Day 1 - Hangzhou Sights Ling Yin Temple, Red Carp Pond and more

We were going on holiday!  Our destination was Hangzhou, followed by Shanghai.  The plan:

Day 0 - Depart Singapore to Hangzhou (Scoot Airlines), Arr. Hangzhou 2135hrs
Day 1 - Hangzhou, got a driver, tour the city, including West Lake and Ling Yin Temple
Day 2 - Depart from Hangzhou to Wu Zhen (water town), and then transfer to Shanghai Courtyard Marriot near Disneyland
Day 3 - Shanghai Disneyland! (One full day)
Day 4 - Transfer to Shanghai Marriott City Center
Day 5 - Private day tour to SuZhou
Day 6 - Shanghai Free & Easy
Day 7 - Home sweet Home - Shanghai to Singapore on Singapore Airlines (Business Class)

This is Day 1 - Hangzhou

We were in Hangzhou, China! We arrived the night before, via Scoot Airlines (Singapore to Hangzhou.  Today, we would hire a driver to bring us around to see the sights of Hangzhou.  But before that, let me show you the narrow beds in our hotel room.  Our room came with two twin beds, but when we booked on the Holiday Inn IHG website, it room clearly stated two double beds. Oh well.  For the fun of it, I got two models to show you the breadth of the twin bed, for laughs!


Breakfast
The day started with a good breakfast at the Holiday Inn Buffet.  Our room rate came with breakfast for two adults.  The buffet supervisor allowed my two kids to eat for free.  Video below shows the good food we had.  Breakfast area wasn't too crowded, which was nice.


Below, a picture of the stylish buffet area.  A mixture of Western and Chinese food.  I liked the porridge and fried dough sticks.  Also had eggs from the egg station.  Breakfast was good and we felt happy.

Journey to West Lake (Xi Hu)
Our driver picked us up from the lobby, as per the arranged time.  Our ride was in a very comfortable MPV.  There were many skyscrapers in Hangzhou.  It looked to be a developed city.  There was construction outside our hotel - driver told us that they were building new metro/underground lines.

Driver's 7 Year Old Kid Studies All Day
Glad that we could speak some Mandarin, and that allowed us to have interesting conversations with our driver.  We did not book a guide, only driver.  But as you can see and hear from the video below, our driver was more than happy to tell us about China, and his family and other interesting nuggets of life in China!


West Lake, Hangzhou 
First stop, the famous West Lake 西湖!  West Lake (Chinese: 西湖; pinyin: Xī Hú) is a freshwater lake in Hangzhou, China.  There are numerous temples, pagodas, gardens, and artificial islands within the lake. Map of the West Lake in Hangzhou, China Leifeng Pagoda West Lake has influenced poets and painters throughout Chinese history for its natural beauty and historic relics, and it has also been among the most important sources of inspiration for Chinese garden designers. It was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011, described as having "influenced garden design in the rest of China as well as Japan and Korea over the centuries"and reflecting "an idealized fusion between humans and nature". (Source wiki)

Below is the video of our very calm boat ride.  Again, glad that we could understand some Mandarin.  The boatman was most enthusiastic in telling us about Chinese culture and history.  Made for some good story-telling.  The scenic boat (or human powered sampan) ride took 40 minutes and cost 150 RMB.  The boat can take a max of 6 pax, but I think 4 is ideal.  Any more may be a bit of a squeeze.


A picture of another boat going past.  See that the boat is very low and we are very close to the water.  You could play with the water, if you wished.  Don't fall in! (Not sure if there were life jackets, maybe under the seat).

There were these larger boats too, but we didn't take them today.  The ticketing booth was near these boats and they cost 70 RMB per person.  I think the ride is a longer one, and it brings you to the other side?  Not sure.

After an calming boat ride, we took a walk around the waterfront.  Even though we only paid for a driver, his service was excellent. He took pains to bring us around the waterfront.  He brought us to see some squirrels, and then a slow walk back to the vehicle.  I noticed all the electric buses and carts.  Saving the environment!


Even the Police Car was an electric one.  Looks like the Chinese authorities were very serious in ensuring clean and fresh air around their famous Lake. 

