Breezin Through Hanoi

Jan 30, ’08 2:33 AM

Vietnam is not a breeze. Literally, that is. Going into my recent trip, I checked CNN.com for Hanoi weather just to make sure I was bringing the right set of wardrobe and man, I had a blast seeing the five-day weather had clouds and rain droplets in its visuals. I’d welcome rain anytime. What? With the temps ranging from scorching 35s to the feverish 40s, I’d pay the rain gods for some good and mean thunderstorms.

The trip was also destined to be a historic one for me. I was a “Vietnam newbie” and was taking my first Cathay Pacific flight. The flight to Hong Kong for the stopover was so rnuch like the Pinatubo trek- it was overcast and bumpy. In one instance, the plane hit an air pocket and dipped a bit too low for comfort. It was so scary that someone actually screamed in panic. So much for my highly vaunted CX maiden flight. So ok, fast forward to the hanoi trip. In this trip, I’ve learned a ton about Vietnam but i’m just going to share with you eight:

1. The Vietnamese people are the best elementary school models for “herbivorous” animals. Their daily meals consist of green, leafy vegetables in epic proportions. Our host was very gracious and offered us their authentic cuisine all throughout. I had no choice but to consume an amount which is 300% higher than my self-lnflicted monthly vegetable intake. And I’m talking about a 3-day stint. On my last night, I begun to have this creepy feeling that I’m gonna wake up the next morning to find out that I’ve morphed into the Green Lantern or the Incredible Hulk (Think Green).

2. Artificial skin care products have no market in Vietnam. The Vietnamese have great looking skin – fair, smooth and almost creamy in consistency and no, I’m not talking about ice cream. Know-alls attribute this to the Vietnamese diet which like I said, is composed mainly of green, leafy vegetables. So Dra. Vicky Belo, you can forget about putting up your 71st Forever Flawless branch in Hai Phong. You can just concentrate on hiring attendants who are not attractive to star basketball players who are marrled to multi-millionaire actresses/once-presidential daughters/attempting to become elected future Philipine presidents. (now that is more than enough “slashes” to last a lifetime)

3. Hanoi Vietnam’s infrastructure plans, once in place will make the Philippine DPWH drool. Several construction are now on-going for new roads, flyovers, bridges and walkways aimed to convert Hanoi into a world class city.

4. Motorcycles are the new bicycles in Hanoi.

Seen those postcard pics of Vietnam? Those people who take the bike en masse, pedalling their ways in their salakots? Gone are the days. Motorcycles now dominate the streets of Hanoi taking three lanes out of four. In this city, the motorcycles are the kings of the road. Cars and automobiles take pains in avoiding these motorcycles and thereby avoiding accidents. Well, I look at it on the bright side -more motorcycles means more girls in shorts and more legs on sight.

5. Vietnam has free wi-fi everywhere. As opposed to Manila where wi-fi comes with a price we wonder why turo turo type restos, offices, and coffee shops offer the service here for free. 6. Vietnamese driving offers a unique method of overtaking in highways – Tailgate. Honk incessantly. Flash your lights non stop until the vehicle in front moves away.
7. One of Hanoi’s prime commodities is one of the arts.

According to some information, there is one village near the region where Vietnamese ladies do unique art pieces of mostly paintings. At the Departure Area of Hanoi International airport, tourists of mostly Western descent are seen lugging rolls of canvass for ”take out”.

8. One of Vietnamese Airlines’ flight attendants is an actual deadringer a Filipina celebrity. I’m so hooked with her that I actually refused to deplane for some time. What can I say? I’m exaggerating through my teeth. Only this much is true – she was oh so beautiful, I’m kinda planning to change gender.

So there. Eight beautiful things about Vietnam and its people. Visit them sometime.

Sadly, I found out one more thing but its not about Vietnam. Its about CNN and their freakin their weather forecasts! So entirely erroneous. Boys, it was like Al Gore’s inconvenient truth out there – deep fried hot !

