Macau

Macau Skywalk And Bungy Jump

November 3, 2014

Besides all the touristy things to do in Old Macau, and the casinos, larger than life hotels, and aimless wanderings around Taipa Macau, there might come a point during your trip where you just want to do something a little different. A little .. nutty, perhaps. Well, you’re in luck because you just so happen to be in the city that has the world renowned AJ Hackett Macau Skywalk and Bungy Jump! You might think this idea is absolutely crazy, but I say, you’d be crazy not to do it!

When you’ve been in Hong Kong for a few years and you have a birthday coming up, you’re probably racking your brain for something new to do. Sure, you’ve done a birthday junk and the following year maybe you did a birthday tram. You’ve partied in LKF until the sun rises and managed to make it through a champagne brunch without embarrassing yourself (for the most part). But, if you’re like me, and are wanting to do something  totally different than the usual HK birthday fare, then you must head to the Macau Tower and do the AJ Hackett Skywalk and Bungy Jump!

So, that’s exactly what I did (with the encouragement [and original idea!] from my wonderful mother, whom later regretted offering such a suggestion as she did not think I would actually follow through) on my birthday.

Since I knew this was going to be a once in a lifetime opportunity, I opted to purchase the complete package; all the photos, videos (video from the staff and a GoPro on my wrist), along with adding the Skywalk to my package for an extra $100 HKD or so. Though this ended up being quite an expensive birthday, it was well worth the price tag. In total, the cost came to about $500 CDN for everything. I know some people who have done it and haven’t purchased their photos, which they now really regretted (don’t you want to see your family members’ faces or those of your kids/grandchildren/etc. while they’re watching you jump off the worlds tallest bungy jump?!), so just splurge and treat yourself to a full package.

 

Getting to the Top

When you (finally) get out of the elevator at the top of the tower, you’re greeted with a brightly lit and spacious area thanks to the floor to ceiling windows that look down on the city. The staff are extremely friendly and help you sort out your package, leading you to where you need to go and what to expect.

 

Bungy Jump 

We opted to do the bungy jump first to get it over with, so we weren’t antsy while doing the Skywalk and so that neither of us would chicken-out of actually jumping off the edge after we realized just how high we were.

We were each given a black AJ Hackett Macau Bungy tee shirt and were suited up in a harness. Be sure to wear closed toe shoes, but if you forgot, then don’t worry – they have plenty of shoes available. After, we went into a little enclosure where we awaited our jump with a few other restless individuals ready to take the plunge.

For whatever reason, I felt really calm during the whole process, though I can’t say the same for some of the people around me. I ended up being the first person in our group to jump. From the time that one of the staff members called my name up until the countdown before I jumped all feels like a blur in my head. Everything seemed to move at an increased speed, though despite the feeling of things being rushed, I couldn’t help but smile the whole time (thanks to the photographic evidence later on).

As I approached the edge, I peeked downwards – I could not believe I was about to willingly throw myself off this tower. The staff member told me that they would be counting down and then I was to jump off once they reached “one”. However, their idea of a countdown was not one I was expecting; they hastily counted back from five, giving me no time to think or process what was about to happen. At number “one”, I jumped off the edge – smile still plastered on my face. This was surely an experience I was not going to close my eyes for!

As I fell through the air, laughing almost the entire way (after I caught my breath and the fear of falling to my death was subdued), I was sad that it was over so soon. Thankfully the video cameras from above and the GoPro on my wrist captured my jump and I can re-live it any time I like.  This was an incredible experience and it definitely won’t be the last time I take the plunge!

 

Skywalk 

After we were both finished our bungy jump (and both agreed on how absolutely incredible, crazy, and wild of an experience we just had was!) we made our way back up the tower to go on the Skywalk.

We each were given a new shirt, this time orange in color, and were re-fitted in another harness. We were lucky, as we somehow managed to be the only people in our group during the Skywalk; two of us and one staff member making our way around the tower.

The Skywalk was quite tame in comparison to the bungy jump we had just finished, but it was still a lot of fun. The staff member that was with us had us do a lot of different poses while he took photographs. Unfortunately, after we looked at the photos, it seemed as though his lens was a bit smudged because they all were a bit blurry. Guess that just means we’ll have to go again!

We also had quite the audience of people looking at us from the glass windows. For whatever reason, they were taking pictures of us as we were doing the Skywalk. A bit bizarre, but hey – it’s China.

 

I would highly, highly recommend the Macau Skywalk and Bungy Jump to anyone coming to this part of the world! It is such an incredibly fun experience that you really shouldn’t pass up!

 

  • Timo
    November 3, 2014 at 7:57 pm

    This looks really cool but honestly, I would never do this. I am so bad with heights that already watching out from the windows gets my heart racing!

    • thisgirlabroad
      November 5, 2014 at 9:29 am

      Haha, fair enough. Definitely not for everyone. Could be a possible way to cure your fear of heights! Though someone might have to push you off the edge 😉

      • Chris
        November 24, 2014 at 12:17 pm

        Do you remember how much more it was to use a GoPro? Are you allowed to use your own? What package do you need to buy to be able to use it?

        • thisgirlabroad
          November 24, 2014 at 1:05 pm

          Hi Chris,

          I bought the “Full Package” when we went, which included the Go Pro. Highly recommend going with this option if it’s your first time!
          I highly doubt they would let you use your own Go Pro, but I honestly don’t know.
          You can check out their pricing here for more information: http://www.ajhackett.com/macau/activities/bungy-jump/

          Have fun on your bungy jump!!

  • Jo
    November 25, 2014 at 10:15 am

    Oh man! When I went to HK in May, this tower and the Sky Jump (not bungee) were on my list of must do! Unfortunely, the one day I had in Macau was rainy and cloudy =( we didn’t bother even going to the tower because from where we were all day, you could not even see the circle at the top of the tower because the clouds were covering it. This is a must on my list of to do when I go back!

    Would you do it again or is it a one time thing?

    • thisgirlabroad
      November 25, 2014 at 12:01 pm

      Awe, that’s too bad! I had my fingers crossed for a nice clear day, which are often hard to come by here, and thankfully it was!

      I would definitely do it again in a heartbeat! After your first jump, you’re given a card so that the next time you go, you’ll be able to jump at a discounted rate. You can also choose to jump off backwards or run and jump off the next time you go. If I can remember correctly, the card says that if you jump three more times (so, collect 4 stamps in total), then your 5th jump is free!

      Have fun jumping!!

      • Richard
        January 25, 2017 at 11:30 pm

        Hi! Do they allow you to run and jump off on your first jump?

        • thisgirlabroad
          January 25, 2017 at 11:43 pm

          Hi Richard,
          When I went, they didn’t. You stood at the edge and sort of let yourself fall off. After your first time, you’re able to “jump off” in various ways. Though, perhaps their rules have changed in the last few years. Either way, fantastic experience!

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