Next stop, Ling Yin Temple (灵隐寺). 

Lingyin Temple (simplified Chinese: 灵隐寺; traditional Chinese: 靈隱寺; pinyin: Língyǐn Sì) is a Buddhist temple of the Chan sect located north-west of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. The temple's name is commonly literally translated as Temple of the Soul's Retreat. It is one of the largest and wealthiest Buddhist temples in China, and contains numerous pagodas and Buddhist grottoes. The monastery is the largest of several temples in the Wulin Mountains (武林山; Wǔlínshān), which also features a large number of grottos and religious rock carvings, the most famous of which is the Feilai Feng (飞来峰; literally: "the peak that flew hither"). [Source: Wikipedia]


We decided not to enter the temple, so we only bought a ticket to view the external areas, which had the famous Buddha carvings into the rock. Check them out in the video above.  Here is a photo of the main entrance to the temple scenic area.

And this is the famous Buddha (was he laughing?) carved into the rocks.  One of many, but this particular one is the most famous (I think).  There were some paths for us to walk up to the peak, but we didn't get very far.  In the video, you will see how steep the steps were.  We got up to a pavilion and the adults took a rest.  I sent the kids higher for a look and they reported back that there was nothing to see.  This was also confirmed when I asked some passers-by whether it was worth the climb all the way up.  They said 'no'.

KFC 肯德基 in China
After our climb, it was time for lunch!  We decided to settle with KFC, which was located just opposite the ticket booths.  Got some Rice box as well as KFC Asian-style wrap.  All very good.  Video is below.


Tea Planation
After lunch, we took a leisurely drive by the waterfront and found our way to a tea plantation.  Stopped by the roadside, and got out to take some photos.  Hangzhou is famous for tea.  There was some saying that the poor drink alcohol, but the rich enjoy tea.  Plantation was set against rolling hills.  Neat stuff.  Didn't spend too long here, just for a photo opportunity.


Red Carp Pond
Next stop? A garden that contained the famous Red Carp Pond! This attraction was called View Fish at Flower Harbour, Red Carp Pond of Hangzhou, China. As one of top ten attractions at West Lake, Viewing Fish at Flower Harbor features the flower harbor plus red carps, peony flowers, a big lawn and dense woods. With a total area of 20 hectares (49 acres), it is located on a peninsula between West Inner Lake and South Lake in the southwest part of West Lake, and is sandwiched in between the Yang Causeway and Su Causeway. The history of Viewing Fish at Flower Harbor can be dated to the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). Back then, the government official Lu Yunsheng built a private garden at the foot of Flower Hill (Huajia Hill). He dug a pond, and raised various fish in it. The garden was first called Lu Garden, and then became known as Flower Harbor. Later, Ma Yuan, a great painter of the Southern Song Dynasty, depicted the scene when he created the Ten Paintings of West Lake. From then on, the beautiful scene has been known as 'Viewing Fish at Flower Harbor'.  This attraction was free of charge.

True to its name, there were plenty of gorgeous carp.  No natural predators here.  Many people feeding the carp.  No wonder some of them are so big and fat.


Here is a picture showing the description of the Red Carp Pond - a few thousand red carps.  The Chinese loved to watch the fat carp.  It helps them write better poems and profound sayings.
There is a Chinese proverb 鲤鱼跳龙门 that translates to "The carp has leaped through the dragon's gate."  On first read, you would be, "DUH?".  But it is rather profound.

鲤鱼跳龙门
"According to Chinese mythology, the Dragon’s Gate is located at the top of a waterfall cascading from a legendary mountain. Many carp swim upstream against the river’s strong current, but few are capable or brave enough for the final leap over the waterfall. If a carp successfully makes the jump, it is transformed into a powerful dragon. A Chinese dragon’s large, conspicuous scales indicate its origin from a carp. The Chinese dragon has long been an auspicious symbol of great and benevolent, magical power. The image of a carp jumping over Dragon’s Gate is an old and enduring Chinese cultural symbol for courage, perseverance, and accomplishment. Historically, the dragon was the exclusive symbol of the emperor of China and the five-character expression, Liyu Tiao Long Men, was originally used as a metaphor for a person’s success in passing very difficult imperial examinations, required for entry into imperial administrative service. To this day, when a student from a remote country village passes the rigorous national university examination in China, friends and family proudly refer to the “Liyu Tiao Long Men.” More generally, the expression is used to communicate that if a person works hard and diligently, success will one day be achieved."

