What impressed us about Macau was hardly the casinos, but the many of UNESCO Heritage Sites, ranging from Ruins of St. Paul's to A-Ma Temple and many more which are also known as “The Historic Centre of Macau” with their own respective background stories. Are you one of those travelers who misunderstood Macau’s real beauty like I did before?
If yes, follow our 5-days travel journey, yes 5 days in Macau to experience the city's historic monuments, a wonderful example of the early encounter between Chinese and Portuguese civilizations blend in one city!
Day 1:
12 January 2015
PENANG → Kuala Lumpur (KLIA 2) → MACAU
Depart
from Penang – Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) – Macau International
Airport
Day 2: 13 January 2015
MACAU (Macau Peninsula)
Checked-in Hotel –Ruins of
St. Paul’s – Mount Fortress – Macau Museum – Company of Jesus Square – Senado
Square – St. Dominic’s Church - Holy House of Mercy – ‘Leal Senado’ Building –
Sam Kai Vui Kun (Kuan Tai Temple) – San Man Lo (Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro)
& Rua da Felicidade Business Circle
◊
Breakfast
- AirAsia's in flight pre-booked meals
◊ Lunch
- Wong Chi Kei Restaurant (Wantan Noodles)
◊ Tea
- Leitaria I Son (Red Bean Milk Pudding) ◊ Dinner – Margaret's Cafe e Nata (Portuguese Egg Tarts)
Day 3: 14 January 2015
MACAU (Macau Peninsula
& Taipa & Coloane)
Na Tcha Temple – Section of
the Old City Walls - St. Augustine’s Square – Dom Pedro V Theater – Sir Robert
Ho Tung Library – St. Augustine’s Church – Rua de Cunha, Taipa (for
street-eats) - Galaxy Macau Promenande – The Grand Canal (Venetian) – City of
Dreams – Coloane Village (for the famous
Lord Stow’s Portuguese Egg Tarts) Wynn Hotel / Esplanade – New Yaohan
◊ Breakfast - Casa De Cha Long Wa (Dimsum)
◊ Lunch
- Casa de Pasto Seng Choeng (Crab Porridge) & Gelatina Mok Yi Kei
(Serradura / Sawdust Pudding)
◊ Tea -
Restaurant Tai Lei Loi Kei (Pork Chop Bun)
◊
Dinner Lord Stow’s Bakery (Portuguese Egg Tarts)
Day 4: 15 January 2015
MACAU (Macau Peninsula)
St. Anthony’s Church – Casa
Garden – Barra Square – A-Ma Temple – Moorish Barracks – Lilau Square –
Mandarin’s House – St. Lawrence’s Church – St. Joseph’s Seminary & Church –
Guia Fortress – City of Dreams (for House of Dancing Water show)
◊ Breakfast - Estab De
Comidas Ngao Keo Ka Lei Chon (Crab Roe Noodles) & Hou Keng Fan Tim (Roasted
Pork Rice)
◊ Lunch - Escada
Restaurante (Portuguese Baked Duck Rice & African Chicken)
◊ Tea - Lai Kei Sorvetes
(3-Flavoured Ice Cream Sandwich)
◊ Dinner - McDonald’s
Day 5: 16 January 2015
MACAU (Macau Peninsula)
Shopping at San Man Lo
(Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro) & Rua da Felicidade (Red House) Business Circle
– New Yaohan – Grand Lisboa – One
Central Plaza Promenade – MGM Macau
(Water-Sky Aquarium) –Red Sandalwood Art Exhibition of Old Beijing City Gates
at MGM Macau
◊ Breakfast - Sopa De Fitas Ving Kei (Pork Rib
Noodles & Chilled Sweetened Bean Curd)
◊ Lunch - Cheong Kei Noodle House (Dry Shrimp
Roe Noodles Har Ji Meen)
◊ Tea - Koi Kei Bakery (Almond Cookies) &
Hing Yi Waffle Stall (Banana Waffle and Egg Puffs)
◊ Dinner - Chan Kuong Kei Restaurant (Black
Pepper Roasted Duck with Rice)
Day 6: 17 January 2015
MACAU → Kuala Lumpur (KLIA 2) → PENANG
Macau International Airport
- Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA 2) - Penang
◊ Breakfast – Tong Kee
Restaurant (Wantan Noodles, Suikow and French Toast)
We arrived Macau
International Airport at 1040a.m. after nearly 4 hours flight with AirAsia. The
weather was cloudy and the temperature at noon time was around 14°C. Nice and cool weather for us to snap plenty of stunning photos!