The Royal Splendor of Vimanmek Palace

One of Southeast Asia’s shining stars will always be Bangkok, Thailand. With its flamboyant colors and a charming east-meets-west vibe, the city embodies Thailand’s nickname as the “Land of Smiles”.

In the thirteenth annual World’s Best Awards Readers’ Survey of globally leading travel magazine Travel + Leisure, Bangkok was named as “World’s Best City 2008”, beating 2007 winners Florence, Italy and Bali, Indonesia. With an diverse offering of rich culture, fantastic food, excellent shopping, vibrant sceneries, nightlife, and more, Bangkok has no doubt, have become a well-loved destination – a city which one would go back to, again and again.

For one in constant hunt for new travel discoveries, perhaps visiting the temples, the Reclining Buddha or the Grand Palace may no longer be as exciting. But just recently, we were lucky to find the Vimanmek Mansion located in the Dusit area of Bangkok with the main entrance on Ratchawithi Road.

One of the less popular and underrated tourist sites in Bangkok, the spot has been attracting a lot of tourists lately and is touted as the world’s largest teakwood palace. It was built in 1901 by King Rama V (Chulalongkorn) and has an astounding 72 interior rooms – all using teak wood!

Inaugurated in March 1901, the Vimanmek Palace was used as a royal residence by the King for five years until the completion of Amphorn Satharn Villa in 1906. By 1932, Vimanmek Palace became only a storage place of the Bureau of the Royal Household.

In 1932 however, Queen Sirikit was authorized by King Rama IX to renovate the teak palace and in turn, converted it to a museum to commemorate King Rama V.

The mansion became a historical attraction with an impressive collection of royal photographs and personal effects – a grand showcase of Thailand’s rich national heritage. Many of the gifts and treasures that King Rama V collected during his travels are also displayed in the museum.

Today, one can walk through, albeit without shoes, to marvel at the former palace of the King of Thailand. It is absolutely a unique experience walk along the grand staircase where many royals of many nations have walked on and to be awed by the ivory pieces, musical instruments, the preserved deer heads and antlers which were once conversation pieces during many royal gatherings.

For an entrance fee of 100 Baht, one can get an exciting tour of the Vimanmek Mansion as well as the other buildings in the palace grounds such as the Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall and the Grand Palace. The tours are coordinated and with English – speaking guides to boot. The place is open daily from 09.30am to 4.00pm with the last tour usually at around 3:15pm

A word of caution though – as Vimanmek is a royal mansion, it is considered sacred and dress regulations are in place. Shorts, skimpy tops or tight skirts are not allowed for ladies and men should wear long trousers and shirts with collars. For unplanned visits, Sarongs are available for sale if your attire is deemed to be inappropriate. It is a must that shoes are removed and stored in a designated area before entering the teak-wood building.

The administration also do not allow mobile phones, bags and cameras into the palace. But they provide secure lockers at 20 Baht per locker. You can only bring a wallet or small purse inside the palace where an airport-style security is in at the main entrance to check visitors.

So if you ever get tired of Bangkok’s red-hot charm, visit Vimanmek Mansion for a change and be prepared to be amazed with a little taste of history and some reserved royal opulence.

Hotel Review: Novotel Hotel Mangga Dua Square Jakarta

NOVOTEL HOTEL JAKARTA MANGGA DUAJalan Gunung Sahari Raya No 1
14420 JAKARTA
INDONESIA
Tel (+62)2162312800
Fax (+62)2162312900

Touted as a 4 Star business hotel which is near the manufacturing complex area of Jakarta, Novotel Mangga Dua Square Hotel is a clear choice for first timers. With its dependable brand and affiliation (Accor Group), one would have high expectations for this hotel.

Located in Mangga Dua, the hotel was within a 30 minute drive of the Jakarta’s central business district and the Golden Triangle. But:”the 30 minute” website description isn’t what it really seemed to be with a terrible phenomenon known as “Jakarta Traffic”. Getting to the city proper, major shopping districts and sight seeing location was tedious. On a good day, the fastest you can get to them is about 45 minutes.