After the garden of the red carp, we would head to the famous pedestrian street. But before that, we did a quick stop at a Silk Shop.  Video below. Not cheap!  We didn't stay long.


Qinghefang 清河坊古街 Ancient Street
Our last stop of the day (before dinner) would be Qinghefang Ancient Street 清河坊古街, which is a section of Hefang Street which is located at the northern foot of Wu Shan Hill in Hangzhou. It is just several hundreds meters away from the beautiful West Lake. With an area of 13 hectares (32 acres), the street is the only well-preserved part of the ancient city.

As a miniature of the city's long history, it is the best place to embody the historical and cultural character of Hangzhou. Qinghefang Ancient Street 清河坊古街 has been the most flourished street in the city since the ancient time. During the Southern Song Dynasty (1127 - 1279 AD), Qinghefang with lots of shops, restaurants and teahouses was the center of politics, culture and commerce in the city. After so many years, it is still a prosperous business area. Many famous century-old shops are located in this ancient street, such as Wangxingji Fan Store, Zhangxiaoquan Scissors, Wanlong Ham Stack, Huqingyutang Pharmacy, Baohetang Pharmacy, Zhuangyuan House, Wangruixing, Yiyuanjindian, Jingyangguan and Sheep Soup Restaurant among others. It was fun to walk around and take in the sights and sounds!


Dinner at 录茶餐厅
Finally, it was time for dinner.  The driver brought us to a shopping center (which was rather empty) but the restaurants were fairly crowded.  We had dinner at the Green Tea restaurant, or 录茶餐厅.  This was a rather popular place (you can find it reviewed on the internet).  We didn't really know what to order, so we got pretty random stuff.


Heading back to Hotel
It wasn't that late when we finished dinner, but it was time to head back to the hotel to get some rest.  It was a pretty short ride back, and along the way, I asked the driver about all the overhead cameras that were flashing at us everytime his vehicle went past.  He told me matter of factly that those cameras can capture our faces as we drove past, even at night.  Welcome to 21st Century China!

Well, that's the end of our day in Hangzhou.  Good fun, and we saw a lot!  Thanks for following along.  Tomorrow, we check out of the Holiday Inn, and stop by Wu Zhen watertown before heading to the Courtyard by Marriott near Shanghai Disneyland.  Stay tuned!

Mediterranean Cruise MSC Meraviglia 7N Genoa Civitavecchia Palermo La Valletta Barcelona Marseilles Day 1 Embarkation

We had a good night's sleep at the Holiday Inn Genoa.  The next morning, we woke up in good time for breakfast.  Breakfast started at 7AM, as it was a Sunday.  We got to breakfast slightly past 7AM, and there was a good crowd.

The spread for breakfast was decent, as you can see in the video below.  In particular, my parents enjoyed it (they spent more than 1 hour eating!).  The emphasis of the spread was more on cakes, pastries etc.  There was sufficient hot food to meet our needs, though no live egg station (e.g. no fried eggs).



After breakfast, there was still plenty of time.  When we looked out of our balcony, we could see the Meraviglia coming in. Excited!

Anyway, there was no point heading to the cruise port so early. So, my family decided to try the subway to get into Genoa.  The nearest metro station to Holiday Inn was called Dinegro, about a 400M walk.  The entire light rail system only has 7 stops! Here is the map.

I bought a family ticket (9 Euros, 4 pax can travel) and took the metro to De Ferrari, and walked around a bit (to exercise the legs), and then we took the metro back to Principe (which is the train station), where we went to buy our return train tickets (i.e. Genoa to Milan Centrale). This time round, we opted for First Class.  And finally, we took a slow walk back to the Holiday Inn.  Despite all the walking, we managed to get back to the hotel before 10AM.