Here’s a bit of a history about Macau/Macao. Macau, a lucrative port of strategic importance in the development of international trade, was under Portuguese administration from the mid-16th century until 1999, when it came under Chinese sovereignty. With its historic street, residential, religious and public Portuguese and Chinese buildings, the historic centre of Macao provides a unique testimony to the meeting of aesthetic, cultural, architectural and technological influences from East and West. (Source: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1110)
Here’s a bit of a history about Macau/Macao. Macau, a lucrative port of strategic importance in the development of international trade, was under Portuguese administration from the mid-16th century until 1999, when it came under Chinese sovereignty. With its historic street, residential, religious and public Portuguese and Chinese buildings, the historic centre of Macao provides a unique testimony to the meeting of aesthetic, cultural, architectural and technological influences from East and West. (Source: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1110)
Ok, enuf said. Back to our
journey in Macau, a place full of colourful history. We spent 5-days in Macau,
visiting many UNESCO Heritage Sites, starting from Ruins of St. Paul to Senado
Square. Most of the heritage sites are within walking distance but do expect
massive visitors in the afternoon, which makes the place very crowded.
 |
| Ruins of St. Paul's is Macau's best known landmark |
 |
| Mandatory tourist shot |
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| The Macau Museum is a great place for knowledge and fun |
 |
| An amazing view of Grand Lisboa at Mount Fortress |
Our trip started with a
walk to Ruins of St. Paul's, which was a 5-minute walk from our hotel. The
Ruins of St. Paul is Macau’s most famous landmark. Built in 1602-1640, the
church was part of St. Paul’s college, and was the first western-styled
university in the Far East. We then moved on to the nearby Mount Fortress where
the Macau Museum was located. The Mount Fortress was built between 1617 and
1626, and now serves as the Macau Museum. It was a great place to come for
panoramic views of Ruins of St. Paul and the whole view of Macau. On the hill
top, you will also find Macao Museum, if you’d like to learn more about Macau’s
history. Along the way to Senado Square, we stopped
by St. Dominic’s Church, located in the middle of the square to rest our
wearied feet.
 |
| The St. Dominic's Church is one of the most unique church in Macau |
 |
| Senado Square is where all the festives happen at! |
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| Senado Square is where all the festives happen at! |
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| Santa Casa De Misericórdia is Macau's oldest charitable institution |
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| Macau's historic colonial architecture showcases its Portuguese past |
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| The Cathedral built in 1622 is one of the most important Catholic churches in Macau |
Later in the afternoon, we
continued our journey to Senado Square, the centre of Macau. The square is
paved with black and white cobbles and has a fountain in the middle of it, and
surrounded by heritage buildings, such as Holy House of Mercy, the post office
and Leal Senado Building, located right opposite of the fountain. San Man Lo/
Rua da Felicidade Business Circle are just located beside these buildings. We
strolled around the area and enjoyed some window shopping.
 |
| Macau, where Chinese and Portuguese civilizations blend in one city |
 |
| A section of the old city walls built by the Portuguese as early as 1569 to defend the fort |
 |
| The Na Tcha Temple built in 1888 and dedicated to Na Tcha in an attempt to halt the plague rampaging at that time
On
the following day (14 January 2015), we continued our journey and headed to Na
Tcha Temple and Section of the Old City Walls, located near to Ruins of St.
Paul’s. The section of the Old City
Walls was first constructed as early as 1569 by the Portuguese to protect the
city, making it a heavily defended fort. We then continued our journey to St.
Augustine’s Square, Dom Pedro V Theater, Sir Robert Ho Tung Library and St.