Novotel Jakarta Mangga Dua has the usual 4 star fare of coffee shops, swimming pool and business center. It has 363 rooms with the usual amenities such as Audible smoke alarms
Airconditioning
Safety deposit box
Free Wi-fi
Minibar
220/240 V AC
Cable TV

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Our check-in last December 2011 was marred by a series of misfortunes, much like Lemony Snicket’s. First, our group was assigned to different room types even if we were all booked for same room grades – Standard. It turned out that the hotel was fully booked so only the higher room grades (Executive) were available. You would think that they would upgrade the affected guests at no cost but nope, “we can’t do anything about it”. We eventually stayed in the hotel with two colleagues having to upgrade to Executive Rooms.

The biggest problem in this hotel is their security facilities. According to my two colleagues in two different Executive Rooms can open each other’s room using their individual room keys!

As for me, i deposited my camera in the in-room safety deposit box and followed the procedure in locking and opening but could no longer open when I finally needed the camera; it took many calls to housekeeping and front desk before they were able to help me.

But the bigger story was when I took my breakfast at “The Square”. It was buffet type so I left my bag on one of the seats and went around the buffet –without taking eyes off my bag. As I continuously glanced at my bad, a man approached my bag, pulled my room keys out of the pocket and read the details on the key card sleeve. He returned the key inside the bag pocket when I shouted and casually walked away. I reported the incident to the hotel security and front desk and demanded for room change. They promised to arrange everything by the time I return to the hotel in the evening but, you guessed it. Upon return, they still haven’t changed my room. I got my room change at about 7pm.

It was never known who the man was and investigation was conducted. Don’t ask me if I slept soundly after that.

It was something I wouldn’t want to go through again.

The room was clean enough and tastefully designed. the bathroom was clean and orderly. The other plus factor was the Mangga Dua Square Mall adjacent to the hotel. This mall is an Export Overrun Haven – with stalls selling original branded items such as Zara, The Gap, Marks and Spencer, F21 in very low prices. One can easily access this mall through Novotel Hotel.

Checking out early in the morning was also tiresome. Even if I asked the bill to be prepared in advance, there were very few staff members to attend to the check out. Waiting time can reach 30-40 minutes.

We hope the management has already addressed this problem and hopefully corrective measures are now in place.

RATING (HIGHEST IS FIVE)

NOVOTEL HOTEL MANNGA DUA SQUARE JAKARTA

VALUE FOR MONEY – 3 STARS

ROOM CLEANLINESS – 4 STARS

AMENITIES – 2 STARS

STAFF AND EMPLOYEES COURTESY – 2 STARS

LOCATION – 3 STARS

Grand Centrepoint Sukhumvit Terminal 21

Grande Centre Point Hotel & Residence Sukhumvit Terminal 21 is a 4-Star Hotel which opened in Bangkok Thailand in November 2011. It is one of the newest in the chain of hotels managed by Quality Houses Public Company Limited which currently has hotels and serviced apartments in various locations in Thailand including Petchburi 15, Sukhumvit, Silom, Langsuan, Saladaeng, Wireless Road, Sukhumvit Thong Lo and Ratchadamri.

Having stayed in various hotels in Bangkok including Baiyoke Sky and The Twin Towers, we can dare say that the hotel is fresh change from the usual mid level accommodations in Bangkok.

Location is good for those who love shopping – conveniently nestled along busy Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok with a connecting tube to the BTS and MRT stations.

It is also connected to the new pride of Thailand shopping – Terminal 21 Mall. An airport-themed mall with several levels featuring city themes like London, Tokyo, Athens and San Francisco but more on this on our next stories.

We checked out the hotel last July and we were impressed by the amenities. The rooms are quite spacious starting from 32 sqm to 70 sqm. It had a minimalist zen feel lurking around the room with patent white and gray as distinct colors. The window is one wide paneled glass with an automated roman shade-type curtain. The room has a nice view of the pool which is quite refreshing on a clear sunny morning. Unfortunately, the weather was quite gloomy during our stay.