Back in the hotel balcony, we could see the 172,000GT MSC Meraviglia docked.  Excited!

We packed up and left our hotel around 1030am.  As there were 6 of us, with 5 large bags and numerous smaller ones, I asked the hotel reception whether there were any taxis big enough for us.  The reception recommended an 8-seater van, which I agreed.  The van came in 5 minutes, and he could take all our luggage, which was cool.  The ride to the cruise port took only 5 minutes (it is 1.5km away) but it would not have been feasible to walk given the luggage, and the fact that it was starting to drizzle.  The cost of the transfer was about 20 Euros.

Yacht Club Boarding
At the cruise terminal, we followed the signs to the boarding area.  We were directed to the baggage drop off area, and right there was an MSC Yacht Club tent, with a butler waiting.  Similar to our 2015 cruise on the Preziosa, the Yacht Club experience starts right from baggage drop-off.  Once our bags were settled, we were escorted by a butler to the check-in area.  Remember, you have to print out all the forms in hardcopy in order to do the check-in.  That part was done quite speedily, and very soon, we were escorted by the butler to board the ship.  In doing so, we bypassed all lines of passengers waiting to check in.  That was part of the YC experience.

Video below consists of some GO PRO footage from boarding the MSC Meraviglia.


Unfortunately, I did not capture comprehensive GO PRO footage this time round.  Must have forgotten to keep the camera running!  So, here is our boarding experience from Dec 15, on the MSC Preziosa trip, for reference.


Taking on Passengers at Every Port of Call
An interesting aspect of MSC Meraviglia cruises out of Genoa is that the ship takes on passengers at every port for this repeated itinerary.  I found out that the busiest ports were Genoa, Barcelona and Marseilles.  Some said almost half the pax disembarks at Genoa.  For us, it was troublesome to get to Genoa, but because we wanted the Royal Suite, it was only available for sailings out of Genoa.  If we were more flexible with cabins, we would likely board in Barcelona instead. 

In case you are thinking that we are lavish creatures, only wanting to sail in the Royal Suite, the reality is that the Royal Suite cabin on the MSC Meraviglia was one of the few types of YC cabins where our kids stay for free (only had to pay daily service fees).  When I divide the cost of the Royal Suite by 4, it made a lot of sense, since all 4 of us get YC privileges.  I decided to book my parents in an interior YC cabin (obviously that is the most cost effective YC option), so that 3 generations could enjoy the cruise together, in the Yacht Club.  Good fun!

The butler escorted us all the way to the Yacht Club concierge, which was located on Deck 16, front of the ship.  As this was my second time in the YC, I knew what to expect.  It was the first for my parents, so it was certainly very novel for them.  At the concierge, we were asked to open an account (either with cash, or credit card) as well as which newspapers we wanted, and I chose the Straits Times (a Singapore paper).  At first, the concierge staff said that she didn't have such a paper (she was looking at a printed list), but then I said that this option was available two years ago, when I sailed on the MSC Preziosa.  Anyway, I know for a fact that the Straits Times of Singapore has a digital version. So the staff kindly checked her computer system, and indeed, there was!  So, it was good fun to receive a printed copy of a Singapore local paper every day of the cruise.  I even featured the Straits Times in some of my videos, as you will see.

All this was done very quickly, and then we were ushered to our respective cabins.  My family took the Royal Suite Cabin 15008, while I had booked my parents in an interior YC stateroom, Cabin 15007, which was just around the corner from our suite.

Cabin 15008
We entered our cabin for the first time, with great anticipation. Our seapass cards were waiting for us on the table inside our cabin.  The published size of the Royal Suite was 700 square feet (interior).  It certainly felt large. Here are some photographs.

Masterbedroom in Cabin 15008. Classy looking.

Living room, with a large Samsung Smart TV.  There was another Samsung Smart TV in the master bedroom.

Two large sofas and the coffee table in the living room.  The sofa on the right would be converted into a bed, where my kids would sleep.

Bathtub in the toilet.  It came with jaccuzi features as well as very interesting 'disco' lights.  I'll show that to you in later videos.

