Tiger Airways offers relatively cheap airfares from Singapore to many countries. However, its air ticket prices from Singapore to Macau is one of the cheapest, making it perfect for Singaporeans to transit to other places in the Pearl Delta Region, including Hong Kong, Zhuhai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou.
I have worked out some ticket prices for a sample flight in November 2007. Feel free to make your own comparisons.
Be aware that if you miss your flight, Tiger Airways will neither wait for you nor give another seat on the next flight. You can expect to pay at least HKD$2000 for the next ticket even for non-peak periods. If you are waiting at the airport, you can only book a ticket 2 hours before the next flight.
----- Transit via Macau to Hong Kong (Round Trip, estimated) -----
Air Ticket directly to Hong Kong (including taxes & charges): HKD$1818
Air Ticket to Macau (including taxes & charges): HKD$1000
AP1 Bus to Ferry Terminal: HKD$8
Ferry Ticket (assuming most expensive rate): HKD$344
Total: HKD$1352
Savings: 26%
[Update: Tiger Airways is offering direct flights to Hong Kong from 01 February 2010, which means that the cost savings from then onwards will be minimal.]
----- Transit via Macau to Shenzhen (Round Trip, estimated) -----
Air Ticket directly to Shenzhen (including taxes & charges): RMB$1171
Air Ticket to Macau (including taxes & charges): RMB$967
AP1 Bus to Chinese Border: RMB$7
Bus Service to Shenzhen: RMB$100
Total: RMB$1074
Savings: 8%
----- Transit via Macau to Guangzhou (Round Trip, estimated) -----
Air Ticket directly to Shenzhen (including taxes & charges): RMB$1221
Air Ticket to Macau (including taxes & charges): RMB$967
AP1 Bus to Chinese Border: RMB$7
Bus Service to Guangzhou: RMB$85
Total: RMB$1059
Savings: 15%
Showing posts with label china. Show all posts
Showing posts with label china. Show all posts
Friday, August 3, 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Zhuhai Shopping
Zhuhai is a good place to go shopping from Macao. Unfortunately, knowing how to read and speak Mandarin (or Cantonese) is essential to exploring the area. This is what you will see right after you exit Chinese customs. Note the red arrows below, which will lead you to the bus stop.
If you want to buy some delicious small mangoes without traveling far, walk in the direction of the market. You can also buy vegetables, fruits and cheap accessories there. Bargaining is necessary unless you wish to pay an exorbitant price.If they refuse to haggle, try paying the equivalent amount of Renminbi as Macau Patacas or Hong Kong dollars. [This may not work for long as the renminbi keeps appreciating.]
Warning: The Macao authorities do not like you carrying fruits and vegetables into Macao without permit. Raw meat is definitely not welcome. Pirated disks may also bring trouble. Check the law before importing anything.
If you wish to travel by bus, go down to the basement floor and head in the direction of the red arrow. You will find a nicely hidden escalator to an even lower floor.Hint: Behind the red arrow are many small shops which seem to sell various goods, but are actually money changers in disguise. They will change money with you at a better rate than the shops and the bank. Be wary of counterfeit currency though!
After you head down the escalator, if you wish to travel within Zhuhai, then go straight. If you wish to travel to other cities, then turn to your right. You can buy tickets to travel to other cities. If you cannot pronounce Mandarin or Cantonese properly, it is best to write the Chinese name for the cities to give the note to the receptionist.
If you go straight, you will enter a dark and noisy place. This is the bus stop for local buses. Have Renminbi $1 and 50 cent notes or coins ready as other currencies are not accepted. The bus fare is usually RMB$1.50 for non-airconditioned buses and RMB$2.50 for air-conditioned buses.
The Number 2 sightseeing bus is popular with many tourists because it reaches many tourist attractions.
As you travel, you will see many other bus stops with signs. Unfortunately, the signs are mostly in Chinese. [Note: The van in front of the bus is a postal service (邮政) van.]
Wan Jia Bai Huo (万佳百货) is a good place to shop. They have big juicy Fuji apples at a reasonable price. I bought 5 of them for RMB$10. They also sell many groceries, drinks, clothes, equipment, cooked dishes, such as take-away meals.
