Hong Kong - Day 6 (Macau: Senado Square - Ruins of St. Paul - Macao Giant Panda Pavilion - Broadway Food Street)

The last time we visited Macau was in 2016. This time, we decided to take a day trip from Hong Kong before heading back to Kota Kinabalu the following day. We left our hotel around 8.45am and took the MTR from Jordan Station to Sheung Wan Station (HKD 10.60 per person). From there, we walked to Sun Tak Centre, where the Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal is located.

We had breakfast at Tai Hing, just a short walk from the Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal, located on the 3rd floor. We ordered the luncheon meat and scrambled egg with instant noodles meal, which came with a choice of milk tea, coffee, clementine with honey, yuzu with honey, or salt lemon water. My partner chose cold milk tea, adding an extra HKD 3. The food was a bit bland, and the scrambled eggs were decent. The milk tea was smooth and slightly sweet, but not superb.

(Total bill - HKD 45)

Tai Hing (Shun Tak Centre)

Warm water

Cold milk tea (+HKD 3)

Luncheon meat and scrambled egg with instant noodles - HKD 42

Address:

Tai Hing (Shun Tak Centre)

Shop 304B-D, 3/F,

Shun Tak Centre,

168-200 Connaught Road Central,

Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Opening hours: 7am to 9.30pm

We had a quick breakfast and walked to the Turbojet ticketing counter to purchase our ferry tickets. They were selling tickets for the 11am ferry, but we asked if they had an earlier ferry. The staff was very kind and gave us the 10am ferry ticket. We got our tickets at 9.42am and made our way to the departure area (West Bridge), which was on the right side of the ticketing counter.

The first checkpoint was ticket checking, followed by immigration. At immigration, we just went through a scan machine for passport and face verification. The process was quick and smooth. We arrived at Gate 1 around 9.47am. Boarding began at 9.50am, and the ferry door closed at 10am. The staff requested everyone to put on seat belts and demonstrated the safety procedures. There was free Wi-Fi on board, but the signal was weak and lagged. It was a smooth ride, and the journey took approximately one hour to reach Macau Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal.

Ferry ticket from Hong Kong Ferry Terminal to Macau Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal - HKD 175 per person

West Bridge

First checkpoint

Boarding gate

Lower deck of Turbojet

Turbojet

Address:

Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal

3/F Shun Tak Centre,

200 Connaught Road Central,

Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

We arrived at Macau Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal around 11.05am and went through the immigration checkpoint. The process was quick, and we were given an entry slip stating that we could stay in Macau for up to 30 days. Our first stop was Senado Square. To get there, we took the free casino shuttle bus to Hotel Lisboa and then walked about 900m (approximately 13 minutes) to reach the square. The weather in Macau was sunny and hot, with a temperature of 18℃. 

Macau Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal

Macau Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal

Free casino shuttle bus

Free casino shuttle bus to Hotel Lisboa

At Senado Square, I was looking for the curry skewer shop that I visited in 2016. Unfortunately, I couldn't locate it and ended up at a different shop. I decided to try the fish ball and quail egg skewers with curry sauce. It was tasty, but I couldn't help missing the flavour of the old shop. A few shops nearby caught my attention, and I stopped by A Little Tea to buy a Mango Pomelo Sago. I asked for half sugar and normal ice. It was refreshing and slightly sweet. Apart from that, the pomelo was a bit bitter, and the mango had a slight sourness to it.

Grand Lisboa

Macau Post Office

Senado Square

Senado Square

Curry skewer shop

Fish balls and quail egg - MOP$ 10 each skewers

A Little Tea: Mango pomelo sago - MOP$ 25

We walked to the Ruins of St. Paul and visited the Museum of Sacred Art and Crypt. It was a small museum, and entry was free to the public. This was actually our second time visiting, and since it's one of my favourite historical spots, I didn't mind coming back. Before reaching the Ruins of St. Paul, there were many shops selling pork jerky (Chinese dried pork), with many vendors offering free tastings to passersby.

