From Guangzhou to Macau: Smooth Border Crossing for a Relaxing Holiday

📍 Macau · 👁 1 reads · ❤️ 69 likes

A pandemic trapped many people at home, and even now, thinking back to the worst of it still makes my heart race. Thankfully, everyone pulled together and we’ve gotten through the toughest hurdle. During the pandemic, many who wanted a getaway set their sights on Macau, and I was one of them. Macau’s authorities, thanks to good prevention and control, opened up to mainland tourists quite early. Compared to a trip to Europe, the barriers to visiting Macau are much lower: you only need a valid nucleic acid test report from within seven days, and there’s no quarantine either way—so convenient and hassle-free! If you want a really satisfying travel experience, I suggest looking up some info and making a plan before you go. Your prep can be detailed or light, depending on whether you’re more into eating and drinking or shopping. By the way, where you stay is no small matter—I’ve got some first-hand tips to share. Macau has so many hotels, including plenty of five-star luxury ones. How can you book a room at a good price? Keep an eye on the official Sands Macao website or Ctrip, where you’ll find the latest suite deals and accommodation offers for The Venetian Macao, The Parisian Macao, Conrad Macao, Sheraton Grand Macao, and The St. Regis Macao. Personally, I prefer staying in a big hotel because it’s so convenient—everything’s right there, and you can experience one-stop dining, entertainment, and shopping without leaving the property.

Grabbing my Hong Kong and Macau travel permit, my nucleic acid test report (a paper copy, mind you), and one suitcase, I boarded the plane for Macau! I purposely picked a fine-weather day to set off, which doubled my good mood. Airfares are really cheap right now, too—affordable for most people.

It felt like no time at all before we touched down in Macau. We opted for the hotel’s free shuttle bus, super convenient, and the driver drove so smoothly that I napped the whole way. The Venetian Macao has a huge artificial lake, brimming with the charm of Venice. The hotel building is massive, almost like a castle.

The hotel’s facilities are top-notch luxury, with several pools of different sizes—a perfect chance to swim for free, if you’re learning. There’s even a dedicated kiddie pool where little ones can splash around, let loose, and make new friends. The pools are professionally managed and cleaned, so they’re spotless.

The Venetian also has a golf course with lovely green spaces—even if you don’t play, it’s worth a visit! The course is spacious, so just messing around is fun.

I’ve never seen a hotel lobby as dazzling as The Venetian Macao’s—everything looks like it’s been gilded with gold powder, which just screams ‘money.’ But as a tourist, I love this kind of splurge, haha.

We booked a double room called the Deluxe Bella Suite. The bed was so soft that it bounced when you sat down hard. The room can easily accommodate four, and since there were only two of us, it felt incredibly spacious.

I was surprised to see a double vanity—I thought I’d wandered into a public bathroom in a big shopping mall!

The hotel’s Grand Canal Shoppes are designed with Venice as the theme, oozing Italian romance and style. The streets make you feel like you’re in a Venetian town—you won’t want to miss a single lamp post when taking photos. There’s also a food street; under an artificial sky, eating delicious food while gazing at beautiful scenery—what troubles could you possibly remember?

We got ridiculously lucky! We bumped into the cast of ‘Go Fighting!’ filming a variety show at the Grand Canal Shoppes. As a Deyun Club fangirl, I absolutely lost it when I spotted Teacher Yue. And Brother Liang was so handsome! They were working, so as a respectful fan, I didn’t bother them. I snapped a few photos and then kept exploring.

I’d heard about teamLab SuperNature for ages, but this was my first visit. The Macau exhibition is permanent and has a huge number of works. If you book a stay package at The Venetian Macao in advance, you can even get free tickets to the exhibition!

Let me share a few exhibits I liked best. The first is ‘Flowers and People, Cannot be Controlled but Live Together – Transcending Boundaries, A Whole Year per Hour.’ Flower lovers will adore this; when you step inside, you see blossoms of different colors and shapes. I smelled the fragrance and thought I was hallucinating, but it was real—the immersive, interactive exhibition uses top-notch technology.

There’s also a forest and an underwater world with abstract animals you can still recognize. The colors are so vibrant that if you want to take good photos, you’d better dress in plain clothes.

Then there’s ‘Expanding Three-Dimensional Existence in Transforming Space’ with colorful spheres that change hue. It’s tricky to move through them, and when you push them aside, they change color and make sounds—really fun. An area perfect for kids is ‘Sketch Aquarium: Connected World’—here you can draw whatever you like, and your creation gets projected onto the walls and comes to life in a dynamic scene.

Please don’t stay up late just because you’re on vacation! To have more energy for sightseeing the next day, I recommend going to bed early and getting up early. With our itinerary arranged in advance, we strolled over to the Parisian’s Eiffel Tower without any rush, right outside The Parisian Macao. Although I’ve never seen the real Eiffel Tower, seeing this perfectly replicated version in Macau was more than satisfying.

