Showing posts with label Hongkong. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hongkong. Show all posts

Monday, January 8, 2018

Nan Lian Garden: Hongkong's Most Relaxing Landmark

January 08, 2018 0
Nan Lian Garden 

 My first out-of-the county travel happened in 2013 when I joined friends on a five-day trip to Hongkong and Macau. Such a delightful experience. 

 I just graduated from my masteral studies and being able to travel to a foreign land with nothing to think but to enjoy the place, taste local dishes and visit amusement parks was such a  good breather at that time.
Beautiful pagoda inside Nan Lian

Hongkong is a vibrant metropolis, with state-of-the-art infrastructures, transportation and facilities. Glittery pubs and malls are everywhere.

 Everyday the city is in high spirit, people are always on the go. Indeed, an ultra-modern environment,  both in its economy, infrastructures and lifestyle. 

Having been a colony of Britain for more than five hundred years helped them evolved into a financial city hotspot. Since 1997, it has been the special administrative region of China.

Its culture is largely entrenched to its motherland. Very oriental, highlighting some of the most important traditions in the Chinese culture. Tea house, therapy gardens, etc. 

 Hongkong seems reminding visitors that despite being under the British rules for more than a hundred years, they're still very much a Chinese territory.

One of its landmarks that remind visitors of the territory's original roots is Nan Lian Garden, a fine example of a magnificent Chinese landscape architecture. 

 This is a must visit place in Hongkong. Apart from the free entrance, this magnificent Chinese garden offers the visitors with a unique tranquility. 
Lotus Garden 

A variety of oriental plants and trees spread throughout the area. And there's a water curtain that helps relax tired senses after having an exhausting day visiting the amusement parks.

 It happens to be my favorite tourist spot in Hongkong. I adored its very serene atmosphere and quiet environment. The relaxing green landscape is cool to the senses.

Nan Lian Garden is a scenic public park in Kowloon that's beautifully built under the Tang Dynasty influence. 

 Smack in the middle of Diamond Hill's myriad of apartments and commercial buildings, this garden covers an area of more than 3 hectares of land. 


At the bright pagoda within the ground of Nan Lian Garden 

It is meticulously landscaped according to the Tang Dynasty tradition. It has ponds, a variety of Bonsai trees and hillocks that run through the rock formation and oriental trees. 

 Potted plants, clay avenues and waterfalls complete the picturesque atmosphere. 

 If you're someone who enjoys the tranquility of nature, and the silence of the environment, this place is a perfect destination for you.

Within the garden is Chi Lin Nunnery, a huge Buddhist temple complex with cluster of wooden buildings that house precious treasures and Buddha relics. 

 It has a lotus garden and a spacious ground for strolling in the upper level of the park, an area that overlooks the bustling thoroughfare of Diamond Hill. 

In the middle of Nan Lian Garden is the bright Pagoda temple. It is beautifully surrounded with a lotus pond that runs along the rock formation and water mill. 

 However, going inside the complex is largely prohibited. During our visit we're only advised to take pictures outside.
Out side the vegetarian restaurant 

Completing the oriental wonder of Nan Lian Garden is the vegetarian restaurant that serves authentic Chinese dishes and teas. 

 Beside the restaurant is a wood and rock museum. Taking pictures while inside the museum is strongly prohibited. So don't dare to get your camera you'll be reprimanded.


Museum and Vegetarian restaurant 

Tranquil atmosphere 

At the rock formation and oriental plant landscape 


Nan Lian Garden has no entrance fee and open to the public everyday from 6:00 in the morning to 7:00 in the evening. 

 The best time of the day to visit this place is at 4:00 in the afternoon when the heat of the sun thaws down and weather temperature is no longer punishing. 

At the Chi Lin Nunnery complex with my friend, Dr. Maribeth Galindo

Exact location is at 60 Fung Tak road, Diamond Hill, Kowloon, Hongkong. If you're traveling from Tsim Sha Tsui (like we did), catch an MTR ride and alight at Diamond Hill station Exit C2. Then cross the street, Nan Lian is just around the area.

 Important tip when visiting Hongkong: Buy an Octopus Card upon arrival, perhaps in the airport. 

 Commuting in all public transport is paid through Octopus Card. Upon departure, any remaining balance in the card will be reimbursed to you provided you'll return it to any establishments that accept reimbursement of the card.
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Sunday, June 9, 2013

Hongkong: Budget Trip 2013

June 09, 2013 11

A DIY (do-it-yourself) tour!

