Hong Kong & Macau - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 154

GETTING AROUND
By bus Buses operate from 6am until just after midnight.
The flat bus fare on the peninsula is MOP$3.20; MOP$4.20
to Taipa; MOP$5 to Coloane Village and MOP$6.20 to Hac
Sa Beach; only exact fares are accepted, so hoard your
small change or get the rechargeable Macau Pass, avail-
able from numerous supermarkets and convenience stores
(MOP$130, including the refundable MOP$30 deposit).
The Macau Tourist Map, available from Macau Government
Tourist O ce outlets, shows all the bus routes. Buses #3
and #3A run between the ferry and the city centre; both
also run to the border crossing, as does bus #5. Buses #21A,
#25 and #26A are the most convenient routes to Taipa and
Coloane, while the airport is served by buses #AP1, #26,
#MT1 and #MT2.
By taxi Flag fall for the first 1.6km is MOP$13, with
MOP$2.30 for each 230m thereafter. Surcharges include:
MOP$5 if you're coming from the airport, MOP$2 if you're
crossing to Taipa, and MOP$3 for each item of luggage in
the boot. Taxi drivers speak little English.

luggage up to the 3rd floor via a narr ow staircas e, and the
staff are disinterested at best. Double MOP$580
Ole London Hotel Rua Praça de Ponte E Horta 4-6
T 2893 7761, W olelondonhotel.com; buses #2, #7, #10A.
A 5min trot from Largo do Senado, this ambitious hotel
offers bright, compact rooms, with wi-fi and room service
in a conve nient location near the Inner Harbour. Double
MOP$480
★

Pousada de Mong-ha Colina de Mong-Ha T 2851
5222, W ift.edu.mo/pousada; buses #5, #12, #22, #25. The
pousada's awkward hilltop location can be forgiven on
account of its helpful English-speaking staff, individually
decorated en-suite rooms (all non-smoking) with Oriental
art and fixtures, and delicious buffet breakfasts. There's a
peaceful rooftop garden, two good restaurants, and it's
within Mong-Ha Park, site of an old Portuguese fort.
Double MOP$700
San Va Hospedaria 56-67 Rua da Felicidade
W sanvahotel.com; buses #3, #3A, #10, #10A. San Va 's
basic rooms, in a traditional wooden house with shared
facilities, have a fantastic location and wi-fi. Walls don't
quite meet the ceiling, so you may feel as if you're in bed
with your neighbours and some rooms are windowless.
The staff speak no English, but are friendly and have a
list of useful ques tions on the desk for you to point at.
Double MOP$190

3

INFORMATION
Tourist information The Macau Government Tourist
O ce (MGTO; T 28315566, W macautourism.gov.mo) has
o ces in several locations, the most useful being the
Macau Ferry Terminal (daily 9am-10pm; T 2872 6416), at
Macau International Airport (daily 10am-7pm; T 2886
1418) and in Hong Kong at the Macau Ferry Terminal,
Room 336-337, Shun Tak Centre, 20 Connaught Rd (daily
9am-8pm; T 2857 2287). All dish out free maps and
plenty of pamphlets on sights and attractions, and the
website is useful for upcoming cultural events listings.

EATING
Most restaurants in Macau serve Chinese and Portuguese
food. If you want something different head to the NAPE,
although it will be pricier than anywhere else on Macau.

MACAU PENINSULA
Alfonso III 11a Rua Central. Small, dimly lit restaurant
that's a favourite with the local Portuguese community.
Mains, such as the gut-bustingly large portion of fried
Macanese rice, will keep you going for days and service
can only be described as brusque. Mains from MOP$100.
Daily noon-10pm.
IFT Educational Restaurant Colina de Mong-Ha; buses
#5, #12, #22, #25. The trainee chefs at this establishment
really deliver when it comes to good Macanese and
Portuguese food. Feast on the likes of stewed pork with
tamarind, codfish rice and white bean and chorizo salad.
Lunch buffet MOP$80. Mon-Fri 12.30-10.30pm.
Margeret's Café e Nata Rua Comandante Mata e
Oliveira. A Macau institution, with street-side benches
where you can tuck into inexpensive, chunky sandwiches,
pizzas, home-baked quiches and mu ns. Macau's creamy
egg tarts ( natas: MOP$8) don't get any better. Mon-Sat
6.30am-8pm, Sun 9am-7pm.
Peking Dumplings 5 Travessa do Atero Novo; buses #3,
#3A, #10. This tiny, informal eatery serves different kinds
of dumplings to a loyal local crowd. Choose from steamed

ACCOMMODATION
Guesthouses and cheap hotels are clustered at the western
end of Almeida Ribeiro, spreading out from the Porto
Interior. Prices usually go up by at least MOP$50 at
weekends and all hotels charge fifteen percent tax, so
make sure that's included in the price. Booking online
tends to be cheaper than walk-ins, and many places get
booked up at the weekends.

MACAU PENINSULA
5footway.inn 8 Rua da Constantino Brito T 2857 3247,
W 5footwayinn.com; bus #3. This boutique guesthouse is
a Singapore export, and a welcome one at that. Expect
spotless rooms with crisp linens, wooden floors, a/c,
touches of modern art and lightning-fast wi-fi. Doubles,
triples and qua ds availabl e; great value if travelling with
friends. Double MOP$720
Nam Pan Guest House 2nd floor, 8 Avenida de D Joao IV
T 2848 2842; buses #3, #5 and #10. The central location is
a winner here, and the eight wi-fi enabled rooms are clean
and decent. The downsides are that you'll have to lug your