Macau undoubtedly takes the cake as my favorite aspect of my trip to Hong Kong. As an ex colony of Portugal, the two official languages are Portuguese and Chinese. If you speak any romance language in Asia, you will be excited because for once, you won’t be illiterate. Wrong. Despite Portuguese being an “official” language, most people speak Chinese.
Since Macau is technically a country (even though it’s an SAR of the People’s Republic of China) you must bring your passport and go through immigration. Fun fact: Hong Kong and Macau don’t stamp your passport—instead, they print out slips. On the bright side, at least your travels are digitally recorded? I know it’s a bit sad, but your spirits will be lifted quickly after you set foot on a new territory.
Macau is the Vegas of Asia and if I say so myself, better than Vegas. Check out six awesome things to do in Macau besides gamble.
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Recommended Macau Tours
Klook.com1. Check Out The Venetian
After immigration from the ferry port, take a free shuttle to the Venetian—a hotel, shopping mall, and casino. Seriously, the one in Vegas has got nothing on this one This massive shopping mall sections a canal where people can take gondola rides through a Venice style street… and of course have Dean Martin romantic ballads accompany their boat ride by the gondola driver. (Is that what a person who steers a gondola is called?)
Never having been to Venice this was a phenomenal Italy away from Italy. While everything is duty free, it is still expensive. Being a modest civil servant of the government and making a modest salary, everything was way out of my price range, but window shopping is always fun.
If you’re a sucker for Shakespeare, you’ll feel whisked away by the Venetian masqueraders outside the hotel. As if out of a movie I was almost stolen away by… What’s that? A hunky Italian?
2. Walk Down The Cotai Strip
The Cotai strip is where all the casinos, hotels, and malls are, therefore it makes a playground for the rich and famous. If you’re a fan of the Korean drama version of Boys Over Flowers, you’ll quickly notice three episodes were filmed there.
Winter wonderland on the Cotai strip are impressive because they have everything like a Venice style carnival. There are fire twisters, building dancers hanging from a rope, elegant clowns on stilts, opera singers, dance performances, and even a projector show on the back of the castle.
3. Eat an Egg Tart
Original recipe coming from Europe, the people of Macau have made it into their own delicacy. Yum, yum, you know you want to nom on this.
4. St. Paul’s Cathedral
On the more historic part of Macau, you’ll see St. Paul’s Cathedral (well, what’s left of it) and you’ll learn it was built by Japanese Christians in exile. Although the church burned down in 1835, the front remains, as do the beautiful carvings and statues.
5. The Guia Fortress
I also went to the Guia Fortress which is the highest point in Macau. The Fortress offers a fantastic view of the bay and city. Since the European and Asian cultures intertwine, there were also shrines with historic characters.
6. Walk Around Down Town
If you’ve never been to Europe (like I have) then you can definitely get the feel for a European settlement. Many of the buildings are older and give a glimpse into the past.
This small SAR is awesome and amazing. I loved the Portuguese cultured intertwined with the culture of Macau and China. I loved eating the egg tart and being blown away by the Vegas of Asia. Even though you don’t get another stamp on your passport, Macau will leave a stamp on your mind. Would you make the hop over to Macau?
24 Comments on Six Things to do in Macau Besides Gamble
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Hi! I really like this post, it’s really interesting and original 🙂
You’ve included in few words the essential things to see and to do.
Like it!
Thanks so much! Macau is awesome for gamblers but for people like me who hate it, I’d rather do something else! Thanks for checking this out!
Such a lovely post with lovely photos. I like Macau, a lot. Even more than HK. It has a great vibe and culture to it. Unfortunately I didn’t explore as much as you did – was only there one night.
But you’re right! Their egg tarts are must have!! 🙂
Maybe one day you’ll be able to go back to Macau and check out all this awesome culture! The egg tart was delicious! I want to eat one again!
This looks awesome! I’m dying to see St. Paul’s Cathedral in person.
It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. The entire church burned down minus the front. I think the front is the most beautiful!