The bathroom is also clean and spacious with all standard amenities. We rue however that they only provide one set of toiletries even if there are two guests occupying the room.

Occupants will also enjoy extra amenities like the free wi-fi and the free use of Mac Computers at the lobby for their “social media needs”. We feel however, that this is meant to compensate for the fact that the hotel does not have a business center yet.

Breakfast Buffet is served at the second floor café, food quality has much left to be desired at as the continental choices are bland and ordinary. I cannot comment on the Thai dishes as I have a very low tolerance for the spicy variety.

The elevators were a little bit complicated with floor selections were different for every unit. In my four-day stay, I think I got lost three to four times.

As for the hotel staff, we get the normal, straight forward Thai hospitality – helpful but reserved.

Barring toiletries shortage and crazy elevators, our stay was a nice one and we do recommend it for your next Bangkok sojourn.

RATING (HIGHEST IS FIVE)

GRAND CENTREPOINT SUKHUMVIT TERMINAL 21

VALUE FOR MONEY – 4 STARS

ROOM CLEANLINESS – 4 STARS

AMENITIES – 3 STARS

STAFF AND EMPLOYEES COURTESY – 3 STARS

LOCATION – 4 STARS

Shanghai and A Smile

First Impression – Shanghai is like Singapore – only, it is pokerfaced.

 

My very first trip to China is a history of sorts for me – I went there few days before Beijing rolled out the red carpet for the 2008 Olympics and arrived on the year’s hottest day in Shanghai on record – a whooping 39niner on the Celsius scale.  

 

Yep. It was summer in Shanghai alright but 38-39 degrees at nighttime is just as mean as it can be.

 

Shanghai is PROC’s largest city with a population of 20M and is listed among the cities with the fastest growing economies in the world.  Special Economic Zones aside, it is a city characterized by tall, glass encased office buildings and tens and thousands of condominiums.  

 

The city is an eclectic mix of Eastern and Western architecture that displays the styles of traditional Chinese building designs but garnishes them with an undeniable European flair.  Shanghai proudly showcases one of the most appealing lines of art deco buildings.  Evoking quiet history through its the turn of the 20th century feel – the city has everything from the Classical, Romantic, Parisian, Tudor, Old Chicago or even London.

 

Much like Singapore or Macau – without a smile.

 

Arriving at the Pudong International Airport (PVG),  Shanghai’s gateway to the world situated 40 km to the east of the city,one gets an eerie feeling of a city in a robotic pace.  It’s like everyone was programmed to do something ala Stepford Wives.  It might have something to do with the language barrier but still, I was expecting to see even half a smile from a local.

 

We took off from the airport via the much vaunted Maglev Train which at that time was touted to be the fastest in the world.  Engineered with magnetic levitation technology, the train does not touch the tracks and hits a maximum speed of 431 km/h (267 mph). 

 

Regular train speed goes at 301 km/h and costs ¥50 one way (¥40 if you have a flight ticket) or ¥80 for a round-trip ticket (good for up to seven days from date of purchase). There is a “VIP Class”, which gets you snacks but the coach is not much different environment from the regular ones.   Schedule of train departure is every 15-30 minutes.

 

Touring the city, I was amazed by hustle and bustle which seemed like watching a TV in mute.

 

First Sightseeing Stop was the The Oriental Pearl Radio & TV) located in Lujiazui, Pudong district, by the side of Huangpu River and opposite of The Bund.  At 468 m (1,535 feet) high, it used to be the tallest structure in China from 1994–2007, before it was surpassed by the Shanghai World Financial Center.

 

Queuing to get to the observation deck can be tedious with only a handful of elevators servicing the visitors. Even at a pace of 7 meters per seconds, the elevators prove to be inadequate on a busy day for the tower.  

 

The observation deck at 263 metres high and 45 metres in diameter is the best place to get a view of the city and the distant views of Sheshan, the Chongming Island and the Changjiang River.

