When most people think of massive casinos, fake Eiffel towers, and blingy hotels, Vegas is the first place to come to mind. But did you know there is a place where the gross gambling revenue is almost double Vegas’? Macao’s casinos earn over $2 billion a month, and the city alone attracts almost 45 million people a year, of whom about 19 million are day trippers.
Why Macau?
The vast majority of visitors are from mainland China, where commercial gambling is banned. Gambling aside, Macao’s unique history as a Portuguese colony makes it a big hit in China. This Portuguese influence is all across the old parts of town, from old yellow buildings, to cobbled streets and pastel de nata shops.
We visited from Hong Kong for the day, opting to take the bus over across one of the longest bridges in the world–the Hong Kong-Macao Bridge. The Journey starts on the airport island in Hong Kong, where there is a massive immigration checkpoint and bus station. Yes, there is immigration, but it was a pretty straightforward stamp in the passport, unlike mainland China, which requires a visa for a lot of passports (AUS passports now get 30 30-day visa-free).
After immigration, the bus took 50 minutes to Macau, where another immigration awaits before you can hop on a local bus to the centre. Luckily, my partner had WePay and got it working in Macau, if you need cash: either HKD or the official Macau currency, MOP. Most places in Macau accept HKD, and the rate is about the same, but you might get change in MOP.
Macau Old Town
The historic town, centred around the old fort, is an awesome blend of old and new, with Portuguese and Chinese foods, shops and more. Just along from the fort are the Ruins of Saint Paul’s, or São Paulo’s church, pictured below. As you can see from the many heads bobbing up in my photo, this church is a popular spot.
Along the pedestrian street that goes from the church to the old town are tons of shops selling bakkwa, a type of Chinese jerky. It’s delicious, sweet, and sticky–usually beef, but there are some great spicy pork variations. Be sure to check out a few shops before buying, as the price varies. It’s sold by the pound, I believe, I don’t know why.
Fisherman’s Wharf Macau
This ancient wharf…Just kidding, like so much else in Macau, these ruins are a replica of a Roman colosseum–at least a third of one. It’s a tourist attraction and venue for concerts–which would be pretty awesome–but sadly, no gladiator fights.
If you are arriving by boat from Hong Kong, then Fisherman’s Wharf is right by the terminal and a great place to start the day before heading to the old town or casinos.
Beyond the Roman “ruins,” you’ll find a surreal mix of architectural styles — from mock-Victorian façades to faux Tang Dynasty towers. There’s even a volcano-shaped hotel. So why not grab a coffee and enjoy some almost real history?
Cotai: Big Casinos
What do you do when the only place in China where gambling is legal runs out of space for more giant casinos? You build an artificial island to house more casinos, of course. Cotai, where the biggest casinos in Macau and some of the biggest in the world are built on reclaimed land between what used to be two islands–Taipa and Coloana
The inside of most casinos is strictly photo-free, but I managed to snap a photo of a live Blackjack. Game below. I’m really not a gambler, so I have no good insight into the casinos other than “they are humongous,” or “that’s a lot of flashing lights.”
Paris, London or Venice?
You may be surprised to hear that Macau has an entire indoor canal system complete with fake ceilings that look like the sky, a fake Eiffel Tower and an entire replica of St Pancras and Big Ben. Given that I’ve been to Paris and London, the whole thing is super weird. I haven’t been to Venice, so hey, who knows, maybe they nailed it, but I’m pretty sure the sky isn’t painted on there.
There is nothing else to say other than how absurd it is to cram all of these attractions into a collection of gigantic casinos on an artificial island. You really have to see it to believe.
Coloane Village: Old School Portuguese Charm
Nestled at the end of Coloane Island, about an hour on the bus from the old town, is Coloane Village. Being the avid seafarers that they were, the Portuguese took over this small fishing village, where there are still plenty of old buildings to explore.
It’s another place where you’ll find the famous Macau egg tart; in Portugal, it’s called a Pastel de Nata. These tasty little egg tarts are a big deal, with tourists lining up down the street to try them out at the popular spots like Lord Stow’s Bakery, which has a few branches around Macau–but Coloane is the original. Be sure to walk around to the back of the bakery, where you can see what’s being made behind a glass wall.
The promenade along the water is home to the old library and some great seafood restaurants. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant on stilts over the water and had some traditional Chinese food.
Visit… Before it’s Too Late
After both visits to Macau, I left with a strange feeling. In my opinion, the Cotai Strip is a dystopian nightmare wedged between two historic gems. Every single building is an increasingly gargantuan church to gambling, and those that aren’t are gigantic hotels built on a flat reclaimed abyss. It’s the most ironic celebration of crony communism that China has to offer–it’s not built for the people, it’s built for the people who profit from the labour of others, or plain corruption. But that’s just my opinion.
Old Macau is something very different–there are casinos, but in moderation, mixed into a town or a stone’s throw away from where people live and work. It’s an awesome place to see, but one that gets busier all the time as domestic tourism continues to grow and the surrounding mainland towns begin to dwarf this gem.
Top Tips For Macau
Unlike Hong Kong, Macau never really had the same urge towards liberal freedoms. As such, you will need a good VPN to access things like Facebook, Google Maps is pretty spotty, and WePay is more common than card (you can still get away with card and cash).
For most countries, Australia included, you can get a 30-day visa on arrival. If you are coming from Hong Kong, it’s a simple stamp in the passport–I’m not sure how it works coming from mainland China, so be sure to check.
It’s easy enough to communicate in english, with it being spoken by a good portion of tourism workers. On the bus, announcements are in four languages! Portuguese, Cantonese, English and Mandarin. Cantonese is the language of the Macanese, but I’m sure you would get by in Mandarin.
