What to do in Macau - Travel tips - city of dreams

After so many years I haven't seen Macau with my own eyes... I'm pretty shocked with what's going on there! My last visit would be somewhere between 1993 - 1995..  at that time, Macau was just an empty city with big hotels and casinos... far from each other. The tourist destination is boring... museum, statue... yeah that stuff... BUT NOW????? WOWZAAA you really need to admire the CHINESE, man! They've build a leisure complex ... FULL ENTERTAINMENT EVERYWHERE! Glory songs everywhere... (like the OST of Rocky Balboa)... it's all about persuading you to spend and spend...

Macau can be reached with direct flight to the Macau international airport, but many would rather go to Hong Kong first and then go to Macau by ferry... like me.... that's why the airport is not too busy, and really small! I mean it! Really small! It's less than half the size of Changi's Terminal 3....The domestic terminal in Bali - Indonesia is still bigger!

You can go by ferry from Hong Kong via the airport or via Tsim Sha Tsui.. be careful not to go to the wrong terminal, cause there's another terminal of ferries to China mainland. The ferry starts sail at 7.30 AM, then you can catch continuous schedule every 30 mins until 10 PM. There's another option using Turbo Jet if you can't handle the big wavy feeling of a ferry... At the ferry, I've counted .. at least there's 12 adults and 4 or 5 kids were puking...hahahaha. Maybe try to get sleep as much as you can... the journey is about 1,5 hour. When you arrive at Macau, be patient! cause the immigration queue is really damn long.

Now we're heading to our Hotel! The Grand Hyatt - City of Dreams.... Yeah!

Macau is different to Hong Kong... There's no tourist destination like the shopping on a budget at fashion & street food market in Hong Kong. Everything is lux here.. just luxury hotels and casino! So if you're not a gambler, think of relaxing your body & mind to the max! Unwind! Enjoy! I choose Grand Hyatt cause from what I saw at the website, the room is very spacious and modern furnished... the cost per night is about US$ 210, I bought it from agoda.

Transportation at Macau is very simple.. just buses and taxis! No MTR (No Subway)! Most big hotels and casinos provide free shuttle bus (lux one!). I'm staying at Grand Hyatt, that's on the "City of Dreams" complex (City of Dreams complex: 3 hotel in one area. Hyatt, Crown, Hard Rock). If your hotel doesn't provide any pick up services... I suggest you look for another hotel's shuttle bus (relay run / estafet style)... then after they drop you at their hotel, you can find a cab.

Macau consist of 3 parts of island.. one which sticks to China, and then Taipa and the Coloan. These island are well connected by bridges. Some new posh Hotels are located at Taipa Hotel, like City of Dreams and Venetian, while the old one like Sands Hotel & Casino is at the mainland.

For your notice... the airport is located at Taipa island, while the ferry is at the mainland. You can get to the airport or ferry by taking the hotel's bus, and they usually starts to operate at 9 Am - 9 Pm

Arriving at the complex of City of Dreams.. I can't shut my mouth and just wow-ing all the way.

The place is fantastic. The main entrance is crazy awesome! There's a giant screen displaying very very smooth 3D animation of mermaids.. so hypnotic! The interior design is really cool. The Grand Hyatt lobby is fantastic... the chandelier, the ceiling decoration... really worth every penny. I went straight to the reception. Her English is good and she really shows the manners of 5 star, or you can call it 7 star hotel.

My way of getting from an island to another is simply taking a hotel networked buses. Hotels in Macau are cooperating with another hotel, so no worries for transportation. Like me I'm staying at the Grand Hyatt, I just walk to Venetian hotel which is just in front (less than 3 mins walk), after walking around Venetian... I just wait at the hotel's bus stop and there I saw some buses which will go to Sands Hotel (Mainland area), I just hop-in without paying any cents and after 15 - 20 minutes, I arrived at the Sands hotel & casino... I noticed that the bus I'm taking is also going to the plaza.. And there are another buses heading to Grand Lisboa... wow! imagine a free tour with deluxe bus around Macau!