Availing a tour package is always expensive and since we will be embarking on a budget travel, backpacking-sort-of-adventure, we decided to explore this former British colony on our own with no guide. It was very liberating. Having discovered some of HK’s most fascinating landmarks without a tour guide was such a memorable experience!

Months before our departure, I spent enormous time reading and researching information online how to embark into a leisure trip around Hongkong and Macau under a tight budget.

My goal was really to prepare a budget plan that would not exceed to Php 28,000 including airfare, hotel accommodation, food and pocket money. That’s my limit for this foreign trip because I don't want to be buried with debt or found my wallet empty when I return home. 

 Important tip: When you are planning to embark on a budget travel, discipline is always the name of the game. Set your focus on how much you will just want to spend. Always set your budget limit when planning your foreign trip to work on a travel plan sensibly and not to get overboard with your expenses and don't cheat--meaning, don't attempt to restructure your budget plan at the last minute if you have no enough source where to obtain the added cost/additional amount, it will ruin your goal of a "budget travel".

Despite going there for the first time with no one to fetch us at the airport, I was not afraid at all, the idea of being lost never scared me, I was even more excited because of the experience and learning I would gain from this adventure.

OUR DIY (do-it-yourself) ITINERARY:

DAVAO TO CLARK
Departure: May 31, 2013, Friday, 4:35 pm

Arrival time: 6:10 pm

We were 11 in the group traveling for this trip but we had different flight schedule for Hongkong because we booked separately (9 of them have the same schedule). I had the same flight schedule with my friend, Bechay, so on the night of our arrival in Clark, we went to Angeles City to spend one night at Bluefields Hotel, but folks, I would never recommend this hotel for you, so untidy and undesirable.

CLARK TO HONGKONG
Departure: June 1, 2013, Saturday 6:25 pm
Arrival time: 8:10 pm

Amazed to discover that the air travel from Clark to Hongkong is similar to the distance of traveling from Davao to Clark or Manila!

The weather was fine when we took off so everything was calm and quiet up on air. The pilot of that flight was Captain Kintanar ( I memorized his name after hearing it over the radio cabin). We had a smooth landing!

The slight anxiety began upon our arrival at Hongkong International Airport, we were clueless what to do so we did lots of exploring around the area. We just followed the directions/signs posted.

We asked an officer how to get to the immigration, he directed us to the glass door with a waiting train, this will transport travelers across the street and to the next building where the immigration area is located.

After presenting our passport to the immigration, we proceeded to the exit door leading to the bus station, located on the level B exit 5. The city flier bus that will pass to Chungking mansion is A21, fare is HK$33.00. Take note: bus drivers in Hongkong never give change so prepare for an exact fare. Since we were not able to buy an Octopus card at the airport and we had no coins available, we paid HK$70.00 and we did not able to get the HK$4.00 change.

For an easy and practical travel around Hongkong, I will advise you to buy an Octopus card at the customer service upon arriving at the airport, it is a prepaid card that you can reload anytime, it costs HK$150.00 the consumable amount is HK$100.00 and there's a deposit of HK$50.00 which will be returned to you together with the remaining amount upon surrendering the card at any customer service outlets in MTR station before leaving Hongkong. Try to surrender it the night before you depart so that you can still use the money for shopping like what we did.

We booked for two nights at Delta Hotel, a transient inn located on the 16th floor of Chungking Mansion along Nathan road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. This building is just beside bus stop number 14 next to CKE department store with a huge TV screen outside. The number of every bus stop is reflected on the running screen inside the bus so don’t worry you will never lost, just enjoy the ride. The travel takes up to one hour at night.

Our room at Delta Hotel, rate is around Php627.00 per night or HK$118.00. Very clean and safe. 

FIRST DAY: JUNE 2, 2013, Sunday

Destinations: Nan Lian Garden and Chi Lin Nunnery
Address: Diamond Hill, Kowloon
Travel time via MTR: 35 minutes

We left Delta hotel at 9:30 in the morning, then proceeded to Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station just across Chungking Mansion.
Architecture Museum and Vegetarian restaurant at Nan Lian Garden

Relaxing scenery of nature at Nan Lian Garden


If you are into nature combining the fascination of a city life, you should never miss visiting Nan Lian Garden, it is a sprawling man-made landscape beautifully covered with Bonsai trees, winding paths, oriental trees, hillocks and running waters. There’s a brightly colored temple/pagoda in the middle of the garden leading to the pavilion but visitors are not allowed to enter the structure, so we just posed at the gate for photo souvenirs.


