Sharing with you this Macau travel guide from a first-timer's perspective.
Macau holds a special place in my memory. First, it’s because we went there for our honeymoon. And second, Macau is my very first out-of-the-country trip.
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| The iconic Ruins of St. Paul's |
11 Top Things To Do In Macau (Travel Guide From A First-timer’s Perspective)
Our trip to Macau is a truly unforgettable experience; Macau is a beautiful place filled with incredible sights and tastes. It’s a unique destination that marries the old and the new. Whatever type of traveler you are, I am sure that you will also find that there are many things to like about Macau.
How to go to Macau
To go to Macau, we took a Cebu Pacific flight bound for Macau International Airport. Macau is visa-free for a stay of up to 30 days so that is one less requirement to worry about.
Travel time was around two hours; we left NAIA at around 7:00 PM and by 9:00 PM, we were already at Macau. After the usual immigration checks, we were out of Macau International Airport. We booked a taxi going to Pousada Marina Infante Hotel.
How to get around Macau
Getting around Macau is fairly easy. Most hotels offer free shuttle bus rides to the most popular tourist spots in Macau. Since we wanted to save on our pocket money, we opted for the free hotel shuttle buses.
On our first day in Macau, we went to Galaxy Hotel and took the bus going to Largo do Senado (Senate Square). We walk around Largo do Senado, looked through several interesting souvenir and food shops. We also walked all the way to the Ruins of St. Paul. Later on, we took the same bus when we returned to our hotel.
You can also ride a taxi if you do not want to take any of the shuttle services. Walking is also a great option because it lets you enjoy the sceneries around you at your own leisurely pace.
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| On our way to the Galaxy Hotel |
Top things to see and do in Macau
We did not come up with an itinerary when we went to Macau because we did not want to pressure ourselves to see all of Macau’s tourist destinations. However, we did have a list of the places that we wanted to visit and we were happy to have crossed them off our list. Lastly, we also wanted to enjoy our stay at Venetian Macao, so we had to allot a full day just to explore the hotel.
1. See the Fortune Diamond at the Galaxy Hotel
While we were walking at the Galaxy Hotel to take a shuttle bus to Largo do Senado, we were awed by the Fortune Diamond. It is like a spectacular fountain and hologram show in the middle of the hotel lobby; the finale of which is the revelation of a giant diamond. The Fortune Diamond supposedly gives luck to casino players.
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| The Fortune Diamond, which supposedly gives luck to casino-goers |
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| Fortune Diamond |
2. Visit Largo do Senado
The historic Largo do Senado or Senate Square, Macau’s former seat of government is one of the very first places that I wanted to visit in Macau. I was inspired by the Macau episode of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, so I had to see the buildings in Largo do Senado as well as the wave pattern in the pavement.
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| At the historic Largo do Senado (Senate Square), a beautiful site dotted with antique European architecture |
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| I once dreamed of walking here at Largo do Senado |
3. See the Ruins of St. Paul’s
The Ruins of St. Paul’s is also one of Macau’s most well-known landmarks. It’s the façade of an old church that remained standing after the rest of the structure burned down during a typhoon.
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| Climbing the steps going to the Ruins of St. Paul's |
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| A souvenir shot in front of the Ruins of St. Paul's |
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| It was also my dream to see the Ruins of St. Paul's in person |
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| Ruins of St Paul's |
4. Explore Fortaleza do Monte
Fortaleza do Monte or Mount Fortress is located close to the Ruins of St. Paul’s. It was built as a military defense fortress. Walking at Fortaleza do Monte somehow reminded me of Intramuros with the former’s thick stone walls and cobblestone pavements. Today, it houses the Macau Museum.
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At a gate in Fortaleza do Monte
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| An old bell |
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| A stack of cannonballs |
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| At Fortaleza do Monte, a spot where tourists can have a good view of the Macau cityscape |
5. Go to Macau Tower
We visited Macau Tower on our third day in Macau. We boarded a bus from the City of Dreams and it took us directly to Macau Tower. It is famous as a bungee jumping spot but we were not tempted in any way to try it.
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| Walking around the lobby of City of Dreams, a hotel that is also famous for its casinos |
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| Making our way down to the shuttle buses |
6. Visit the Sto. Domingo Church (St. Dominic’s Church)
The Sto. Domingo Church or St. Dominic’s Church at Largo de Sao Domingos is a baroque Roman Catholic Church established by Dominican missionaries. It is a small, yellow-colored building that will easily catch your attention because of its attractive design. It is very reminiscent of churches in the Philippines.
