Macau...here we come!

Wondering what to do in Macau? There's plenty to see and do, from sightseeing to gambling (casinos galore!).

For this trip, we chose AirAsia as our airline, opting for a cheap flight during a promotion. We flew during the day to avoid long travel times, choosing March 29th to April 1st, 2017. The weather was perfect - not too hot or cold, but there was a slight risk of rain. We checked the weather forecast beforehand, but it ended up raining only one day, so we were lucky.

Let's begin our journey!

We departed at 10:00 AM Thai time and arrived in Macau at 1:00 PM Macau time. Macau is one hour ahead of Thailand, so the timing was perfect. We checked into our accommodation at 2:00 PM. An important tip: you can exchange both Macau and Hong Kong dollars in Macau. Both currencies are accepted at the same rate. You can exchange Hong Kong dollars at any bank, but for Macau dollars, you can only exchange them at Krungthai Bank. If you're going to Macau, I recommend exchanging your money there (I just found out that Krungthai Bank is the only bank that exchanges Macau dollars. You can also exchange money at Don Mueang Airport, both outside the check-in area and inside the GATE).

Alright, let's go!

Upon arrival in Macau, you no longer need to fill out an immigration form. When the plane landed, we simply walked into the building, collected our luggage, and went through immigration. All you need is your passport. After that, they will check your documents and give you a small slip of paper (a little secret: with the new immigration system, they give you a small slip of paper but don't stamp your passport upon entry or exit. I feel a bit disappointed because there's no stamp on my passport. It's a bit silly).

Keep the small slip of paper safe, as you'll need it when you leave the country.

Here's something important to remember when traveling in Macau: the Pass. It's essential for getting around. It costs 150 MOP with a 50 MOP deposit (if I remember correctly). The card comes with 100 MOP for transportation in Macau. I highly recommend getting one because you'll be using buses to get around, and there's no subway. Also, buses don't accept bills because they don't have time to make change. They do accept coins, but you'll need to have the exact amount or overpay, as they won't give you change. You can get your 50 MOP deposit back, but you have to go to their transportation office, which I haven't been able to find. You can try searching for it if you want to get your deposit back.

(The problem is, I don't know how long the card is valid for. If anyone knows, please let me know).

You can buy the card at only two places: OK and 7-Eleven stores. And they're hard to find! I don't know where they're hiding, but there are plenty of souvenir shops, especially the famous Sordkloh shop.

The shop in the picture is located in Senado Square. When you arrive at the square, the shop is located in the first alley on the left-hand side. Look to your left when facing Senado Square, and the shop will be in the first alley. It's not far, and you can see it from a distance. Go ahead and buy a transportation card there. You can also buy other items in the shop. Both shops are worth visiting, as the bus fare is no more than 7 MOP per trip, with some routes costing 2, 3, or 6 MOP. 100 MOP is a lot, isn't it? So buy a card at the shop.

Another shop

For the picture… I found this shop by chance while walking around… I won't tell you where it is… but I have a recommendation: at the airport, once you have cleared immigration, 7-Eleven is on the 2nd floor, the departure floor. But how do we get there when we are on the arrival floor? It's simple: when you come out of immigration, walk straight ahead and almost to the end of the building (you are still inside the building, not outside). There will be an elevator… take it to the 2nd floor. When you get out, you will see the 7-Eleven store right next to the elevator. As usual, I rushed out to buy something. After buying, I took the same elevator down. And when I came to the first floor, on this side there is a bus stop. If you take the bus, it's convenient. You can wait for the bus there. Or, a little further on, there is a taxi stand. You can also take a taxi. Or, if you don't want to take the bus, taxi, or free shuttle, there is another option.

When you exit the building, go all the way to the right and keep walking. You will eventually reach the pick-up point for the casino shuttle buses. Each casino has its own shuttle to pick up tourists or those who have booked accommodation at that casino. You can board the shuttle here. All casinos have shuttles here. The first time we went, we didn't have a bus pass yet. Plus, we didn't know where to go. Taking a taxi wasn't an option either, since we were on a budget. So we decided to take the free casino shuttle. It was the best option. The bus we chose was the Venetian, which is the most popular casino shuttle. We took it and then transferred to another bus to get to our accommodation.