At last I found a shed to pose!

The weather was intensely hot so we did not fully enjoy the place despite its gorgeous and scenic beauty. I think the most ideal time to visit this garden is in the afternoon and early evening. Opening time is at 7:00 in the morning and closing time is 9:00 in the evening. Entrance is free.

We went up to visit the Lotus Garden and Chi Lin Nunnery, it was more hot there my God! There was no shed to rest except on the lobby of the clustered buildings. Again, the most ideal time to explore this area is definitely in the afternoon. The view in fact is ultra-magnificent because you will be able to see the panoramic view of the Kowloon skyline and the lovely surrounding.  

There’s an organic restaurant inside Nan Lian Garden, a souvenir’s shop and an architectural museum. But the museum has a strict policy, as we entered the place, the guard sternly warned us not to take pictures. Okay, so we’d no souvenirs here.

With Epil and Bechay at the brightly colored Temple inside Nan Lian Garden
It's me and Bechay posing before Chi Lin Nunnery near the Lotus Garden

We left Diamond Hill at 11:30 and took an MTR ride again for Admiralty station.
We took lunch at Queensway at the Admiralty Centre then we hopped in at the double decker bus 629 (just located within the ground area of Queensway) for Ocean Park. We chose to sit at the top area of the bus in the front row to enjoy our journey. I'd learned from this trip that drivers in Hongkong obediently observed the speed limit, no overtaking, no screeching of tires! Amazing!

My lunch.  Rice with Hungarian sausage, salted egg, roasted chicken and vegetable. HK$32.00

As soon as we reached Ocean Park we knew we're in another trouble enduring the blistering summer heat. I already booked our ticket online so we just proceeded to the ticket booth to validate the receipt. 

We first visited the OP Aquarium, but it was not really impressive, nothing was extraordinary with the marine species featured, after few minutes we left the area and proceeded to the cable car station.

Cable car was the first thrilling ride we experienced at Ocean Park, the ride took us from the ground of the park to the summit where exciting rides await. The ride was almost nerve- wrecking, I barely looked beneath the cable because it felt like my stomach was tied into knots, the rugged cliff behind the placid sea was a spectacular view to behold but I did not care to look down, I was more concerned with my nervous system haha! But it was worth the thrill, yeah really so exciting!
Cable car ride from the ground of Ocean Park to its summit
It was extremely hot and we're already exposed to the sun so being drenched in water was no longer a fascinating idea, we might get ill and getting sick in a foreign land was the last thing to happen, so we did not mind climbing at the thrill mountain to try those exciting rides, we chose the Ocean Park Tower instead. It was equally thrilling. We entered in a cable-like box and whirled up high then moving down in a circling motion, the height was like 10,000 feet more or less! We did not try The Abyss, the Flying swing, the boat seesaw something and the Dragon ride even though at first we felt like trying hehe, it was so scary so we just convinced ourselves to choose the old-fashioned Ferris Wheel!

The old-fashioned amusement park ride, Ferris Wheel!

Another thrilling ride we tried

Finding a shed to rest after we concluded 
The Abyss ride was not for us

We left Ocean Park at 5:30 pm took the 629 bus again going back to Admiralty station to meet my friend, Epil. At 6:30 we walked to the Peak Tram Terminus to visit The Peak, this is just across St. John Cathedral,a walking distance from Admiralty. It was terrible standing in the queue! My feet began to sore and my toes seemed twisted, so many tourists packed the area to go to The Peak. We waited for, like two hours before we could get in at the Peak Tram. The ride was more thrilling because the tram climbed the rugged road almost vertically, I was not scared anyway, it was more exciting, more adventurous watching the buildings reclined before my sight.

We reached the Peak at 8:30 in the evening and climbed the stairs again to visit the Sky Terrace which offered a perfect view of the romantic skyline of Hongkong overseeing Victoria Harbor and the romantic city lights. But it was very windy atop, we're not able to get a good shot of the city lights as people fidgeted on the lobby to get good angle on the view deck. After 30 minutes, we decided to go downstairs, stopping at Madame Tussaud's museum for souvenir pictures then proceeded to 7 eleven to buy for our dinner.

