Please Note-There are 2 Ferry Terminals in Macau!!
Mar 1st, 2007, 10:21 AM
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Please Note-There are 2 Ferry Terminals in Macau!!
I recently took a trip to Hong Kong and wanted to make a quick day trip by ferry to Macau and check out the new casinos. I left on a Sat morning from Hong Kong (Central), and after a bit of a wait I was on board. When you buy a ticket (regular price HKD 176, or Custom HKD 256--that includes a small boxed american style lunch and a seat in the front of the ferry), you are given an assigned departure time, which in my case left me with an hour wait at the terminal. The trip over was fine, although the weather was overcast, you could still make out the passing islands. On board everyone is handed an immigration form to fill out, which you hand in with your Passport at the Macau terminal. Once on land, I attempted to take one of the many mini buses supplied by the casinos to get to Wynn, but they were all filled up and the lines waiting were pretty long. I decided to walk, following behind the trail of the Brown Wynn vans. It was not a far walk, and within 15 minutes I was at the new casino.
The casinos are similar to the ones in the US, although they seemed a bit small, and much more crowded--especially on a Sat afternoon. My husband wanted me to play a couple of his favorite numbers at roulette, so I played the equivilant of US$128/HKD 1000 and ended up winning HKD 4000 !!!. I quickly took my winnings, cashed out and left. I figured I'd catch the 3pm ferry back to Hong Kong and celebrate with a nice meal.
Outside the casino, mini vans were lined up with MACAU FERRY boldly titled across the front. I got on board, sat back and in a couple of minutes when the bus filled up we were off. Somehow the trip back seemed to take a lot longer than my walk to the casino, and the streets we were passing, did not at all seem familiar. But what was I to know??
At the ferry terminal, the bus stopped in the parking lot and everyone got out, and headed into the ferry. I did as well, following along, picking up my immigration form, filling it out and then getting on one of the many loooooong lines. (This was at the end of the Chinese New Year week, and everyone was traveling back home). It took about 20 minutes, but I got through, then walked along with everyone else to another building, where everyone lined up again. When I finally got up to the authority, 40 min later, they looked at my Passport and asked for my VISA?? I said, I didn't think I needed one for the ferry to Hong Kong. They said wrong, and suddenly I was surrounded by police. At this point, english was not a common sound, and the authorities were visably struggling with trying to explain to me what was wrong. What came out, was I had to go back out to the left and fill out a Visa form. One of the younger officers escorted me through the buildings private sectors and back into the immigration hall, where he showed me the visa forms. I was back where I initially started out, but this time filled out a different form, went back on line for another 25 min and handed in my Passport & the new form. They again stamped my passport and took the form. I then followed the same path back to where I had just been, thinking wow, that was strange, but I'm glad it's over. NOT TO BE!!
Back on the long slow line again, when I reached the desk, I proudly showed my new stamp-- to which she again asked for my visa papers?????? I said they took them at the other hall. Again, I'm escorted out, but this time, just outside the doors. I now know that somehow I am in Mainland China proper, and I must go back out to Macau. I ask a police officer where to go to get back out, and he showed me a door in a fence and said 'give me money'... I pretended not to understand, but he again said 'money' and made the universal sign of rubbing fingers together. I turned and walked back the way I had originally come and tried to find someone who could direct me to the proper Hong Kong ferries, which I assumed had to be nearby.
Believe it or not, I ended up doing the same route another time, and this last time at my 'friendly, money asking police officer' I said 'NO, I am leaving' and walked to the doorway, opened it and left the country. (At that point, I didn't care if I was to be arrested-- I felt like I was in a maze, going round in circles). This time I ended up near the duty free shoppes and tried to find someone who could direct me.
After many tries, someone spoke english and explained what had happened. The van I took from the casino went to the Mainland China ferries, which were a 15min taxi ride from the Hong Kong ferries. I was being asked for a visa because they thought I wanted to enter the Mainland, and then take a ferry to Hong Kong from there. Each time I walked through the terminal, I entered Mainland China, (which accounts for the 6 stamps for 2/24th I have now in my Passport!!).
A taxi took me to the proper terminal, where I was never so happy to be leaving Macau-- winings or no winnings. I finally arrived back at Hong Kong Central around 7:30 and just went to my hotel and had a stiff drink.
The whole experience had kind of a Kafka like quality to it, and looking back on it now, I can laugh, but during the whole time I was going back & forth, I never thought I'd get home!
The casinos are similar to the ones in the US, although they seemed a bit small, and much more crowded--especially on a Sat afternoon. My husband wanted me to play a couple of his favorite numbers at roulette, so I played the equivilant of US$128/HKD 1000 and ended up winning HKD 4000 !!!. I quickly took my winnings, cashed out and left. I figured I'd catch the 3pm ferry back to Hong Kong and celebrate with a nice meal.
Outside the casino, mini vans were lined up with MACAU FERRY boldly titled across the front. I got on board, sat back and in a couple of minutes when the bus filled up we were off. Somehow the trip back seemed to take a lot longer than my walk to the casino, and the streets we were passing, did not at all seem familiar. But what was I to know??
