From 12-Oct-2026 to 19-Oct-2026, my wife; her parents; her brother, his wife, their two sons and I spent two nights in Macao and four nights in Hong Kong. This blog post describes a few cherished experiences.
NOTES: 1.) I have NOT included people in the pictures in this blog post. Please contact me if you do want to see pictures of people. My purpose in writing this blog post is to share some of what I saw and experienced and while the people and the interaction is a highlight of the trip, it is secondary to me - as far as his blog post is concerned. 2.) For the same reason, I have avoided names as much as possible in this blog post.
I am someone who likes stories, history, legends, mythology and have some (little) interest in spirituality and philosophy. In this trip, I made a pilgrimage of sorts and also saw a display that was a showpiece for entertainment and commerce. In spite of myself, I preferred the commercial show!
Let me start with the commercial experience then! It was at Disneyland, located on Lantau island. Much like Mumbai, which was originally seven separate islands now merged into one, Hong Kong is composed of different islands linked together by road and trains. We visited Disneyland on day 4 of our trip.
After entering Disneyland, there is a Main Street fronted by buildings like a baker, a grocer and even a fire station. The facade gives an idea of a typical American town. There were souvenir shops, real bakeries and coffee shops behind the facade. The road leads to a magnificent view of the Disney castle.
It was the Disney castle that served as the backdrop for the light and fireworks show. At 7:30 p.m. there was an announcement made that the lights and fireworks show would start in 30 minutes. We spent time buying souvenirs and coffee until then.
The show began at 8 as promised. I saw around at least 200 people in front of me, all with their mobile phones ready to capture images and videos. There were far more people behind me. The lights on Main Street dimmed and disappeared. The Disney castle lit up in beautiful colours, changing minute by minute, now red, now blue, but always captivating. Now and then, fireworks blazed in the sky overhead. A voice narrated a tale of love, good and evil. Music was played. Characters from the Disney universe appeared and disappeared. In the dark, the only lights were the brilliant colours on the castle, the fireworks and the screens of hundreds of smartphones capturing images that could bring back memories of this wonderful time. Now and then, the music and the voice over would build up. In synchronisation, fireworks exploded, adding punch to these moments. What I noticed was that the canvas was not limited to the castle. The facades on my left and right were also transformed! Gear like machinery appeared on my right. A playful squirrel (or was it a fox?) frolicked from one building to the next. Audio melded with music from Disney movies.
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| This is the Disney castle, all colour and light! |
It was an awesome show, lasting about 40 minutes. I am not that emotional, but here I was moved by the magic of the spectacle that I saw. I had felt the same while watching the live Water World performance in Universal Studios, Singapore. I wrote about it in my blog post https://fewidlethoughts.blogspot.com/2014/06/singapore-vacation.html. The spectacle in Hong Kong Disneyland was just as moving, for ne.
Let me talk about the pilgrimage and the spiritual experience - of sorts. On day 5 of our trip, we went to the big Buddha near Ngong Ping village. The ride to the village itself was a highlight. My brother-in-law had reserved the Crystal+ cabins. At Tung Chung, we boarded the slowly moving cabin. This sounds a little scary,but the cabins move really slowly and one has some distance and time to board, so it is easy. It is important to keep the balance while boarding. We posed quickly later for the photograph taken by the ropeway operators.
The key point of the Crystal+ cabin is that the base is made of strong, transparent plexiglass or similar material. We could look not just around the cabin but also beneath it ! The floor was spotless, so if I looked beneath me, I could see the tops of the green canopy of trees on the hill! It was unnerving initially, but in a few seconds it became a delight. We saw waterfalls and the occasional trekker making their way to the statue on foot, beneath us!
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| From left to right, my shoes, the sea and a trail for trekkers can all be seen, thanks to the transparent bottom of the cabin. |
The Buddha statue is 34 metres tall or about 102 feet. To put this in perspective, the Gommateshwara statue at Sravana Belagola is 57 feet high. The Buddha statue is magnificent from the base of the hill on which it is located. The Buddha looks calm with his half closed eyes. There is a climb of 268 steps to the statue.
https://plm.org.hk/eng/buddha.php explains the history in detail.
At the end of the ascent, as I gazed at the Buddha and prayed silently for some time, This is the spiritual experience I meant. I felt a wonderful sense of peace and relaxation as I prayed. It may have been due to the tiredness after the climb in the afternoon sun! Looking at the Buddha, I felt some of the calmness associated with him reduce my fatigue. I gazed at the statue, now towering over me and marvelled at its massive size. One can climb three floors from the base of the statue, inside the statue. There are halls in which paintings related to Buddha's life are kept.
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| The big Buddha is a magnificent sight to behold. |
It is the Po Lin monastery that is responsible for the construction of the Big Buddha. The monastery uses the money it gets for building hospitals, schools, etc. We enjoyed a tasty vegetarian meal at the monastery.
