Sky Travel: Macau

Foreign investors are ploughing billions into hotel developments in Macau - mainly due to its status as the only legal place to gamble in China.  However it’s the ever present taste of the exotic, teamed with a strong sense of a unique history that’s likely encourage British visitors to book a holiday.

The Las Vegas Sands Corporation invest billions creating ‘The Cotai Strip TM’ otherwise known as the Asia’s Las Vegas TM

Sky Travel attended the opening of the Venetian Macau, a US$2.4 bn hotel which is twice the size of its Vegas sister hotel.  This is a hotel mega-resort with plenty of wow-factor.  There was no mistaking the extravagance of this project when the opening ceremony saw Diana Ross singing alongside a unique performance from Cirque de Soleil.

And this is only the beginning.  The Cotai Strip is the vision of Sheldon Adelson, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Las Vegas Sands Corp.  This will be a collection of prestigious hotels containing casinos and entertainment venues (much like the Las Vegas Strip which many of the hotels chains already exist on).  The aim is that in the near future this will be Asia’s entertainment capital.

The Historic Centre of Macau

What separates Las Vegas from this Asian equivalent is it’s proximity to China’s 31st designated World Heritage Site.

Macau was a Portuguese trading post until 1999 and as a result its historic centre is an enticing mix of Chinese and Portuguese culture and architecture.

These days the community is much more Chinese than Portuguese, although street signs are still in both languages, and educated locals speak both.

Must see sites include the ruins of St Paul’s Church which was all but destroyed in a fire in 1853.  Today just the front V is standing, and makes an impressive landmark in its elevated position above Senado Square.

The architecture around Senado Square includes a great many churches and town buildings which have a Portuguese feel and add colour and grandeur to the area.

The Portuguese influence blends in well with the Chinese, and you’d never forget that you’re in Asia, rather than Europe.  Places like A Ma Temple, the oldest place of worship in Macau, have a really Chinese feel, and the atmosphere is seductively exotic.

The historic buildings aren’t limited to one area.  Take one of the bridges over the water to Taipa Island and you’ll discover the Taipa Villa Museum.  Here original Portuguese villas stand on the waterfront opposite the Cotai Strip.

The comparison of these pretty fading villas next to the enormity and extravagance of the Cotai Strip couldn’t be more vivid, and is indicative of what makes Macau such a fascinating place to visit.  The blend of old and new; history and culture versus state-of-the-art entertainment; small, discreet and understated alongside brash and over-the-top. 

Macau Top 5

1. St Paul’s Church Ruin

2. A Ma Temple

3. Taipa Villa Museum

4. Senado Square

5. Lou Kau Mansion

Key Facts

• Macau is a Special Administrative Region in the Guangdong province of China
• Macau is usually reached via Hong Kong. Regular ferries from the airport and from the Macau-Hong Kong Ferry Terminal take around 45 minutes to reach the peninsular
• Macau is the only legal place to gamble in China, but children under 18 are not permitted on casino floors
• Currency – Macau Pataca or Hong Kong Dollar.
• Climate – a warm tropical climate. Autumn is most pleasant (warm & not too humid), winter (cold but sunny), spring (humidity increases), summer (hot, rainy and very humid)
• The Cotai Strip is on reclaimed land between the islands of Taipa and Coloane and a short taxi journey away from the Macau Peninsula

Want to find out more?

Sky Travel offers holidays to Macau along with a range of other holidays, catering for a variety of tastes, whether you’re looking for a touch of luxury, a relaxing sun soaked getaway or a chance to take in several destinations in one holiday on a cruise or a multi-centre trip.

Watch Sky Travel's programme on Macau

To find out more visit www.sky.com/travel where you can watch videos and Sky Travel programmes, read comprehensive destination guides and get the very latest holiday deals. 

You can visit Sky Travel at Sky channel 659 or at www.sky.com/travel

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