HK & Macau 2007

We left our big luggage at the hotel and just brought with us a small bag for our trip to Macau.  (We were staying in Macau for 2 nights).  I was surprised that the HK hotel charged us storage fee considering we are going to be returning guests.  Anyway the fee was only minimal at HKD 5.00 per luggage per day. 

Since we were staying at Kowloon, we took the ferry service of the New World First Ferry  at the China HK City Ferry Terminal in Tsimshatsui  (Ask your concierge to write the name in Chinese to show to your taxi driver.)  Other options to go to Macau:   You can take the  Turbojet if you are at the HK island.  The terminal is located in  Sheung Wan.    The Venetian has launch their fleet  Cotai Jet  departing hourly and you land in Cotai which is  conveniently located near their hotel.  If you're flying to HK and wish to go directly to Macau, you can book the ferry at the airport Skypier .

We wanted to take the 9 am ferry but we didn't purchase the ticket in advance.  By the time we reached the terminal, they were already selling tickets for the 1130 ferry service, which was a couple of hours away.  I was concerned by the long wait because I was attending an event in Macau at 1 pm.  Thankfully, a friend had told me about the 'standby' queue.  Even if your ticket is for a ferry leaving at a later time, they will let you take an earlier vessel if there are still seats available.  As a result we were able to depart earlier.

After clearing immigration, we still had a few minutes wait.  The lounge/waiting area was jampacked... a clear indication that the ferry would be full.  Our seats were located in the forward section and just as I thought, it was completely full.  During certain part of our journey,  our vessel hit strong waves but it didn't last long and was tolerable.

Macau
When we reached Macau, there were long queues at the immigration counters. But seeing the many arriving passengers, they opened more counters. 

I read many travel tips and forums prior to my trip but didn't follow them because I was in a big rush to go to the event at the Venetian.  I've read that at the ferry terminal, at/near the car rental you can purchase ticket to Macau Tower at a discounted rate.  You should also drop by the tourism counters to pick up guides, maps and bus routes. 

Exit the ferry terminal and head to the left for the hotel shuttle bus.  Free shuttle bus service are provided by the major hotels/casinos like Venetian, Lisboa, Crown.  Other "smaller" hotels also have shuttle service, but may require passenger to present their reservation vouchers or hotel key card to the driver.  Check with your hotel and find out their shuttle bus schedules.

Macau is divided into Macau, Taipa and Coloane.  The reclaimed land situated between Coloane and Taipa where the Venetian Hotel is located is called Cotai - combining the first syllable of Coloane and Taipa.  The main ferry terminal is located in Macau, the airport in Taipa.

The currency in Macau is called Pataca, but the HK money is widely accepted. 

Venetian Hotel
We took a taxi from our hotel to go to the Venetian and were dropped off at the main entrance.  I needed to go to the function room and an efficient hotel staff gave me directions as well as a map.  The function room is located at the other end of the Venetian so I had to traverse through the big gaming hall of the casino.  The game area is HUGE and quite busy with many trying out their luck.  It was a very, very long walk to reach the other end. 

When I finally got there, I found out that the event was delayed!   Due to unforeseen reason, they could not give a fixed time when the event can start.   My plan was to attend the event for a couple of hours, then head out to explore the city for the rest of the day.  With the delay, all my plans went down the drain.  I had to stay at the Venetian and wait for the updates.  I tried to make the most of it and went around to explore the Venetian. 

Aside from the casino, the main attraction inside the Venetian are the canals.  The indoor canals are located on level 3.  With the painted blue sky with fluffy white clouds and painted facades of buildings, it feels like you're in a theme park or movie set in Venice.

The Venetian also has it's replica of St. Mark's Square - but without the pigeons! They have some street performances here (musicians, opera singers, mime, stilt walker, etc)  to entertain the visitors.

The Venetian has a lot of dining options.  From expensive restaurants to affordable foodcourt, you'll have  plenty to choose from that fit your taste and budget.