 We left the Peak at 9:30 and reached Delta hotel at 10:30 in the evening. Don’t expect too much about this spot. If you love the view of the skyline and breathed fresh air maybe this thing is for you but if you hate being on top of the deck and too lazy to endure the tedious elevator ride for like 7 storeys of the building, then skip going on top of the building and just stroll around the ground area. Within the Peak, you can visit Madam Tussaud’s museum which contains several wax figures of famous people.
Joining the long queue for a Peak Tram ride

THIRD DAY: JUNE 4, 2013

Destinations: Strolling around Nathan Road, sightseeing at the nearest department stores, visiting Victoria Harbor, Avenue of Stars, Hongkong Museum of Art and Space Museum. We just walked to the nearest subway from our hotel.

Because we decided not to proceed to Disneyland and Ngong Ping anymore, we just strolled around Nathan Road, bought souvenir items and explored nearby areas until we reached Victoria Harbor, just a walking distance from Chungking Mansion.

At the Victoria Harbor
Avenue of Stars at Victoria Harbor just beside
 Intercontinental Hotel. 
Weeeeh! After waiting for almost 40 minutes at last I was able to pose before the statue of Hongkong martial arts legend, Bruce Lee! 
This is one of the most visited areas in Avenue of Stars.

FOURTH DAY: JUNE 5, 2013, Wednesday

Left Delta Hotel at 7:00 in the morning, we're supposed to wake up at 5:00 but we had a good sleep and my cellphone's clock alarm did not ring so we're kinda nervous, afraid we might not able to catch our flight back to the Philippines.

We disembarked at Terminal 2 to check in then hurried to the boarding area (we had to ride the train again) as we had only 20 minutes left before closing time. The plane took off at 9:35. It was a beautiful sunny Wednesday morning, the flight back to Clark was relax and peaceful. We touched down at Diosdado Macapagal International Airport at 11:00 in the morning.

 We left Clark for Davao at 2:00 in the afternoon.

Other useful tips for this travel:

If you are traveling to Hongkong on a tight budget and just want to stay in a transient room, I would recommend Delta Hotel, I could really vouch that the room is very clean and conducive for sleeping.


Delta Hotel is located at Chungking Mansion (on the 16th floor) along Nathan road of Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, just a walking distance from MTR station, bus station, HK China Ferry Terminal (for Macau), KFC and McDonalds, and just a 20-minute walk from Victoria Harbor and Avenue of the Stars!

Chungking Mansion is just beside CKE department store, there's also a money changer at the ground floor and Western Union. Tsim Sha Tsui is one of the most ideal places to stay in Hongkong because aside from closer to MTR and bus stations, it is nearer to shopping malls and stall markets for pasalubong.

Here’s the list of the total expenses I incurred (I used the exchange rate of HK$5.30 for this computation). The amount below is in Philippine peso.

1. Round trip ticket: Davao-Clark 3,990.00
2. Round trip ticket: Clark-Hongkong 4,000.00
3. Bluefields Hotel – Clark (one night) 520.00
5. Delta Hotel – Kowloon (4 nights) 2,550.00
6. Ocean Park (Online booking) 1,390.00
7. Octopus Card 795.00 (HK$150.00)
8. Round trip Peak Tram plus Sky Terrace 398.00 (HK$75.00)
9. Meals (4 days) 680.00 (I brought 3 sachets of nesvita and oatmeal plus a pack of biscuit)
10. Cotai Jet round trip (Macau) 1,805.00 (HK$340.00)
11. City Guide for one day (Macau) 265.00 (HK$50.00)
12. Pocket Money 7,200.00 (exchange rate given to us by Shayman at Aldevinco was HK$5.55)
13. Terminal Fee (Davao going to Clark) 200.00
14. Terminal Fee (Clark going to HK) 450.00
15. Terminal Fee (Clark to Davao) 200.00
*Travel Tax should have been P1,650.00 (we failed to pay this at the Clark airport, it was an honest mistake)

TOTAL EXPENSES: Php 26,093.00

We were not able to go to Disneyland and Ngong Ping 360 because of time constraint but if you plan to go there, the amount to prepare will rise to more or less P30,000.00 because Disneyland is HK$450.00 and Ngong Ping's round trip is HK$134.00 plus you have to reload your Octopus Card because the transportation from Tsim Sha Tsui to Lantau Island, where the two attractions are located, is around HK$90.00 more or less.

