When the class decided to do a trip abroad for our
internationalisation of education class, I was somehow apprehensive of joining
because of the choice of countries. I was not so keen on visiting any South
East Asian country, but I thought that probably for a change, it would be fun.
So the group decided to check local travel agencies and compare if it would be more expensive
than booking the flights and hotel accommodation on our own. We opted to search for budget flight and hotel
accommodation on our own. Hence, we booked at ZestAir through sky scanner and Hotel Holiday through Agoda.
ZestAir departs at NAIA Terminal 4 – the worst airport I’ve
ever been so far! Travellers had to wait outside exposed to dust, rain (if it’s
raining) and heat. This is definitely turning away tourists. Inside the airport
is chaotic. It’s so small and there’s not enough information boards to guide
travellers where to go and to queue up.
The flight from Manila to Macau is almost two hours. Macau
Airport is small, but its not so crowded. From the airport, we got into one of
those luxury buses chartered by a luxury hotel which isn’t ours. We were told
by an airport personnel that it was fine to use those luxury buses.
The adventure began after disembarking from the bus. A woman
who was working in one of those
better-known hotels told us that our hotel is still very far, but we can walk,
so we started walking and asking for directions from strangers every now and
then. We felt that we’re not doing a good service to ourselves by dragging our
luggage when in fact we had money to pay for a cab!
So we finally reached our hotel – Holiday Hotel – using a
cab. It’s a small hotel, nothing fancy. It is run by a family who doesn’t speak
English, but it’s not really a problem unless there’s something that is beyond
what they expect to happen. In that case there’s no possibility to explain to reach a
favorable conclusion to both parties.
The hotel is perfect for those who are tight on budget and
not so particular about noise or cleanliness. I would say that the hotel is
clean, but the presence of dark marks on the walls makes it appear that the
room is grimy. The linens and pillow were clean and smelled fresh when I
arrived. The toilet has an automatic disinfecting mechanism so you won’t have
to worry sitting on that throne of indulgence. The hotel even provides shaver
which a 4-star hotel in Manila doesn’t offer. It doesn’t have any
restaurant and doesn’t offer any breakfast, but it was perfectly fine for me.
Beside it is a 7/11 and across the street is a local eatery which serves a wide
variety of local dishes. If you wanna try American fast food in Macau, then a
few meters away is McDonalds. Another great thing about Holiday Hotel is its
proximity to St. Paul’s Ruin. It’s a 2-minute walk! This is a joke, but you can
take me seriously: if you’re really short on budget and you go hungry, from the
hotel walk to St. Paul’s ruin and go from one food stalls to another offering
free samples of their goodies. From St. Paul’s ruin, there’s a network of
nicely-tiled promenade for tourists and shoppers which would take anyone to one
of the main avenues leading to Grand Lisboa and main bus station. Along that
stretch, you can find some really great-tasting street foods. Honestly, I find
the street foods there better tasting than those sold in small eateries.
Another thing I can complain aside from the taste of food is the price. Why on
earth are the prices of food and goods in Macau so expensive?! 
I would say that while in Macau, you need to be very very
patient and understanding of a different culture. Be ready to get yelled at by
easily irritated vendors and impatient bus drivers. Take the higher road,
that’s my advice.
Macau is an interesting city. It’s a mixture of old and new,
of the West and the East. Probably, one of the many things I truly admire about Macau is the infrastructure. The islands of Taipa where the airport and other plush resorts are located and Macau where the old Portuguese influence can stll be seen are well connected by
bridges spanning over a sea. Then they have this own version of Venice inside
The Venetian which of course, isn’t as extensive as Venice. Modern buildings
that light up the city center at night and of course the Macau Tower looking
over the bay.
So what did I find interesting in Macau? For one, the
culture is different. When I visit a place, I would like to experience the
culture. Perhaps, I wasn’t so successful in doing this Macau because of the
short stay, but traversing through narrow roads and seeing those Chinese
merchandise being sold at stores almost gave me the cultural experience I was
looking for. The Ruins of St. Paul is definitely interesting because of the
history behind it, but I notice that tourists do not usually to another
historical landmark which is located just beside it – The Macau Museum atop a
hill. The hill with the presence of walls and canons tell me that it was
citadel when explorations and colonisation were still in prevalent. From the
top, one can see the skyline of Macau. I didn’t have the chance to get inside
the museum, but I supposed it’s worth visiting.
I can not write anything about casinos because I did not
have the financial capability to try any, but being known for casinos, I am
sure you won’t regret getting inside.
The Venetian is a very plush hotel. It’s more than just a
hotel, actually; it’s a park where one can dream about going to Venice. I was
impressed by the effort and finances allotted to try to imitate Venice in a
confined area, but I can definitely say that it’s not the same. 
