Macau
I first thought about visiting Macau in 2010. I lived in Singapore for two months and planned a short trip to Hong Kong, but eventually my friends and I decided to not go to Macau for one of these days but rather spend the time exploring more of Hong Kong.
Details
Visit: April 26th - April 29th 2018
Season: Spring
Transport: Public Transport
Eight years laters I finally made it to this mixture of Portugese and Chinese culture, also known as the Las Vegas of Asia. You‘ll quickly agree to that as soon as you see all the Casinos on the Island of Taipa. According to Wikipedia it‘s gambling industry is actually way larger than that of Las Vegas.
Caroline and I crossed the boarder by foot from Zhuhai, where we departed a train from Yangshuo and had two days to explore the city.
If you‘ve read my blog post about the Iberian Peninsula you know that I‘m a fan of Pasteis de Nata and we were quite happy to find them in Macau. If you never tried them, this is your chance! That’s not the only food Macau is famous for, of course. You‘ll find a lot of seafood here, as one would expect, as well as Macau famous Pork Chop Bun which is basically a fried pork chop in a bun (surprise).
We had a great time in the city and apart from the famous sights it’s just nice to stroll around the city and see all of the Portugese and Chinese influences. The replicas were a little bit too much for my taste but it’s definitely something I would advise to visit to see it for yourself - I will never forget the Venice like shopping mall! All in all, even though it has a lot of casinos, it didn’t remind me too much of Las Vegas though.
Macau Peninsula
Away from the hustle and bustle you‘ll see many streets, churches and places that remind you of Portugal, even some small kiosks. But don’t even think of asking for Ginjinha, they will only serve you tea. If you want to explore the city by foot you‘ll find some nice walks online.
The most famous sight in Macau are the Ruins of Saint Paul's. They are not only part of the Historic Centre of Macau, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but also one of the Seven Wonders of Portuguese Origin in the World. If you want to take photos here I‘d recommend to come early in the morning as it gets packed during the day.
We also went to Fort Guia which is located on a hill in the city and provided great views of the city. There is also a lighthouse, but it was closed already when we visited.
Taipa
Of course we visited the island of Taipa with all the hotels and casinos and even did some gambling, though very limited. Beside of the casinos you will notice the huge replicas of parts of Venice and Paris. There is even a shopping mall that has a Venice part inside with bridges, a canal and gondola rides. They even painted the ceiling like the Sky. That all was a little too much for my taste but it’s definitely something I would advise to visit to see it for yourself.