Lantau Island is far from our hotel so we did not bother to go there instead we just strolled around Tsim Sha Tsui, visiting Victoria Harbor and Avenue of Stars. I have no regret anyway because if we had really pushed through with it, we would never enjoy Disney because that day the weather in Hongkong was severely hot (we already experienced it at the Ocean Park and we did not dream to make a repeat performance) but towards 6:00 to 9:00 in the evening the environment turned gloomy with heavy downpour so the excitement of fireworks display, considered as the highlight of Disney experience, and all those itchy bitchy moment of fun, might be compromised and we will just be wasting our precious hard-earned money!

 Anyway, without Disneyland, my experience of visiting Hongkong was still memorable and so much fun, I learned so many things during the trip. Asking if I would still want to go back there for a quick holiday trip, my answer is always YES!!


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Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Preparing for my First Foreign Trip!

March 26, 2013 1
Excitement swells underneath! Just cannot wait for the first week of June to strike. Yeah!!Finally, I can travel abroad! This is my first time to take a foreign trip so a different surge of emotion amplifies every single minute of the day :-P

I've been praying hard to make this dream come true because my passport is about to expire and it's a great shame to renew it without a single stamp from the immigration hehe!

But I never imagine I could realize this dream sooner because my wallet is still bleeding with too many expenses in the graduate school and I am still recovering from the costly tuition fees and comprehensive exam not to mention our graduation fee that as high as our round trip Clark air fare oh Jesus! So there's no way I could fit this ambitious trip in my scanty budget but God is so good! He allowed circumstances to intervene. His love after all is larger than our worries and problems!

I will be joining faculty members in the university who are embarking into the cheapest route ---Hongkong and Macau! Oh Yeah!!I am such a brave soul because despite having no huge source of income and no available funds to finance this foreign trip I still got the nerve to book my flight hahaha! I just want to travel that's all :-D

I booked my round trip ticket last February 28, 2013 and since then I spent my free hours searching for a Hongkong itinerary plan. This is a DIY (do-it-yourself) Hongkong and Macau tour which is more exciting and thrilling than having a tour guide that would eat up a large chunk of our   budget. I requested a kababayan and very good friend, Jennifer Arguelles who is working in Hongkong, to guide us in this adventure.

I am no longer stranger to searching a travel guide stuff or creating an itinerary plan because I've been doing it for many years since creating this travel and leisure guide blog so I just intensified it with additional readings from the experience of other travellers.

Our first stop will be at Hongkong. Our booking confirmation stated that we will be touching down at the Hongkong international airport at 8:45 in the evening on June 1, 2013. From there we will be travelling by bus to the hotel in Kowloon.

Right now, I compiled so many planning travel kits from online sources complete with travel distance calculation, maps and directions. Lots of destinations to hop in, lots of attractions to consider but so far the best tourist attractions in Hongkong that travellers recommended are the following:

1. DISNEYLAND

We all love fairytale because it makes us go back to the land of joy and magic as if innocence did not end, with all the misunderstanding, chaos, conflicts and emotional struggle that hounded our existence there's nothing more relieving and relaxing than visit the world of fairytale even just for few hours --- Disneyland!

I want to make the most of my childlike nature here!

Frolicking around the fairytale landia, marvelling at Sleeping Beauty's castle will be my most soothing stress-buster for the season. Oh!!!Can't wait to stomp my feet at the carousel hehehe! Entrance for adult HK$450.00. Opening hours: 10:00 am to 8:00 pm.

2. OCEAN PARK

When I went to Manila, I did not go to Ocean Park because aside from its very expensive entrance fee, I  am not really into live marine creatures, so the Ocean Park in Hongkong has never cross in my mind, but when my friend who is working in Hongkong told me that Ocean Park is more fantastic than Disneyland, I included it in my itinerary :-D


Yeah!So many attractions await at the Ocean Park, I visited its website and discovered lots of exciting stuff. Entry per adult HK$ 280.00. Opening hours 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

3. The PEAK, Sky Terrace and Madame Tussaud

According to a travel guide I read about going to the Peak Tower, the easiest and most exciting way to reach the area is through the Peak Tram. It looks like a train (well, really a train hehehe) and would travel through a landscape of rolling hills overseeing the Victoria harbour. Peak Tram fare (round trip) is HK $40.00 and travels between 7:00 am to 10:00 pm daily


The Peak Tower is one of the most impressive architectural wonders in Hongkong, with its tower perching above the Victoria Peak, the area allowed visitors to marvel at the fascinating Hongkong skyline. The tower  has a viewing platform, Sky Terrace 428, that offers a panoramic view of the vibrant city and the neighboring islands, so the best time to visit the Peak Tower will be in the afternoon until night time. Sky Terrace entrance HK$30.00 and opens from 10:00 am -11:00 pm Monday to Friday and 8:00 am to 10:00 pm on weekends.

