24 Hours in Macau
Taking advantage of the extended stay in Hong Kong, I decided to do a day trip to Portugal ... I mean, MACAU. I took the ferry to Macau early in the morning to start my excursion in this heavily populated place. I knew Macau was a popular destination among the Chinese, but I had not imagined meeting so many people at the ferry terminal.
Many people told me in different things about Macau when I told them what my next destination was. However, I prefer not to be guided by the opinions of others as to the scale of values that a place has to offer. Macau’s tourist attractions are closely located. Hence, I decided to start my trip on foot. Macau is “too small” that you can walk around Macau in just one day.
The Heritage
My visit to the historic center of Macau begins in Largo del Senado, the center of the city, with important neoclassical buildings such as the Post Office building or Santa Casa de Misericordia. In the square is the tourist office of Macau. From there I headed to the remains of the church of Sao Paulo through Rua de Sao Paulo.
Next to the ruins of San Pablo is the fortress of Monte. Both buildings were built by the Jesuits after their arrival in Macau. Of the Church of San Pablo, only the facade remains since the rest of the building was destroyed in a fire.
My First Bungee Jump
To be honest, I had only once seen on television what Bungee Jumping consists of, plus a friend had recommended it to me on several occasions, but I never really thought I would be able to do it until that day.
Do not ask me why but I felt the need to challenge myself. Among my thoughts I doubted that I could dare, I asked several times how it worked, and unconsciously looking for an excuse that made me change my mind, but it was so simple and organized that I contracted it at that moment. However, I must tell you, jumping off the highest tower in Macau is not for everyone.
Casinos and Nightlife
After spending my day in the historic center and jumping off the Macau Tower I went to the casino area. There are more than 40 casinos that operate 24/7 without interruption. I went to different casinos pretending to be a person with lots of money just to use the air conditioning, take photos in front of the mirrors, take advantage of the free drinks and listen to live bands.
Its world famous Venation Macau offers something for everyone, from gondola rides to outdoor pools for putting golf to live shows. It also reminded me of Venice, perhaps because of the canals and gondolas that were inside the casino. With so much to see and enjoy, The Venetian Macau was undoubtedly an ideal entertainment destination for me.
I cannot forget the City of Dreams. This extraordinary resort is among Macau’s main attractions. The City of Dreams hosts maximum entertainment, casinos, resorts, spas, restaurants, shows and great shopping.
The casinos in Macau are privileged places to watch the motley crowd who rush greedily to satisfy their passion. Now I see it clear, here people are not wasting time, they reach Macau with a fixed target and you go straight to the point, to spend the dollars.
Near the casinos, there are lots of bars and nightclubs full of people, where the winners of a night are going to spend the party money. I got lost walking around, visited nearby localities and beaches, took advantage to keep trying the food and sat by the lake at night and enjoyed the serene nightlife of Macau.
Finally, I went to the airport to take the flight back to my home.
Travel Tips
Macau has a subtropical and humid monsoon climate with high-temperature differences between summer and winter. Autumn and winter are mostly dry while summer has large rains and occasional typhoons. You can travel to Macau either by air or by ferry from Hong Kong or mainland China.
Like Hong Kong, Macau has a special regime in China. Therefore it has its own currency, the Pataca, which maintains a fixed exchange rate with the Hong Kong dollar. However, you can easily pay with Hong Kong Dollars. To enter and leave Hong Kong and Macau you need the passport, due to this special regime.
Conclusion:
Macau is famous for its casinos, five-star hotels, heritage sites and entertainment areas. The former Portuguese colony is ideal for a pleasant excursion. There are also many options for shopping in Macau, which is a great value. The main entertainment in Macau is the casinos, usually located on the peninsula and in Cotai, a reclaimed land surface.
