The House of Dancing Water, City of Dreams Macau

One of the main reasons we went for a 2D1N sidetrip to Macau from Hong Kong is to watch the highly acclaimed show - The House of Dancing Water (水舞間), at City of Dreams, Macau.

The story is simple - a brave stranger encounters and falls in love with a beautiful Princess, who was thrown into a cage by her evil stepmother-the Dark Queen who is finally defeated finally by the stranger & the Princess.

The uniqueness of the HKD2 billion production is the stage pool that holds a record-breaking 3.7 million gallons of water, equivalent to 5 Olympic-sized swimming pools, which can lift or descend to make the stage dry or filled with water.

The City of Dreams (新濠天地), along the Cotai Strip is owned and managed by Melco Crown Entertainment and has 3 hotel properties - Hard Rock Hotel, Crown Towers Hotel and the Grand Hyatt Macau. 

The super stretch limo welcomes us as we alight the shuttle bus at the main entrance.

Some of their shuttle buses are wrapped with the House of Dancing Waters promotional visuals. 

Once you step into the City of Dreams, the Casino Entrance welcomes you, and you will be mesmerized by the Vquarium (virtual aquarium) surrounding the Casino Entrance, where aquatic life and mermaids appear to wish you well. 

Directional signages leading you to the Casino can be found everywhere around the City of Dreams. 

Hard Rock Hotel Macau is one of the hotel property housed in City of Dreams. The hotel main entrance gives you a feeling you are walking into another world. Welcome to the world of Rock'n'Roll!

The lobby is relatively small, but the design of the reception area is very unique, especially the backdrop which definitely captures everybody's attention. 
"Hello... I love you, won't you tell me your name?" by The Doors from their 1968 album Waiting for the Sun was released as a single that same year, reaching number one in the United States. A very appropriate sentence to choose, since all guests checking in would have to tell their name to the receptionist. 

As with all Hard Rock Hotels, pictures of celebrities and their guitars or concert clothes would be displayed around the hotel premises.  

The chairs for the King and Queen...

The lift lobby area

We bought our tickets for The House of Dancing Water through their website as you get to choose your seats. If you purchase through a travel agent, you would only be given seats pre-allocated to you.

The ticketing area where you can purchase tickets on the spot, or collect your tickets which you purchased online.

Our tickets to the show - I'm so excited to watch the show!

On the next day, we went back to the City of Dreams to watch our long awaited show! As we have already checked out from Galaxy Macau, we brought our luggage along, and left them at the baggage deposit area. When we arrived at the theatre, who would to know that my camera battery went flat on me (>.<) Well I guess maybe it's a sign to tell me that I should protect the privacy of the show and that you should definitely go watch the show for yourself!  

Pictures are allowed, but no flash, so I still took a few shots with my handy iphone. 

The stage setup before show starts.

The boat scene. The stage is now filled with water as performers perform acrobatics and jump down from the boat into the water. 

The House of Dancing Water is a must watch if you have some time to spare in Macau. Be mesmerized for a full 90 minutes with the state-of-the-art theater bringing you a spectacular journey through time, showcasing dazzling costumes, special effects and record breaking acts never seen before in a theater.


House of Dancing Water Stage Map and Prices

* Visual taken from http://thehouseofdancingwater.com


Show Schedule

Mon, Thurs, Sat, Sun - 5pm / 8pm
Friday - 8pm
No shows on Tuesday and Wednesday

Banyan Tree Macau

Another hotel property at the Galaxy Macau is the popular Banyan Tree. It is the first high-rise urban resort in Macau which features private indoor relaxation pools in all suites and resort villas complete with their own gardens and personal swimming pools. 

Welcome to Banyan Tree Macau - paradise in sin city! This is the entrance from Galaxy Macau, there is also a main entrance for guest / car drop off point.

The inviting sofa welcomes you once you enter the doors.

Balinese style wood carvings are typical Banyan Tree style. 

Bird cage chair - where can I find one too?  

Lift lobby area. Notice the intricate details on the walls. 

As usual, lobby area is huge!

The lounge area at the 2nd floor. 

The Banyan Tree spa is also located at the 2nd floor.  

