Macau is a special administrative region of China that is only an hour’s travel away from Hong Kong. It sees a blend of both its Chinese heritage combined with a tinge of its Portuguese past due to its former colonial masters. This makes it one of the finest places to visit as its unique history is seen in not only the stunning buildings and architecture but the foods and the region’s traditions. Macau is known to many as the “Las Vegas of Asia” due to the number of casinos, premium shopping centers and the glitz and glamour but there is certainly more to this glorious region.
First of all, you can’t mention the casinos in Macau. The Las Vegas of Asia has some fine establishments to play at and a lot of them take inspiration from Las Vegas as well as the Portuguese history of Macau. When it comes to high-end venues, you can’t go wrong with the Casino at the Venetian Macao, the Grand Lisboa Casino, the MGM Casino and then Lisboa Casino. These land-based casinos have everything in terms of table games like blackjack & roulette, slot machines, superb restaurants, trendy bars; and actually, delivers everything visitors could ever want and need.
Macau also has some lovely historic architecture that many visitors to the region love to visit and explore. The ruins of St. Paul are one of the prime tourist attractions and they’re great to visit in the daytime or after dark. Close by there is Monte Fort and Macau Museum too so if it’s history you want, Macau definitely has you covered here, with most of it for free too.
The ruins of St. Paul in Macau, Hong Kong
There are some great places to explore that show you how Macau used to be and that people are still living in a more traditional sense in villages around the region. The Old Taipa Village is great for people looking to enjoy a stroll around Macau in its more traditional format with colorful buildings and narrow alleys. It’s a great location too as there’s the Venetian Macao close by as well as the Taipa Houses Museum, the Our Lady of Carmel Church and gardens.
When it comes to food, there are plenty of places spread around Macau that serve some great cuisine but the most famous food is undoubtedly the Portuguese egg tart. Again this links back to its Portuguese history. This delicacy can literally be found everywhere around the region and is something everyone must try. The Koi Kei bakery, the biggest in the city, has branches aplenty so you’re sure to get a chance to enjoy treats as you explore.
So when visiting here it really has something for everyone. In places, it’s extremely modern and in others, it’s more traditional. It’s packed full of history that isn’t just Chinese and it has all the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas but with a Chinese and Portuguese twist. It’s one of those places that if you get a chance to visit, you must or you may live to regret it.