Amazing Race: Hong Kong- Macau (Day 1)

This is a long overdue post of my very first out of the country travel that happened in August of 2013.

I had the opportunity to travel abroad through my former company, PwC Philippines. Good thing Hong Kong does not require visa for entry, just your passport, travel itinerary, hotel booking of course, and payment of travel tax. We boarded on a Cathay Pacific plane, my first time! :) And I must say the service is different and above par from what I have experienced from local planes, even for an economy class. I had wide selection of movies and TV series to keep me from getting bored in the plane. We had sumptuous meal too even for just a 2 hour travel time.

Upon arrival we ate lunch at a local restaurant (forgot the name) in Hong Kong which I think is a usual venue and dining place for tourists since there were a lot of people upon our arrival. The restaurant was big but was still packed with many guests. The food was okay. I've realized I'm not really a fan of Hong Kong food not even ducks. We checked in at Hyatt Regency Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui. For a 5-star hotel, our room was truly heaven. The beds, the pillow, the linens, and of course our comfort room too! ;) 

First on our itinerary was not touring Hong Kong but going straight to Macau. So in the afternoon around 3PM we boarded via Turbojet and arrived in Macau for 30 minutes or so. It was a bit rainy then and I'd say it was one kind of experience. We were like riding a Disney adventure ride as people in unison, say Oh! as waves go up and down. All the passengers started to get dizzy and a lot of them had sick stomachs. 

All smiles before that surprise wild ride!

But anyway, we arrived safely and headed to immigration counter for inspection. We were met by a Filipino couple who must have recognized us as Filipino tourists and offered to tour us in Macau for 50 HKD each. Since I have already researched heavily about Macau, I did not want to hire any guide. Our group split up with my close friends tagging along with me and trusting my research! I really just wanted to prove to myself that my research was correct and we could do it even without help from guides! 

Macau is very tourist friendly since there a lot of shuttles owned by casinos which you can ride on for free. As long as you know which casinos are near what destinations, you can travel Macau briefly for free. 

Wynn Hotel Fountain Show. Our first stop was Wynn Hotel for their Fountain show every afternoon. Just don't get very near the fountain or you will really get wet. We had to move farther since the fountains were really big. It's a free show and a must watch for tourists- expect a dance of water, lights and fire. 

Panorama shot of some of the casinos in Macau

Senado Square. From Wynn Hotel, we had to do a lot of walking to reach Senado Square. You will be able to pass by a lot of different casinos too. Night time is the best time to tour Macau as you will enjoy the city lights from casinos. Senado Square is an architectural delight in Macau. It was like traveling back in time to Spain. One attraction in Senado Square, is the nearby St. Paul Ruins. Its a church that only had the remaining front door and walls standing up due to an explosion that happened in the past. Before reaching the ruins, you will pass by a lot of different stores selling beef jerky, cookies and different delicacies. They offer lots of free tastes too! For our hungry stomachs, it sufficed, and a milk tea from one of the famous milk tea shops there as San Chai of Boys over Flowers had one in the same place. 

City of Dreams and Venetian Hotel. After having our fill, we went on casino hopping from City of Dreams and Venetian Hotel. Venetian Hotel is my favorite. You will fall in love with interiors and wall paintings. We wanted to try playing in one of the slot machines and test our luck but time did not permit us. We already had to go back to Hong Kong. 

Inside City of Dreams

Venetian Hotel

When we realized that we already had a few minutes left, we rushed in finding a cab and ran our way to the terminal. It felt like we were Amazing race contestants trying to reach the pit stop. Oh our horror when we found out that the ferry had already left! Good thing, the officer told us that there was still another trip and that our ticket would still be valid. And much to our surprise, our other friends arrived in the terminal as well. They were also late! We just laughed our hearts out that night! What an experience! We all went to the same places and I was able to prove my itinerary! Haha! 

Upon arriving in Hong Kong, we headed to McDonalds to have dinner. McDonalds in HK have a healthier menu. They have vegetables as side dishes! I wish Philippines would have a healthier option as well.

After all the race, adrenaline rush, and casino hopping, we ended Day 1 with a good night’s sleep! J