We bought tickets for the 7th-floor observation deck and checked out the famous Love Lock Bridge. The bridge seemed to hold thousands upon thousands of padlocks, some so rusty and weathered that the writing is long gone, yet new locks keep being added. Every visitor there holds a beautiful wish in their heart, and I’m no exception!

The Venetian and the Parisian are really close to each other, so for lunch we stuck with our reservation at the Parisian’s French restaurant. It’s on the 3rd floor of the hotel. The entrance is unassuming, but inside it’s decorated in a vintage style—like a European bistro.

Steak frites is a classic pairing; the butter melted quickly because of the warm weather, soaking into the beef and making it incredibly fragrant.

Crab tartare had a distinct onion aroma and tasted fresh.

The chicken breast salad was huge—loaded with chicken, breadcrumbs, and mixed greens, a nutrient-rich, low-cal dish. For seafood, you can’t skip the oysters: plump and succulent.

Puff pastry with snails in mushroom sauce—the name says it all. I thought it might taste odd, but it was actually quite good; the snails were tender and juicy, and the pastry was delicious. They have a wide range of desserts. I ordered the lemon tart, tangy and sweet, very refreshing, paired with a rich and sweet sorbet. And it looked great!

Churchill's Table at The Londoner Macao is wildly popular, especially the weekend fantasy afternoon tea. We were unlucky not to get a reservation, so after admiring the Crystal Palace, we decided we couldn't leave empty-handed and popped into Lady M for a simpler afternoon tea.

Lady M cake shop is located at Shop 2203B on Level 2 of The Londoner Shopping Centre, offering a cozy and quiet dining environment with a wide variety of cake flavors. The menu photos match reality—no ‘photo trickery’ here.

A Macau exclusive: the Coconut Mille Crêpes with Kei Kei Coconut Ice Cream. The cold ice cream was super refreshing, and the coconut cake was aromatic and creamy. Another of my favorites is the Earl Grey Mille Crêpes, with a hint of tea and rich layers.

Girls on their period can order this hot French Rose Fresh Milk Tea—it has a delicate rose fragrance.

Many people feel you can’t experience the real local vibe of Macau from inside the hotels, so you must visit Rua do Cunha. This food and shopping street in the old district is always buzzing with crowds. You can take a bus or walk; it’s not far, and to truly soak up the local atmosphere, I recommend going on foot, taking your time.

When it comes to Rua do Cunha’s specialty foods, I could talk your ear off, but I’ll spare you. Let me quickly recommend a few long-established shops. First, Mok Yee Kei’s durian ice cream—if I could eat this all summer long, I’d probably laugh in my sleep. The durian flavor is intense, and the ice cream is thick and smooth, with a creamy texture. Second, Cheung Chau Glutinous Rice Balls, where fresh fruit is wrapped in springy, chewy mochi skin—what a divine combo. The fillings include strawberry, mango, durian, and more, always fresh and generous; one bite fills your mouth with fruity fragrance.

Eating as we walked, we got a bit tired, and when we passed Wong Kei Café, my friend and I both had the same thought: we wanted to rest inside. The shop is small with not many seats, but luckily we snagged an empty spot.

First, a cup of smooth hand-pulled milk tea to revive me. But drinking without eating is no fun, so we ordered a pork chop bun and lava cheese. We’d already eaten quite a bit along the way, so neither of us was very hungry—this was just to satisfy our taste buds.

Recharged, we headed to the Taipa Houses-Museum. This cluster of five Portuguese-style buildings, with their low-rise structures and mint-green exterior walls, is wonderful for photos. Here you can feel a kind of stillness, a soul-resting quiet far from the city’s bustle. After spending so long in the big city, surrounded by skyscrapers, seeing these simple old houses was surprisingly relaxing.

Back at the hotel from Rua do Cunha, we started packing and sorted through the things we’d bought over the past few days. Suddenly it hit me: there was one important thing I hadn’t done yet—bring back some souvenirs for the family. Luckily, the Grand Canal Shoppes have plenty of souvenir shops, some of them long-established local brands. We chose Koi Kei Bakery, since a friend had recommended their snowflake almond crisps—the taste is amazing.

There were so many pastries that I eventually got overwhelmed and just asked the staff to suggest something. The shop assistant was really enthusiastic and let me sample a bunch before I picked my favorites. Their almond cookies are truly the best, no wonder they sell so well.

If you’ve stuck with me this far, it means Macau is calling to you too—so start planning! Friends who need a break, come and enjoy the good times of eating and drinking; you’ll leave fully recharged and ready to move forward again. Well, my trip is over, but countless others might just be beginning theirs. I wish everyone an amazing journey ~

Travelogue Directory

1. Choosing The Venetian – No Regrets!

2. teamLab SuperNature

3. A Fulfilling and Satisfying Day

4. Rua do Cunha and Souvenir Shops

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