Augustine’s Church where these notable monuments are located close to each
other. The St. Augustine’s Church was first constructed by a group of Spanish
Augustinian priests in 1586 and then was reconstructed again in 1874. The
Church was the first that preached in English in Macau. The Dom Pedro V Theater
was built by the Portuguese in 1860 to commemorate King Pedro V. The theater is
now used for staging plays and concerts. We then quickly moved to
Rua de Cunha, Taipa for our trip mission, food-hunting. Please follow our post
on “Eat around Macau”, where we describe each food spot in detailed.
|
 |
| Galaxy Macau - I'm impressed! |
 |
| Gondola ride at Venetian Macau, a place with gorgeous and romantic landscape |
 |
| The City of Dreams in Macau |
 |
| We walked through a number of casino floors in Macau. It was remarkable |
Later,
we hopped off our feet to one of the biggest casino in the world, “The Venetian
Macau”. Trip to Macau is always not complete without visiting casinos. You can
easily reach Galaxy Macau Promenande by
walking from Taipa Village. It took us about fifteen minutes’ walk from Rua de
Cunha. We visited three posh hotels with international standards casinos:
Galaxy Macau Promenande, The Grand Canal (Venetian) and City of Dreams (Hard
Rock Hotel, Crown Towers, Grand Hyatt) in Cotai. The buildings were pretty
impressive and we truly enjoyed the cityscape view surrounding. It was
extremely hassle free to travel between the casino resorts as we took the free
shuttle services offered by these resorts. After spending one whole day in
Cotai, we took a public bus to Coloane Town Square to have a taste of one of
the must-try food in Macau, Lord Stow’s Portuguese egg tarts before heading
back to our hotel. There is also a Lord Stow’s cafe around the corner, which
serve excellent food besides egg tarts.
 |
| Grab the egg tarts and watch the view here at Coloane Village |
On the
3rd day (15 January 2015) - After finishing our breakfast at Estab De Comidas
Ngao Keo Ka Lei Chon, we moved on to our first stop, St. Anthony’s Church, one
of the three oldest church in Macau built between 1558 and 1560.We were also
told that in the past, many Portuguese weddings were held at this church. Along
the way, we stopped by Casa Garden before we move on to A-Ma Temple. The A-Ma
Temple is the oldest temple and longest surviving building in Macau. Nearby to
it were Moorish Barracks and Lilau Square.
 |
| St. Augustine's Church first constructed as a seminary in 1586 by a group of Spanish Augustinian priests |
 |
| Built in 1860 as the first western-style theater in China, the Dom Pedro V Theater is a highly significant landmark in Macau |
 |
| One of the oldest Church in Macau - St. Anthony's Church |
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| St. Joseph’s Seminary & Church is an exemplary model of baroque architecture in Macau |
 |
| The famous A-Ma Temple in Macau, existed since 1488 |
 |
| Incensed @ Ah-Ma Temple |
 |
| Rua da Felicidade - Be prepared to be tempted by the aroma of bakery stores |
We
continued our feet to the Mandarin’s House. Built before 1869, the Mandarin’s
House was previously the residence of the famous Chinese thinker Zheng
Guanying. Later in the afternoon, we dropped by St. Lawrence’s Church, St.
Joseph’s Seminary & Church and Guia Fortress. After dinner, we took the shuttle bus in
front of Hotel Sintra (along San Ma Lou) to City of Dreams for House of Dancing
Water show housed in a purpose-built theater designed with multiple
breakthroughs including a stage pool that is able to hold a record breaking 3.7
million gallons water, deep enough for 20-30 meter dives! I must admit it was a
wonderful show, but at the end of the day it must be seen to be appreciated.
Stay tuned for my next travel episode for more stories.
 |
| The Mandarin's House is a traditional compound embodying both Chinese and Western architecutral features |
 |
| One for the album - Mandarin's House |
On 16
January 2015, we strolled along the main drag, San Man Lo (or Avenida Almeida
Ribero), and Rua da Felicidade (Red houses) where later we discovered New
Yaohan. After a quick bite, we headed to Senado Square for our last minute
shopping. Like many tourists did, we left with 10 boxes of Koi Kei almond
cookies to bring home! Near to evening, we spent our last night walking along
San Man Lo towards the casino resorts (Grand Lisboa, One Central Plaza
Promenade and MGM Macau) for a quick view of Macau’s neon landmark, with
dazzling and glitzy lighting displays. Along the way we also stopped by One
Central Plaza Promenade to enjoy the night breeze and picturesque view of the Macau-Taipa
Bridge. We then moved on to MGM Macau
for the 8.3 meters tall cylindrical water-sky aquarium. It was truly
breathtaking. Remember to check out this place ya!
 |
| The Macau Tower and Macau -Taipa Bridge beautifully lit during the twilight hours |
We
retired early that night as the next day we have to depart early for our flight
back to Malaysia.
 |
| Incensed |
 |
| A little corner in Macau. This one caught my eye |
 |
Busy street scence in Macau
|
17
January 2015 - Our last stop was Macau’s International Airport.
