Explore Hong Kong and Macau in 5 days

On the first day that we arrived, we decided to get some rest during the day since we had taken a red-eye flight. In the evening, we got on an MTR from Jordan to Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) to explore the victoria harbor and the skyline. We reached the promenade just as the sun was setting. Unfortunately, it was drizzling and the skyline view was hazed by the clouds. The place is very good for an evening stroll. We walked along the "Avenue of stars". Around this area you can find the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the Hong Kong Space Museum and the Clock Tower. Later in the evening, we boarded the Star ferry for a 2-hour long cruise while watching the symphony of lights show. You can view the shoe from the promenade/ avenue of stars as well; however, the view is better from the middle of the sea as you can see both sides. The cruise also served refreshments and since it was Christmas, there were goodies and christmas hats for us :). <<The ticket office about 5/10 mins walk along the harbourside from the Museum of Art end of the Avenue of Stars at the Star Ferry Pier. Tickets are sold until 10 minutes before departure. Live narration in English is available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (the rest of the days are in Mandarin and Cantonese) — it starts at 8PM daily and lasts for about 13 minutes.>>. Later, we moved back to Jordan area, where we had dinner.

We had booked online tickets for "Disney World" for the next day. I think the early you start your day, the better - since it takes some time to reach the Disney World from Kowloon. Not to mention - there' a lot to do once you are there! We took the MTR from Jordan to Lai King, changed to Tung Chung Line to Sunny Bay and then changed to Disneyland Resort Line for Disneyland Resort Station. Arrived at around 11 and it was a bright sunny day, thankfully. We collected our tickets from one of the kiosks and then had an amazing time exploring the Disney Land. There are a number of shows that are showcased at different locations - make sure to get the schedule right at the front window. Lot of food options available. At the end of the day, get back to the main area for the parade - it is not to be missed. There's also a fireworks show at around 9 pm after which you can take the train back to Kowloon.

We took the train back to Mongkok to visit the ladies night market - Ladies' Market in Tung Choi Street is a great destination for the fashion conscious and those with an eye for bargain-priced sport shoes, watches, clothing, stationery, and cosmetics. There are a number of eateries in that area and you can explore according to your tastes.

We had planned to visit the Ngong Ping and Big Buddha the next day. Again, starting early is a good idea as it takes some time to reach and buy the ticket for the cable car ride. We had to take the MTR from Jordan to Lai King, changed to Tung Chung Line and get off at Tung Chung. The ticket counter is right across. There are options of getting a glass bottom cable car (Crystal cabin) and it is worth the extra amount. You get a bird's eye view of the island and the sea. It is recommended to go one way by and cable car and return by the ferry. Very recommended to walk around the fisherman village where they preserve all sorts of fish and seafood. As soon as we stepped out of the 25 min cable car ride, we were greeted in to the beautiful and serene Ngong Ping Village. We spent the day walking around the island exploring the Big Buddha (climb stairs), the Po Lin monastery and the Ngong Ping piazza. We decided to take the cable car back to Tung Chung and then take the MTR to go to causeway bay in HongKong island. This place hosts a series of shopping centers. We ended the day by traveling back to Mongkok for dinner.

We checked out the next morning as we had booked a turbo-jet ferry to Macau. The Venetian is where we had made our bookings and they had a pick up ready at the ferry station. The Venetian is a huge property and is a busy throughout the year. There's a lot to do and see in and around venetian - starting from multiple restaurants, lounges, bars, casino, food court to a huge shopping complex and of course the well-renowned venetian gondolas. 

We spent the following day exploring Macau city and its history. All major hotels and casinos have shuttles to the city center. From there, you can walk around and explore the city. First we visited Senado square - it's the old town center of the Portuguese colony. The whole area is paved with traditional Portuguese pavement. From there, we walked to the Ruins of St. Paul’s Cathedral which is a Unesco world heritage. There are several renowned casinos nearby that one can visit. Following this, we took a cab to reach the Macau Tower Convention & Entertainment Centre. This place was not great and can be skipped - 130 HKD per person, just to use the lift to go up to the 61st floor - nothing more, nothing less.  There are a couple of restaurants and souvenir shops on the ground floor of the tower. The lift stops at the 58th floor first, which is a closed space and you can get a 360 deg view of the city from the huge glass walls. You would imagine, once you reach to the 61st floor, it would be an open area - Well, it's not. It is exactly like the 58th floor, with just the addition of Bungee and skywalking arena. Hence, as said earlier, can be skipped. We spent the evening exploring other hotels and casinos around the cotai strip. 

Next morning, we got ourselves checked out, got on a ferry to get back to Kowloon and then took a cab to get to the airport to board our evening flight back to Mumbai.