Woo hoo! I love Macau! It’s such a neat day destination from Hong Kong. I agree with you that Macau’s egg tarts are a must, but I was surprised you didn’t visit the fisherman’s wharf. It has neat replicas of various buildings from around the globe, such as the Collosseum or the New Orleans’-style architecture. They are a bit cheesy, but the closest I’ve been to the real things haha
The Fisherman’s Wharf sounds amazing! I can’t believe I missed it! I would have liked to see replicas of all the world’s most amazing architecture! I haven’t been to Italy or New Orleans so this would have been amazing.
Been to HK and I don’t know why I didn’t go to Macau. What a pity! I always envy photos of friends from there. But your photos are awesome.
Macau is so amazing! It’s not a place for kids, but I think it’s great for adults. You have to try an egg tart!
What bright and lovely photos of Macau, Gina!
I love that you’re showing people another side to the ‘country’ so that those who aren’t interested in gambling can also find fun things to do.
x
I’m not a gambler myself. I know it’s the gambling capital of Asia, but I wanted to see other things that didn’t scream, “Lose your money here.” It was definitely worth the look at the older part of the city.
I’ve always wanted the answer to this question so thanks for the heads up! My sister was gonna try to teach English in Macau but I told her to reassess since I was scared the offerings wouldn’t be exciting. It seems that the place itself is a great stop as a tourist but not very liveable 😛 Oh and I had these amazing egg tart pastries in Portugal… I think those egg tars you’re referring to must be the same recipe due to its colonial past! And we have the same lace tights 😛
It was definitely a good idea to reassess because this place is definitely for the tourists and I can’t imagine the shady stuff that happens because this is a gambling district! The egg tarts definitely come from the Portuguese past and they are so delish! Great minds must think alike because those tights are awesome!
Your pictures look amazing! I’ve never heard of Macau before this! But now, I definitely want to visit. The Cotai Strip looks like my haven! I love everything vibrant and with lights haha. After reading through various blogs, I’ve realized there are so many hidden, less popular gems here in Asia. It’s making my travel decisions even harder! Thank you for sharing, and keep going with your Youtube. I love your videos!
Asia is so amazing! It’s super underrated and I would love to explore it more myself. The flashing lights are incredible and will lure anyone in! I feel the same way every time I read travel blogs! I’ll work hard and keep making great videos! 😀
Really does have a lot of similarities to Vegas … especially the Venetian – looking at the photos, it looks almost identical! I love that there’s a lot to do besides gamble here – we’re not huge into the casino scene but we do love to soak in the atmosphere of each city, so walking the Cotai Strip would be fun just to marvel at the lights and enjoy the night scene!
I’m the same! I adore the atmosphere of any city I’ve been. You can get a real feel for what the city life culture is just by walking around. The bright lights are a big plus to watching everything!
Macau is like a fairyland. For us too a one day trip to Macau was the highlight of our trip to HK last year. Loved the casinos and also the Macau tower. And yes got to experience a slice of Europe too.
Haven’t really visited Macau yet but your pictures make me want to pack my bags and head out there now. A late night walk around the Cotai Strip looks like a nice way to enjoy the nightlife and admire the culture.
The venetian and the cotai strip are definitions of grandeur and astounding beauty. The beautiful downtowns, cathedrals and forts touched my heart with its architecture and simplicity. We had a great time in Macau a couple of years ago.
Without you I probably would have never notived that they didn’t give me any stamp in Hong Kong or Macau? Damn I was so sure of it (subconsciously). I’m really glad you found your small Europe in Macao. The Venetian was by far my favorite building in Macao. It’s so super cute! Did you know it was just a copy of that in Vegas?
Hmmm…. I’m not sure I would purposely go to Macau. BUT, I guess if I’m nearby I would definitely want to try and squeeze it in! I love the egg tarts.
See, I always thought Macau was a small city. And it is definitely very beautiful. No doubt it won your heart. Does any fraction of population here understand English? Otherwise it will be really difficult for global tourists to communicate