 

 

 

There is also a higher level where one can venture out to a glass-bottomed balcony and have pictures taken.  For one with an extreme case of acrophobia, I couldn’t care to walk out.  Ticket Prices are at 30-40 Yuan.

 

The colonial feeling is relieved after a refreshing visit to The Bund, a famous sightseeing stop where one can take awe at the blending of ancient and modern architectural influences. 

 

This waterfront district is the city’s most famous landmark with about a thousand visitors daily. The word Bund means “embankment on the waterfront” and runs from Persian /Indian origins.  From the open space fronting the river, one can see the Oriental TV Tower on the opposite side and a cool row of international trading houses and five star hotels on Zhongzian Road.

 

 

At night, one must try out the Evening Huangpu Cruise which can take you a rendezvous on a river which divides the Bund into two sections, Pu Dong and Pu Xi, relating to the “east of river” and “west of river”.

Shanghai locals honor the Huangpu as “the” Mother River and visitors will find the waterways bathing in excellent, colorful lighting. 

Position yourselves on the upper decks to get the most of the river cruise.

 

When you still have some time to spare, you can try visiting the Yuyuan Gardens or see the exciting Chinese Acrobats in one of the theaters in Shanghai.

 

All in all, it was a unique and disarming experience in this eerily quiet but lovely city.

 

Still, I wanted to see that familiar, warm smile I am used to back home.

 

Going home, I was half relieved that I’ll be finally off the frying pan.  Just before checking in for my departure to Manila, I ran off to a nearest wash room and changed my shirt. After freshening up, I tried to squeeze in all my things in my wee, little travel bag.  Sadly, I couldn’t close the zipper up.  I tried in various positions but I just couldn’t.  The lady in-charge of the wash room saw me wrestling my luggage. She quickly dropped her broom and dust pan and squeezed my bag with all her might.  Finally, I get to close my bag for checking-in.

 

I said “thank you” and gave her a wide smile. She smiled back – wider than I did.

 

At last, a smile!

 

She couldn’t speak a single word in English.  But it seemed like she opened the whole People’s Republic of China for me

 

 

 

Saigon and the Dance of the Motorcycles

 

My Ho Chi Minh (HCMC from hereon) experience was fairly enjoyable and tiring at the same time. The rendezvous started via Philippine Airlines PR592 which flew to the Broadway-famous city without much hassle. Tan Sonh Nhat International Airport is a lot better than other Southeast Asian City Airports. There is wide span of area allocated for the immigration counters which I would estimate at around 50 counters which quickly extinguishes the whole idea of a “long queue”. In stark contrast, Manila’s T2 has only about 8 to 10 counters crammed in a very small space with arriving passengers taking each other’s oxygen.

Talk about first impressions.

More famously known as Saigon, HCMC is a small city of 10 Million people and is often mistaken as Vietnam’s capital – Hanoi is the capital. Characterized by narrow streets and a raucous mix of old and new architecture.  What makes Saigon distinct is its on-going love affair with motorcycles – an astounding 7 million motorcycles for its 10 million-population. That is almost one motorcycle to one adult or maybe an adolescent! For most of the three-lane roads of Saigon, two lanes are almost eaten out by motorcycles. With the current improvement works and construction all around Saigon, it will be easy to assume the Vietnam government is getting ready to promote the city as the next hot tourism destination in Southeast Asia. Small as it is, the city has some areas of interests which are mostly of historic of nature. There’s the Rex Hotel, the Reunification Palace and the War Museum. The latter being a showcase of war atrocities committed to the Vietnamese people during the Vietnam War through pictures, actual warfare weapons, fighter planes and tanks. The destination I was really looking forward to was the Notre Dame Cathedral; a very beautiful Roman Catholic Church built in the 1800s. It turned out to be the trip’s biggest disappointment because when we finally got to the area, it was raining so hard, and there was no chance to do photography. I tried to make the most of the visit by going inside the church where photograph-seeking tourists were limited to the foyer area so as not to disturb the church-goers. The church interiors were designed in typical baroque style – very European in execution.

