Yes, You Can Enjoy Macau for Free!

Me and a friend were scheduled for a morning arrival in Hong Kong (8:00 AM) while our four companions would arrive in the late afternoon. This gave us one more day than our four companions, thus giving us the advantage to take a full three-day trip. Since I was the one who created the itinerary, I planned on:

1. One whole day at Macau without any clear plan of where we would go (I've been there a year ago but we also just roamed around wherever our feet took us.)
2. One whole day - combination of Ngong Ping 360, Hong Kong Disneyland, and The Peak
3. One whole day - combination of Hong Kong Ocean Park, Symphony of Lights, and Avenue of Stars

Me and my friend became the default travel buddies, and our four companions made their own decision on where they would go on given days. We succeeded in accomplishing the things on the itinerary despite having time as one big constraint, but it was physically challenging (I have a feeling that they wanted to curse me afterwards!).

Upon our arrival in Hong Kong, we boarded an A21 bus and got down at the nearest stop in Tai San Guest House in Tsim Sha Tsui, checked-in, dropped our stuff, and went off as soon as we can. It was a one-hour bus ride, in case you want to know.

waiting for the bus

We walked our way to the ferry station to Macau. We got lost, but instead of being hopeless, we even managed to take photos along the way! A staff in the Harbour City Shopping Mall told us the direction to get to China Hong Kong City wherein the First Ferry Terminal to Macau is located. And boy, though the direction was clear, it seemed as if we were walking until forever. Harbour City Shopping Mall was so huge and we had to walk from end to end. 

lost in amazement

the port must be somewhere near...

outside Harbour City

From the time we arrived at Tai San Guest House, it took two hours when we finally reached the First Ferry Ticketing Office. We booked for an 11:30 AM ferry ride, and off we went.

The ride lasted for an hour and a half, and we arrived in Macau at 1:00 PM. We had no clear plan on what we should do, but to our amazement, there were Filipinos waiting at the terminal. They approached us and talked  to us in Tagalog - offering their tour guide services. Since the service was just worth 100 HKD for the two of us for the whole afternoon, we did not think much about it and availed it right away.

First off, we had lunch for we were hungry little kids coming from a long journey (our last meal was still in the Philippines, haha!). We had the "cheapest" lunch at New Yaohan food court near Emperor Hotel, for 35 HKD.

Told you, I was hungry!

Next on the itinerary: Senado Square. We went inside St. Dominic's Church, spent some time in the forever crowded Ruins of St. Paul's, and in Museu de Macau (well, just outside Museu de Macau).

Senado Square, Macau

St. Dominic's Church

ruins of St. Paul (huge group of tourists having a group shot)

Museu de Macau, err just outside

Afterwards, we had the experience of a lifetime and experienced what Macau is best known for: casino hopping. In my first time in Macau, we did not bother getting inside the casinos thinking that it is all gambling, but during this trip, I was brought to awareness that casinos are more than just gambling sites. I love the grandiose displays and shows that were presented on the grounds and on the lobbies - and the best part of it? These were all for free! Even the bottled water were all for free.

First off, we marveled at the grandiose interiors of Casino Lisboa and MGM Macau.

Casino Lisboa's extravagant lobby

inside wonderland cum MGM Macau

One thing lead to another and the next thing we know, we were issued a free membership card at one of the not-so-high-end casinos, Mocha Casino, and with it comes 100 HKD consumable at the slot machine. Imagine, free registration and you could even end up with more money? Afterwards, we went to Wynn and got ourselves entertained by their fountain show and Tree of Prosperity. I almost cried at the end of the Tree of Prosperity. It was simply spectacular, and too-good-to-be-free, well, I was born and raised in the Philippines where everything good comes with a price so it really was awesome!

glimpse of the Tree of Prosperity at Wynn

After the show, we rode a shuttle to the City of Dreams and watched the Dragon's Treasure Show at The Bubble. Again, it was a really good experience, and it was for free. We ended our day in Macau at the Venetian Macao. By 8:30 PM, we rode the shuttle going to the ferry terminal bound to Hongkong, availed of a 9:00 PM ride, and finally we're in our guest house sweet guesthouse by 11:00 PM.

snapshot I took en route City of Dreams

waiting for the Bubble Show at City of Dreams

We're in Venice! Macau branch

Tips for a Macau Trip:

• You could explore the whole of Macau by foot. Make sure you wear super comfy shoes and that you are prepared for the challenge.
• If you don't want to walk all the way, you could ride the shuttle services going from one casino to another. Rides in these are FREE.
• Short spectacular shows are presented in the casinos within time intervals of say, 30 minutes, and these are all for FREE.
• Bottled water are also available at the various casino lobbies for FREE.
• Some small-time casinos offer free membership with 100 HKD consumable at the slot machine, just like what we had!
• Currency in Macau is MOP, but HKD is also accepted. Hence, do not bother exchanging your currency if you plan to just stroll in Macau for a day.
• Unlike Hong Kong, Macau is not that "tourist friendly" when it comes to road signs. And most of the signs and directions are in Chinese or Portuguese so it's really good to get a guide if you want to maximize your trip.

On this day, our only expense was the ferry fare, the tour guide fee, and our lunch. Now, that's what a maximized trip is all about!

Other posts in this Hong Kong-Macau series:

New Yaohan's Food Court and the Emperor Hotel Macau
Strolling in Macau: Senado Square, St. Dominic’s Church, Ruins of St. Paul’s, Museu de Macau What’s Inside Casino Lisboa in Macau?
I was in (Wonderland) MGM Macau!
The Tear-jerky Wynn Macau Experience
Finding the Dragon’s Treasure in Macau’s City of Dreams
Ended the Day in (Venice) Venetian Macao
Ngong Ping 360: My First Cable Car Ride (and the Longest)
My Second Time in Hong Kong Disneyland Resort!
Ended a Jam-packed Day at The Peak
My Love Affair with Hong Kong Ocean Park
Rushing to the Avenue of Stars and A Symphony of Lights
DIY Hong Kong and Macau Trip: Tips on How to Ace It
20,000 Pesos 4 Days, 3 Nights DIY Hong Kong-Macau Travel Guide