R. da Palha street

Ruins of St. Paul

Ruins of St. Paul

Ruins of St. Paul

Museum of Sacred Art and Crypt

Ruins of St. Paul

Ruins of St. Paul

Ruins of St. Paul

Company of Jesus Square

Address:

Ruins of St. Paul

Rua de Sao Paulo,

Macau

Sopa De Fitas Ving Kei is just a 3-minute (280m) walk from the Ruins of St. Paul. The restaurant owner was very friendly, and we came here to try the beef brisket noodles and tau fu fa (tofu pudding). The tau fu fa tasted sweet and smooth. The beef brisket noodles were quite good. The noodles were al dente, but the beef brisket could have been a bit more tender. The soup was flavourful with a slight five-spice taste. Besides that, the chili was good, slightly on the sweet side but still a nice complement to the dish. 

(Total bill - MOP$ 42.50)

Sopa De Fitas Ving Kei

Cold tau fu fa (tofu pudding) - MOP$ 11

Beef brisket noodles - MOP$ 31.5 (noodles MOP$ 14, beef brisket MOP$ 17.50)

Address:

Sopa De Fitas Ving Kei

No. 41 & 43,

MacaoR. da Tercena,

Macau

Opening hours: 8am to 6.30pm

We then walked to Loja De Doces Hang Heong Un, which is about a 7-minute (500m) walk from Sopa De Fitas Ving Kei. We reached there at 1.28pm and waited for the shop to open at 1.30pm. There were already six people queuing in front of us, waiting for the shop to open. We had the fresh coconut milk with sago and longan, which came with five longans and plenty of sago. It was slightly sweet, but the coconut milk added a fresh and refreshing taste. We wanted to order the mango pancake, but since the shop had just opened, it was still unavailable.

Fresh coconut milk with sago and longan - MOP$ 43

Address:

Hang Heong Un

13 Tv. do Auto Novo,

Macau

Opening hours: 1.30pm to 12am

Yi Yan Tang Dessert is located close to Hang Heong Un. This shop is famous for its egg tarts, particularly the version with bird's nest on top. They also have other traditional Chinese desserts like sweet soups and custards, but we were too full to try them. We only had their egg tart with bird's nest, and it's delicious. There was only a small amount of bird's nest on top, but the crust was flaky and the custard was soft. The staff even taught me how to take a good photo of the tart by facing the street!

R. da Felicidade street

Yi Yan Tang Dessert: Egg tart with bird nest - MOP$ 15

Address:

Yi Yan Tang Dessert

1 R. da Felicidade,

Macau

Opening hours: 12pm to 11pm

We took bus no. 33 (MOP$ 6 per person) to Hei Lin Cafe in Taipa. It's a flat rate, and we paid when we got on the bus. Since buses in Macau do not provide change, make sure you have the exact fare before getting on. They also accept HKD. The bus was quite crowded and stopped right in front of Hei Lin Cafe. Once seated, they served us two cups of hot tea. We ordered a pork chop bun and an iced milk tea. The milk tea was served without sugar, allowing us to adjust the sweetness to our liking. It was creamy with a slight sourish taste. They also provide us a pair of plastic gloves to eat the pork chop bun. The bun was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The pork chop was piping hot, tender, and had a bit of tendon. It was good, though it would have been better with sauce and cheese. 

Hei Lin Cafe

Complimentary Chinese tea and iced milk tea - MOP$ 19

Pork chop bun - MOP$ 40

Address:

Hei Lin Cafe

G/F, Garden No. 84 Edificio Nam Long,

R. de Fernao Mendes Pinto,

Macau

Opening hours: 7.30am to 8.30pm. Closed on Monday

Mochi Macau is just a 7-minute walk (500m) from Hei Lin Cafe. The shop was just a few shop lots away from Mok Yi Kei, where we had their chilled mango sago cream with pomelo and mango jelly back in 2016. At that time, we didn't realize that Mochi Macau was so nearby. We bought one mango mochi, and it was sweet and cold. The mochi was soft and chewy, wrapped around the mango. I absolutely loved it.

R. de Fernao Mendes Pinto street

Mochi Macau

Mango mochi - MOP$ 20

Address:

Mochi Macau

R. de Horta e Sousa,

Macau

Opening Hours: 12pm to 10.30pm

From Mochi Macau, we took bus no. 25 (MOP$ 6 per person) to the Macao Giant Panda Pavilion. The pavilion is home to four pandas named Jian Jian, Kang Kang, Kai Kai, and Xin Xin. In addition to the pandas, the pavilion also houses other animals like red pandas, monkeys, and various species of birds. The best part is that the admission is free, making it an enjoyable destination for visitors of all ages. It's a wonderful place to learn about wildlife conservation while enjoying the company of these incredible animals. In fact, this was the first time I saw a panda, and it was an amazing experience.

