Macau Tour last part (Cologne & Senado Square)

4-days winter budget family tour in Hongkong-Macau

saturday to wednesday february 02-06, 2013

Macau tour 1st part (guia hill & the hotels)

st. paul ruins and mount fortress (2011)

Strolling the remaining hours on the day before the departure at night, We tried to visit the other island using the public bus. Unfortunately, we strolled for nothing due the place we wanted to go already passed-by before we alighted the bus (along Cologne). So here it goes, stroll again back to Mainland Macau.

macau tour last part (cologne & senado square)

macau tour last part (cologne & senado square)

Macau Tour 1st part (Guia Hill & the Hotels)

4-days winter budget family tour in Hongkong-Macau

saturday to wednesday february 02-06, 2013

into the monastery of 10,000 buddha

Macau day-tour (2011)

I was here last December 2011 so what I did that time was somehow the same, the difference only was visiting this guia hill because of its fortress above. When we went there, the fortress was already closed at 1730H.

The Guia Fortress is a historical military fort, chapel, and lighthouse complex in the St. Lazarus Parish. The complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Historic Centre of Macau. The fort and chapel were constructed between 1622 and 1638, after an unsuccessful attempt by the Netherlands to capture Macau from Portugal. The lighthouse was constructed between 1864 and 1865, the first western style lighthouse in east Asia or on the China coast.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guia_Fortress
 

macau hotel sight-seeing spots

4-days Winter Budget Family Tour in Hongkong - Macau

1st family trip abroad in budget DIY tour on my vacation

saturday to wednesday february 02-06, 2013

touring hongkong - macau in 3.5 winter days (2011) 

"Without a family, man, alone in the world, trembles with the cold." - Andre Maurois

My 11th family outing initiated, their 1st international trip, their 1st winter getaway and of course, usual budget do-it-yourself itinerary from arrival to departure.

After three (3) attempts of planning for holiday backpacking, finally I made it this January 2013. The first plan was on a flight date last Dec. 01 - Dec. 05, 2012 via Halong, Vietnam. Due to one of the colleagues sudden health problem, I forgot the ticket was rebookeable. I decided to used the free one-way ticket going to Boracay on December 22 for all of us granted by Cebu Pacific last August 2012 in Palawan trip due to change of aircraft. But then again not pursued due to unapproved vacation leave. I moved again my plan to bring them abroad but this  time I purchased regular tickets on a travel date as mentioned above via Manila-Hongkong-Macau-Manila for a post-birthday celebration with them.

 budget family tour in Hongkong-Macau

2nd OFW Vacation; Pinoy Backpacker China Invasion

a winter vacation alongside with my birthday celebration

January 25 to February 09, 2013
16 glorious days

1st OFW vacation; a come back to my homeland

After attempting to file my 2nd OFW vacation leave twice last December 2012, finally and thankfully,  it has been approved. Wasting the purchased plane tickets bought last promo fare from Cebu Pacific Airlines for Vietnam and Mainland China was indeed worthy.

The image below shows the converted jpeg from pdf of calendar of events on my entire 16-days vacation journey. Most of this was in Republic of China with Philippines, my hometown, as my airport of origin.

my 16-days vacation plan mostly in Republic of China

Hongkong - Macau 3.5 Days Tour Summary

touring hongkong and macau in 3.5 winter days

december 4-7, 2011 sunday to wednesday

touring hongkong and macau in 3.5 winter days

day 1: hongkong at night

day 2: macau day tour

day 3: macau to hongkong shift tripping

day 4: hongkong solo day tour and departure

here are the some observations and advices  that would be helpful just in case you like to do the same.

1. i estimated to have all the expenses by php20,000. but since i did not pursue skywalk x (php4,132.80) at macau tower, free of 1st night accommodation on my 1st night in hk courtesy of my friends (in exchange of affordable dinner) and having discounted admissions to the peak and ocean park, i saved budget converted hkd to php7,+++. this means the outflow totals only to around php12,+++.

view at the peak tower sky terrace 428

Ferry from Macau to Hongkong

touring hongkong and macau in 3.5 winter days

december 4-7, 2011 sunday to wednesday

day 3: macau to hongkong shift tripping

main observation deck of macau tower
macau tower's outdoor observation deck

going back to hongkong after having a quality time touring the fame of macau. from macau tower, we rode a free shuttle provided by city of dreams hotel. this shuttle runs every 30 minutes. afterwards, i rode again free shuttle from city of dreams to macau ferry terminal.