Another memorable experience was on Day 1 when we went to Cotai, an area similar to the Strip in Las Vegas, America. On the Strip in Las Vegas, there are opulent resorts and casinos. In Cotai also, there are resorts and casinos, of which Galaxy is one. Las Vegas has Caesar's Palace and Venetian as two of its main attractions; Macao has the Venetian too ! Not only that, Macao has the Parisian and the Londoner resorts. I was dazzled by the lights in Cotai that evening ! We had reached in the afternoon and were still tired. However, the lights of Cotai perked me up! The Eiffel Tower at the Parisian was completely illuminated and changed its colours periodically.
In the Galaxy resort, the main attraction is a chandelier like structure in the center with a fountain. "What will happen?", I asked our guide. "Wait and watch, you will see!", he replied. At 6 p.m., the music became louder and livelier, the chandelier lifted like a curtain snd a massive artificial diamond emerged from the floor! It all sounds quite prosaic when I narrate it, but the actual experience is magical! It was a great start to an evening dedicated to colourful lights and spectacles. Thinking about it now, the spectacle at Galaxy served as a preview of what was in store later.
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| This is the Parisian on the Cotai in Macao. The lights dazzled! |
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| The Eiffel Tower at the Parisian shone and glimmered with different colours. The Venetian is behind the Parisian while the Londoner is opposite it. |
We saw a musical fountain show at the Wynn Palace. I was reminded of the show at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The main attraction at Wynn palace is a brief cable ride - so, one can see the show from the top for a few minutes.
On the evening of Day 2 of our trip, our guide left us at the Venetian. My parents-in-law have visited Las Vegas. In the Venetian, I asked my father-in-law "Do you feel this is the same as Las Vegas?" He thought for a few seconds and replied: "Las Vegas is bigger and grander, but it is the same feel!" Even if I don't visit Las Vegas, I have an idea about it now! When I asked him this question, we were in a food court with an artificial blue sky inside the resort! The facade around the food court resembled buildings and balconies in Venice. It was a lovely setting. Just like the lights in a hospital make it difficult to judge if it is day or night, the lighting inside the resorts provide no sense of time. The reason is to make the tourist spend more in the casinos, of course!
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| I was in Venice, see the balconies and the blue sky ;-)! Actually, this is inside the Venetian resort in Macao. |
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| Blue sky, clear water and the ambience of Venice are all seen here - in a resort in Cotai, Macao. |
There is a gondola ride around an artificial canal, constructed within the Venetian! My uncle and a friend had visited Macao many years ago. Both of them said that at that time, only the Venetian was the main attraction. Now, the Parisian with the copy of the Eiffel Tower and the Londoner with its imitation of London's facade, including the Big Ben vie for the attention of visitors. Just as the cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi continue to launch new attractions, Macao also introduces new resorts and attractions in Cotai.
Apart from the ambience, the main attraction in the Venetian is its casino. My parents-in-law stayed with the children while my brother-in-law, his wife, my wife and I walked in to the casino to get a feel of the experience. It was around 7 p.m. when we were there. The sprawling hall about the size of a football field had electronic gambling games and physical ones with attendants also. We tried our luck at an electronic machine, attempting to guess numbers. Of course, we lost!
Even at 7 p.m., the hall was about 60% full. My friend who had stayed at the Venetian informed that when she stayed there, bus loads of tourists had arrived from the mainland. They stayed until late in the night. We saw that there were many tables with dice, poker, blackjack and roulette, both physical and electronic. I saw one woman whose eyes looked tired. Had she been playing for a long time without considering the time and money? Was Yudhishthira similarly distracted, hoping for a change in fortune at the next throw of the dice?! Don't social media apps on our phones offer the same temptation of addiction without us realising it ?!
| The Parisian and the Londoner are located on opposite sides of the road, linked by a bridge. I took this picture from the bridge. The Big Ben of the Londoner resort is seen here. |
Let me discuss other highlights. Macao was a Portuguese colony. In the older part of town, the roads are narrower, the buildings are smaller and closer and it feels historic. The ruins of St. Paul are the remnants of the Church of Mater Die - or the Church of the Mother of God, dedicated to Mother Mary. Most of the church was destroyed in a fire. Only the facade is present now, with interesting art on it. The morning of Day 2 was spent visiting the ruins. Later, we visited Fisherman's Wharf, another resort that mimicks Roman structures like the Colosseum.
The Macao Tower is similar to Burj Khalifa in Dubai. It is not as tall, but one can go 58 stories above the ground level. For the adventurous, one can do bungee jumping and a sky walk around the tower in the open! Our adventure was to step gingerly on to the glass sheets held by riveted frames and hope that it withstood our weight. I am happy to report that the glass floor did hold!
