Special Guided Tour, Act III: In Macau (Linha da Taipa)

Welcome to our special guided tour. Today we'll take you into the first railway transit line of this former Portuguese colony and the world-famous gambling city, though please bear in mind that gambling isn't included in our official plan. Please make sure to follow me tightly throughout the whole journey.

A bite of Macau: Venetian and Galaxy Macau in the background, both renowned casino resorts.

Our bus will be entering the checkpoint through the nearby city of Zhuhai and head straight for the Taipa island on which the trains currently circulate, well Cotai to be exact.

One-minute geography: The city of Macau consists of Macau Peninsula and the islands of Taipa and Coloane (Taipa is the result of an artificial landfill), with Taipa being the city centre hosting most of the casinos. Today we will be coming through the Lotus Bridge.

You're not having hallucinations, but we're actually standing in Macau and in front of the Parisian hotel with its iconic half-scaled Eiffel Tower, which is only one block away from the light rail station Lotus Checkpoint Station.

I completely understand that the splendorous decorations and magnificent architecture seem utterly attractive, but as always, our guide is only for the rails. But I'll leave you here for a quarter anyway, just for pictures.

Now, shall we?

Luckily enough, this light rail line is free to all passengers until the 31th December, which means no need for buying tickets! You still need to get a token to enter the station though.

*Editor's note: The line remains free of charge to passengers until the 1st February.

Get upstairs!

Our plan is to take the train to Taipa Ferry Terminal first, then the other way around to Ocean. Any objections?

Looks like the train in the opposite direction came first...

And here comes our train!

Do you like the interior?

My first thing to do whenever boarding a train is to study the route map. So we're heading to Taipa Ferry Terminal now and to Ocean later, where an extension to the Macau Peninsula is already under way. 

The ordinary days and sights in this city.

Please remember: We are the Ocean Cruisers!

And here we are, the ferry terminal.

...I have to admit that the ferry terminal is not as fascinating as the hotels, ...maybe nor the light rail too. But don't be upset! We're setting back right now and maybe even stopping at some of the hotels, so cheer up!

Getting through the ticket gates again...

And voilà, the train for Ocean.

Is everyone on board yet? Have you all got your seat? Very good, because I am going to stand in front of the glass panel and shoot the whole trip back to Ocean, as it occurs.

Check the video here.

Please look outside the window. On our right hand side is the Wynn Palace, with its enormous Performance Lake and the SkyCab —— a gondola lift that connects the light rail station to the hotel and provides an elevated tour around the lake. Ideal for a casual night here, just lean back in the seat and let the water columns and light shows surround you.

We're now at Pai Kok, the centre of the historical old town of Taipa, the Villa da Taipa. The fact that the casino in the background (Galaxy Macau) blends so well into the ambiance implies to a certain extent how significant the casino industry is to this city, the only city in China where gambling is legitimate (even encouraged). I suggest us descend and take a walk.

Here we are at the other end of the line.

Not so much chance to see Chinese, English and Portuguese on the same panel.

Let's say goodbye to the Ocean Cruiser! Wait...?

(To group members who are waving to the train) I've told you to stay with me! You are really not going to do this a second time! I know that you are reluctant to leave, but you still have plenty of time to bid farewell after the tour! No arbitrary actions till the end!

We're now at the end of our guided tour. You still got to enjoy this seaside view (a delta actually) now that the sun hasn't set yet and our bus driver still on the way. For reminder: our trip only includes the guided tour plus the bus in and out, but if you're eager to book a hotel and spend the next few days with cards and roulettes, be my guest. This guided tour officially ends here, and we are looking forward to serving you the next time.

The End