Video of Cabin 15008.
Ok, here come the videos.  The first video, a brief one (only 1 minute), was taken when we first stepped into the suite.  This allows you to see some of the suite in the condition when we first entered the ship.  Looked very good.


This next video, taken late in the cruise, is a much more detailed walk-through of Cabin 15008.   By that time, we had slept more than a couple of nights in the suite, hence you can see the difference (i.e. see the mess lol).

Privileged to stay in this suite for 7 Nights.  It was an awesome experience.

Lunch on Embarkation Day
It was lunch time! YC guests have a dedicated restaurant.  When we sailed on the MSC Preziosa, the YC restaurant was located at the aft of the ship, while the rest of the Yacht Club was at the front of the ship.  Hence, walking to the YC restaurant on the Preziosa took a while.  On the Meraviglia, all the YC restaurant is now located together with all the YC facilities, making it truly a ship within a ship.  Our cabin was on deck 15.  Concierge and Top Sail lounge on Deck 16.  There is no Deck 17.  Deck 18 is the YC restaurant and Deck 19 the pool deck.  There is an internal lift serving Decks 14 to 19.

We headed to the restaurant, and we were seated at a corner of the restaurant, and there we sat for the next 7 Nights.  For dinner, we were always served by the same waiter.  For breakfast and lunch, the waiter could be different.

It was a sit-down lunch.  Drinks (wine, beer etc) were also available.  Here are some photos of the food.  This was the Ahi Tuna, one of the starters.

This was some beef.

And this was one of the desserts, carrot cake.  Look at the carrot decoration on top of the cake.  Isn't it cool?

After lunch, we headed to the Top Sail lounge for coffee and drinks, and there more finger food was waiting for us.  There would be plenty to eat and drink on this cruise.

Here is the video of lunch, and then the Top Sail Lounge.  Delicious.


In this video, I show you the drinks list in the Top Sail Lounge of MSC Meraviglia.


This picture shows you the complimentary cocktails.  More than enough for me!  In fact, I didn't get the chance to try all.  I liked the Long Island Iced Tea.  Rather potent.  You could ask for any cocktail, without the alcohol.  Good fun for the kids, as they could choose any cocktail they liked, sans the alcohol.

Taking A Walk
After the wonderful coffee and finger food in the Top Sail lounge, it was time to take a walk to explore the ship.  We weren't in a hurry to explore it thoroughly, but we wanted to check out the shor excursions as well as the Galleria Meraviglia (MSC's version of the Royal Promenade), which was on Deck 6.

But before that, we first headed to the main buffet area, to check out what was available for lunch.  The buffet area, called the Marketplace, is located on Deck 15 (same deck as our cabin), from the mid to the rear of the ship.  We would leave the Yacht Club area, walk past the indoor/covered pool area (which was called the Bamboo pool) before reaching the outdoor pool area (I think they called it the Atmosphere Pool) before reaching the buffet.

A picture of the Bamboo (Indoor) Pool.

A video, showing you some table tennis, indoor pool, hot tub, table soccer, and the Bamboo Bar drinks list.  Later on, I discovered that YC customers could get access to most drinks at the bars ship-wide.  I will then go on to try out some drinks at the various bars.  Watch out for those videos which will come up later in this review.


As we made our way to the Marketplace Buffet via Deck 15, we have to walk past the Atmosphere Pool (or the outdoor pool).  They have a large LCD screen, as you can see below.  It was raining, so whatever outdoor activity they had planned, was now moved somewhere else.

Marketplace Buffet Deck 15
We have arrived at the Marketplace Buffet.  The venue was rather large, but certainly it got crowded, since the ship has so many passengers.  In the video below, I try to show you the food available for lunch.  I didn't find the selection of food to be particularly extensive (compared to say Royal Caribbean).  Given that we had YC privileges, we did not dine at the Marketplace buffet during this cruise, other than getting some pizza.  Take note that the buffet area is quite large, and the rear of the buffet is usually less crowded than the mid-ship section.  There is usually just one live carvery section, and the line to get the meat was long.


