Located just an hour away from Hong Kong, it'd be illogical not to head to Macau for a short getaway considering how long we were in Hong Kong for. While a day trip should suffice, Vanessa (my travel bud and roomie) and I decided that we should just make the most out of the ferry ride there and stay for at least one night. It'd be a lot less rushed and hotel rates were also a lot cheaper than what one would typically find in Hong Kong.
On the Friday (21 December) after our final examinations ended, we headed to the Hong Kong-Macau ferry terminal and boarded a ferry that whisked us straight to Macau. It's so convenient to travel there for a day-trip, and I was shocked to find that almost the entire vessel was packed especially since the ferries run on insanely frequent 15-minute intervals.
While neither of us bought data for this trip, it was still pretty easy to navigate Macau with hardcopy versions of maps we printed out prior. We also took advantage of our hotel's shuttle bus service, and seemed to be the only guests who actually used the service - so it pretty much felt like a personal chauffeur.
As for Macau, it's such a unique destination and I absolutely loved it. Kind of strange, considering how it's usually touted solely as a place to gamble, or a place that houses secret societies (the latter only if you're someone like my mother). However, I may have preferred this trip as compared to Korea (eeks, I know... what even?). Let me explain why I find Macau to be such a charm though. It has the general vibe of Hong Kong, minus the intense fast-paced footsteps and chatter. It features intricate Portuguese architecture, with confusing European-sounding street names to boot - which I find to be so interesting (Macau used to be colonized by Portugal, and Portuguese still continues to hold a co-official language status there). It delivers the rustic sights through the streets of Taipa, but also offers a semblance of opulence through the casinos and luxurious hotels located along the Cotai Strip.
Plus, as we didn't have much planned on our itinerary, it gave us a lot more freedom to explore the few islands (Taipa and Coloane) that make up Macau. It was a great two days spent there, which we spent eating, taking in the sights and sounds, and exploring a couple of casinos (not before getting stopped at the entrance for age verification heh heh). We didn't spend a penny on those money-sucking machines though; but did gain quite a bit of weight from the trip.
Here's hoping that the following shots do my trip justice.
A peek into the glitz and glamour of China's answer to Las Vegas, coupled with the best friggin' egg tarts I have ever eaten in my life - well, if that doesn't sound like how one'd describe a good trip, especially when considering the sheer cost and ease of putting together this little holiday, I surely don't know what else could.
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