Where am I – the “Las Vegas of Asia”, Macau / Macao. A UNESCO World Heritage site and the most densely populated region in the world.
Where we stayed – the divine Four Seasons Hotel Macao, a complete oasis in the very heart of the Cotai casino strip
Highlight - would have to be the exceptional stay at the Four Seasons, which was faultless. The team there have perfected the art of friendly yet high level service. We only wished we could have stayed longer - to enjoy some downtime at the hotel and also check out some more of the fantastic recommendations from the concierge team for local things to see and do; there’s a lot more to Macau than just being a gambling mecca. At their suggestion, we did make it to the Portugeuse influenced old town, and next time would really like to visit the nearby historic Taipa village.
The location of the hotel was excellent - connected (by massive integrated luxury shopping complex) to both the Venetian and Parisian, so it's easy to stretch your legs in air-conditioned comfort. But also such a treat to head back ‘home’ to the much more tranquil surrounds of the Four Seasons.
We loved our room with a view of the Eiffel Tower (!!) and would certainly recommend heading up at sunset to the sky high Study Bar for a cocktail and panoramic view of the glitzy strip.
Must do - sample the local version of a Portugeuse tart (or Po Tat) which is much more savoury (and eggy) than it’s European counterpart. The jury is out on which one we prefer! You’ll find stores aplenty in Macau old town that specialise in egg tarts, as well as other local delicacies like Pork Chop Buns and Serradura (Sawdust Pudding!)
A visit to the old town is also where you will come across the most famous attraction in town - the 17th century Ruins of Saint Paul's, which today mainly comprises the intricately carved facade. There’s a small museum here to visit (free entry) which gives a little context to the history of the sight, and the square and bustling streets which surround are fun to explore.
Would also recommend a visit to the Wynn Palace after dark (back over on Cotai), to see their fountain show which takes place every 20-30mins. Perhaps less impressive than the fountains at Bellagio in Las Vegas, for which it no doubt takes a great deal of inspiration - but a fun diversion nonetheless.
Getting here - was very streamlined. We actually took the coach connection directly from Hong Kong Airport, there’s no need to clear immigration on arrival - you just go to the coach desk and book on the next service, and they take care of collecting your bags and transferring these for you. On arrival to Macau you clear immigration then take a taxi or complimentary casino coach to wherever you happen to be staying.
When it’s time to depart, you could take this same coach service back to the Airport. Or like we did, the fast ferry (under an hour) direct from Macau to Hong Kong Central.