Galleria Meraviglia / Plaza Meraviglia 
Time to hit the Galleria and Plaza.  This feature of the ship was new to us.  I would assume that MSC copied the concept from Royal Caribbean, except that instead of calling it the Royal Promenade, it has become a Galleria or Plaza (more Italian).   Such a space was not found on the MSC Preziosa. Notice the Dome?  That is what MSC claims to be the largest LED Dome at sea.  A very interesting use of technology.  They even had what they called a Dome Show, held thrice a night.

There was a speciality dining restaurant on the Promenade, Eataly.  We didn't eat here, but here is a look at the menu. On the left side, it says that they have a Dining Experience for 20 Euros.  You get 3 dishes plus 1/4L of House red, white, or rose.  The menu changes daily.  On the right side, they have the standard menu. A plate of spaghetti costs between 6 to 8 Euros.  Grilled Sea Bream was 13 Euros, Grilled Beef Slider sandwich was 12 Euros.  Desserts like Tiramisu was 6 Euros.

Here is a video of my walking through the Meraviglia Promenade. (Ooops, that's an American way of putting it).  But because we tend to associate this feature with Royal Carribean, we end up calling it the Promenade.  As you can imagine, given the sheer number of pax on this ship, the Galleria Meraviglia can get very crowded indeed.

After the walk, we went back to our cabin to take a rest.  We took a dip in the hot tub - it was very novel for us.  There would be a safety drill for passengers who boarded in Genoa, and who missed the drill yesterday.  For us, the drill was conducted in the MSC theatre, which was at the forward of the ship, but many decks below us.  Because MSC took on passengers at every port, this drill had to be conducted every day.  We didn't have to bring any life jackets.  They took our attendance when we got there (by scanning our sea pass cards) and then we just sat down and observed the lift-jacket demonstration, in at least 5 languages.  It was all over in under 30 minutes.

Oh, here is a video of one of my kids enjoying the hot tub.  Have fun!



Dinning on Embarkation Day - Yacht Club Restaurant
Soon, it was time for dinner. This would be our first of seven dinners in the Yacht Club for this cruise.  In the YC, it is anytime dining.  We like to eat early, so we are usually at the YC Restaurant at 6:30pm (that is then they open), or shortly after.  I saw this cheese table on the way in.  Cheese platter was available on the menu every night, if you cared for that.

Here is a picture of the restaurant, when we got there.  Still empty. The time was about 1830hrs.

Here is a video of our dinner experience - first dinner on the MSC Meraviglia Yacht Club Restaurant.


More pictures.  At every dinner, I will ask to try both House White and House Red.  This was the House white tonight.

Here was the fish dish, for the mains.  As you can see, the serving size was not large.  But we liked it that way.  This was because we ate as a family, and we often ordered multiple starters/mains/desserts to share.  And we would ask our waiter to serve all the multiple courses at the same time, during each course.  What I mean is that we ask for all our starters to be served together.  Once we are done with starters, we ask for our mains to be served together.  So, you can imagine that our dinner table is always full of plates, as we try and sample all the different food!  Great fun to sail with the family.

Here is a picture of the Tiramisu dessert.  This was available every night, and I liked it very much.

Well, as the ship left Genoa, it started getting rather rocky.  The seas certainly weren't very calm, and I guess it didn't help that the YC cabins were located at the Forward of the ship, and high up.  So, in this position, we are prone to more rocking.  So we decided we had better get an early night.  Sleep while the ship is rocking, and hopefully when we wake up, we are in port.  We found these chocolates on our bed.

This concludes Day 1 of our cruise.  See you tomorrow!

Macau - Holiday Inn, Shrekfast! Cotai Waterjet back to Hong Kong

One highlight for the kids was the Shrekfast, a Dreamworkz themed breakfast, available at Holiday Inn, Cotai Strip.

We didn't really know what to expect, but since this room rate came with 2 Shrekfast tickets, we bought two more for the kids and tried it out on the morning of our departure.

The buffet spread, laid out at the sides of a ballroom, was decent.  There was a mixture of standard Western (egg station) and Asian cuisine (including porridge, noodles and some Dim Sum selection). Definitely enough to eat for a good breakfast.

