that's my mom.
Hotel Golden Dragon is a very beautiful hotel with its very own casino, about four dining options, rooftop pool, fitness gym, and shuttle service, but the thing I loved the most about it is its central location. The hotel is located:
- Right across Golden Lotus Square, the Centro de Actividades Turisticas bus stop, Macau Gran Prix Museum, Macau Wine Museum, Sands Macau, and Fisherman's Wharf.
- A five-minute walk away from the Macau Ferry Terminal.
- Two stops away aboard Bus #8 or a short walk from the Macau Science Center, the Giant Rubber Duck, KFC and McDonald's (at the back of the golden building that is Sands Macau, up the escalator, near the casino).
- One-and-a-half (1.5) kilometers or a twenty-minute walk away from major hotels and casinos like MGM Grand Macao, the Ascott, Wynn Hotel, Grand Lisboa and Starworld.
- Two kilometers away from tourist spots Senado Square, Macau Museum, the Ruins of St. Paul, the Red Market, and Guia Fortress and Lighthouse.
- Three kilometers away from A-Ma Temple and Macau Tower.
The view from our 14th floor Harbour-view Suite. You could see Fisherman's Wharf from up here.
Beware! Despite its beauty, the water felt like melted ice!
You can see the fitness gym through the glass window.
You can place an order on the restaurant beside the pool and have them delivered here for you to eat.
CONTINUE READING >>
Next up: Fisherman's Wharf, Macau Peninsula's
Hotels and Casinos Tour, Senado Square,
The Ruins of St. Paul, Shrekfast,
The Venetian and more!
Next up: Fisherman's Wharf, Macau Peninsula's
Hotels and Casinos Tour, Senado Square,
The Ruins of St. Paul, Shrekfast,
The Venetian and more!
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