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Shenzen, China

August 25, 2009

I know this is a backlog post. I totally forgot to post about our China trip. Going to China was the third leg of my Macau-Hongkong-China trip we made early this year. To go to China, you need to apply for a visa. It takes 5 days to process it so better plan on applying for a visa way before you make that trip.

Shenzen, China was more of a shopping trip for us. I didn’t go shopping in Macau and Hongkong mainly because it’s very expensive to do it there. I have heard about the Ladies’ Market in Hongkong, but when my friends visited the place, they said it was still very expensive. So I waited until we were in Shenzen to do a bit of shopping.

It took us 3 minutes to reach Shenzen, China, from Hongkong. We took the train. It was very funny coz we all braised ourselves for a long trip. Just when I was about to relax and let my mind wander (that’s what I usually do when I’m traveling), the train stopped. And our friend told us “welcome to China!” LOL. It was fun.

We did a bit of a food trip too. I love Chinese noodles so I splurged on them, no matter how oily they were. Of course, I had to wash it down with coke straight away.

Bargaining in Shenzen was fun. My bargaining power truly worked there, to my surprise. Hehehe. If you want some bargaining tips, just tick me. I am just a comment away. LOL.

Like any other trips that I would make, I would certainly try doing some spa. We went into a Spa place (near our hotel), thinking that we got a very good package deal. It worked differently there. For example, we got a package of 66 RMB that included a foot massage, whole body massage, and one other I already forgot.

The receptionist last took us inside, asked us to shower and changed into some robes they have prepared for us. The first thing we did was a foot massage. After the massage, they gave us a slip, asking how much we should give to the massage lady. So, it dawned on us that what we paid was only the entrance fee. LOL. I did foot massage and a whole body massage only. The service and the place were not so bad. I was just surprised with the concept. Am I going for a spa the next time (if ever there’s next time) in Shenzen? Maybe not. I thought it’s not worth doing the spa there. The best spa I did so far was the one in Cambodia, at Amret Spa. One should try it if they’re in the vicinity.

We took a 3 hour bus ride going back to Macau to catch our flight back to Kuala Lumpur. I was glad we did that… We got to see the countryside of China. We passed by a few towns and I think we passed by the province of Guang Zhou.

Am I going back to China? If there’s a chance, I will definitely do so… But in different towns perhaps. Kunming? Shanghai? Beijing? Maybe. I would love to see more of China.

: asia, china, hong kong, macau, Shenzen

From Macau to Hong Kong

May 1, 2009

After breakfast on our third day in Macau, we went to take a bus that would take us to a Ferry Terminal in Macau. The ferry ride from Macau to Hongkong took 1 hour. I was surprised that both children had to pay full fare. That was actually not in my budget but since I had extra, we were able to compensate it…

Another tip to remember: when you do budgeting, make sure you set aside for “emergencies.” It helped a lot for us when we did that. Otherwise, you’d be left not doing anything because you’re scared that you don’t have enough money to do things.

I always get motion sickness when traveling in a closed ship/boat/ferry. It was a total struggle for me to take the ferry. Samantha, my cool girl, of course, enjoyed the 1 hour ferry ride from Macau to Hong Kong.

My family and the three Chinese friends who were with us didn’t have the same place to stay. Apparently, our Malaysian friends live in Hong Kong Island itself while our hosts, lives in Kowloon. So we had to separate ways at Macau Ferry Terminal.

I was all smiles although motion sickness attacked me. Good thing I didn’t throw up though. It would have been worse. Glad we waited for an hour for our friend to come pick us up. It gave me time to recover.

The next thing I knew… we were taking the bus to MTR (train) and took an hour of train ride to Sheung Sui, the place we are staying now.

Well, we are in Hong Kong now. I am loving the weather now… It’s something like 22 deg celcius. They say it’s getting warmer already because summer is fast approaching. But the weather is still cool. I am loving it.

Cool temperature in Hong Kong starts in September. They call it winter season. Summer starts in May and usually lasts until September. I am glad we came at the right time when it’s not too hot to be walking around.

Need to be sleeping now. We’re going to Disneyland tomorrow. Ciao!

: hong kong, macau, places

Macau – The Venetian

April 30, 2009

People come to Macau mainly for two reasons: To see the colonial buildings and for entertainment but mainly for entertainment. There are not a lot of malls in Macau. I think they have one or two. They have boutiques though. So if you’re into branded products, it is great to visit Macau… and of course if you didn’t mind the price as well.

People usually go to The Venetian for entertainment. The Venetian is a resort located near the Macau International airport.

How to go to The Venetian?

If you’re coming from Senado Square, you may take the bus no. 3. It will take you to the Fisherman’s Wharf, at the Jetty Point. It takes about 20 minutes to get there from Senado Square. From the Jetty Point, there are shuttle buses that go to The Venetian. Again, to go to The Venetian, you can either go to Cas1n0, or just walk around the Shoppe, which is the shopping mall.