Macau
Macau is one of China's Special Administrative Region's and is approx 60 kilometres from Hong Kong. It is relatively small in size, covering a total area of 27.3 square kilometres and has a population of less than a million. It comprises of two islands, Taipa and Coloane and a peninsula, with the main city of Macau built on the peninsula. Both islands are easily accessible however, with links by both bridge and causeway.
China resumed sovereignty over Macau in 1999, after approximately 450 years of Portugese rule, so there are two official languages in the region with Cantonese being the most widely spoken.
You can't help but be fascinated by the region's mix of Mediterranean and Asian, food, architecture and customs.
Macau is now very easily accessible, with regular air services to major cities in Mainland China and other parts of Asia, America and Europe. But by far the easiest option is via Hong Kong, where you have the choice travelling by sea, using high-speed catamarans and jetfoils, or by helicopter. Both options will have you from A to B in under an hour.
Main Tourist Attractions
Considered by some as “the greatest monument to Christianity in Asia” a visit to the Ruin of the Church of St Paul's is a must. It was built in the early 17th century, by an Italian Jesuit and is famed for its wonderful statues, engravings and its façade and the stone steps leading to it. A short journey away you will also find Mont Forte, which was constructed at a similar time to St Paul's and is now home to the Museum of Macau.
The Temple of A-Ma is the most famous and picturesque temple in Macau. It is a monument to the Goddess A-Ma (Tin Hau) and the present temple is believed to date back to the early 17th century.
The Taipa Houses Museum comprises of a number of beautiful apple green and white buildings, built in 1921. One house has been converted into a traditional Macanese House, from the 1920's. The House of Portugal Regions contains costumes, instruments and depictions of life around the country. Then you have The House of the Islands, which looks at the history of Taipa and Coloane, with maps, pictures and memorabilia.
The Lou Lim Ieoc Garden was built in the late 1800's and was styled on a traditional garden from Suzhou, with small ponds, pavilions and bamboo forests.
Sun Yat-Sen Park was named after a doctor who worked in Macau in the late 19th century. It is located on Macau's main canal and its main attractions are its aviary, greenhouses and Fung Shui forest of trees.
Entertainment and Eating Out
Gambling is big business in Macau.
It is famous for its casinos, of which there are at least a dozen. Open 24 hours a day, they offer a variety of favourite games from both west and east. In downtown Macau, on Taipa Island you can experience live Horse Racing at The Macau Jockey Club. Meetings are held every weekend, throughout the year. Alternatively, you have the Canidrome, the home of Asia's only recognised Greyhound Racing facility, which is open 4 times a week.
Because of a unique history, Macau's choice of cuisine varies from that of traditional Portugese and Chinese dishes to that of Macanese specialised dishes, which are heavily African/Indian influenced.