Self-service… We took this bus and put our luggage in the luggage compartment ourselves… They picked us up and dropped us off.

Oh… another thing you shouldn't miss: download an app for transportation and bus routes to get around Macau… It's best to download it before you go… It's called…

It's best to have Google Translate handy for peace of mind… because, let's be honest, English is rarely spoken in Macau. This applies to both places and restaurants. Even this app has limited English; it's mostly in Portuguese, but it's easy to navigate using the language and word symbols. To get around, you can find information and detailed bus routes here. It tells you exactly which routes to take and where to walk.

This application provides a user-friendly search function that displays the bus routes, stops, and number of stops for a given destination. The interface resembles bus stop signs, making it easy to identify the appropriate route, stops, and number of stops for your desired destination.

Bus in Macau

This is a bus stop example. This is bus number 3. The red dot below is our location, and we can see where we want to go. This bus line runs in both directions, as indicated by the arrows. There is also another type of bus that runs in a loop. Buses here are good and come frequently, so the wait is not long. Most people use public transportation, and there are few private cars. Compared to Thailand, buses in Macau come frequently, but they seem few because there are many private cars. This is in contrast to the narrow roads, which results in traffic jams. But in Macau, is there traffic? No, it's actually quite fast. Buses come frequently, and people here either walk or take buses or taxis.

Next, when you look at the bus stop, you can see where you want to go. If the sign is correct, sit on the side where you are. But if the stop you want is on the other side, you have to cross the street to get on the other side. Getting on the bus is easy, just like in Thailand. You get on the bus on the side where you are. The difference is that they use cards, and there is no one to collect money or announce the stops. You have to pay attention to the signs that are displayed on the front of the bus, but they are in Portuguese and Chinese. So, pay attention.

That's it for the introduction to getting on and off the bus.

Oh, I have a tip. Macau is currently building a light rail system from the airport to the city. It is believed to be nearing completion, so what was not there before will be there soon. Anyone going to Macau after 1-2 years should be able to use it, which will make it easier for people to get to Macau from now on.

Continuing on, when we take the bus to the Venetian casino, it will stop in front of the hotel, which is very close to the airport, less than 5 minutes away. Then, we can walk straight into the casino. All casinos in Macau are the same, with a shopping mall, hotel, and casino in one place. However, the casinos here have tourist attractions to attract people.

Entering the Venetian Macao:

Upon entering the Venetian Macao, the first landmark you'll encounter is the iconic photo spot. If you've arrived in Macau and are using the Venetian's transportation services but haven't checked into your hotel yet, you can explore the area. Luggage storage is available on both the left and right sides of the entrance (as seen in the picture). However, the crowded area straight ahead is the hotel check-in point. The exit is located on the right side of the picture.

Finding Transportation to Your Accommodation and Senado Square:

To reach your accommodation and Senado Square, you'll need to find the transportation connection point. (Before our trip, we researched transportation options to our accommodation, scouring forums and reviews. Everyone mentioned heading to the West Lobby for onward travel. However, upon arrival, we were confused and couldn't find it. We wandered around for quite some time. You could say we were a bit clueless, and we admit it.)

Detailed Instructions:

Based on our experience, here are detailed instructions:

Follow the picture. After exiting the vehicle, enter the hotel. You'll see the hotel's iconic symbol. Turn left immediately, without hesitation.

Walk straight ahead... and you will see the entrance to the casino. Just walk straight in, no need to turn left or right. There is nothing there, it is a dead end. There is a restaurant there. If you want to go to the connection point or the tourist spot, you have to walk through the casino. Walk in, don't be afraid. If you look young, they might check your passport, but for us, it was easy to get through. Once you walk through, you have to walk through again until you find the escalator. Then turn right. You will see a sign for the West Lobby. Just walk straight ahead and there will be an escalator down to the exit door to the parking lot where you can go to each place.