for latest ferry timetable and fare, please see this link.
http://www.turbojetseaexpress.com.hk/eng/schedule/prd6.asp

macau ferry terminal

Macau to Hongkong Shift Tripping

touring hongkong and macau in 3.5 winter days

december 4-7, 2011 sunday to wednesday

touring hongkong and macau in 3.5 winter days

day 1: hongkong at night

day 2: macau day tour

day three: MACAU AND HONGKONG, CHINA

with 1 mop = 1 hkd = php5.6

this day includes the transportation from macau to hongkong ferry, admission to macau observation decks and vouchers for peak package tour and ocean park admission.

macau tower main viewing deck

Macau Tower's Outdoor Observation Deck

touring hongkong and macau in 3.5 winter days

december 4-7, 2011 sunday to wednesday

day 3: macau to hongkong shift tripping

main observation deck of macau tower

Admire the highest possible view of Macau city at the Outdoor Observation Deck, overlooking the unparalleled scenic view reaching 55km away. Challenge yourself with AJ Hackett Macau Tower Activity including the Guinness World Record highest Bungy Jump, SkyJump or the Skywalk X to feel the thrill.

macau tower outdoor viewing deck

Main Observation Deck of Macau Tower

touring hongkong and macau in 3.5 winter days

december 4-7, 2011 sunday to wednesday

day 3: macau to hongkong shift tripping

Macau Tower Convention & Entertainment Centre, also known as Macau Tower, measures 338 m (1,109 ft) in height from ground level to the highest point. An observation deck with panoramic views, restaurants, theaters, shopping malls and the Skywalk X, a thrilling walking tour around the outer rim. It offers the best view of Macau and in recent years has been used for a variety of adventurous activities. At 233 meters, the Macau Tower's tethered "skyjump" and Bungee jump by AJ Hackett from the tower's outer rim, is the second highest commercial skyjump in the world, after Vegas' Stratosphere skyjump at 260 meters. The tower is one of the members of the World Federation of Great Towers. Besides being used for observation and entertainment, the tower is also used for telecommunications and broadcasting.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macau_Tower

macau tower at night

Galaxy's Fortune Diamond Show

touring hongkong and macau in 3.5 winter days

december 4-7, 2011 sunday to wednesday

day 2: macau day tour

ferry from hongkong to macau

strolling macau fisherman's wharf

wynn's tree of prosperity and fountain show
grand lisboa's casino stunning structure
senado square at pre-christmas season
st. paul ruins and mount fortress

venetian hotel ambling

city of dreams' dragon treasure 

In the other side of Galaxy, the bus lobby boasts a series of giant crystals that float above a pool of water. The crystals have adopted advanced motion sensor technology that triggers special visual effects when guests walk near the crystals. When all the crystals are activated, good luck symbols flash from the crystals and reflect in the water.

galaxy hotel and casino at night

City of Dreams' Dragon Treasure

touring hongkong and macau in 3.5 winter days

december 4-7, 2011 sunday to wednesday

day 2: macau day tour

ferry from hongkong to macau

strolling macau fisherman's wharf

wynn's tree of prosperity and fountain show
grand lisboa's casino stunning structure
senado square at pre-christmas season
st. paul ruins and mount fortress

venetian hotel ambling 

The Dragon’s Treasure media show featured in the City of Dreams’ Bubble Theater takes guests on a journey into a supernatural realm of the four Dragon Kings. Each dragon enjoys a moment of boundless power with the Jade Emperor's mighty Pearl of Wisdom. As guests move from one Dragon King’s land to the next guests are immersed in a visual spectacle as elements unique to each region swirl on the 360 degree dome screen.

with entrance fee of 30 hkd (php168), shows starts every 30 minutes and plays at estimated 20 minutes duration. 

city of dreams' dragon treasure 1st part

Venetian Hotel Ambling

touring hongkong and macau in 3.5 winter days

december 4-7, 2011 sunday to wednesday

day 2: macau day tour

ferry from hongkong to macau

strolling macau fisherman's wharf

wynn's tree of prosperity and fountain show
grand lisboa's casino stunning structure
senado square at pre-christmas season
st. paul ruins and mount fortress

The Venetian Macao is a hotel and casino resort in Macau owned by the Las Vegas Sands corporation. The Venetian is a 40-story, $2.4 billion anchor for the 7 hotels on the Cotai Strip in Macau. The 10,500,000-square-foot (980,000 m2) Venetian Macao is modeled on its sister casino resort – The Venetian in Las Vegas – and is the largest single structure hotel building in Asia, The sixth-largest building in the world by area and the largest casino in the world.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Venetian_Macao

venetian hotel and casino macau

St. Paul Church Ruins and Mount Fortress

touring hongkong and macau in 3.5 winter days

december 4-7, 2011 sunday to wednesday

day 2: macau day tour

ferry from hongkong to macau

strolling macau fisherman's wharf

wynn's tree of prosperity and fountain show
grand lisboa's casino stunning structure
senado square at pre-christmas season 

