A Return to the Place Where We Fell in Love: Macau

📍 Macau · 👁 6651 reads · ❤️ 29 likes

Macau is where I met my boyfriend and where our relationship began. It's a very bustling city with countless shopping malls and free attractions. Last time, we rushed through Macau and didn't get to explore it fully, so this revisit was all about making up for lost time.

To make it easy to get around, I specifically chose a hotel in the Sands Resorts Macau. Well-known hotels like The Venetian Macao, The Parisian Macao, Conrad Macao Cotai Central, Sheraton Macao Hotel, Holiday Inn Macao Cotai Central, and St. Regis Macao Cotai Central are all here, so you can pick based on your preferences. This time we booked The Venetian Macao in advance. It's an iconic hotel in Macau, built quite a while ago, so its facilities and services are very comprehensive. If you come to Macau, feel free to stay here with confidence!

Both my boyfriend and I work in Shenzhen, so we took a ferry to Macau—the tickets are very affordable. What's more, it was my first time on a boat, and I found it quite novel. I'll include a photo of a juice bottle; just like it says on the bottle, 'Every day is a good start,' we were about to begin a sweet trip to Macau!

After landing, we took a selfie, then cleared customs to catch the free shuttle bus provided by the hotel. We rested a bit on the bus, and before long, we arrived at The Venetian Macao.

We left our luggage at the hotel and decided to take a walk around the area, since the weather was too good to waste. The Venetian has a great location, right next to The Parisian Macao, so we went to explore it. My boyfriend is my personal photographer—believe it or not, he taught me all my posing skills. Isn't that great?

It was under the Eiffel Tower at The Parisian that we confirmed our relationship. Though some time has passed, standing under the tower again, I felt the same excitement as back then. If you have someone you like, you must bring them to Macau to see the Parisian's Eiffel Tower and share your romance and sweetness!

We walked and stopped, taking quite a few photos of the buildings. I have to say, the architecture in the Sands Resorts Macau is really distinctive—they are natural scenic spots in themselves. When you come to Macau, make sure to fully charge your phone or bring a power bank, because you will be taking tons of photos. Don't be caught with a dead battery!

Today's main attraction is The Venetian Macao. Doesn't its exterior make you feel like you're on a European street? European-style buildings are quite common in Macau, and the interior design of The Venetian is reminiscent of the water city of Venice.

The hotel room was spacious, the bed was soft, the place was clean, and the soundproofing was excellent.

The indoor water world modeled after Venice has buildings on both sides with an exotic atmosphere. Arch bridges, flowing water, street lamps—it's a ready-made backdrop for photos. Make good use of it!

Many people in the shopping mall strolled along the long canal, including both tourists and locals. Compared to the excited tourists, the locals seemed very relaxed. Speaking of which, I envy them for being able to walk around such a beautiful place every day!

The SaSa store inside The Venetian is a bit tucked away, but it still had a good flow of people. As soon as I entered, I saw colorful little bottles of nail polish and cute cups.

The store clearly categorizes skincare and makeup products, making shopping easy. But there were quite a few people, so we had to queue to pay. Of course, I left that task to my boyfriend, and used the waiting time to browse a bit more!

While shopping, I noticed that Skechers was having a sale. Their shoes are light and comfortable, and the styles are not bad either.

The limited-edition sneakers co-branded with One Piece feature bold colors—stunning! These chunky dad shoes are super comfortable and instantly add four centimeters to your height! A top choice for shorter girls!

I accompanied my boyfriend to check out the men's shoes. Black and white combinations are classic, suitable for those who like simple styles. Since the store was also having a holiday discount, and if you spend a certain amount, you can sign up for a membership for free, giving you a 15% discount on future Skechers purchases!

Nowadays, people carry their phones everywhere, and watches are gradually becoming more of an accessory than a simple timekeeping tool. Wearing a watch you like keeps your wrist from being boring. This Cartier watch store is very reputable. I had my eye on the Cartier Ballon Bleu women's watch, and the salesgirl said it's always a bestseller.

When buying the watch, I was torn between a steel strap and a leather strap. The salesgirl recommended the steel strap, as it lasts longer and is more durable. The women's Ballon Bleu comes in two dial colors: white and pink. My boyfriend said pink looks nice, but I prefer white—it's more classic and goes well with my clothes!

Zara is on the third floor of The Grand Canal Shoppes. Seeing this brand in Macau felt instantly familiar. I dragged my boyfriend in for more shopping; I was full of energy, but he was almost done for! Indeed, when it comes to shopping, women are unbeatable.

Once inside, I found the store was quite large with a good selection of clothes. They had clothes for all seasons, so you can buy whatever you want. To get ready for a cool summer, I picked up a few short sleeves and skirts!

When it comes to eating in Macau, you can't miss Lord Stow's Bakery's egg tarts and the souvenir shops. There's almost always a line at Lord Stow's inside The Venetian, which shows how popular their egg tarts are. If you're tired from walking, you can sit at a table in the shop and rest while waiting for freshly baked tarts.

There are several souvenir shops in The Grand Canal Shoppes. Besides the Choi Heong Yuen Bakery we went to, there are also Kee Wah Bakery, Koi Kei Bakery, and Bee Cheng Hiang. I personally like the seaweed Phoenix rolls from Choi Heong Yuen—crispy on the outside and filled with fluffy pork floss.

The shelves were filled with packaged souvenirs like pineapple cakes, almond cookies, pork jerky, and so on.

The dried meat can be bought by weight, and there are samples for tasting. Don't be shy—try every flavor to find your favorite. Since I can't handle much spice, I prefer the original flavor, while my boyfriend likes the spicy one.

It's a short walk from The Venetian Macao to Rua da Cunha, an open street area that doesn't require an entrance ticket. But it's a good idea to bring some cash, as some food stalls only accept cash. Rua da Cunha is famous for its many delicious foods, like the crab porridge from Cheng Chong Kei, ice cream from Mok Yi Kei, and coffee from World Coffee.

Rua da Cunha is a very distinctive commercial street with lots of graffiti. It feels a bit like an old town, perfect for street photography. With a simple short sleeve, a skirt, and flat canvas shoes, you can take great photos!

Walking up from Rua da Cunha, you'll find the Our Lady of Carmel Church. The church's exterior is a soft yellow, full of European charm. How could I not take a photo at such a spot? Thanks to my boyfriend for not making me look like a midget! Macau has many refreshingly charming spots, all relatively close together, making it easy to reach them on foot or by car.

At the end of the trip, my suitcase was packed full of my things. After returning home, I did a tally and realized that even though I bought a lot, I didn't spend much. That's because we hit the Sands Shopping Double Rewards promotion: if you spend MOP 3,000 or more at The Venetian Macao, The Shoppes at Four Seasons, The Plaza Macau, or The Parisian Macao, you get free rewards worth up to MOP 3,800 in shopping vouchers and one night of premium accommodation at Sands Resorts Macau, with total giveaways worth up to MOP 120,000! Everyone can choose their redemption opportunity based on their needs—the deals are really good. Even my boyfriend said that Sands saved him a lot of money, haha—clearly, he was shocked by my shopping power. For all the girls like me who love shopping, eating, and taking photos, head to Macau and indulge yourself!

Travel Journal Contents

1. Setting Off to Macau

2. The Venetian Macao

3. The Grand Canal Shoppes

4. SaSa and Skechers

5. Cartier Watch and Zara

6. Snacks and Souvenirs

7. Checking in at Rua da Cunha

Travel Info

Hotel Index

Strategy Index

Ticket Index