The opulence of the lift lobby is incomparable! Marble walls, crystal chandelier, framed mirrors, oriental carpet... what more can you wish for..

Care for a pot of afternoon tea at the Banyan Lounge?  

The silver trees corridor leads to Hotel Okura.

An array of art pieces surround the hotel. 

I especially like this framed branch with the intricate details  

The outdoor pool. There is also another indoor pool, which I didn't get to see.

There are 8 cabanas lined alongside the outdoor pool, where you can order some light snacks or your favourite cocktail from the poolbar and relax at the cabanas.

Closer view of the cabana. Luckily we were not chased away by the staff there for trespassing outside their cabanas. 

Though I have not stayed or visited any of the Banyan Tree properties, the Banyan Tree Macau definitely exudes a sense of opulence and tranquility. Perfect for couples who wants a nice getaway, yet amidst the convenience of the full facilities of the Galaxy Macau. If you have some extra cash to spare, do book a suite or villa there to experience the Banyan Tree yourself!

Hotel Okura Macau

Being one of the hotel partners and housed in Galaxy Macau, Hotel Okura brings a blend of modern comfort and traditional Japanese to the Galaxy Macau.

We did not stay at the Hotel Okura, but since it is housed in Galaxy Macau, we decided to do some exploring on our own.

You are welcomed by an array of bamboo tress and wooden structures once you step into the hotel lobby. Very typical Japanese zen. 

The check-in area is more exclusive and not as much people as compared to Galaxy Macau Hotel. 

Guests relaxing in the lobby area, with the Japanese shōji (traditional screen made of paper) as the main focus. 

This flower plant is another the main focal point of the lobby area, and also my favourite arrangement out of all.

With the main decor and walls all made of wood, the hotel eludes a feel of traditional Japan yet modern simplistic feel. 

Simple potteries are made more elegant with an additional touch of glass and lighting. 



Do visit the Hotel Okura Macau website to check out offers on stays and dining.


In additional, the Nagomi Lobby Lounge serves a Wagashi-Macau high tea set, which combines elements of the Japanese Wagashi (和菓子, a Japanese confectionary) as well as Portuguese desserts. Interesting high tea to try out if you have time for a leisurely afternoon there.  

  

Galaxy Macau 澳門銀河

Galaxy Macau is the newest casino / destination resort located at the Cotai Strip along with big players Venetian Macau (by Las Vegas Sands) and City of Dreams (by Crown Limited).Costing USD1.9 billion, the resort was opened officially in 15 May 2011.

As there were special stay offers from their website, we managed to book a room at Galaxy Macau at approximately SGD240 per night.

The trip to Galaxy Macau from Hong Kong

We caught a ferry from the Hong Kong-China Ferry Terminal (中港碼頭) located in Tsim Sha Tsui and took the Cotai Jet which arrives at the Taipa temporary Ferry Terminal (氹仔客運碼頭), which is nearer to Galaxy Macau. 

The tickets cost HKD151 each, but touters will approach you when you reach the ferry terminal to sell you cheaper tickets. We bought ours from a travel agent located there at HKD140 each. 

The yellow sticker indicates your seat number, which the staff will allocate to you when you check-in. Ms K wanted to sit nearer to the front of the ferry to minimise the rocking, and the staff gave us the first row seats!

The ferry has quite a large seat capacity, and there were not a lot of passengers onboard on a Thursday morning. 

I bought my own drink from 7-11 before boarding the ferry. This was my medicine to prevent seasick onboard!

The tv screen onboard the ferry is already starting to hypnotise you into casino mode.

Welcome to Macau!

Once you reach Taipa Ferry terminal and clear immigration, you would see rows of hotel shuttle services waiting to pick you up to your hotel. 

We finally spotted the Galaxy shuttle service counter - it's like finding a needle in a haystack. 

The Galaxy shuttle buses are represented by their gold colour. 

The lobby and public area

The shuttle bus from the ferry terminal will drop you off at the main lobby, which definitely makes a grand statement once you enter. Welcome to the Galaxy Macau!

The Galaxy Macau uses the peacock tail feather as their main theme, so you can find many pieces with the peacock tail feather motiff throughout the establishment.