At the ferry terminal, the bus stopped in the parking lot and everyone got out, and headed into the ferry. I did as well, following along, picking up my immigration form, filling it out and then getting on one of the many loooooong lines. (This was at the end of the Chinese New Year week, and everyone was traveling back home). It took about 20 minutes, but I got through, then walked along with everyone else to another building, where everyone lined up again. When I finally got up to the authority, 40 min later, they looked at my Passport and asked for my VISA?? I said, I didn't think I needed one for the ferry to Hong Kong. They said wrong, and suddenly I was surrounded by police. At this point, english was not a common sound, and the authorities were visably struggling with trying to explain to me what was wrong. What came out, was I had to go back out to the left and fill out a Visa form. One of the younger officers escorted me through the buildings private sectors and back into the immigration hall, where he showed me the visa forms. I was back where I initially started out, but this time filled out a different form, went back on line for another 25 min and handed in my Passport & the new form. They again stamped my passport and took the form. I then followed the same path back to where I had just been, thinking wow, that was strange, but I'm glad it's over. NOT TO BE!!
Back on the long slow line again, when I reached the desk, I proudly showed my new stamp-- to which she again asked for my visa papers?????? I said they took them at the other hall. Again, I'm escorted out, but this time, just outside the doors. I now know that somehow I am in Mainland China proper, and I must go back out to Macau. I ask a police officer where to go to get back out, and he showed me a door in a fence and said 'give me money'... I pretended not to understand, but he again said 'money' and made the universal sign of rubbing fingers together. I turned and walked back the way I had originally come and tried to find someone who could direct me to the proper Hong Kong ferries, which I assumed had to be nearby.
Believe it or not, I ended up doing the same route another time, and this last time at my 'friendly, money asking police officer' I said 'NO, I am leaving' and walked to the doorway, opened it and left the country. (At that point, I didn't care if I was to be arrested-- I felt like I was in a maze, going round in circles). This time I ended up near the duty free shoppes and tried to find someone who could direct me.
After many tries, someone spoke english and explained what had happened. The van I took from the casino went to the Mainland China ferries, which were a 15min taxi ride from the Hong Kong ferries. I was being asked for a visa because they thought I wanted to enter the Mainland, and then take a ferry to Hong Kong from there. Each time I walked through the terminal, I entered Mainland China, (which accounts for the 6 stamps for 2/24th I have now in my Passport!!).
A taxi took me to the proper terminal, where I was never so happy to be leaving Macau-- winings or no winnings. I finally arrived back at Hong Kong Central around 7:30 and just went to my hotel and had a stiff drink.
The whole experience had kind of a Kafka like quality to it, and looking back on it now, I can laugh, but during the whole time I was going back & forth, I never thought I'd get home!
Mar 1st, 2007, 10:55 AM
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Wow, this is really odd. The only other pier with passenger service is in the Inner Harbor with ferry service to Shekou in Shenzhen. It's not a frequent route and I never know they have shuttle bus to go there.
[Most mainlanders going back to Shenzhen will cross by land to Zhuhai, and then take the cheaper and more frequent ferry from there.]
They are building a new pier near the Macau Airport called Pac On Ferry Terminal to relieve the current one, and will be closer to the newer casinos being built right now. But that's not to be completed until sometime next year.
Very very strange!
[Most mainlanders going back to Shenzhen will cross by land to Zhuhai, and then take the cheaper and more frequent ferry from there.]
They are building a new pier near the Macau Airport called Pac On Ferry Terminal to relieve the current one, and will be closer to the newer casinos being built right now. But that's not to be completed until sometime next year.
Very very strange!
Mar 1st, 2007, 11:25 AM
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Yes!!! That's it. I honestly didn't realize I was crossing into China, all the signs were in chinese or portugese--and very very few people spoke english. I kept asking 'where is the ferry to Hong Kong'? and kept getting blank stares. I finally caught on, when I was told I had to 'go back out into Macau'... I thought I was always in Macau??? Not realizing that I crossed the boarder (over and over)
Mar 1st, 2007, 11:43 AM
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What happened is this:
All the casinos have free shuttles to both the Ferry Pier (for Hong Kong) and to Portas do Cerco, the land border for China. They usually just put some placards on the vans, often in Chinese only. Apparently, you boarded a shuttle that says "Ferry", but is actually going to Portas do Cerco.
That big gray building is the Macanese immigration hall. Once past that, you take the escalator down to a wide covered walkway, kind of in "no man's land", but with some shops:
rkkwan.zenfolio.com/p371008151/?photo=1004330173
Further down is the Chinese immigration hall, which is the large red-roofed building, seen here:
rkkwan.zenfolio.com/p163727794/?photo=100915275
So, sounds like you left Macau officially, but then came back. But never officially entered China.
All the casinos have free shuttles to both the Ferry Pier (for Hong Kong) and to Portas do Cerco, the land border for China. They usually just put some placards on the vans, often in Chinese only. Apparently, you boarded a shuttle that says "Ferry", but is actually going to Portas do Cerco.
That big gray building is the Macanese immigration hall. Once past that, you take the escalator down to a wide covered walkway, kind of in "no man's land", but with some shops:
rkkwan.zenfolio.com/p371008151/?photo=1004330173
Further down is the Chinese immigration hall, which is the large red-roofed building, seen here:
rkkwan.zenfolio.com/p163727794/?photo=100915275
So, sounds like you left Macau officially, but then came back. But never officially entered China.
Mar 1st, 2007, 11:53 AM
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It was also my first experience with being 'asked' for an outright bribe... and from a police officer!! The second time he asked me he was standing with a couple of other officers, and they all laughed when I finally said NO and walked through the fence back into Macau!
Mar 1st, 2007, 12:09 PM
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Yes, that seems right. I'd never gotten a visa before, and thus assumed those stamps were what the border authorities were asking for. But they wanted the paper Visa attached. At one point, while leafing through my passport, which I had just renewed a couple of weeks prior to this trip, I mentioned there were so many blank pages, because it was new. She then asked me to produce my old passport--and was clearly miffed that I didn't have it on me. (She probably thought my 'VISA' was stamped in the old one)