If you don't mind some exercise, you only need to walk for around 5 minutes of walking down the big street directly in front of the Gongbei border. This is the view right in front of Wan Jia Bai Huo (万佳百货) leading to the border. The red building with the pointed roof is the Gong Bei (供北) border building.
Bus Route 2 also goes to the Bai Lian Dong (白莲洞) park. I like the water paddle boat but the rest of the park was not that interesting to me. [High voltage lines are running over the lake and spoiling the scenery, but as you know, this is China.]
After traveling past many places on Bus Number 2, you will see the Wan Zai (湾仔) bus station. This is the place to buy many computer parts cheaply.
Along the way, you will see some beggars such as this lady who wrote her life story in front of her. She is a Primary school teacher who came to this place to work in a factory. Her husband left her and her children for another woman. Now she needs money (RMB$280) to travel back home. Would kind people be willing to help?I am aware that it is likely that these are frauds who are deceiving people. But if you have a kind heart, what to do?
There are still many places in Zhuhai I have not been to, including the Lover's Lane and Fisher-Maiden statue. I regret that I did not have the time to visit them.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
China Shopping Hazards
If you are going across the border to China to do some shopping, be careful, and be prepared.
1) Pickpockets
There are many pickpockets, including children. Never show your cash, and keep them separated in a few places. Be especially careful when you are seated on a bus. Never leave your luggage or bags unattended too. They tend to disappear.
No one will help alert you to the pickpockets or help you catch them. For some reason, the Chinese in China have became numbed to petty crime.
Sometimes you may see pickpockets in action on the bus, cutting out the pockets of unsuspecting passengers. Being the good Samaritan you are, you stop them. And being the good ruffians they are, they will wait and bash you up later with their friends.
-----
2) Fraud & Deceit
There are many products and practices in China which are downright unethical.
Rat meat may be sold for pigeon meat. Watermelons may be injected with artificial color and sugar water to enhance their taste. There were many food scandals in the past, such as fake, no-nutrient milk powder and poisonous rice. If possible, bring your own food along.
Learn how Chinese Renminbi looks like. If you look like a foreigner, you may be handed Taiwan money, which has about 1/4 the value of Renminbi. A simple rule is if you see Chairman Mao on the note, it is definitely Renminbi. There are also notes which are in cents (jiao), not dollars (yuan). They are legal currency too.
There are a lot of fake $50 and $100 Renminbi, and smaller amounts of other fake denominations. I always bring along a ultraviolet detector just in case. I am a victim of a fake RMB$50 note (probably from a money changer) myself. Here is a tutorial on how to recognize fake Chinese money.
You can buy a 8GB thumbdrive for RMB$120, an insane bargain in 2007. It will format and chkdsk nicely in the computer, but it won't work when you try to put real files on it. Your files will be randomly corrupted instead. The thumbdrive will report that it is full after you copied a few hundred megabytes to it. The same goes for the 8GB imitation iPod players.
Don't buy anything that looks too good to be true. Stick to products which have a warranty and more reasonable prices. Avoid buying from stalls and buy only from shops, as stall owners can just disappear whenever they like.
I was also cheated by a prepaid phone dealer. She claimed that the China card has RMB$200 of value, and she is selling it to me at a discount of RMB$100. It turns out the she has stuck the price stickers on the words that read "RMB$55 value, uniform pricing for the entire China". When I found out I was furious.
-----
3) Dangerous Taxi Drivers
Never ever take an unlicensed taxi. Not only will they charge exorbitant prices, they may also drive you to a place where the rest of their gang lies in wait to rob you. Always take a real taxi that charges by the meter.
The unlicensed taxi drivers are those people walking around busy areas with holding a bunch of keys. They often solicit customers actively.
-----
4) Bargaining
Unless you are very rich, bargaining skills are compulsory for shopping in China. Cheap as the goods may seem to richer countries, it can be cheaper.
For clothes, asking for half their quoted price and then pretending to walk out of the shop will often close the deal. Electronic items, however, may not enjoy such a large discount.