The trip’s highlight was the visit to Cu Chi Tunnel, a popular tourist sightseeing spot in Saigon although the place was a rough two-hour drive from the city proper. Cu Chi Tunnel was basically a showcase of the Vietnamese warfare ingenuity – a complex web of tunnels stretching 250 km from Saigon to the border of Cambodia. Not exactly your soothing nature fare as most tourist attractions are, Cu Chi has land mines, traps, armories and the complete warfare A-Z. It is like visiting the set of Nam, Tour of Duty (aww, admit it, you know this TV show).

Our flight back to Manila was 10am. Our pick-up time from the hotel is 6:30am. The distance between is 8 kilometers. Can you imagine? All because we had to inch our way amidst a sea of a million motorcycles. It was a sight which will be tattooed on my mind for a long time.

Hotel Review: L Hotel Elan (Hong Kong)

L’HOTEL ELAN, 38 Chong Yip Street, KWUN TONG (KOWLOON). 258 rooms.

Opened June 2012

L Hotel Elan is the fourth and newest under the “L Hotel” chain of hotels in Hong Kong.  Unlike its , L Hotel Nina and L Hotel South Island, this particular one is much nearer to the city action at about ten to twenty minutes from Tsim Tsam Tsui.

It has a boutique hotel air with a small lobby and a top floor (35th floor) reception area.

We were fortunate to have booked in the hotel a few months after its opening and we were glad to have made the choice.

Being a very new hotel, the room is completely clean and modern.  Everything can be controlled with an in-room service Ipad! With some swiping actions on the gadget, you can control lighting, the flat screen TV and you can even command it to do express check-out.

Like one still needs to ask, each room is equipped with complimentary WIFI service.

The Bathroom has a glass partition which you can change into frosted or clear by a flick of a switch.

The mini bar comes with 8 bottled drinks with a choice of beers, juices and soda.  All, on the house.

And all of these comes at a small price to pay about USD120 dollars per night on web booking.

If you’re concerned about transportation — fret no more.  You can avail of their shuttle service to and from Tsim Tsam Tsui and Airport Express Station every hour.

The hotel reception members are still new, hence not as swift as we’d expect them too but they are courteous and helpful.

All in all, L Hotel Elan is one nice experience we would like to relive again and again.

RATING (HIGHEST IS FIVE)

L HOTEL ELAN

VALUE FOR MONEY – 5 STARS

ROOM CLEANLINESS – 5 STARS

AMENITIES – 5 STARS

STAFF AND EMPLOYEES COURTESY – 4 STARS

LOCATION – 3 STARS

A Day In a Life in Macau

Just how big (or how small?) is Macau? At 28 square kilometers, it is about the size of a town in the United States. And when you’re in Hong Kong and you have some time to spare, why not consider a fun day trip to this former Portuguese territory?

You can start the adventure by getting a one way ferry ticket at the China Hong Kong Ferry Terminal in Tsim Tsam Tsui. It can be accessed through via an in-town outlet mall on Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The Ticket Counters are on the second floor along with the Baggage Check In and the departure gates. Turbojet operates the ferries from Kowloon to the Macau Outer Harbor Terminal. Fare for one way is HKD 153.00 for daytime sailing one way.

Remember to travel light as the ferries charge extra fees on bulky luggages.

Wait for your sailing schedule as indicated in your tickets, the check in at the designated Turbojet Counter for your pre-departure and for seat assignments. Upon entry, you will pass through the Hong Kong Immigration counters so don’t forget to bring your passports.

From there, you will wait for your boarding near your departure gate. The terminal is clean and comfortable. They even have some small duty free stores within the facility.

And off you go to Destination: Macau.

It will take you about an hour from Kowloon, Hong Kong to Macau. Upon arrival, all visitors from China, Hong Kong and foreign countries have to clear immigration and customs checks. Most countries enjoy visa-free privileges in Macau. However, Bangladeshi, Nepalese, Nigerian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Vietnamese citizens must apply for a Macau visa at a Chinese embassy before their travel.

