To Macau! Follow Adventure Girl as She Visits 'Vegas of the East'

Where: Macau

Have you ever wanted to explore the Las Vegas of the East, Macau? Sit back and count your chips then as we follow Twitter celeb Stefanie Michaels, aka Adventure Girl, as she explores this southern Chinese leisure town. Each day this week, she'll reveal another adventure. Join her 1.5 million followers on Twitter for more Macau conversation @AdventureGirl, and don't forget us @Jaunted!

Macau, now under rule of the People�s Republic of China since it�s handover in December of 1999, has been mostly overlooked as a major tourist destination, with many travelers opting to see it as a day trip from Hong Kong. In fact, like with Hong Kong, the international community thought the handover would mean the demise of Macau�s many freedoms. But for China�s first European colony, Macau seems little changed aside from new expansion and economic initiatives meant to create a bigger and better Macau.

In Macau�s infancy, Portuguese traders settled in a small fishing area in the 16th century. China requested these settlers to run the administration of the area. European traditions, language, food, religion, and architecture infused quickly into all aspects of Macau. Today, it�s one of the only places in the world where two completely diverse cultures have lived peacefully and symbiotically for centuries.

Where is Macau, exactly? Find out after the jump

So where is Macau, anyway? Many people think Macau is an island, and in its infancy, it was. A connecting sandbar eventually grew connecting Macau to the mainland. The region is now a peninsula, with two sister isles, Coloane and Taipa, each connected to Macau by bridges, all comprising of 11.27 square miles.

A portion of Macau faces the South China Sea, with its western side facing mainland China separated by less than a mile of the Pearl River Delta. Macau also borders Guangdong province, which when planned ahead, many visitors can visit mainland China on short stay visas from Macau.

Macau has many diverse areas. The new developments on Taipa include mega casinos like the Venetian, the same namesake and corporation from Las Vegas, the local�s area around the Red Market with vibrant alleys filled with shopping and exotic food carts, to the more traditional Portuguese island of Coloane.

A church in Coloane

What Macau also offers is a snap of nightlife, adventure activities, epicurean options, and the Macau Grand Prix, which takes place in November and is viewed by millions of race fans from around the world. It is also one of the best times to visit. October to December is warm with less humidity. Another excellent time to go is January to April, which bring cooler days with sunshine.

One of Macau's big events: the Grand Prix

Macau is an easy city for walking. And impressively, Macau�s public transportation is reliable, connecting all major attractions efficiently. It is also one of the safest places I have visited. I felt totally comfortable walking around the city unaccompanied by a group or guide. Coming up tomorrow, I do a little of that getting lost in Macau and have to find my way around the city and culture!

[All photos: Stefanie Michaels]

Related Stories;
· How to Get to Macau in High Roller Style [Jaunted]
· Making a Pilgrimmage to the Macau Clone of Vegas' Wynn Hotel [HotelChatter]

Comments (6)

Return to » To Macau! Follow Adventure Girl as She Visits 'Vegas of the East'

I imagine Macau was not impacted nearly to the same degree as Vegas over the past year, but what percentage of Macau visitors are Chinese vs foreigners, and from what parts of the world? I imagine not many are from the far west, but is it a travel destination of western Europeans? From how far west does the typical Macau travel?

What is the best airline to fly from the East Coast US? Guessing that means a stop in LAX then direct?

I flew EVA Air from LAX through Taipei into Macau. My East coast friends flew into Hong Kong- then ferried over to Macau. Not sure what airline.

Good ?'s! Actually Macau is gaining appeal in the West, and with the exposure of American based hotels infused, there are more and more deals coming out of the States. I was with a group of press brought in for the Macau Grand Prix, so it was pretty international, with people coming in from India, Germany, France, Italy, Singapore, and of course due to the race/international driving teams, there was an influx of foreigners. Yes- many Europeans visit, especially those from Portugal with family in Macau. Also, many people stay in Hong Kong- then ferry over for over nights, so you see influx there as well. Not sure of your last question???? typical Macau travel? or Macanese? Not sure how to answer this. ;0 Thanks for the comment. Much appreciated. ;0 Stef

wahhhhhhhhhhhhhh adventure girl,, great photos of Macau you have here, I might go visit again this Chinese new year,,

Hey Noles! Thanks for the comment! Next Hong Kong trip, I promise a tweetup! We must meet in person! ;0 Stef

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