Many sellers are known to use strong and highly persuasive techniques to get you to buy from them, much like hard-selling. [You will know what I mean when you meet one of them.] It is important to learn to say 'no' to them.
-----
5) Language
It is rare to find Chinese shopkeepers who speak English, or any other foreign language. If you do not know Mandarin, or the dialect being spoken in the area, then it will be much harder to bargain and shop. In Zhuhai (bordering Macau) and Shenzhen (bordering Hong Kong), the dominant dialect is Cantonese.
-----
6) Beggars
There are many beggars in China, and it is very hard to tell which are genuine cases and which are just out to earn money.
At one time, I saw a young teenage girl knelling on the street, with the words "Need $10 to take bus home" scribbled in front of her. I decided to let that pass.
Another time, an adorable child pestered me singing Chinese songs wishing me good luck in a sad and tired tone. It was hard to resist ignoring him. I decided to give him some sweets and a RMB$1 coin, causing another child to appear. They asked for me, and I gave a MOP$1 coin to the new child.
Both of them are obviously from the family (or syndicate). I told them to share the sweets and I don't have any more to give or I can't take the bus home. They ran off happily, perhaps because they don't have to give the sweets to their "supervisor". All this time, I was watching my bag to make sure that their tiny fingers don't touch the rest of my money.
If you want to give to the beggars, be discrete and quick. Otherwise, a crowd of beggars (and potential pickpockets) will mill around you asking for donations.
1) Pickpockets
There are many pickpockets, including children. Never show your cash, and keep them separated in a few places. Be especially careful when you are seated on a bus. Never leave your luggage or bags unattended too. They tend to disappear.
No one will help alert you to the pickpockets or help you catch them. For some reason, the Chinese in China have became numbed to petty crime.
Sometimes you may see pickpockets in action on the bus, cutting out the pockets of unsuspecting passengers. Being the good Samaritan you are, you stop them. And being the good ruffians they are, they will wait and bash you up later with their friends.
-----
2) Fraud & Deceit
There are many products and practices in China which are downright unethical.
Rat meat may be sold for pigeon meat. Watermelons may be injected with artificial color and sugar water to enhance their taste. There were many food scandals in the past, such as fake, no-nutrient milk powder and poisonous rice. If possible, bring your own food along.
Learn how Chinese Renminbi looks like. If you look like a foreigner, you may be handed Taiwan money, which has about 1/4 the value of Renminbi. A simple rule is if you see Chairman Mao on the note, it is definitely Renminbi. There are also notes which are in cents (jiao), not dollars (yuan). They are legal currency too.
There are a lot of fake $50 and $100 Renminbi, and smaller amounts of other fake denominations. I always bring along a ultraviolet detector just in case. I am a victim of a fake RMB$50 note (probably from a money changer) myself. Here is a tutorial on how to recognize fake Chinese money.
You can buy a 8GB thumbdrive for RMB$120, an insane bargain in 2007. It will format and chkdsk nicely in the computer, but it won't work when you try to put real files on it. Your files will be randomly corrupted instead. The thumbdrive will report that it is full after you copied a few hundred megabytes to it. The same goes for the 8GB imitation iPod players.
Don't buy anything that looks too good to be true. Stick to products which have a warranty and more reasonable prices. Avoid buying from stalls and buy only from shops, as stall owners can just disappear whenever they like.
I was also cheated by a prepaid phone dealer. She claimed that the China card has RMB$200 of value, and she is selling it to me at a discount of RMB$100. It turns out the she has stuck the price stickers on the words that read "RMB$55 value, uniform pricing for the entire China". When I found out I was furious.
-----
3) Dangerous Taxi Drivers
Never ever take an unlicensed taxi. Not only will they charge exorbitant prices, they may also drive you to a place where the rest of their gang lies in wait to rob you. Always take a real taxi that charges by the meter.
The unlicensed taxi drivers are those people walking around busy areas with holding a bunch of keys. They often solicit customers actively.
-----
4) Bargaining
Unless you are very rich, bargaining skills are compulsory for shopping in China. Cheap as the goods may seem to richer countries, it can be cheaper.
