Overnight in Skycity Marriott
Macau is a special administrative region of the China and is the most densely populated region in the world. The colony remained under Portuguese rule until the 1999 handover to China. It maintains separate governing and economic systems from those of mainland China under the principle of one country, two systems. The unique blend of Portuguese and Chinese architecture in the city’s historic center has resulted in its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.
Transportation options to Macau – There are a couple of options from Hong Kong Island, Kowloon or Lantau Island
- From Hong Kong Island or Kowloon – TurboJET or Cotai Water Jet (ferry). Ferries take about one hour and depart from the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal (Sheung Wan) or China Ferry Terminal (Tsim Sha Tsui).
- From Lantau Island – Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB) shuttle bus which is the cheapest option (98 HKD for 2 of us one way). The HZMB shuttle is a 24-hour, frequent bus service that crosses the longest sea bridge in the world Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and takes you directly to the Macau Port in less than an hour.
Since we were located in Lantau Island, we took the shuttle bus from HZMB Hong Kong Port.
- At the port, we had to go through departure immigration and customs process.
- We then boarded the shuttle which are frequent and took about an hour across the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.
- after arriving in Macau, you will go through Macau’s immigration and customs
- We then found a tourist information desk and got information on which bus to take into Macau town. Bus #101X takes you to the main attraction, Senado Square. From here you can walk to all the other attractions.
- We spent 3 hours in Macau, after which we returned to the Macau port and again went through all the immigration process before boarding the bus back to Lantau Island.
- Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge
- Senado Square
- St. Dominic’s Church
- Ruins of St. Paul’s
- Fortaleza do Monte
- Tap Seac Square
- Guia Fortress and Lighthouse
Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge – is a 55-km sea crossing that connects the major cities of Hong Kong, Zhuhai, and Macau. This impressive civil engineering feat is the longest bridge-tunnel system in the world, reducing travel time between these locations to about 40 minutes.
Senado Square – This is the first place you will visit after you get off bus #101X. It is one of Macau’s Insta-popular spots and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the Portuguese times, this was Macau’s main public square. Not much change had been made here and you can feel the European vibe, with its wave-patterned mosaic tiles, and western styled buildings.
St. Dominic’s Church – The path from Senado Square will take you to the attractive and historic St. Dominic’s Church with sunshine-yellow facade, green doors, and white trimmings. Founded by three Spanish Dominican priests, the church was built in 1587. The current structure dates from the early 17th century after many renovations and reconstruction. The church is one of the 29 sites forming the Historic Center of Macau and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
On the day we visited the church, there was a private event taking place in the church and were not able to see the interior.
Ruins of St. Paul’s – These ruins were originally the Church of Mater Dei built in 1602-1640 and the ruins of St. Paul’s College, which stood adjacent to the Church, both destroyed by fire in 1835. As a whole, the Church of Mater Dei, St. Paul’s College and Fortaleza do Monte (Fortress next to the church) were all Jesuit constructions and formed what can be perceived as the Macao’s acropolis. The church is one of the 29 sites forming the Historic Center of Macau and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is a very popular place and is always packed with crowd as you can see in the picture.
Fortaleza do Monte (Monte Fortress) – Located within a few meters of St Paul’s church, this fort was built between 1617 to 1626 and was the city’s principal military defense structure. The fortress was equipped with cannons, military barracks, wells and an arsenal that held sufficient ammunition and supplies to endure a siege lasting up to two years.
The fort occupies an area of roughly 10,000 sqm. Thirty-two muzzle-loading cannon were placed around the fort’s walls, and the two corners of the southeastern fort wall have small watchtowers. The fort proved crucial in successfully holding off the attempted Dutch invasion in 1622.
You can easily spend a hour here walking around the entire fortress and also taking in the view from the top. The fort’s former ammunition cellar now houses a museum, which displays exhibits on Macau’s history and culture.
Tap Seac Square – After visiting Monte Fortress, a 20 min walk took us to Tap Seac Square which is a huge plaza surrounded by colorful and historic buildings from the 1920s, such as the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Central Library, Library for Macau’s Historical Archives and Tap Seac Gallery. It stands on the site of a former stadium and was completed in 2007. We reached this square in the evening and hence avoided the tourist crowd.
During holiday and festival periods, the square is filled with decorations and themed performances. This place is used for festival celebrations, events, and fairs.
Guia Fortress and Lighthouse – We did not visit this lighthouse but got a great picture from the top of Monte Fortress. You can reach this site on a 90-second-long Guia Hill Cable Car or you could walk up the hill which will take about 20 minutes from Tap Seac Square.
Gambling in Macau – Macau is the only place in China where casinos are legal. Gambling has been legal here since the 1850s when the Portuguese government legalized the activity in the autonomous colony. With the entry of large foreign casinos from Las Vegas and Australia, Macau overtook the Vegas Strip in gambling revenues in 2007 and has become known worldwide as the gambling capital of the world.
We walked past the colorful, lively, and crowded casino area on our way to Senado Square.