Before you turn right and pass the escalator, I suggest you walk up the escalator a little bit. It's a great spot for taking pictures.

A high-angle shot taken from where we walked up, secretly taken. Normally, every casino will not allow photos to be taken in the area where they are playing, which is prohibited. But the point where we went up was a photo spot, so we could see the atmosphere a little bit. I'm bringing it to you. Honestly, if I had some money, I'd like to try playing too. I've only seen it in Hong Kong and Taiwan series. It looks like fun (gambling is not good, if you get addicted, you can't help it). Just play for fun, and each casino has different games.

As we walk through, we will see the picture. We just walk down. When we go out, it will be a center to go to each place. Currently (2017), they have changed the route to go to each place. It may not be the same as many people who have been there before. It's a good idea to study it first.

Upon exiting, you will encounter a sign indicating the location of the free shuttle service. Simply follow the sign to board the shuttle. The shuttle staff are English-speaking and can assist you in determining the most convenient route to your destination.

This is another side… you can go anywhere you want. As for us, this time we will get off at Macau Ferry or Tapa Ferry, which is the closest to our accommodation. Since we are staying at Ole London Hotel, we choose this line. Free, I repeat, free. If anyone thinks that getting off at another place is closer, you can choose the drop-off point. We have already recommended the application and how to get on the bus. We chose to get off here and then take bus number 3 to get as close to Senado Square as possible. Since the accommodation is near this place, you can walk from the bus stop. Google Map can help you. Search it!

As for taking bus number 3, when we decide to take it to Macau, it will stop here. This is the pier where you can cross to Hong Kong. There is also a helicopter service to cross the island. We will walk through the tunnel to cross to the other side. When you come out, turn left to the bus stop or you can take a taxi. There are also taxis available.

The application can help you. Which stop to get off at, how many stops to reach. Find it… when you arrive, there is a map of how to get there.

Note: Here are some additional tips for getting to Ole London Hotel from the airport:

Once you exit the airport, there is a bus stop on the left side of the building. There is only one bus stop, and there are only a few bus routes that pass through it. One of these routes is the 26A, which runs in a loop. You can take this bus to get to a stop that is close to the hotel. The problem is that I don't remember which stop to get off at. This is where the app comes in handy.

Try to find out which stop is closest to the hotel. Then, try to get off at the stop that is closest to your accommodation so that you can walk the shortest distance. The first time I went, I walked a long way, but it wasn't too far. The hotel is near Senado Square. Once you get here, you can walk to the hotel. Staying here is a good option because it is close to tourist attractions, transportation to other places, and other hotels that are also worth staying at.

The Best Western Hotel is located next to the Ole London Hotel. Both hotels are good options, so you can choose whichever one you prefer and fits your budget. Remember to check if breakfast is included in the price when booking, as it was not included during my visit. If breakfast is not included, you will need to find food on your own. This is not difficult, as there are many places to eat in Macau. However, it is important to note that most restaurants and shops in Macau open late, around 10 am. This is because Macau is a city of late risers, and many people work in casinos that are open all night. As a result, the streets are very quiet in the mornings, with only children, elderly people, and students going to school. If you are leaving your hotel late in the morning (around 8 or 9 am), it is a good idea to have breakfast beforehand. (I made the mistake of not realizing that breakfast was not included in my booking, so I had to find food on my own.)

One important thing that I forgot to mention is that you should always have a map with you when you are traveling in Macau. A map is essential for planning your trip and deciding where to go.

The most reassuring thing is to have it on hand.

Before we continue...to the next episode, when we arrived at our accommodation, which was very close to the tourist attractions. Check in at 2 pm. When we finished checking in, the first place we went to was Senade Square. We just walked out of the accommodation. I don't need to explain much because we passed it before we checked in. We just walked back. At this point, there is a church, the ruins of the church gate, which is a landmark of Macau. What will happen when we go there? How to continue? Stay tuned.

Now...we will focus on how to travel, the most important thing to prepare. Oh, it's a good idea to bring an umbrella in case it rains.....ok.