I’ll love to go to Macau again! There’s so much to do there, and I’ve never actually spent a night in Macau. Heresy, I know! The last time I was there was on a day trip, we took the ferry (actually a fast water-jet propelled boat) from Hong Kong and back. That was in 2011 and a lot of my interests have changed since then.
I was looking for the renowned Seng Cheong crab porridge in Macau the last time I went. It used to be MOP 180 (about RM 70) per bowl and it comes with a whole crab. I also ate a lot of the food that they’re famous for like pork chop buns, ginger milk pudding…
…and of course, the Portuguese egg tart.
However, Macau serves up a lot of international cuisines too. There are 11 Michelin Star restaurants in Macau as of 2014 and two of them holds Three Michelin Stars – Robuchon au Dome and The Eight at Grand Lisboa Hotel.
My better half and I loves dining at different Michelin Star restaurants around the world and we’ve never been to one in Macau! I’ll love to book a table for two at The Eight, it has just been promoted to Three Stars this year!
In addition to that, there are also nine Bib Gourmand restaurants in Macau. These are always good restaurants to go to check out – always liked the idea of visiting an up and coming restaurant getting One Star the next year.
There are people who make special trips just to eat at different Michelin Star restaurants around the world, or plan their travels around reservations (like us), if you’re one of them, Macau should definitely be on your itinerary!
Macau is distinctively unique as a cultural destination since the Portuguese was a huge part of her history and left an indelible mark. It’s unlike any other Far East Asian destinations!
You can see this in the architecture in Macau. A lot of the famous landmarks are from the time of Portuguese settlement and that makes it a very unique destination for travellers who like culture.
One of the most iconic places is the Ruins of St Paul’s Cathedral. This is a favorite for visitors to take “I was here” photos and it can be really crowded at times. However, most people don’t venture beyond the steps, there’s actually a lot of fun to be had in going into the ruins. I strongly suggest that you take the time to explore each place instead of just posing for a quick picture and moving on.
Pro tip: I’ve seen a lot of tourists do that and it actually goes against the entire ethos of travelling – you go for yourself, to enrich your mind, and to experience new things, not to prove that you’ve been there by taking a selfie to put in Facebook/Instagram/Twitter. Take the time to stop and immerse yourself in your surroundings instead of looking through your dSLR/smartphone for that “perfect picture” and end up spending the majority of your trip updating your social media channels – that can wait till you come back.
Macau actually offers a lot of different experiences for different people. You’ll be surprised to hear that if you just think Macau is all about gaming. The highest bungee jump in the world is the Macau Tower Bungy Jump at 233 meters! They also offer the second highest skyjump in the world (contrary to popular belief, the Vegas Stratosphere does not offer true bungee jumping, it only has a skyjump). You’ll love the experience if you like anything that gets your adrenaline going!
If you prefer performances and theatre, The House of Dancing Water is a must-see. This USD 250 million extravaganza is housed in a purpose-built theatre designed with a record-breaking 3.7 million gallons of water – it’s received a lot of praise from critics and the public alike and I’ll love to catch this epic love story by Franco Dragone someday!
There’s all year round events and festivals, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, different cuisine appealing to all price ranges, entertainment from theatres to adrenaline pumping bungee jumping, and best of all it’s visa-free for Malaysians!
That’s the true beauty of Macau – there’s really something for everyone! You can get the chance to win a 3D/2N trip to Macau just by blogging! Write a post about three amazing things about Macau that makes you want to visit and why you should be selected as the winner and stand a chance to win an all-expenses paid trip! Get writing and submit your permalink at the Nuffnang blog post to win!
I’ll love to go again since there’s so many things that I missed the first time around (like dining at The Eight, the new 2014 Three Star Michelin restaurant in Grand Lisboa Hotel).
Good luck! Ya, nothing here as nice and as authentic as the Portuguese egg tarts there, I’m sure. Love the evidences of their Portuguese heritage like in the buildings or what’s left of them, for instance.
Thanks mate! 🙂
I haven’t been to Macau in a while, would love to go and try out the new 2014 Three Michelin Star restaurant The Eight at Grand Lisboa Hotel.
Yeah, their Portuguese egg tarts are awesome! I like their pork chop buns too, and there’s a really good crab porridge there too.
Testing! Testing!
Hello! 🙂
Yeah, I agree, Macau is a beautiful place due to her unique heritage.
HB, I lived in San Francisco but have some family living in Hong Kong and Singapore and Taiwan. Like Macau for casinos and food. There lot of old style of Chinese food there from people who came from Jungshan , Canton.
Yeah, there’s lots of good food in Macau! 🙂
One of the Three Michelin Star restaurants is Chinese and one of their signature dishes is Braised Giant Shark’s Fin with Brown Sauce. The sheer amount of shark’s fin on the plate is amazing!
Perhaps not so politically correct nowdays, but true food traditions never are, just look at the French and their proud culinary traditions e.g. ortolan songbirds.
Good luck, HB!
And yes, nothing beats the Portuguese egg tarts from Macau. ^^
Thanks Ciana! 🙂
Yup, they’re really good and I never get sick of eating Portugese egg tarts. It’s just too awesome!
I had a lot there and brought a lot back to Hong Kong during my trip there. I didn’t get the chance to visit a lot of places then though coz our emphasis was HK (managed to squeeze in a One Michelin Star dim sum place while we were there though).
I’ll love to visit Macau again with my better half and dine at The Eight! That’s one of my two obsessions now (the other is Tokyo and Sukiyabashi Jiro).
Fully agree with your pro tip HB though I still tend to take a lot of photos while traveling. I find that the process of observing and looking for a good photo makes me appreciate and see the finer details of the local culture better. Though it makes me a REALLY SLOW traveler. Hahaha.
Anyway, I’d love to visit Macau some day. Hit the cultural (and somewhat touristy) spots in the day time… followed by some long nights in the casino. Hee hee.
That’s good too mate! 🙂
I love your photos!
…and you’re right, whatever works is the best way to travel. I can really relate to your process of observation for a good photo and how that makes you appreciate the local culture better.
I meant to say those tourists who take photos from the bus or when they alight, just a photo of the place and a selfie/group photo before they sit around talking to themselves or updating their phones instead of immersing themselves in the local culture. I saw a lot of those in Macau, mostly from Mainland China, and couldn’t understand their reason for travel.
People like you don’t do that, I learn a lot from what you write and what you have to say about culture, you really seek to understand and that makes you a traveller and not a tourist.
Yeah, Macau is an awesome place eh?
Just got back from HK-Macau last week – The House of Dancing Water is simply amazing, although the price is on the high side. Definitely a must watch in Macau! Remember to book your tickets in advance – we were left with the last few tickets of the highest price category despite getting them 6 hours before show time.