It has to be said that Macau’s main claim to fame is its casinos. The casino hotels are ostentatiously spectacular, especially themed hotels like The Venetian, The Parisian, The Londoner, MGM etc. However, apart from the glitz and glamour, Macau is a charming city full of culture and history.
After an absence of three years, my partner and I were finally able to visit Macau via Hong Kong. As it turned out, the timing of our visit to Macau was inspired. A couple of days later, we would have got caught up in the Easter holiday crowds and spent hours at Departure and Arrival!
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge
This bridge is awesome! The bridge-cum-tunnel system connects Hong Kong, Zhuhai on mainland China and Macau. At 55km (34 miles) it is both the longest sea crossing and the longest open-sea fixed link in the world. The bridge dips into a tunnel between the 2 artificial islands in the middle before rising majestically again
Instead of traipsing across town to catch the ferry, we travelled to Macau by bus across the HZM Bridge. The crossing took only 45 minutes and the cost was a fraction of that by ferry!
Legend Palace Hotel
Having stayed at The Venetian on three previous occasions, the novelty has worn off. This time I chose Legend Palace Hotel in old Macau and what a great choice it turned out to be! The welcoming entrance, spacious public areas and the grand reception area all exuded opulence befitting a 5* hotel!
Legend Palace Hotel is conveniently located adjacent to Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal (even though we opted to travel by cross-border bus via Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge) It’s elegantly palatial with comfortable large suites at a reasonable price
The bedroom suite
Fisherman’s Wharf
This leisure complex is right next to Legend Palace Hotel with eateries catering for different tastes, housed in buildings in the style of different world seaports
The biggest draw of Fisherman’s Wharf must be the replica of the Colosseum where people pose in front of it. It’s particularly popular as the backdrop of for couples posing for their wedding photos.
Guia Fortress
This 17th-century colonial military complex in São Lázaro District. It is part of the UNESCO world Heritage Site Historic Centre of Macau.
The fortress is not big and it’s quite a trek to get up there, but the views from the top are rather charming and it’s a hotspot for photographers
Guan Yin Statue
This 20m high bronze statue standing stately at the end of a 60m causeway. Underneath the statue is a library and museum of religious objects
Cultural & Historical Macau
Here are some of the cultural and historic buildings that caught my eyes
Colegio Santa Rosa De Lima – This is a secondary school (Chinese department) for girls built in 1875
St. Dominic’s Church – located in Senado square, it was opened in 1587
Octagonal Pavilion Library
This exquisite library was built un 1927 by a Chinese architect, it is Macau’s first public library.
Macau Central Library
It was opened in 1983, housed in a restored 2-storey heritage building dating back to 1895. I just love the paving done by Portuguese craftsmen!
Senado Square
With its traditional Portuguese paving, Senado Square is part of the UNESCO Historic Centre of Macau World Heritage Site, and the heart of the city
Santa Casa sa Misericórdia (Holy House of Mercy)
This historic building in Senado Square was built in 1569. It was opened in 2001 as a museum
Office of Macau’s Chief Executive
This stately building was built in 1846 as a private home. It was acquired by the Macau Government in 1926 to become the Government Headquarters. Since 1999 it has served as the Chief Executive’s office
Casino hotels
No visit to Macau is complete without seeing some of the awesome casino hotels. Here are a few.
Grand Lisboa Hotel – in the heart of Macau and dominates its skyline
The Parisian – one of many casino hotels on “The Cotai Strip” which including The Venetian, Galaxy Hotel, Four Season Hotel etc. The lights of the tower were switched off at 20.30 just after I took this photo!
The Londoner is a recent addition to the collection of Sands’ themed casino hotels
Macau waterfront at night
When I was in Macau.….