Of course, the highlight of Shrekfast was NOT the breakfast.  It was a chance to see the Dreamworkz characters and take photos with them.  The good thing was that we saw a lot more than Shrek and gang.  We also got 'Move It, Move It' (Alex, Penguins), Po the Panda and Dragon. There were more than 10 characters to take photos with. The place was usually very crowded during the weekends. Fortunately we were there during a weekday and it was almost three-quarters empty.

Check out the video below.


After breakfast, it was time to pack up, check out and make our way back to Hong Kong.  Yeah, our trip was really short, and we didn't even make it to the old town, Macau.  Anyway, that's fine.  This was just to get a taste of Macau and we had spent all our time in the Cotai Strip as well as Macau Galaxy.

To get back to Hong Kong, we took the complimentary shuttle from outside the Holiday Inn to the Taipa Ferry Terminal (different ferry terminal from the one we arrived), and took the Cotai Waterjet (Blue in colour) back to Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal (which is on Hong Kong island). See the video.



So, from Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal, we found our way to the Airport and stayed at the Regal Airport Hotel for a night, as we were going to catch a flight early next morning.  Here is a video of our experience at the Regal Airport Hotel Family Room.


We had a very interesting experience flying home on Scoot, because the flight was severely delayed. Check out my blog post of that experience.

Thanks for reading!

Macau - 1 Night at the Holiday Inn, Cotai Strip, Venetian Shoppes, McDonald's

After 2 nights in Hong Kong (staying at the Eaton Hotel), we headed to Macau.   In the morning, we caught a taxi from the Eaton Hotel to get to Hong Kong China Ferry Terminal, which is on the Kowloon side.  The journey was quite short and taxi fare less than HK$50.

We did not pre-book ferry tickets, so we had to go look for the ticket counters.  There were many ticket touts but we did not dare to buy from them.  We bought our ferry tickets from a legitimate TurboJet Ferry counter, as you can see in the video @0:15 mark.

Clearing immigration was smooth and we were soon on board the ferry.  It was full, but there were assigned seats so there was no need to rush, thankfully.  The ferry ride was 1 hour long.  Rather boring, but that is a ferry ride for you.

Once we reached Macau, again you have to clear immigration, and then exit the ferry terminal. Follow the signs to the complimentary shuttle buses.   We crossed the road using an underpass.  It is well sign-posted.  Plenty of passengers heading to the complimentary buses as those are the most common way to get around in Macau.  We found the bus that would take us to Holiday Inn, Cotai Strip and boarded it.  The ride was about 20 minutes.  Check out the video below for the trip journey, including ferry boarding, on board the ferry and bus ride at Macau.



We chose to stay at the Holiday Inn since the place was well reviewed and the rates were quite attractive.  This video shows you the hotel lobby, the room as well as the pool area.


As we did not have much time in Macau, once we got to our room, we put down our things and started exploring.  On foot, we could walk to the Shoppes at Venetian Macau.  To get there, you first have to get to the Shoppes at Cotai Central and find the overhead bridge to the other side of the road. Follow the signs, it is easy, however, it is not that near.  Good place to walk (in air-conditioned comfort).  There is a Koufu Food Court on the third floor of the Cotai Shoppes.

Over at the Venetian, there is also a fairly large food court area.  Take note that the food isn't that cheap, since these eateries are within the resort. Be prepared to pay resort prices, like 78 MOP for a dish.

Currency in Macau
They use the MOP (Macanese Pataca) in Macau.  However, they accept $HK.  The HK dollar is slightly stronger than the MOP, about 1.03 MOP to 1HK.  We did not change any MOP and paid for our food in $HK or using credit card.

There was still a lot of construction going on next to the Venetian.  More properties were being built. I saw an Eiffel Tower in the making @ 2:07.  Overall, the Venetian property was very nicely done and fun to walk around for a bit. The kids got hungry so we had a bite at McDonald's, see 4:52. Overall, the place wasn't too crowded when we were there, because this was a weekday.



Move on to Part 2 of this review.
(Lord Stow's Portugese Egg Tart, Macau Galaxy Tsui Wah and Performance)