Top 9 Things about Macau You Should Know
Macau is definitely one of the most unusual destinations you could wish to visit, with its charming mix of East and West culture. Toplist has prepared some ... read more...helpful hints and addressed some often asked tourist questions, so you can get the most out of your visit. Here are Things about Macau You Should Know before traveling to this beautiful land.
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Macau is the world's gaming capital. Baccarat is by far the most popular game, as it is a straightforward game with a low house advantage (less than 1 percent ). The city's 33 casinos are dominated by baccarat tables.
Slot machines are also available, but they have a big house advantage and are not very popular. This is the polar opposite of Las Vegas, where slot machines are the most popular. Macau's gambling income is $33 billion, more than five times the Las Vegas Strip's. When the Macau government dissolved the monopoly system in 2002, tycoon Stanley Ho's 40-year reign as the city's casino lord came to an end.
SJM Holdings (Stanley Ho), Wynn Macau, Sands China, Galaxy Entertainment Group, MGM China Holdings, and Melco Crown Entertainment are the six casino operators today. This is one of the top Things about Macau You Should Know before traveling to this beautiful land.
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Macau is rich in tradition, history, and culture while being only a few hundred years old. Many old Chinese boat families settled in Macau and intermarried with Portuguese colonists, many of whom were unable to marry into aristocratic mainland Chinese families.
Macau has always been a significant port city, but Hong Kong surpassed it as a gateway to Western trade in the 1800s. Because of Portugal's neutrality, Macau was the only coastal city in China to remain mostly unaffected during WWII.
The dismantling of a government-sanctioned gaming monopoly established in 1962 was one of the benefits Macau received after its formal return to China in 1999. Foreign investment began to flood the city, transforming it into one of the world's most popular gambling resorts. -
With 20,497 individuals per square kilometer, Macau has the world's highest population density. It's no surprise that it needs to do something spectacular to make place for more casinos and the 30 million annual visitors. A huge land reclamation project connecting the two islands south of the mainland, Coloane and Taipa, was the solution. This added 5.2 square kilometers to Macau, allowing it to become a gambling mecca to rival Las Vegas.
The Cotai Strip gets its name from the names of the two islands, Coloane and Taipa.The Cotai Strip is home to the Venetian Resort, City of Dreams, Sands Cotai, and Galaxy Macau Resort. Another major one is on the way: Steve Wynn is spending $4 billion on Wynn Palace, a massive resort that will open in 2016.
Many tiny parks with statues and unique artwork may be found throughout the city. Aside from the Fisherman's Wharf, there are other museums and commercial districts worth visiting.
Senado Square, or Senate Square, is perhaps the most well-known of Macau's many local attractions. In the 16th and 17th centuries, a local senatorial body met there. This is a world heritage site that is only accessible by foot. Senado Square, which has been used in a variety of film sets, was originally a spot where governors evaluated their troops.
Tourists visit the Ruins of St. Paul, which were formerly a church and college, as well as local shops around the plaza. -
The Macanese pataca, abbreviated MOP, is Macau's official currency. People can also utilize HKD, or Hong Kong dollars. People may use the two currencies interchangeably without thinking about it because they have the same exchange value. The majority of Macau's gaming tourists are from mainland China, and they pay in Yuan for their accommodations, gambling, and some meals.
Most businesses, however, expect them to use local currencies. According to reports, several larger hotels prefer or require payment in Hong Kong dollars. Despite the fact that MOP is required in Macau, most visitors must wait until they arrive in the city to convert their home currencies for the local currency.
Even in Hong Kong, the number of venues where you may exchange your currency for MOP is restricted. By the way, if you visit Macau and wind up with Yuan, exchange it for Hong Kong dollars before you leave, or you may never be able to get your money back into your own currency. This is one of the top Things about Macau You Should Know before traveling to this beautiful land.
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If you like to try other cuisines when traveling, the Macanese people have a lot of Portuguese and Chinese eateries. True Macanese cuisine combines traditional Portuguese and Chinese foods. Even so, these cuisines are only served at a few major restaurants.
Your hotel concierge can recommend restaurants where you can try local cuisine. The hotels offer shuttle service to the city's major attractions, and public transit is plentiful. Taipa Village, where street sellers prepare traditional foods, is probably your best chance for trying local cuisine.Macau cuisine is distinct in that it mixes the best of Chinese and Portuguese ingredients and cooking techniques, as well as influences from Brazil, Goa, and other former Portuguese colonies. There's a lot of seafood, such as cod, sardines, and crab, as well as rabbit, duck, and chicken.
The flavoring has a strong Portuguese influence, with loads of turmeric, cinnamon, chile, and coconut. To allow flavors and spices to develop, dishes are frequently baked or roasted for an extended period of time. Caldo verde soup is a popular appetizer in Macau, and it's identical to the Portuguese version, except instead of collard greens, it includes bok choy. Minchi is the national dish, which is made with minced beef or pig, potatoes, onions, soy sauce, and sometimes an egg.
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Major hotels provide transportation to and from tourist spots. You are not required to stay at one of the drivers' hotels. As a result, you'll generally be able to obtain complimentary transportation between your hotel and the city's most fascinating neighborhoods. Travelers with foresight can stay at smaller, less expensive hotels and still use the shuttles to go to the larger hotels.
The hotels aren't choosy about who rides the buses since they want guests to play at their casinos. The hotels in the Cotai district take up a lot of space. Rather than walking from hotel to hotel, you should take use of their complimentary inter-hotel shuttle service. This is one of the top Things about Macau You Should Know before traveling to this beautiful land.
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Macau may be renowned as Asia's gambling capital, but this fascinating city has much more than just casinos. It is truly one of the most unusual sites you could ever wish to see. It's the only site in the world with such a distinct mix of Eastern and Western culture, as well as a unique combination of rich Chinese culture and Portuguese ancestry, having been a Portuguese colony for more than 400 years. You may go around the streets of Macau and see streets with Chinese names on one side and Portuguese names on the other. Macau is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, having over 20 significant historical sites.
Ancient Chinese temples are yards away from beautiful Portuguese Catholic churches. Charming Mediterranean-style architecture and quaint European-style villages are within walking distance of multi-billion dollar hotel resorts. Macau is certainly worth a visit if you want a unique experience unlike any other.
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Although Macau is too small to have its own mountains, deserts, or national parks, it does have a hidden gem that adventure-seeking visitors adore. The world's highest commercial bungee jump is available at Macau Tower. If you have the bravery and physical stamina, you can drop over 200 meters. The Tower Climb is another adventurous feature at Macau Tower. To reach the top of the tower, visitors must climb another 100 meters inside a metal tube. When you emerge, you'll be over 1,100 feet above sea level.
The inside of the tube, according to passengers, is extremely heated throughout the summer. You are physically exerting yourself since you are climbing up inside of it. This adventure is not suitable for those who have difficulty ascending 100 meters.
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Between October and December, when the weather and temperature are more pleasant, is the greatest time to visit. Summertime brings oppressive heat, and most people prefer to stay indoors in the cool air conditioning rather than sweat buckets outside. Macau has a humid climate with a moderate to hot climate. From May to September, typhoons are a possibility.
Avoid visiting Macau on weekends and public holidays if at all feasible, and try to visit during off-peak hours on weekdays. On weekends, visiting popular attractions such as the Ruins of St. Paul's, Senado Square, and the Historic Center of Macao is nearly difficult due to the narrow streets being overrun with tourists and visitors, mostly from Mainland China. Macau is officially the world's most densely inhabited territory, with 650,900 people living in approximately 11 square miles.