We had
a delightful trip in Macau. From advanced huge casinos, hotels, to street foods
crawling, and miles of walk from point to point. Macau isn’t just about
gambling in famous casinos, but a wonderful place for history buff and food
lovers as well. I love how well-preserved most things are in this country from
the cobbled steps to the old structures. One day trip is definitely not enough
to understand the living and cultures in Macau, so, it is highly recommended
that you prolong your stay to at least 3 days.
Air
Itinerary Details:
AirAsia:
Penang - Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA 2) – Macau International
Airport / Macau International Airport - Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2
(KLIA 2) - Penang
Accommodation:
Holiday
Hotel (strategically located near Ruins of St. Paul. 5-minutes’ walk to Ruins
of St. Paul)
Address:
Estrada do Repouso, No.36-38, Macau City, Macau
Website:
www.holiday36.com
e-mail:
info@holiday36.com
Telephone:
+853 28350161
1 Room
for 4 nights = MYR 1,005.00
Averagely
MYR 250.00/night
Places
of Interest / Entrance Tickets:
Macau
Peninsula (How to stroll through the historic centre of Macau by foot?)
◊ Ruins
of St. Paul’s – FOC. Within walking distance from Senado Square / San Ma Lo
(Avenida Almeida Ribeiro)
◊ Mount
Fortress – FOC. Within walking distance from Senado Square / San Ma Lo (Avenida
Almeida Ribeiro)
◊ Macau
Museum – MOP 15. Within walking distance
from Senado Square / San Ma Lo (Avenida Almeida Ribeiro)
◊ Senado
Square – FOC. Within walking distance
from Senado Square / San Ma Lo (Avenida Almeida Ribeiro)
◊ St.
Dominic’s Church – FOC. Within walking
distance from Senado Square / San Ma Lo (Avenida Almeida Ribeiro)
◊ Holy
House of Mercy – FOC. Within walking
distance from Senado Square / San Ma Lo (Avenida Almeida Ribeiro)
◊ ‘Leal
Senado’ Building – FOC. Within walking distance from Senado Square / San Ma Lo
(Avenida Almeida Ribeiro)
◊ Sam
Kai Vui Kun (Kuan Tai Temple) FOC.
Within walking distance from Senado Square / San Ma Lo (Avenida Almeida
Ribeiro)
◊ Na
Tcha Temple – FOC. Within walking distance from Senado Square / San Ma Lo
(Avenida Almeida Ribeiro)
◊
Section of the Old City Walls – FOC. Within walking distance from Senado Square
/ San Ma Lo (Avenida Almeida Ribeiro)
◊ St.
Augustine’s Square – FOC. Within walking distance from Senado Square / San Ma
Lo (Avenida Almeida Ribeiro)
◊ Dom
Pedro V Theater – FOC. Within walking distance from Senado Square / San Ma Lo
(Avenida Almeida Ribeiro)
◊ Sir
Robert Ho Tung Library – FOC. Within walking distance from Senado Square / San
Ma Lo (Avenida Almeida Ribeiro)
◊ St.
Augustine’s Church – FOC. Within walking distance from Senado Square / San Ma
Lo (Avenida Almeida Ribeiro)
◊ Wynn
Hotel / Esplanade – FOC. From San Man Lo (Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro), walk for
10-15minutes towards Grand Lisboa.
◊ St.
Anthony’s Church – FOC. Within walking distance from Senado Square / San Ma Lo
(Avenida Almeida Ribeiro)
◊ Casa
Garden – FOC. Within walking distance
from Senado Square / San Ma Lo (Avenida Almeida Ribeiro)
◊ St.
Joseph’s Seminary & Church – FOC.
Within walking distance from Senado Square / San Ma Lo (Avenida Almeida
Ribeiro)
◊ A-Ma
Temple – FOC. Take bus # 2/5/7/10/11/18/21A/N3 from Senado Square and stop at
Ah-Ma Temple.
◊
Moorish Barracks – FOC. Within walking
distance from Ah-Ma Temple (5 minutes walk)
◊ Lilau
Square – FOC. Within walking distance
from Ah-Ma Temple (15 minutes walk)
◊
Mandarin’s House – FOC. Within walking
distance from Ah-Ma Temple (15 minutes walk)
◊ St.
