Galaxy Macau Part ll

At Pearl Lounge inside Galaxy Casino

Koh with Galaxy Hotel's GROs

Santa, where's your sledge?

Here are more photos taken at Galaxy Macau on 20th December 2011. Christmas and New Year are fast approaching and everyone is anticipating grand celebrations at the various casino hotels in Macau. However, hotel rates will be extremely high at luxury hotels throughout Macau during the holiday season and most hotels would be fully booked by now! To view more photos click here.

Hotel Okura Macau

There's even an LCD TV next to the bathtub!

Hotel Okura is one of the three hotels situated inside the Galaxy Macau Resort. As I've stayed at Galaxy Hotel earlier this month, my buddies and I decided to try out the Hotel Okura. The room we stayed in looked a bit smaller than the ones at the Galaxy Hotel but the curtains are electrically controlled and even the toilet bowl (WC) has an auto spray to clean up your butt! Personally, I felt that the lobby was a bit dull for a hotel of this standard. Access to the casino is convenient as there is a separate entrance in the lift lobby which leads directly to the casino. The rate I got for Hotel Okura was BND287.00 per night (room only without breakfast) via hotelclub.com. I tend to schedule my trips to Macau on weekdays to take advantage of the cheaper hotel rates as on weekends, the rate can go up to as high as  BND500.00 per night! 

ZhuHai (19 December 2011)

Normally, we would take a ferry from FuYong Ferry Terminal (in Shenzhen) to Macau but today we're trying a different route. We'll be taking a limousine from Guangzhou to ZhuHai where you will only need to walk across a bridge to reach Macau. This way, we can take our own sweet time without the hassle of rushing to catch a scheduled ferry. We left the hotel at 12.30pm and reached ZhuHai around 2.45pm. We had lunch at a Chinese Restaurant in ZhuHai before walking about 100 metres to GongBei Port, where we exited China and walk across to Macau Immigration, a mere 20 metres away! Once outside the Macau Immigration, complimentary shuttle buses to the respective hotels and casinos are readily available. As we were staying at the Hotel Okura, we hopped onto the Galaxy Macau's shuttle for our trip to the hotel. Be very cautious when you are in GongBei Port as there are lot of touts offering transportation, currency exchange and visa applications (services which you don't need at all!).

China Trip (17 to 21 December 2011)

L-R: Long, Koh, Hoi & SL

 Koh & Han chatting with a XinJiang street trader

 Hoi & SL

 Koh & Long

 Goose intestines

This morning, I'm on a flight again to Hong Kong and will be going to Guangzhou and Macau for a short trip. I was upgraded to Business Class with another friend (as the flight was full) though four of us were travelling together. Naturally, the other two friends were upset! We met up with an old friend and ex-colleague (Long Ke) in Shenzhen who as usual has arranged a Toyota Alphard to take us from Hong Kong International Airport to Guangzhou. The weather in Guangzhou was cool with temperatures hovering around 18°C, very ideal to walk around, do some window shopping and I managed to buy a pair of Li-Ning badminton shoes (though it can be used for my squash game as well). 

Galaxy Macau

 Wishing Crystals

 Wave Pool

 Fortune Diamond (haven't rise up from fountain yet!)

On my recent trip to Macau (3rd to 6th December 2011), I stayed at the Presidente Hotel on my first night (as Galaxy Macau was full!) and the next two nights at the Galaxy Macau and between the two hotels, my preference is obvious! Galaxy Macau is a 1,500 rooms hotel that opened on 15th May 2011 (still very new!) and houses the casino, restaurants, luxury stores and many more on the ground floor. The 410 rooms Hotel Okura and the 254 suites Banyan Tree Hotel are located at the adjacent building. There's a travel agency at the other end of the building (opposite the Wishing Crystals) where I bought my ferry ticket back to HongKong International Airport (HKIA) for my return flight to Brunei. Regular free shuttles ply between Galaxy Macau and the Venetian Macau and free shuttles are also available to Macau Ferry Terminal and Taipa Ferry Terminal.  Both hotels (Presidente Hotel & Galaxy Macau) charged almost the same rate (B$300.00 per night) but the Galaxy Hotel offers a rebate of HK$300.00 on F&B consumption (you can charged your bills to your room from a wide choice of outlets including the pub inside the casino with live entertainment!), free mini bar, free wi-fi, complimentary breakfast, free ferry tickets to Hong Kong (but not to HKIA) plus a HK$500.00 casino voucher! For more photos of Galaxy Macau, click here.

The House of Dancing Water (水舞間)

 Outside the Dancing Water Theater

Last night, I watched this spectacular show, The House of Dancing Water at the City of Dreams, Macau. This US$250 million production is one of its kind in the world. There are two shows daily, at 5.00pm and 8.00pm and the show I went to was packed! The Dancing Water Theater was designed solely for this extravaganza and more than 80 performers showed off their acrobatic skills in this one and a half hour showpiece. At HK$880.00 (B$147.00) per adult (Cat2 - A Reserve), this show is worth watching. Senior citizens (60 years old and above), students,  Macau residents and children below 12 years old enjoy cheaper rates.