Macau Experience

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.

I enjoyed Macau. First, I thought I will get bored while in the city, but I was wrong. It’s worth visiting.