For clothes, asking for half their quoted price and then pretending to walk out of the shop will often close the deal. Electronic items, however, may not enjoy such a large discount.
Many sellers are known to use strong and highly persuasive techniques to get you to buy from them, much like hard-selling. [You will know what I mean when you meet one of them.] It is important to learn to say 'no' to them.
-----
5) Language
It is rare to find Chinese shopkeepers who speak English, or any other foreign language. If you do not know Mandarin, or the dialect being spoken in the area, then it will be much harder to bargain and shop. In Zhuhai (bordering Macau) and Shenzhen (bordering Hong Kong), the dominant dialect is Cantonese.
-----
6) Beggars
There are many beggars in China, and it is very hard to tell which are genuine cases and which are just out to earn money.
At one time, I saw a young teenage girl knelling on the street, with the words "Need $10 to take bus home" scribbled in front of her. I decided to let that pass.
Another time, an adorable child pestered me singing Chinese songs wishing me good luck in a sad and tired tone. It was hard to resist ignoring him. I decided to give him some sweets and a RMB$1 coin, causing another child to appear. They asked for me, and I gave a MOP$1 coin to the new child.
Both of them are obviously from the family (or syndicate). I told them to share the sweets and I don't have any more to give or I can't take the bus home. They ran off happily, perhaps because they don't have to give the sweets to their "supervisor". All this time, I was watching my bag to make sure that their tiny fingers don't touch the rest of my money.
If you want to give to the beggars, be discrete and quick. Otherwise, a crowd of beggars (and potential pickpockets) will mill around you asking for donations.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Renew your visa using China
There are many reasons why you might want to go to China. One of them is to renew your visa, which may expire in 30 days.
Rather than paying around MOP$300 to take a ferry to and from Hong Kong, you can just visit China. Of course, China also charges money for your visa, unless you happen to be a Singaporean (or a few selected nationalities).
However, if you apply for a group visa for at least 3 people at least a few days in advance, it will be much cheaper.
You are not allowed to reenter and extend your stay indefinitely, but Macau customs may allow you a few extensions. If you do it often enough, they will start writing numbers next to your entry dates.
Then one day, when the customs officer gives you a hard look, asks you to go to the side office and tells you to sign a few copies of a letter telling you to report to the Immigration Department, then you know that you have overstayed your welcome.
Most likely, you will then get an "Ultimate Visa" (UV), which means that after this extension, you will have to go somewhere for 50 days before you can come back again. This visa comes with a somewhat disturbing letter:
"Having notified that by constantly re-entering Macau at short intervals without appropriate justification, you tried to evade prescribed regulations on Entry, Stay and Residence in the Macao SAR, you are now notified that you must leave Macao, before the expiry date of the Authorization now granted, for no less than 50 days otherwise you may be refused or blacklisted to enter Macao.
I declare that I am aware of the content of this notification, of which I was provided the original."
Rather than paying around MOP$300 to take a ferry to and from Hong Kong, you can just visit China. Of course, China also charges money for your visa, unless you happen to be a Singaporean (or a few selected nationalities).
However, if you apply for a group visa for at least 3 people at least a few days in advance, it will be much cheaper.
You are not allowed to reenter and extend your stay indefinitely, but Macau customs may allow you a few extensions. If you do it often enough, they will start writing numbers next to your entry dates.
Then one day, when the customs officer gives you a hard look, asks you to go to the side office and tells you to sign a few copies of a letter telling you to report to the Immigration Department, then you know that you have overstayed your welcome.
Most likely, you will then get an "Ultimate Visa" (UV), which means that after this extension, you will have to go somewhere for 50 days before you can come back again. This visa comes with a somewhat disturbing letter:
"Having notified that by constantly re-entering Macau at short intervals without appropriate justification, you tried to evade prescribed regulations on Entry, Stay and Residence in the Macao SAR, you are now notified that you must leave Macao, before the expiry date of the Authorization now granted, for no less than 50 days otherwise you may be refused or blacklisted to enter Macao.
I declare that I am aware of the content of this notification, of which I was provided the original."
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