The Ruins of St. Paul's refers to the ruins of a 16th century complex in Macau including of what was originally St. Paul's College and the Cathedral of St. Paul also known as "Mater Dei", a 17th century Portuguese cathedral dedicated to Saint Paul the Apostle. Today, the ruins are one of Macau's most famous landmarks. In 2005, they were officially enlisted as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Centre of Macau.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruins_of_St._Paul%27s

st. paul ruins

Senado Square at Pre-Christmas Season

touring hongkong and macau in 3.5 winter days

december 4-7, 2011
sunday to wednesday

day 2: macau day tour

ferry from hongkong to macau

strolling macau fisherman's wharf

wynn's tree of prosperity and fountain show
grand lisboa's casino stunning structure

The Senado Square, or Senate Square, is a paved area in the centre of the former Portuguese colony of Macau, China, enclosed by the buildings of the Leal Senado, the General Post Office, and St. Dominic’s Church. The square is paved in the traditional Portuguese pavement. The main road of Macau's historic centre, Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro passes through the square. The square is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Historic Centre of Macau".

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senado_Square

senado square

Grand Lisboa's Casino Stunning Structure

touring hongkong and macau in 3.5 winter days

december 4-7, 2011 sunday to wednesday

day 2: macau day tour

ferry from hongkong to macau

strolling macau fisherman's wharf

wynn's tree of prosperity and fountain show

 The Grand Lisboa is the tallest building in Macau and the 118th Tallest Building in the World (by architectural structure). The casino is the first in Macau to offer Texas hold 'em poker ring games. It was also the first to offer craps, though several other casinos in Macau now offer the game.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Lisboa

grand lisboa by day

Wynn's Tree of Prosperity and Fountain Show

touring hongkong and macau in 3.5 winter days
december 4-7, 2011 sunday to wednesday

day 2: macau day tour

ferry from hongkong to macau

strolling macau fisherman's wharf

tree of prosperity and dragon of fortune

- estimated to have a 5-minute show inside the wynn's casino lobby. free admission and on 30-minutes interval. good for making your wishes to work-out if you throw a coin while the tree of prosperity is appearing and rotating outside its container down below. this includes also the dragon of fortune show, above the tree of prosperity. show commence from 1000H to 0200H daily. alternate show runs every 30 minutes.

wynn's tree of prosperity

Strolling Macau Fisherman's Wharf

touring hongkong and macau in 3.5 winter days

december 4-7, 2011 sunday to wednesday

day 2: macau day tour

ferry from hongkong to macau

Macau Fisherman's Wharf is Macau's number one themed attraction with a total area of 111,500sq.m. Located on the Outer Harbour, Macau Fisherman's Wharf is just a five minutes walk from the Macau-HK Ferry Terminal and is a landmark for visitors arriving by both ferry and helicopter.

source: http://www.fishermanswharf.com.mo/eng/about/index.html

tang dynasty and the underground as seen in mcau ferry terminal

tang dynasty of macau fisherman's wharf

Ferry Ride from Hongkong to Macau

touring hongkong and macau in 3.5 winter days
december 4-7, 2011 sunday to wednesday 

day 2: macau day tour

since we spent the night in kowloon area, the nearest port going to macau is china ferry terminal located along the canton road. walking distance to our guesthouse, estimated time of departure we availed was 0800H, economy class at 151hkd (php846). please take note that the day fare is much cheaper than night fare that starts at 1700H. the average travel time from hk to macau terminal is 1.5 hour.

boarding in china ferry terminal

Macau Day Tour

touring hongkong and macau in 3.5 winter days

december 4-7, 2011 sunday to wednesday

touring hongkong and macau in 3.5 winter days

day 1: hongkong at night

day two: MACAU, CHINA

with 1 mop = 1 hkd = php5.6

this day includes the transportation from hongkong to macau ferry, macau hotels and casino tour and other famous historical tourist spot.

macau fisherman's wharf

Hongkong and Macau Solo Tour in 3.5 Winter Days

my unexpected 10th international pre-christmas get-away
december 4-7, 2011 sunday to wednesday

finally, after 2 transit trips in hongkong international airport (HKIA), I experience to become a tourist on this most ideal destination when it comes to filipino international trip planning. last time i was in HKIA was 2005 for my taiwan work and october 2011 for my middle east job. in addition, i thought this tour will not gonna pursue due to changes in work location. i just reviewed and planned my itinerary on 3 days before my departure.

allocated budget, converted to php20,000