There are several ways to get to Macau. There is an international airport, you can go by land from mainland China, by bus, or by ferry. I went by ferry from Hong Kong. Macau is an autonomous region on the south coast of China which means they have their own laws separate from mainland China, their own currency and their own passport controls. Unlike mainland China, in Macau most nationalities can visit visa free. It’s the same way in Hong Kong. Macau is an interesting place because up until 1999 it was a Portuguese territory. Culturally it’s an interesting mix of east meets the west. Another huge attraction to Macau are the casinos.
Macau generates more money from gambling than anywhere else on the planet. Gambling and casino’s exist in all areas of Macau but the biggest and most extravagant casino’s are on the Cotai Strip on Cotai Island south of the Macau Peninsula. The Cotai Strip is home to the Venetian Casio, the largest casino in the world. All that being said I wasn’t really there for the gambling, I wanted to see the historic sites which are all on the Macau Peninsula.
I didn’t have a lot of time in Macau, I pretty much only had the morning to explore before crossing into mainland China and venturing on to Guangzhou. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the time I had walking around the old city. There’s something magical about walking around the the winding streets of the city before everyone wakes up.
The Historic Centre of Macau is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the sheer importance in the development of international trade. It was under Portuguese administration from the 16th century until 1999 so you still see some of the amazing colonial Portuguese architecture.
One of the biggest, if not thee biggest attractions in the Historic Centre are the Ruins of St. Paul’s Cathedral. This was the place I’d had my sights on all morning. The streets were pretty much empty until 10 am except for the Ruin’s of St. Paul. There were dozens of Chinese tourists from the mainland with the same idea, up bright and early to get a shot of the iconic cathedral. This shouldn’t come as a surprise as it’s Macau’s most famous landmark and it’s regarded as christianity’s greatest monument in the East.
It was a nice walk back to my hotel through the winding alleys of the old city. This was around noon and people were definitely out and about by then. Macau is definitely a place I would like to visit again.
After I got back to my hotel I took a taxi to the border with mainland China in Zhuhai. After border formalities I took a train to Guangzhou and then the subway system to my hotel, but that’s an adventure for another time…
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