On day 3, we took the ferry to Hong Kong, a smooth ride that lulled me into drowsiness. After completing the immigration formality, we met a short, energetic lady guide. She fluently explained about Hong Kong's history pointing out high rises built as residences and posh areas. We visited a Taoist temple and then went to the Avenue of Stars, a promenade skirting the shore. Our guide took us to Victoria's Peak on the tram. She would always be in front and wiggle her hand and fingers, urging us to be quicker! She is a good photographer.
There is some history associated with Victoria's Peak and the tram, which is described at https://www.thepeak.com.hk/en/heritage/history-of-the-peak and https://www.thepeak.com.hk/en/heritage/history-of-the-peak-tram. The tram ascends 25 degrees to the horizontal on one stretch! The view of the Hong Kong skyline is beautiful from the top. We saw a cloudy sunset. The bakery there offered welcome coffee for some of us. Our guide was not done with us! As night fell, she took us on a common ferry ride. The illuminated Hong Kong skyline was a pretty sight from the ferry. Later, we saw the Clock Tower and enjoyed the Symphony of Light, a choreographed display of light across the taller buildings of the Hong Kong skyline. Finally, it was the end of the day when she dropped us at our hotel in the Kowloon area.
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| This is the Hong Kong skyline seen from Victoria's Peak. |
The next day, we visited Disneyland on Lantau island. Halloween made its presence felt already since it was almost the middle of October. A smiling Mickey Mouse with devilish fangs greeted us there. Disneyland was fun! Every ride or show had its own attractions. The first one we took pulled us in all directions. My nephews enjoyed it throughly. Partnering with super powered heroes, I saved the universe, so I should be proud!
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| In Disneyland, Mickey Mouse reminded us that Halloween was coming up! |
My brother-in-law observed: "The detailing is good in Disneyland." Indeed, the ambience around each ride or show was in tune with the theme. For example, near the "Frozen" show, the entrance for the attendants was marked: "Only for ______'s reindeers!" (or something like that) Instead of simply stating "No Entry" or "Entry for staff", this is a different way of conveying the same message.
One ride set during the Gold Rush in America captured the setting aptly. There were old looking barrels in a store room, there was place for timber and even the seating had a bench that resembled what might have been used at that time!
The ride here was the most fun. At one point, the voice over said: "Uh-oh, we have lost power." We had just completed fast, dizzying turns using the centrifugal force to twist this way until then and had slowed down on a straight stretch. When the announcement came, the ride stopped - and then turned back! The screams that came from the people in the back were genuine ones of surprise! My wife and I were closer to the back. So now we were heading back, speeding into the turns we had just come through, unable to see what was coming unless we turned ! It was a little disorienting, very thrilling - and a whole lot of fun!
What must have been more fun was a ride that was "U" shaped. I had just eaten. My brother-in-law asked "Coming?" and I said "Yes". I saw that the bodies of the people were parallel to the ground, as the cabins went up the U! The thought made me queasy and uneasy, particularly since I had just eaten. I changed my decision and opted out! My brother-in-law and his family went on the ride and returned, thrilled.
There were a couple of 3D shows that all of us enjoyed. We partnered Iron Man in one and in another, Donald Duck led us in an immersive adventure that also entertained and delighted us.
Considering that Halloween was coming up, there was a live parade of the evil characters from the Disney universe in the evening. We had seen the actors mingle in the park and oblige visitors with selfies. Now they danced along the Main Street singing "Uninvited" up to the Castle. https://youtu.be/tW7B3NiWa10 shows what it looks like.
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| This picture is rather blurred, but it shows the "Uninvited" parade in the evening in Disneyland. The performers invited the audience to join. It was good fun. |
We explored the Ladies Market in the evening of day 5. My nephew revealed an unexpected talent for bargaining, bringing down the cost of some souvenirs by more than 50%! The shopkeeper playfully scolded him: "Will you rob me? What do I tell my boss?!" My brother-in-law told me: "I am not coming to this side of the market again. I will also be shouted at!" The ladies also bargained and purchased souvenirs.
On day 6, the ladies went shopping in the Jade Market and returned to the Ladies Market. The rest of us went to the Space Museum, walked along the Avenue of Stars and visited the Art Museum. The Space Museum is a delight for children and adults alike. We watched a 3D movie on how astronomy progressed through the ages. The Art museum shows how art evolved in China.
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| This is one of the exhibits in the Art Museum. |
The evening went in more shopping - mostly window shopping in and around the Ladies Market. My brother-in-law and I bought an electronics device, a toy and souvenirs. We relished cold milk tea.
On the day of our departure, we checked out of the hotel. Since we still had half a day, we walked to the Science Museum near our hotel. This museum has interactive exhibits demonstrating concepts and theories. Our final meal in Hong Kong was at an Indian vegetarian restaurant. The taste was appreciated by the seniors in particular!
I returned home, rejuvenated.
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