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| Sto. Domingo Church -- small, simple, and elegant |
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| The Sto. Domingo Church at night |
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| In front of Sto. Domingo Church |
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| Inside Sto. Domingo Church |
7. Try the egg tarts
Egg tarts were brought by Portuguese colonizers to Macau. It is like creme brûlée or even leche flan on a flaky pastry. I like its rich milky-eggy slightly sweet taste. It is good eaten on its own or paired with coffee. Since Macau is famous for egg tarts, you can find them almost anywhere.
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| Macau's famous egg tart |
8. Shop for souvenirs and local delicacies at Largo do Senado
Largo do Senado is lined with souvenir shops and bakeshops. One of the best things to do on any trip is to buy souvenirs as well as local food and products that you can either try during your trip or bring with you back home.
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| A souvenir and food store at Largo do Senado |
9. Take advantage of the amenities and freebies offered by your hotel
We allotted a full day just to explore the hotel where we stayed — The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel. Aside from the usual breakfast and lunch inclusions, we also got a free gondola ride with our hotel booking.
We went around The Royal Venetian Resort Hotel checking out the shops and souvenir stores, the swimming pool area and watched some games in the casino.
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| Enjoying our room at the grand and luxurious The Venetian Hotel Macau |
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| We took advantage of the opportunity to explore every corner of The Venetian |
We also tried some of the food shops at The Venetian. It was a big food hall with various stores offering both local and international cuisines. We tried a big bowl of noodles with dim sum from one of the stores and a falafel sandwich from another. We were quite satisfied with how large the servings and how tasty the food was. The price was also reasonable given the quantity of the servings.
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| Eating lunch of dumpling noodle soup at The Venetian |
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| Lunch at the food hall of The Venetian |
Our room at The Venetian Macao included a breakfast buffet and a lunch buffet that we availed of on two separate days. Buffet lunch was at Bambu Restaurant while the breakfast buffet was at Café Deco. We completely enjoyed our respective meals in the two restaurants as both featured an extensive array of international cuisines.
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| Lunch buffet at Bambu Restaurant, still at The Venetian Macao |
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| Hearty breakfast buffet at Cafe Deco, also at The Venetian Macao |
Lastly, our room also included a free gondola ride. We were a little apprehensive to avail of it at first because of the long line but we were glad that we took advantage of the gondola ride because it was a fairly enjoyable experience. Too bad that each boat accommodates four people so we had to share it with another couple.
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| Gondola ride at The Venetian Macao, one of the freebies offered by the hotel |
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| One last stroll at The Venetian Macao before our flight back to Manila |
There are actually a lot more famous destinations to visit and activities to do in Macau. We just did not have enough time to do it all but we hope to be back in Macau again to see and try the other things that it has to offer.
10. Have a taste of the popular pork chop buns
Aside from the egg tarts, the pork chop buns are also some of the most popular food items in Macau. This simple sandwich is made of pan-fried pork chop and soft bread rolls. Mayonnaise can be added as a condiment while lettuce adds texture. We haven't tried it but we heard that the pork chop is well-seasoned and flavorful.
11. Take a side trip to Hong Kong
Macau and Hong Kong are very near each other so travelers going to Macau would usually bundle a day trip to Hong Kong. You can opt to take a one-hour ferry ride or a 40-minute bus ride via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.
Where to stay in Macau
There are many hotels to choose from in Macau. If you are on a budget, we do recommend Pousada Infante Marina Hotel. It’s an old hotel but it is clean and well-maintained.
If you have money to spend, then you can try The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel. It’s beautiful, spacious, and it’s like a city on its own. You will definitely feel that you are getting your money’s worth at The Venetian.
Epilogue
Like all other vacations, our Macau adventure has to come to a conclusion. It was such a nice feeling to be able to go to one of my dream destinations. We would have stayed longer in Macau if not for our work. Hopefully, we could go back to Macau someday.
Anyway, we went back home filled with wonderful memories from our honeymoon in Macau.
Other things to Remember
Here are some more tips to make your Macau trip worthwhile:
- There are year-round low fare promos. While it was just a gift for us, we were informed that it was on seat sale so it was less than P10,000 for the two of us, round trip.
- Since Macau is small, you can tour it in a day. Plan your trip well so you'd have more time to see other attractions and shows.
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