Macau Travel Guide

Macau is a gambling mecca located on the Southeastern tip of Mainland China, about 40 miles across the Pearl River from Hong Kong. For more than 400 years, Macau was a Portuguese colony, and now, like Hong Kong, is part of the People’s Republic of China.

Permission to visit Macau

U.S. citizens with valid passports are allowed a 30-day visa-free stay in Macau. Europeans and Japanese may stay for 90 days, and United Kingdom nationals are permitted six-month-long visits.

How to Get to Macau

The most convenient way to get to Macau is to fly into Hong Kong and take the ferry. Hong Kong is served by many of the major international airlines. However, Macau International Airport (MFM), continues to expand its service, and travelers should check routes and prices when booking trip destinations to Macau.

There are several ferry lines that go 24/7 between Hong Kong and Macau. Travel time is about one hour each way, and cost ranges from U.S. $16- $23, depending on the time of day. Turbojet offers fast ferry service every 15 minutes directly from Hong Kong Airport.

Casinos and Gambling
Macau currently has more than 30 casinos, based both in the city center and the Cotai Strip by the river. Many are branches of Las Vegas casinos, including Hard Rock, MGM Grand, The Wynn, The Sands, and The Venetian, the largest casino-resort in the world.

Macau is flourishing today because of the ever-growing potential to attract a billion Chinese and other Asian visitors, all within two hours’ flight time. Macau is attractive to Asian travelers because it’s the only city in China, including Hong Kong, where gambling is legal.

Where to Stay

Venetian Macau Resort Hotel With 3000 luxurious suites, this Asian branch of the famed Las Vegas resort offers the same upscale luxury. The canals have the expected Italian singing gondoliers on their three luxury shop-lined waterways, along with Chinese dragon boats that all wind through the enormous resort property. Throughout are fine restaurants, spas, swimming pools and the largest hotel casino in the world.

Entertainment includes many varieties of live bands, Cirque du Soleil, Chinese traditional dancers, French Can Can, Portuguese Folk Dancers, Elvis and Michael Jackson impersonators, magicians and scores more. There’s also a huge convention center and a Playboy Club. There are 30 restaurants throughout the Venetian property, offering French, Western, Chinese, Japanese and other ethnic choices. Rates are from U.S. $250 per night.

The Venetian Macao Resort
Estrada da Ba­a de N. Senhora da Esperanza
Macau China
venetian.com.mo

Things to See in Macau
A great view of the city can be found on Guia Hill and there is a cable car to take you right to the top.

The House of Dancing Water at the Grand Hyatt Hotel resembles an old-style circus, with all types of acrobatic and danger-defying acts. The main stage features an enormous pool, where the entertainment includes high divers and synchronized swimming.
thehouseofdancingwater.com

The Macau Skywalk Tower is more than 1,100 feet high, taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It has a sweeping view of the city, especially for those brave enough to sign up for the so-called walk. It involves being strapped into a harness and step along the bare edge of the walkway. Customers are carefully escorted by guides, but leaning out on the straps gives the feeling of walking on air. There’s also a bungy jump feature on the Tower. Cost about U.S.$100
macautower.com.mo

Ted Sherman is a world traveler and editor of travel4people.com. You can follow him on Twitter@travel4seniors.

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