Last 2015, I received a common
reminder from family and friends, “Renew your passport!”
For some reason, I was just too
lazy to renew my passport. When I
finally decided to do it, there were issues at the DFA (their printing, me
thinks) so it took almost three months for my passport to be released. Being
“grounded” for the first three quarters of the year, I was rarin’ to fly.
First thing I did was check
airline promos. By the way, I have a threshold when it comes to round trip,
all-in fares, Php3,000 maximum for short international flights. Other than trying to save, I consider this as
a challenge to myself.
I searched for flights with no
definite destination in mind. I ended up choosing Macau via Hong Kong. I’ve been
there before with my family but just for a short day trip. We were based in Hong Kong during that trip. So
in the vernacular, it was “bitin”. The
travel period was in December. Winter was just starting. Perfect.
I thought I would be traveling
solo because my regular travel buddies also had their respective trips (US,
Europe and Thailand) during the last quarter of 2015. But my friend, Auntie’s trips to the US and
Thailand were official in nature, so I
was able to convince her that she needed a break and she can do it by joining
me.
Tip No. 1: Travel with friends who can tolerate your
idiosyncrasies and vice-versa. Auntie
and I have a lot of things in common such as being organized when it comes to trips like
this. We plan the littlest detail but with allowance for flexibility. We’re also both on the conservative side but
I am of a louder variety. But, we differ
in risk-taking. For example, I was
willing to fly solo but she wouldn’t. My original plan was enter via Hong Kong
and exit at Macau, and I will be staying overnight in Hong Kong, take a ferry
to Macau and meet Auntie the following night.
We also booked with different airlines.
But Auntie was not yet ready to fly on her own. Imagine, she has already been to Southeast
Asia, Central Asia, Western Asia and North America and yet she was still not
confident to travel on her own. So I
knew I needed to make a plan. I compared
the cost of booking the same flight with her and the cost of my overnight stay
in Hong Kong and ferry ticket. Booking a
new ticket was cheaper. And starting
this adventure with my friend is priceless.
The Hotel
With flights booked, it was time
to hunt for our hotel. Macau is composed
of four districts – Macau Peninsula (where most visited areas are), Taipa
(airport), Cotai (casinos) and Coloane (old macau).
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| Source: Wikitravel |
Tip No. 3: If you won’t be joining tour groups and will
do it free and easy, choose a hotel
near bus stops. The front of our hotel, Rio Hotel, was a bus drop off point while at the back, there was a bus pick up point. So even if
we were not familiar with the place, we were confident we would be able to go back to the hotel.
Tip No. 4: Find a hotel where it is safe to walk around
even at night especially if you’re arriving late. Our 720pm flight was delayed for an hour so
we arrived in Macau at about 10:30pm. But since we still had to clear
immigration and get our baggage, we got out of the airport at almost 11pm.
After checking in at the hotel, we were really hungry and it was past
12am. Although my very kind Uncle (my
real-life uncle based in Macau) picked us up from airport and took us to our
hotel, he couldn’t stay longer because he had an early morning shift the
following day. But because our hotel was in a well-lit and busy area, it was
safe to walk around even if it was the first time for us to set out in the area. And being
in a busy area, there was a number of restaurants and eateries that were still
open. Hunger problems, solved!
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| Our hotel's lobby Photo from Rio Hotel |
Tip No. 5: If you expect that you will be exhausted
because of your daily activities, pick a hotel where you can rest comfortably
at the end of the day. I know most
people will say that you shouldn’t be picky with your hotel because all you’ll
really do is sleep and the rest of the day is spent outside. True. That applies
especially if you designed your trip to be activity packed and you do not
consider relaxing. But if the purpose of
your trip is similar to ours which was to take a break from our daily grind, it
should include a good night’s sleep. If
the trip is for you to treat yourself, you deserve some pampering. And pampering yourself does not have to be
expensive. Go to the next tip.
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| Would you still want to go out of the hotel? Photo from Rio Hotel |
Tip No. 6: Use hotel booking sites such as Agoda and
Booking.com. They make searching hotels easier. You can also compare prices and
check reviews. And most importantly, you
can get deals lower than the published rates of hotels. They also give you the option to book now and
pay later and even cancel free of charge up to a certain number of days before
check-in. So if you see a hotel with a
lower rate, you can just book it and cancel your earlier booking free of
charge. I must confess, I really monitor the rates for better deals. It may be tedious but it’s worth it (at least
for me). Weird as it may sound but I
enjoy doing it. We went December so
hotels were at the pricey end. Using the
hotel’s published rate, cost for three nights was around Php24,000 –
Php25,000. It was a four-star hotel. But
because we used a booking engine, we got ours at about Php15,000. We were
really happy with the rate. But when we
saw the hotel, we became even happier.
With the facilities, it was a steal. What you see in the website is what you get in real life. This was why we usually went out
mid-day. The facilities were really
relaxing. There was even a time when we
went out to have breakfast then went back to the hotel to rest again. That’s
what you call a break!
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| I can live inside the bathroom Photo from Rio Hotel |
The Food
While I usually bring my beloved de latas and Skyflakes during my trips, Macau was an exception. Food was actually one of the reasons I wanted
to go back to this Special Administrative Region. Okay, let me come clean here. When you put me and Auntie together, chances
are, it’s a food trip.
As earlier mentioned, we
were very hungry when we arrived. So we went around the vicinity of the hotel.
Then we saw this restaurant with patrons having steaming bowls of noodles. We had to try that. Perfect for the cold winter night.
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| Lobster Noodle Soup at past midnight |
Tip No. 7: Before placing your order, get to know first
how many servings a dish makes and match it with your appetite. The man we saw from outside the window was
having the bowl of noodles all too himself. But Auntie and I decided to share
one bowl and a rice meal. When we were
served our order, we knew it was going to be an awesome food trip.
Tip No. 8: Sometimes, lesser known joints offer better
products. In Macau, there’s a famous brand of porkchop bun. I first saw it on Anthony Bourdain’s No
Reservations. So in my trip back to Macau, there was no way I am not having
it. It was okay but nothing
special. Probably, that wouldn’t have been
the case had I not tried another bun from a roadside eatery near the hotel. It
tasted better. And it was cheaper. I had the famous porkchop in one of the
casino hotels for around MOP65 while the one I favor was just MOP20. I don’t know the name of the place,
everything was in Chinese. All I know is
their porkchop bun and kutchay dumplings were goooood!
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| This was how much I love this Porkchop Bun, The indentation accidentally made by my thumb was shaped like a heart. |
Because we arrived late, we also
slept late and automatically we woke up late. It was already brunch for
us. We had it in the eatery mentioned
above. And because we were heading to The Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral, there was
no need to eat lunch.
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| This is just one of the food stalls offering free taste Photo from Auntie |
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| Obviously, we couldn't wait to eat it. Photo from Auntie |
Having had enough Macanese
treats, we explored the less crowded streets and chanced upon a quaint café
offering cold desserts. Auntie still had a hangover from her Bangkok trip so we
ordered a dessert platter of mangoes and ice cream. It was literally and figuratively a cool
break from the local fare.
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| Our Mango Dessert Platter |
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| These alone could make me go back to Macau |
Dinner was My Uncle's treat. He was supposed to take us at hotpot stall
frequented by locals. After a bit of shopping with his family, we proceeded to
the place which was off the tourist beaten path. The line was long. But since my super cute cousin
Spider Boy (he’s 4) was with us, we opted to go to a Macanese eatery instead of
queuing with the crowd. We dined family-style.
Tip No. 11: Try a spot where the locals go and if there’s
a long line, the better. After dinner,
we said our goodbyes to My Uncle and his family and continued to wander around San
Ma Lo. We were there right in time for the Macao Light Festival. Various historical sites where adorned with
beautiful light effects. It also included lights and sounds shows projected on buildings. Suffice to say, after all the walking, we
were once again hungry when we got back to the hotel. During our first night while searching for a
place to eat past midnight, we passed a food stall where there was a group of
people. It got us curious. So the following night, we went there to check what
they were serving. And to our excitement, it was a hotpot stall. It was then that I realized that the stuff we
had at Travessa Se is called a hotpot.
The stall, Wing Kee Beef Offal has a large selection to choose
from. Saying that we liked it would be
the understatement of the century. We went back the following night and we
spent the whole day thinking about it. Thinking about it even now.
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| Wing Kee Beef Offal. Spot Auntie |
For our second day, we set off
for Coloane Island. We were based in
Macau Peninsula which is in the north. Coloane is in the south so we left the
hotel at 10am, even before we had breakfast. Well, Auntie had her egg tarts. It
took us almost an hour to get there because we needed to change buses. We were hungry! But there was nothing to
worry about. The quaint village is home to the famous Lord Stow Bakery.
Tip No. 12: When researching a place, especially
restaurants, check out vlogs. With the videos, you really get a visual of what to
expect. One of the vlogs I’ve seen as
part of my research was that of Thai lady who featured Lord Stow’s Garden Cafe
in Coloane. The restaurant gives-off a European ambiance. Because it was
December when we went there, the poinsettias were in bloom. Aside from the good food which satisfied our
HUNGER (malaking gutom), most of the staff are Filipinos who are long-term Macau
residents. They made ordering very easy because they knew what would suit the
taste of their kababayans and at the
same time allow visitors like us to still have a taste of Macau. It was also
like as if we were chatting with long lost friends. An added bonus was they were able to tell us
where else we can go. But my heart got broken when I learned that the pandas I
wanted to visit were moved back to China two weeks prior to our arrival. Sad.
Well at least, we still got to visit the set of Princess Hours to Auntie’s delight.
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| Para sa MALAKING GUTOM |
For the rest of the afternoon, we
went back to Macau Peninsula and checked out other sites like the A-ma
Temple. Because we came from Coloane,
we’ve already done the end-to-end trip using the bus. Dinner was at a restaurant at the side of our
hotel where we sampled their roastings.
They are the equivalent of asado here in the Philippines. We really
didn’t eat much because we are looking forward to our girls’ night out. Funny thing was, after dressing up and
checking out hotels and the Fisherman’s Wharf, we decided to cap the night at
our favorite hotpot stall, Wing Kee Beef Offal. Imagine us, fancily dressed
with a bit of make-up, queuing with very hungry men at the stall. They were
probably wondering why we were there instead of being in the hip and trendy
bars of hotels. We love hotpot!
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| We couldn't resist this Photo from Auntie |
For our last day, we slept most
of the morning then checked out of the hotel.
Our flight out was at night so we spent the rest of the day at the
Venetian Macao.
Tip No. 13: Cheap food is contextual. If you are in a rather upscale place like The
Venetian Macao, food at the food court is cheaper than having them in the
restaurants. But in reality, they aren’t
really cheap compared to their regular price elsewhere. This was why we really didn’t eat that much
when we were there and the place was packed. So after an hour or so of wandering around
The Venetian, we decided to go straight to the airport and spend the rest of
our time there.
Before I end the food portion,
here’s another related tip.
Tip No. 14: If traveling with company, set a common fund
especially if you will split the costs.
At the start of the trip, we have set aside a budget to cover our food,
transportation and miscellaneous expenses.
Auntie was the custodian. In this
manner, you don’t have to compute and split everything onsite whenever you need
to pay something.
The Sites
One thing you need to know about
me and Auntie. There are some people who
would go to a place and make sure that their photos were taken so they can tell
other people that they’ve been there. Auntie and I are not among those people.
That’s why we click when we travel together. We love to go to a place to know
more about it, get a feel of the place.
You will even see us talking to locals to get a better appreciation of
the area we are visiting. We know when
to stop and smell the roses. That being said, our trip was free and easy.
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| Ruins of St Paul's Cathedral in daylight. Spot Auntie. |
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| At the back of The Ruins Photo from Auntie |
We spent most of our time at the
city center where the historical sites are.
No trip to Macau will be complete without visiting the Ruins of St.
Paul’s Cathedral. Unlike most tourists who are already satisfied with having
their photos taken in front of the ruins, we actually went to the back to study
the information that they had there. We also visited St. Dominic’s Church to
say a little prayer of thanks. We went
around the Senado Square and one thing we really enjoyed was checking the
little alleys around San Ma Lo.
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| Senado Square in daylight Photo from Auntie |
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| Senado Square at nighttime Photo from Auntie |
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| The Ruins at nighttime |
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| Chapel of St. Francis Xavier Photo from Auntie |
A night around Macau inside a
moving vehicle is already an experience.
It was a city full of lights especially in the areas of the hotels and
casinos. On our second night, My Uncle
picked us up from our hotel and then we proceeded to Coloane to pick up his
family then back to city center for our dinner. It was a good way to get an
overview of Macau. Another must see in
Macau at night is the Light and Water Show in front of Wynn Macau. The hotel also has another treat inside, the
Dragon and Prosperity Tree.
Video Courtesy of Youtube
But the one place I really wanted
to go to was the Fisherman's Wharf. It was supposed to be a theme park of sorts with
various areas showcasing attractions like replica of the Roman Colosseum,
various hotels and entertainment areas.
It was like being in Europe. When we went there, the place was well lit
up but almost deserted save for some visitors like us. But from what I understand, the place is
undergoing major improvements. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the peace and quiet it provided. It was a beautiful place.
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| When in Roam |
Tip No. 15: Google Maps is a good tool. Aside from
watching vlogs, I also study Google Maps to familiarize myself with the place.
I study the directions in street view mode.
I remember landmarks. So for that last night, we walked to Wynn Macau,
took a taxi to the Fisherman’s Wharf and walked back to our hotel. I’ve told you earlier that Auntie and I have
different risks appetites. I do not mind getting a bit lost in a foreign
country while this would scare Auntie out of her wits. The walk back to the hotel was long. So,
looking a bit worried, Auntie asked me if I knew where we were going so I
reassuringly told her, “Yes, I remember seeing Chinese characters in fancy
lights!” FYI, Macau is full of those. But since I have already familiarized
myself using Google Maps, we got back to our hotel safe and sound. And even had another round of our favorite
hotpot!
