Macau

Macau, Macao

Macau has a colourful palette and a plethora of sites despite occupying just 30.8sq km of the Chinese mainland. From neon-lit casinos to dusky markets, cobbled streets to modern cafes and Baroque churches to Art Deco buildings - there's a wonderful mix of East and West. Thirty buildings and squares are UNESCO listed, and many reflect Macau's colonial Portuguese legacy, as does the food, laid-back lifestyle and the blue azulejo-tiled street names. Yet Macau has a modern Asian look, rivalling Singapore and Hong Kong.

Population:

656 700 (2018)

Currency:

Macanese pataca (MOP)
MOP$1 ~ US$0,12

Emergency Numbers:

Police, fire & ambulance: 999
24-hour tourist emergency hotline: 110,112
International directory assistance:101
Local directory assistance:181

Opening Hours:

General business hours are 10.00am-8.00pm.

Newspapers:

Hoje Macau (Portuguese)
Jornal Tribuna de Macau (Portuguese)
Macau Daily News (Chinese)
Macau Daily Times (English)
Macau Post Daily (English)
O CLARIM (Portuguese, English and Chinese)
Ponto Final (Portuguese)
Tai Chung Pou (Chinese)
Son Pou (Chinese)
Va Kio Daily (Chinese)

The City

It was the Portuguese who settled Macau in 1557, persuading the Chinese to rent them the peninsula and establishing trade links in the region that made them very wealthy. It was this period of prosperity that created the colonial Macau we see today – the Basilica of St Paul, the Mediterranean courtyards, luxurious villas, the hill-top lighthouse and UNESCO World Heritage old city.

By the 17th century Macau was already in decline and became a backwater for licensed gambling, prostitution and organized crime well into the 20th Century. In fact the Chinese refused to take it back until 1999, by which time it was in better shape anyway. By then the Triad gangs had been dealt with, the monopoly on casino licenses revoked and Macau’s economy had kick started as foreign tourism increased.

Today Macau is seen as having something of two faces with people coming to appreciate the fortresses, churches and food of the colonial era and dining in the modern Las Vegas of the East amidst 14 casinos and ritzy hotels. There are also other sights such as Buddhist temples, war bunkers, the excellent Museu de Macau, Macau Tower and the Fisherman’s Wharf theme park.

Do & See

Macau is based on a peninsula with a couple of islands including Taipa and Colôane. Most of the sights including St. Dominic's Church and Basilica of St Paul are packed around a few blocks in the old core around Largo do Senado, a good starting point of your tour.

Dining

Macau restaurants serve a spicy blend of Portuguese, Chinese, Malay, Indian, and African dishes. The choice should keep all palettes happy because not only can you find delicious dim sum and pork chop bun, but there are also excellent Portuguese coffee (bica) and wine, Goanese chicken, and fresh Chinese vegetables.

Traditional Portuguese dishes to look out for including bacalhau (cod) and rich soups like caldo verde or sopa a alentejena. Famed Macanese (Chinese/Portuguese) dishes include stir-fried curry crab and jagra de ovos (sweet egg tart).

Below are some of the best places to eat in Macau:

Cafes

Thanks to its Portuguese heritage, Macau has got coffee right. It, therefore, makes sense to head to Portuguese establishments for the best blend of bica and pastries, while the Chinese establishments produce a juicy pork bun with milky teas and puddings.

And here are the best cafes in Macau: