One Day in Macau - Exploring Old Macau in a Walking tour

Hello!! Long time .. Myself, Debleena, from India and I love to travel a lot! Few months back I visited Macau and got taken aback by it's history and culture. Here I will write about Macau Peninsula as I will describe the heritage of Macau and it's beautifully painted architecture which is indeed a mesmerizing scintillating tour. As I walked around and explored Old Macau, I will share my experiences with you so that you can really travel Old Macau on foot free of cost.

Whenever we think about Old Macau the first thought that popped up in our mind is Senado Square and Ruins of St. Paul's but Old Macau has much more to offer.

I started the day with a strawberry milk ( available in all 7-11). Just wanted to mention this because it's yummy with real strawberry taste. I walked to the nearby bus stop and then I took a bus that took me to Grand Emperor Hotel. If you are staying in a casino in Taipa area take a free casino shuttle and come to Starworld Casino or MGM Macau or Wynn Macau. Then walk towards Grand Emperor Hotel/Hotel Sintra. It's very important to have internet in mobile without which local transport is not feasible as all the time I needed google translate for interaction with locals and even I had to show that to the driver to get down at the right stoppage :D

I just walked along with the crowd and it is around 11 am in morning and there were tourists heading to the all time famous Senado Square (Largo de Senado). Need to walk around 1 km and you are in the heart of the square. Needlessly I did not waste time and clicked some beautiful pics of the place which is lively all the time. It is a mixed Chinese and Portuguese colony and there are many shops to buy souvenirs and food!! :)

I spent some 1 hour in this place just enjoying and relishing the place. It has some historic touch of good old medieval period. The clanking of the shoes on the mosaic ground was music to my ears. And the scent of pork chop buns that some tourists held while wandering around gave me more motivation to explore the area. I was more drawn to the sea food stalls and I managed to make a new friend there, Edward from Phillipines who works in Macau. From the souvenir shops to food stalls, I was bombarded with a storeful of alley that was craving to have me craving more.

Most importantly I could not miss the free taste, the signs read. I was not shy to try. I bought just enough to last the day. Too sweet for my taste. The famous shop is Koi Kei bakery and one should not miss trying out the different flavors of Biscuits and Pork Bun. There are 2-3 stalls of Koi Kei bakery and I went all the 3 to try all the flavors and even bought 2 packets for home.

After having sumptuous lunch, I headed towards Ruins of St. Paul. There are directions on the the different lanes and I simply followed that.

To my surprise I hit the magnificent yellow building right few mins from Senado Square and this was my next destination, St Dominik's Church.

I was lucky enough to enter the church and inside was more beautiful than I expected. The statue of St Mary with Jesus in her lap is something one should not miss. I prayed for a while and then proceeded to most awaited destination.

I walked around another 600m and I am there in the steps of Ruins of St Paul's.This was once the biggest Catholic Church in Asia. The first church was constructed in the 1580s by local craftsmen and Japanese Christians, who was said to have fled persecution in Japan. Two big fires later, it burned down. A new Baroque-style church was completed in 1637 only to burn down again in 1835, leaving only its magnificent facade, which remains standing today.

After the church I visited the Museum of Macau which is just next to it. This has an entry fee of MOP$15.00 but this is free for Senior Citizen above 65 and it is open every Tuesday. It was a Tuesday and so I entered free and spent some quality time discovering history and culture of Macau. It has stuffs that demonstrate the way of life of the various communities that have inhabited the city for centuries.

The Macao Museum is located in Mount Fortress. It was built by the Jesuits in the 17th century, and opened on 18th April, 1998. The Fortress adjacent to the Ruins of St. Paul's was the city's principal military defense for almost three centuries. In 1965, the Fortress was converted into the former Meteorological Service. On 15th July, 2005, the Historic Centre of Macao was inscribed on the World Heritage List, and the Mount Fortress figures among the significant historical monuments of the Centre. 

My parents were standing at the gate of the museum.



Post this I continued my journey. I did some research and found out that there is another place called St Augustine Square which is also very famous. As a strict follower of google map I used that to reach the place which is no less beautiful than Senado Square. Every place has it's unique taste. This place is less crowded and so i preferred spending some quality time sitting in the square and watched few tourists to come and go, most are having maps and backpackers.

Just across the St Augustine Square, there is a temple ( I don't know the name) but it is very beautiful and there are Chinese Gods and I loved the hospitality of the people inside. they asked me to come inside and they offered me some sweets from the temple

I walked a little further and I reached St Lawrence Church. The St. Lawrence's Church, also known as Feng Shun Tang (Church of Smooth-sailing Wind), is one of three oldest churches in Macau. It was first built approximately during 1558 and 1560 in memory of St. Lawrence, who is regarded by Portuguese as a patron saint in navigation. St. Lawrence's Church has been renovated for several times. The present church looks much the same as it was renovated in 1618.

 After this I walked back to Senado Square to see it during sunset. And to my surprise it looks more beautiful during sunset or after as lights are lit everywhere and the place becomes more lively and colorful. The place which was once filled with busy tourists during day now have few people, some are locals and some even tourists and all sitting back and eating and enjoying :)

I spent the evening here and slowly said myself a day and walked towards my AirBnb. While returning I did not take a bus instead I walked along the streets as I indulged myself in the culture of Macau.

Thus I ended my 3 rd Day in Macau. But it was not over yet as my 2 friends from China were waiting and after dinner (which they cooked for me), we went straight to the D2 night club in Macau Fisherman Wharf where I enjoyed to the fullest.

It says :
“Don't listen to what they say. Go see.” 

Yet it is not over as the Taipa casinos are waiting which will take us to Day 4. Till now cheers and have a good day :) 

Enjoy and Smile :D