Macau is ex-Portugese colony and it is an hour's ferry ride from Hong Kong. It's famous mainly for its casinos, patronised mostly by HK residents because gambling (other than betting on horses) is prohibited here.
Because of that reputation I have never been before but I found out last weekend that Macau has much more to offer. The main highlights were the food (and coffee) and the cool Portugese feel (architecture and narrow cobbled streets).
Compared to HK the atmosphere is very relaxed, even despite the fact that the number of tourists from HK probably equalled the population of Macau over the Easter weekend. Even having to fight fellow HK residents for service in shops didn't ruin the vibe.
Here are a few statistics from my 30 hour getaway:
- Macanese style egg tarts consumed = 5
- other assorted Macanese pastries consumed = 4
- chickens roaming the ground floor of the Lisboa Casino = countless
- nuns sighted = 4
- complete human skeletons sighted = 4
- churches visited = 3
- applications of holy water = 1
- cups in my room to use for drinking the tea provided = 0
Macau comes with my full recommendation. Next time I'll try and stay longer :)
