Located approximately 60 kilometers (37 miles) southwest of Hong Kong, the peninsula of Macau has become the hottest new destination in Asia. With 24 hour gambling in over 35 casinos Macau is often described as the Las Vegas or the Monte Carlo of Asia and is a luxury getaway destination for Asians and other travelers alike.
Gambling in Macau started in 1962 when Hong Kong businessman Stanley Ho was granted a monopoly license to operate his casinos in Macau. In 2002 that monopoly ended and the large hotel casinos sprung up everywhere making this small city of half a million one of the richest per capital cities in the world. Today Macau is home to some of the larges and most opulent casinos around and is the highest volume gambling centre in the world.
Not bad for a tiny colony that was settled 450 years ago. It is the oldest European settlement in Asia. In 1535 the Portuguese arrived and stayed until December 1999 when Macau was handed over to China. Today it is operated as a special administrative region of China, similar to Hong Kong. Even though Macau was a Portuguese colony for 450 years and the two official languages are Chinese and Portuguese, nobody speaks Portuguese.
Macau’s economic success may be linked to gambling but the city has a rich history and 25 UNESCO world heritage sites. St. Paul’s cathedral, built between 1602 and 1637, was the biggest cathedral in Asia and considered the landmark of Macau. Destroyed by fire in 1835, today just the front façade is still standing. Located just outside the old city fortress walls the cathedral attracts visitors interested in more than just gambling.
This small highly populated region (47,728 people per square mile or 18,428 persons per sq km) has almost as may motorcycles and scooters as there are people. The combination of Chinese and Portuguese has left Macau with some interesting festivals, holidays and special events but the biggest event of the year, which is held the third week of November, is the formula 3 Macau Grand Prix. Since 1954, the main streets of Macau have been converted to a Grand Prix racetrack and roar with the thunder of these high speed monsters as they race around this 6.2 km (3.8 mile) course.
A day trip to Macau from Hong Kong can easily arranged or visitors can come on their own by taking the ferry from either Shun Tak Centre in Hong Kong or China Hongkong City in Kowloon. Macau has its own currency but most places will take HK dollars or even American dollars. If you travel on a weekday, you will find the prices lower than on weekends when local Asian residents flock to Macau for inexpensive weekend getaways.
Make sure you visit the old part of the city and take in its Portuguese architecture and history before you try you luck at the gaming tables. Due to the large textile and garment manufacturing industry in the region, visitors will find shopping in Macau a little less expensive than in Hong Kong, especially if you are looking for designer labels. Try bungee jumping at the Macau Tower, which has been rated the world’s highest bungee jump at 233 meters (757 feet), or if you would rather watch, check out the panoramic view from the observation deck. Make a stop at the A-Ma temple, built during the Ming Dynasty, and say a prayer to the sacred Godess A-Ma.
If you want to gamble Macau is THE place to be in Asia. Home to the largest casino in the world, the Sands Macau and some of the most opulent casinos ever built, the casinos in Macau make Vegas casinos appear dull and boring. The Venetian Macau is the third the largest building in the world while the Wynn Macau and Grand Lisboa are worth a visit just to see them. All the casinos have some kind of feature to attract people. It might be very large gemstones or bars of gold in the lobby floor. With over 30 millions visitors in 2008, whatever Macau and the casinos are doing to attract visitors is obviously working.
If you are looking for a gambling holiday in Asia or just want to experience an Asian destination with a European heritage and atmosphere then Macau is an interesting place to visit. A short ferry ride from Hong Kong yet worlds away culturally Macau is a unique place to spend a few days and a lot of dollars. Who knows maybe you make your fortune in one of the spectacular casino’s located here.
