Screen cap of Google Map's street view of China Hong Kong City Building
Yes, my friends and I decided to have an Amazing Race across China and its special administrative regions (SARs). We visited, Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Macau in our 4d3n tour last February. It's a very crazy idea. I don't encourage anyone to do the same, especially for first-time travelers.
Throwing caution to the wind, we spent a night in Macau just to be able to say that we've been there. Well, I've been there before, but most of my companions were first time visitors of HK, China and Macau.
So, from our hotel, we took a shuttle going to TST. The stop was very near the China Ferry Terminal. It's very easy to find. Just go inside China Hong Kong City,where the huge Esprit outlet store is located at the ground floor. Refer to the photo I screencapped from Google Maps. Entrance is beside Esprit, just go up to the short escalators until you reach the third floor, I think, where the booking offices are located. From there, you can take your pick of ferry service depending on the time you want to depart. Most services leave even every 30 minutes, except for Cotai Jet which departs late in the afternoon if I remember correctly. This ferry station also services passengers to Mainland China such as Zhuhai. [Update April 2014: The Esprit outlet store relocated inside the China Hong Kong City Mall]
This is the floor where the ticketing offices are located.
Departure Area at the China Ferry Terminal Station
After buying tickets and while waiting for our ferry to depart, we ate lunch at Cafe de Coral, a fast food chain in Hong Kong which offers cheap meals, of course by Hong Kong standards. The food there is quite tasty and they change their menus depending on the time. After 2 p.m., no more lunch sets, for example. Be sure to state clearly your choice of set meal and which beverage you want since not all cashiers understand English well. You can point to the menu on the wall, then say if you want milk tea, or if you want cola (additional price). You'll be given a printed receipt plus an order slip which you'll have to hand over to a staff at a separate counter where roasted ducks are hung. Wait for your order and hope that the cashier and helper got your orders right.
Well, what do you know? Look at how dirty my cup was.
Probably, the tea spilled. It was just surprising that the staff were unconcerned
about the messy cup and did not even bother to replace it.
about the messy cup and did not even bother to replace it.
This was my lunch. It was an oven-baked pork chop with pineapples and sauce poured over the rice.
Yummy, but there was too much sauce.
We picked First Ferry/Turbo Jet as our service provider. It was the same company we used when I went to Macau in 2009 with my family. It leaves every 30 minutes from 7am to 10:30 pm everyday. Makes you wonder how many gamblers, tourists, businessmen and locals shuffle to and from Macau each day. Hmm.
Anyway, I think we paid around HKD 150+ per person since it was a weekend. But the ferry was not packed and it was a pleasant ride so we were able to take a nap. About an hour later, we reached Macau! Yay!
Once in Macau, and after passing through the immigration, we took the underpass going to the other side of the street to catch a free shuttle bus to our hotel, the Venetian.
The Venetian Hotel's Mascot was at the Ferry Terminal to welcome Macau's visitors!
So cute!
The Free Shuttle to Venetian.