The line at the Macau Immigration in the ferry terminal can be a bit long and tedious so be sure to walk fast upon disembarkation.

Once outside the terminal you can walk to your left for five to ten minutes and visit the Fisherman’s Wharf – a small theme park and shopping area. The complex includes more than 150 stores and restaurants in buildings designed in the style of different world seaports such as Cape Town, Amsterdam and Venice.

After exploring the park, you can go back to the front of the Macau Ferry terminal and use the underpass to cross to the Hotel and Casino Free Shuttle Car Park. Several hotels in Macau offer free bus rides to tourists. Take the Grand Emperor Hotel Shuttle which will take you to the hotel in Avenida Commercial De Macau. From there you can take a 15-20 minute walk to Senado Square in Avenida Do Infante Henrique.

If you wish to take the public bus, you can try to catch Bus No. 3 to visit Senado Square. Be warned though that, understanding the Bus System is a bit tricky. The information written on Bus Stations are complicated. Asking the drivers won’t help too as most of them don’t understand English. Bus rides in the Macau Peninsula costs about 3.20 MOT

The Senado Square, or Largo do Senado is a gravel, limestone and tessera stone lined plaza in the center of Macau. The area is ensconced in history with the old buildings with European architecture like the Leal Senado, the General Post Office, and St. Dominic’s Church. The hand laid Portuguese Pavement in bright yellow catches up with the lively and eclectic mix of locals and tourists crowding this most popular sightseeing spot in this city.

Upon reaching St Dominic’s Church, turn right and head to Ruins of St Paul or Ruínas de São Paulo and stand in awe of what was left of a 17^th century cathedral, “Mater Dei”, a church that was dedicated to Saint Paul the Apostle. This structure has been declared as a one of UNESCO’s world heritage sites in 2005.

After your must-do souvenir shots, go back to Senado Square for your next destination. But don’t forget to sample Macau delicacies including the beef jerky and the creamy Portuguese Egg Tarts of Koi Kei Bakery. You can also do some souvenir shopping and even look for gym shoes!

You can use your Hong Kong Dollars as most stores accept the currency, your change however would be in Macau Pattaca.

Cross the street from Senado Square and take Bus No. 5 to get to A-ma temple by getting off the bus station of the same name.

Situated on the southwest tip of the Macau Peninsula, the Temple of A-ma is one of the oldest and most famous Taoist temples in Macau. The temple and was built in 1488 to honor Matsu, the goddess of seafarers and fishermen.

The temple evokes far eastern Zen with visitors and locals alike praying to the Gods for their personal desires – lighting candles, incenses and chanting silently.

Ride the next bus No. 21 or MT4 to get to the famous Macau Tower. This tower which measures 338 in height from ground level to its summit is actually an observation deck with panoramic views, restaurants, shopping malls and a thrilling walking tour around the outer rim called the Skywalk X. At the level of 233 meters, the Macau Tower Bungee Jump by from outer rim, is the second highest commercial sky jump in the world.

Take the same bus to get the other side of Macau, Taipa Island where the grandmother of all casinos, The Venetian Hotel proudly stands.

Owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, The Venetian is a 40-story, 10,500,000-square-foot structure in Cotai Strip. It is the largest single structure hotel building in Asia, The sixth-largest building in the world by area and the largest casino in the world.

Aside from the hotel an the casino, it has a unique shopping strip set along the flavors of Italy’s Venice Canals with soprano singing Gondola paddlers.

After some shopping and dining, head on to the Cotai Ferry Terminal, where you can take the Cotai Jet ferry going back to Kowloon. Travel time is the same at one hour and fare is the same as TurboJet’s.

Before doing my one day Macau, I did a lot of research but the experience is a lot different when you’re actually there.

Macau is lot different than most cities in China. The European air intertwined with unique far east culture is a journey to treasure in itself.