Exploring Macau by City Bus

Throughout my experience as a backpacker, Bus is cheapest mode of transportation in every country I’ve ever visited. Therefore, if you want to minimize your budget for traveling around the world then you should be able to understanding local bus routes.

Okay, I will tell about Macau specifically. Macau is a country without MRT or LRT on 2016, so if you want to explore Macau, there are only three choices of movement i.e by taxi, by bus or walking. The combination of bus and walking is the best way for a backpacker under 4 people in a group.

This was my experience how I explored Macau by this combination all day. Before I started the story ….. you should get and understand this map:

Macau Tourism and Bus Map

Source: http://ontheworldmap.com/macau/macao-city-bus-map.html

You can get a map of the venue and the bus line at the Tourist Information- Outer Harbor Ferry Terminal (because I arrived into Macau through here):

Tourist information at Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal, Macau

Here where I got that full page map.
OK, the main resources for exploring Macau was in hand. And how did I execute it?

Flashback before:
January 6, 2016 – At 7 am, I sailed for 55 minutes from Hong Kong to Macau by Cotai Jet for HKD 170 (IDR 298K). I docked at Outer Harbor Ferry Terminal in Macau area (Oh yes, Macau is a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China composed of three major islands namely Macau, Taipa and Coloane).

Let’s … hunting city bus….

1. Bus from Outer Harbor Ferry Terminal to Villa Ka Meng Hotel

After I have browsed at Booking.com and Agoda.com a few months before started my trip, I only got Villa Ka Meng Hotel which had the lowest price …. so I choosed it.

How did i find Villa Ka Meng Hotel in Macau?

I met local man who can speak Javanese and was offering tour package to me at ferry terminal. He said he had lived in Java. I rejected his offering and talked honestly to him if I wanted to take city bus. He friendy told me to get off the bus at Ponte Cais No 16 (this is name of Hotel & Casino), he said that Villa Ka Meng Hotel is nearby from it.

Oh yes …. Famous hotels and casinos usually provide free bus service from ferry terminal to hotel.

These are their shelters at ferry terminal gaes:

Free bus shelters to Hotels & Casinos at Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal, Macau

Maybe, I could take this free bus and get off at hotel & casino nearest Ponte Cais No 16, then I walked to Villa Ka Meng Hotel. But I undoubtedly wanted to try their city bus.

Okay …. I went to bus counter to buy tickets, I actually wanted to get one day pass or regular card are commonly used by local people. Because the officer couldn’t speak english, I pointed the cards are brought by local people. But she just said “”No…No” while showed bus fares table No 10A and pointing coloumn was marked MOP 3.2.

Yes …. I finally got bus No 10A and got off at Kam Pex Community Center shuttle. From it, I walked to hostel.

Bus Shelter at Macau

After checked in in at Villa Ka Meng Hotel, I found a halal restaurant near hotel. It’s the restaurant:

Next….I continued walk to The Ruins of St. Paul and Senado Square.

 

Senado Square and The Ruins of St. Paul

after satisfy got around, I decided to go to Macau Tower which is used by tourists for bungee jumping.

2. Bus from Senado Square to Macau Tower.

Visiting Macau Tower was an insidental idea when relaxed sitting in Senado Square. At first I wanted to go to Venetian directly and spent time until evening there. Well, When I saw the map I found Macau Tower, my memory was just bungee jumping. because of out of curiosity, I finally decided to go there.

If you read a map that I hold, it means I have to get bus No 9A, 18, 21, 23 or 32 which will stop at Macau Tower. And for got one of them, the best way for foreigners who don’t know the ins and outs of Macau is going to main bus terminal. And I’ve marked its location before entering Macau ….. It is located in the south of Hotel & Casino Lisboa.

I just needed to see my compass that I always take in every trip to abroad. I just needed to go south. For you, don’t worry, the main island of Macau have 4 km in diameter, so even if you stray, you will not be far …. hahahaha.

This is a tricky part …… .. and I like it

After sitting and understanding the map …. to save my step, I have an idea …. that is intercepting the bus at shelter between the main bus terminal and Macau Tower. Of course, I didn’t know where is the shelter, but surely I would get it if down the main road between the main terminal and Macau Tower.

Here’s the bus picking strategy in the middle bus route……

Walking from Senado Square to bus shelter where bus will ride toward Macau Tower

Then How is the route:

From Senado Square I walked down Avenue de Almeida Ribeiro to east, then would find crossroads and then turn right on Avenue Da Praia Grande. Well, along this avenue  I began to focus for finding shelter bus because this avenue was located between main bus terminal and Macau Tower. It’s true …… when I met the first shelter, there were buses sign i.e 9A, 18 and 23. So I just waited for the bus … whichever comes sooner I would ride. Finally the first bus 9A came. I went up and only need to pay MOP 3.2 (IDR 5.000) …. very cheap.

I didn’t notice how many stops, but I only remembered the shape of Macau Tower and while I saw it then I would get off at the nearest stop. But didn’t worry, i saw running text information inside bus about the next shelter bus would stop….it was above the driver, so you could watch it too. It was easy to understanding Macau bus routes in Macau.

Bus 9A at shelter near Macau Tower

The park around Macau Tower is usually used by residents to exercise and spend the twilight.

After I satisfied to sightseeing and see bungee jumping, I had to go to Venetian soon.

3. Bus from Macau Tower to Venetian.

In Map that I hold, bus to Venetian is bus MT4. And I was very grateful because there was a MT4 bus shelter near Macau Tower. This is it:

In this route …. I would move from Macau Peninsula to Cotai island through legendary Macau-Taipa Bridge (Ponte Governador Nobre de Carvalho). I just taked 15 minutes to reach Venetian.

Of course, the first goal was ate …. I was really hungry. Finally I went straight to food court on top floor…. I finally got fried rice for MOP 55 (IDR 93K) …. That was cheapest food that I got in Venetian …. I didn’t buy water … . I brought from hotel for free …. hahaha

After it, I got around Venetian … not for shopping…. but saw shopping activity there …. hahaha…. saw Venetian gondola also and my trip was ended by looking casino. To entering casino, my passport was checked by casino officer.

Foreigners could play in casino if they was at least 18 years old.

I wasn’t see for long time in casino, just saw at one table that was playing gambling then out from it then rushed to hotel.

4. Venetian to Villa Ka Meng Hotel.

Absolutely …. this route was already beyond my head …… very easy. Take the Free Venetian Shuttle Bus to Ferry Terminal then move to the 10A bus as it was first time in Macau tin the morning.

How guys … ..?

It’s easy to get on a city bus in Macau.

Saving my budget, I just spend MOP 12.8 (IDR 21K) for a day around in Macau.

So, happy trying….