Just couldn't resist taking more shots of the spectacular lobby!

I secretly took a shot of the Galaxy Ambassadors, whom can be found walking around the Galaxy Macau. The minimum height requirement for these Ambassadors are 1.72m! on top of that, everybody seems to be wearing 5 inches heels! The Ambassadors come from all across Asia, with Philippines being the main source.

We went to the check-in area, which was already very crowded around 1pm. As we couldn't check in until 3pm, we decided to explore the Galaxy and to add more shots to my Galaxy Macau collection. 

This is the lamp piece at the centre of the check-in area. I realised recently that these types of chandelier lamps are very popular. Anyone knows where I can get my hands on a few?  

The various flower arrangements are all done tastefully. 

At stipulated times, the a 3 meter fortune diamond will rise from behind the waterfalls.  

you will get a surprise here and there at different times... so don't miss out on the fun!

stand a chance to win a Ferrari!

The wishing crystals, located at the second lobby offer you blessings and good fortune. The second lobby is also the place to take all the shuttle services.

The shuttle service directory - Galaxy must be one of the hotels who offer the most shuttle services to various places!

This is the place where you take the shuttle services - just outside the crystal lobby.

You will find directional maps of the place. This place is so huge, you can get lost in it!

The Grand Resort Deck

We went out to have a look at the Grand Resort Deck where guests can relax under the lush tropical palms and soaring trees. You can also have a great view of Galaxy from the deck.

Flowing waters surround the great architecture. As per the chinese saying: Water is fortune - water is a must for the casino business to bring them fortune.

There was also a Japanese garden at the deck. Flowers are not in bloom at the season, otherwise it could have been a beautiful sight!

We had looked forward to see the widely talked about world’s largest skytop wave pool, with 1.5-meter high waves and 2000 sq meters of white sands, but to our disappointment, it was closed for maintenance from January to March. It would be the best period for maintenance due to the dropping temperature. 

Although there was wave pool, there is another swimming pool at the deck. It is also a heated swimming pool, as the temperature was quite chilly at about 12deg during our visit.

There are also various activities available for adults and children. This is a towel origami lesson at the Garden Pavilion.

The Room

Finally it was time to check-in to our long awaited room!

This elegant sofa welcomes you the first thing you step out of the elevator.

We booked the Galaxy room, which is 44 square meters of luxury.

We were given the room with a fabulous view of the Pearl River and Macau Tower.

The lounging sofa in the room - I just love the lime green colour which matches with the overall room concept.

View from the other end of the room. Open concept bathrooms are very popular nowadays.

The bathroom is huge as well! This is just half of it, the other is the shower and bidet area.

There are a lot of small details in the room and these are the 4 items I love in the room - especially the silver cups and the clock. 

View of Galaxy Macau at night

If you liked the palace-inspired design of Galaxy Macau, wait till you catch their view at night time. The Galaxy at night is even more stunning!

The main entrance

View of the 2 towers. On the left is the east wing, which houses the Galaxy Macau hotel, and on the right, the west wing which houses Hotel Okura and Banyan Tree.

There is also another separate entrance dedicated for Galaxy VIPs.

Entrance to the East Square, which houses the Galaxy Cinemas.

The East Square is also the area where guests can take the shuttle bus. I've tried to combine the 2 photos into 1 to give you a better view of the whole place.

If you look closely, you can find City of Dreams at the back. In fact, the Venetian and City of Dreams are just a stone's throw away from Galaxy.

The Galaxy Macau houses 3 hotels within the resort - the 1500 room Galaxy Hotel, 410 room Hotel Okura as well as 238 suites Banyan Tree.
It is currently the newest casino development in the Cotai Strip, but soon the new Sands Cotai Central (金沙城中心) will take over to become with newest property with largest number of rooms in Macau, at approximately 6000 rooms from their 4 properties - Conrad (600), Holiday Inn (1400), Sheraton (2000) & Sheraton Towers (2000). Coming in at 2nd is the Venetian Macau with 3000 rooms and tied in 3rd is Galaxy and City of Dreams with 2200 rooms each.

The Sands Cotai Central is slated to open sometime in 2012, and I would be so looking forward to my next trip to Macau!