Here’s an additional tip.
Tip No. 16: You can travel around Macau (at least the
hotel route) for free. You just need to
know which shuttle you have to take. Casinos and hotels offer free shuttle
busses. Sometimes you just need to line up.
Pick up and drop off points are the airport and ferry terminal. That was how we got to the airport. Our hotel has a free shuttle to the ferry
terminal. From the ferry terminal, we took
the Venetian shuttle. And then, we took
the Galaxy shuttle to the airport.
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| I saw the sign! |
Tip No. 17: If you expect to spend a number of hours in a
place, make sure to know where the working restrooms are. Seriously, I don’t think you would want to
spend most of your time worrying about finding a restroom because you really had to pee.
Imagine the feeling. That’s why always include
restrooms in my research.
The People
Honesly, Macau is full of
tourists. And for Auntie and me, the
locals we got to interact with were our expatriate kababayans. It was our kababayans who
made the trip easy and pleasurable for us. My Uncle would be the best example. Aside from being a demanding heartthrob
(joke!) / kung-fu master, he has a regular job at a hotel and runs his own business. Every now and
then, he plays a tour guide to our visiting kababayans. On top of that, he has a family to attend to. You can just imagine how busy and tired he
usually is. But despite that, he still
insisted on picking us up from the airport no matter how late we arrived. He even did adjustments in his
schedule so we can spend the following night with his family. He was actually
even intent on chauffeuring us back to the airport but we declined since we
know he was busy and because I wanted Auntie to experience the free shuttle
buses in Macau. The trip was also a
good opportunity for My Uncle and me to reconnect. He’s been based there for more than five
years already and married to a local. I
think we made him miss the Philippines. He actually came home for a short visit
early this year.
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| Spider Dad and Spider Boy |
In almost every place we went, we
met a kababayan. In our hotel alone, several of the staff were Filipinos
especially the lobby security. They
were our guide. They gave us directions on where to eat and which buses to
take. They really took care of us. When
we were about to board the shuttle after check out, they loaded our baggage for
us and made sure that these were safely stowed.
It was also fun chatting with them.
At Coloane, aside from the staff
at Lord Stow’s Café, we also met a Filipina dog walker. We had a long chat with
her and she shared with us her experiences and insights about living in
Macau. We also talked about the coming
Christmas holiday. We were glad to learn that her boss regularly gives her the
time-off during the holidays so she can celebrate the season with her family. We
also met a team of Filipinos handling the maintenance of the electricity in the
area. We actually had a good laugh because they didn’t realize earlier that I
am a Filipina and they were thinking of what to tell me when I asked for
directions. When I spoke in Filipino
complete with my San Pablena inflection, we all laughed and, again, had a quick
chat.
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| I think this one's a lion pretending to be a dog Photo from Auntie |
One of the experiences in Macau
that I will never forget was the special treatment we got every time our
kababayans in the service industry learned that we are Filipinos. For example,
when we arrived at the ferry terminal, we had quite a number of bags with us
and we were wondering how to deal with them given that we will be riding the free
shuttle. One of the guys in charge of
the shuttle called us, he shouted, “Kabayan!” Then he told us to ride the bus
and he will take care of our luggage. When we got down the shuttle, he told us to
stay at one side and wait while he retrieves our things. He also gave us directions to the hotel’s
left luggage area. When we went to the left luggage counter, we were having
some language barrier issues with one of the attendants. Then suddenly we heard
another person call us, “Kabayan!” He took over the other guy. We had a short
chat and asked us where we will be going next once we’ve retrieved our stuff.
We said we would be heading to the airport after. He gave us directions on
where we can catch the shuttle that would take us to the airport. And he told us that he would make sure that our
luggage were transferred to the counter near the airport shuttle. And sure enough we got back our luggage with no hassle.
To sum it up, it was amazing that
we traveled to another country but came home with a better understanding and
appreciation of our kababayans. We will be forever thankful to the Macau
Filipino expatriate community. It’s no wonder
that Macau is one of the foreign places I’ll never get tired visiting. As I am
writing this, I am thinking of going back this December. Of course, provided
that I get to book a round trip all in fare ticket for about Php3,000!
The Umbrella
This first time I went to Macau,
the obligatory umbrella shot had The Ruins as a background. This time around I
had it at Coloane Village and I call it Princess (Sarah) Hours!
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| Princess (Sarah) Hours |
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