Lawrence’s Church – FOC. Within walking distance from Ah-Ma Temple (20 minutes
walk along Rua do Antonio)
◊ Guia
Fortress – FOC. Take bus # 9/12/18 from Senado Square and stop at Indoor Sports
Complex. Hike towards fortress for 10-15 minutes.
Taipa
◊
Galaxy Macau Promenande – FOC. Take shuttle bus from Star World Hotel,
available from 10:00 - 24:05, frequency
8-15 minutes or take bus # 11/15/22/28A/33 from Senado Square and stop at Rua
de Cunha and walk for 10-15minutes.
◊ The
Grand Canal (Venetian) – FOC. Take
shuttle bus from Sands Macau Hotel, available from 10:00 - 00:00, frequency
5-15minutes or take bus # 11/15/22/28A/33 from Senado Square and stop at Rua de
Cunha and walk for 10-15 minutes.
◊ City
of Dreams – FOC. Take shuttle bus from Galaxy Macau, available from 11:00 -
23:00, frequency 5-15 minutes or shuttle bus from Hotel Sintra along San Ma Lo,
available from 11:00 - 24:00, frequency 6-15 minutes.
***
Cotai Buses Connection: The Venetian to Galaxy Macau. Available from 10:00 -
23:00, frequency 5-10 minutes.
◊ Rua
de Cunha - Take bus 11/15/22/28A/33 from Senado Square and stop at Rua de
Cunha.
◊ The
House of Dancing Water show @ City of Dreams– MOP596. Take shuttle bus from
Hotel Sintra along San Ma Lo. Available from 11:00 - 24:00, frequency 6-15
minutes.
Performance(s)
& Schedule
◊ Lake
Show at Wynn Hotel / Esplanade (11.00am – 12.00 midnight daily; every 15
minutes)
◊ Tree
of Prosperity & Dragon of Fortune Shows at Wynn Hotel / Esplanade (10.00am
– 2.00am daily, alternate shows every 30 minutes)
◊
Mermaid Show at City of Dreams (Daily)
◊
Fortune Diamond Show at Galaxy Macau (Sundays - Thursdays: 10.00am. - 11:59 pm
; Fridays, Saturdays and Public Holidays: 10am – 2am (every 30 minutes)
◊
Fountain Show at Galaxy Macau (Sundays - Thursdays: 10.00am. - 11:59 pm;
Fridays, Saturdays and Public Holidays: 10am – 2am (every 30 minutes)
◊
Water-sky Aquarium / Light & Sound Show at MGM Macau (Daily from 7pm to
11pm)
◊
Wishing Crystals at Galaxy Macau (Daily)
Sam Yi
Souvenir Shop
Address:
Rua De D. Belchior Carneiro No.10, Yue Wa Gardenfl Macau (located behind Ruins
of St. Paul, 3-minutes walk from Ruins of St.Paul)
Telephone:
+853 62981868
Opening
hours: 9.00 am – 6.00pm
◊◊◊P/S:
Remember to drop by Macau Government Tourist Office (three-storey yellow
building in front of Senado Square) to grab your travel maps/guides.
Read
more about our travel experiences @ Macau:
Our 5 Days Itinerary in Macau : Guide to Must-Eat
Our 5 Days Itinerary in Macau : Guide to Must-Eat
**Stay tuned for our next travel episode: Our 5 Days Itinerary in Macau :
Guide to Must-See**
“We
travel to lose our prejudices, and gain a new outlook on life”
Welcome to Small World! This blog is not a travel agency,
but rather a personal site which allows us to share our past travel experiences
in a straightforward and far-reaching way. We often made great use of other
peoples travel blogs and sites every time we plan for our travel itinerary as
they often contained most updated information and invaluable resources from
their past travel experiences. We hope that you will find every piece of
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all. xoxo
Both Chengy & Camel are passionate travelers who enjoys speaking to young keen travelers about the freedom to get cultured and to taste the fullness of life. Feel free to contact them if you need any travel advice, guidance or tips or if you have any burning questions with regards to your upcoming trip(s)/ journey
Both Chengy & Camel are passionate travelers who enjoys speaking to young keen travelers about the freedom to get cultured and to taste the fullness of life. Feel free to contact them if you need any travel advice, guidance or tips or if you have any burning questions with regards to your upcoming trip(s)/ journey
- Be
inspired but more importantly be inspiring -