The Peak is surrounded with stunning greenery landscape. But one thing that really makes me so excited about the Peak adventure is visiting Madame Tussaud's wax museum. It houses the life size wax figures of Diana, Princess of Wales, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, Soccer sensation David Beckham, President Obama, Robert Pattinson, Jacky Chan, Elvis Presley and a lot more. Oh wooo! So excited. Madame Tussaud entrance for adult HK$190.00. Opening hour is 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

4. Ngong Ping 360 and Po Lin Monastery

Located in Lantau Island, Hongkong, where a giant Buddha can be seen from a distance, Ngong Ping is one destination in Hongkong that tourists should never missed. It can be reached through a cable car, the ride takes 25 minutes from Tung Chung town center to Lantau Island. Attractions at Ngong Ping include a  visit to a cultural-themed village, walk to a giant Buddha, Monkey's Tale theater, Bodhi Shrine Well, Ngong Ping Tea House and Po Lin Monastery.
The Giant Buddha at Lantau Island with a cable car behind

The number 360 signifies the 360 degrees view of Lantau Island that visitors can experience while travelling at the cable car. Passengers can enjoy the spectacular view of the Hongkong vistas, islands and the city itself. Opening hours 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. Price Package HK$194 this includes standard cabin cable car ride round trip, Ngong Ping village, walking with buddha, Monkey's Tale theater.

5. NAN LIAN GARDEN and CHI LIN NUNNERY

An elegant Chinese classical garden located in Kowloon, according to the information I read about this garden, Nan Lian is a truly magnificent, beautiful and tranquil place. It is characterized by the four elements of Tang-style gardens with artificial hillocks, ornamental rocks, running waters, old trees, bridges, winding paths, pond, pavilion and waterfalls!

Nan Lian Garden
Chi Lin Monastery

Adjacent to Nan Lian Garden is Chi Lin Nunnery, a large monastic complex built in Tang Dynasty style. It has a vegetarian restaurant nearby. The Nunnery is a beautiful clusters of building with three courtyards that contained ornamental plants and gardens. Entrance is free (Oh heaven thanks my wallet can take a break hehe!). Opening hours 7:00 am to 9:00 pm.

6. NOAH'S ARK

This is the newest theme park in Hongkong. Noah's Ark, which prominently mentioned in the Holy Bible, probably existed only in our imaginations, but three Hongkong billionaire brothers decided to build this very ambitious project which opened to the public in May 2009. Set in front of the Tsing Ma bridge in Hongkong, Noah's Ark measures 450 feet long and 75 feet wide, it features double-glazed windows with a fine dining restaurant inside the ark.

The theme park depicted what was written in the bible, it has 67 pairs of animals in the entrance just like the exact number of pairs saved by Noah at the great flood. A fibre glass made Giraffe guarded the entrance of the Ark. Entrance for adult HK$155.00

MACAU one-day trip

We will visit Macau that's for sure!:-P

A former Portuguese colony now part of the special administrative region of China, Macau is dubbed as the gambling mecca, the Las Vegas in Asia. It has several world-class casinos situated at Cotai Strip: Galaxy Macau, Venetian, City of Dreams, MGM and Wynn these casino resorts are some of the best in Las Vegas and now found its way to Macau. This Chinese region can be reached through Turbo and Cotai jets from Hongkong. It's just a one-hour sea travel.

I am eager to visit MGM, I'd studied this casino resort extensively last year. When I took up my strategic management subject in MBA, I was assigned to make a strategic plan presentation about MGM in the class, MGM's case was very complicated because it is a multi-divisional company, it took three weeks before I completed my analysis presentation with lots of sleepless nights, headaches and pounds of stress :-D
The Cotai Strip of Macau where some of the best casinos in the world are situated

But the most-talked about casino in Macau along the Cotai Strip is Venetian Macau. It follows an Italian theme and just like what the city of Venice in Italy is known for, Venetian also has a Gondola where visitors can embark into a romantic boat ride around the canal surrounding the resort.

Other top attractions in Macau are Senado Square, A- Ma Temple, ruins of St. Paul Cathedral, Macau Tower, Macau Science Center, Macau Museum, Border Gates, Ponte 16 and Macau Fisherman's Wharf.






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