Waiting for bus no. 25 to the Macao Giant Panda Pavilion

Macaws

Macao Giant Panda Pavilion information center

Macao Giant Panda Pavilion

Macao Giant Panda Pavilion

Macao Giant Panda Pavilion

Kai Kai: DOB 24-08-2008 (Male)

Kai Kai

Jian Jian: DOB 26-6-2016 (Male)

Kang Kang: DOB 26-06-2016 (Male)

Kang Kang

Kang Kang

Kang Kang

Xin Xin: DOB 05-07-2007 (Female)

Xin Xin

Macao Giant Panda Pavilion

Address:

Macao Giant Panda Pavilion

Estr. de Seac Pai Van,

Macau

Opening hours: 10am to 1pm / 2pm to 5pm. Closed on Monday

We decided to have an early dinner at Broadway Food Street before returning to Hong Kong. So we walked to the closest bus stop near the Macao Giant Panda Pavilion and took bus no. 52 (MOP$ 6 per person) to Broadway Food Street. There were many eateries in the area, and we ended up at Old Village Cafe. We ordered the Mo Lo Chicken Rice, which came with a curry sauce that wasn't very spicy but had a slight numbing effect on the tongue. The chicken was fried perfectly, with crispy skin and juicy meat. The rice was decent and came with three raisins. We had to wait about 15 minutes for the order to be served, although the restaurant was empty and we were the only customers.

This dish was so good that we decided to add on another dish, which is the Portuguese-style minced beef rice with sunny-side-up. The minced beef was mixed with corn, onions, potatoes, carrots, and beans. It was flavourful, but there were a lot of tendons in the minced beef. The rice was fluffy and soft. Overall, the chicken was definitely the star of the meal.

(Total bill - MOP$ 120)

Waiting for bus no. 52 to Broadway Food Street

Broadway Food Street

Broadway Food Street

Old Village Cafe

Mo Lo chicken rice - MOP$ 65

Portuguese-style minced beef rice - MOP$ 55

Address:

Broadway Food Street

Broadway Macau,

Av. Marginal Flor de Lotus,

Macau

After dinner, we walked from Broadway Food Street to Galaxy Macau and took the free shuttle bus to the Macau Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal. The bus departs every 30 minutes, and ours left at 6.45pm, taking about 15 minutes to reach the terminal. We bought our ferry ticket from the Turbojet ticketing counter on level 2, but we noticed the travel agency counter next to it was offering a slightly cheaper price. Upon reading my blog later, I realized that during our previous trip, we had actually bought the ferry tickets from the travel agency counter.

The night ferry was more expensive, and the earliest departure was at 8pm. Since we had plenty of time before departure, we walked to the 3rd floor, where my partner bought a cup of Coke from McDonald's. The boarding gate finally opened at 7.30pm. We went through a ticket check, followed by immigration and then seat assignments. We requested window seats and were assigned 24A and 24B. Boarding started at 7.55pm and the ferry departed at 8.05pm.

We arrived at the Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal at 9.15pm, but the immigration checkpoint was a bit slow, taking nearly half an hour. There was no machine screening, so we had to go through the manual immigration process. The process was finally completed by 9.40pm.

Casino in Galaxy Macau

Galaxy Macau

Galaxy Macau

Macau Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal

Macau Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal

Turbojet ticketing counter

Ferry ticket from Macau Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal to Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal - HKD 220 per person and Coke from McDonald's - MOP$ 20.50

Departure gate

Walking towards the ferry

Lower deck of Turbojet

We took the MTR from Sheung Wan Station to Jordan Station (HKD 10.60 per person). Instead of heading back to our hotel, we decided to walk to the nearest 7-Eleven to grab some snacks. I had a strawberry ice cream cone, while my partner had a chocolate ice cream cone. The strawberry ice cream was a bit sour but still creamy. That concludes our day trip to Macau.

Chocolate and strawberry ice cream cone - HKD 20 each