Kavita Shyam
A visit to the city of dreams or the Las Vegas of the east is all it takes to come back rejuvenated and wanting for more of the beautiful city of Macau. On my recent trip to Macau I discove
red how refreshing a holiday can be in Macau. The citys five centuries of history and its rich blend of cultural traditions from East and West await discovery from all tradition lovers. So if you are a history buff or hopeless romantic there is plenty to experience the citys many world heritage monuments that dot the peninsula and the islands. Even unique venues for local music and arts festivals, adding an enriching cultural dimension. Macau has two official languages- Chinese ( Cantonese & Mandarin) and Portuguese, while English is widely spoken in hotels and shops.
Getting to the city of dreams is viable by easily available Turbo Jet ferries from Hongkong airport ( India to Hongkong is about 5.5 hours by flight) which takes about an hour of travel time by water to get to Macau. There are ferries available every one hour at the Hongkong airport.
Once I reached Macau it welcomed me with a sunny yet pleasant sunshine and cheery bright people. Our tour guide took us to Sofitel Hotel, which was about twenty minutes from the Ferry Port.
As I sit in my mini tourist bus and am driven through the city I realise the city has the best of eastern culture and western architecture. I reach Softel hotel, which let us, indulge in French hospitality and elegance at its best. I saw a heady mix of leisure and business travellers savouring the glamorous mix of classic and modern styles. The hotels 408 luxury rooms overlooked the Macau Peninsulas vintage areas and gave a panoramic view of the Pearl River.
Macau offers a wealth of ways to enjoy the lazy, warm days by virtue of exciting outdoor adventures, sport events, colourful street festivals and fine dining experiences.
The nightlife in the city is sprinkled with glamour and elegance while a host of designer collection at Macaus upscale shopping centres.
Top chefs have also brought their culinary expertise to the gourmet restaurants with plenty of Macanese, Chinese and Portuguese cuisines.
On my first day in Macau, I pay a visit to the nearby Senado square. It is paved with a wave- patterned mosaic of coloured stones, created by Portuguese experts. From the main road to the church of St Dominic, the pavement extends to the ruins of St Pauls, making the heart of the city a pedestrian paradise.
Thereafter the tour guide takes me for the inspection of the Harbour Cruise, which presents a perfect perspective on the citys rich heritage in the adventurous environment, that only a cruise can offer.
Post the sunset and sumptuous dinner at an Indian dinner I paid a visit to the Grand Lisboa Casino. Needless to say, with focused and dedicated men and women around who had all eyes at their stakes/ games only, casino sure was the most favourite game for these people.
While I tried my luck at the roulette game and slot machine and barely managed to make any money, I came out of the bestest casino in town with good feeling of coming back for more. You bet it got addictive and the place grew on me in no time! My second day was a packed one, complete with plenty of places to visit in my itinerary. My first visit after a huge layout of breakfast was the A- ma temple. Its a famous Chinese temple. Interestingly Macau has derived its name from A- Ma- Gau or place of A- Ma and this place was dedicated to the seafarersalt39goddess dates from the early 16th century.
The A- ma temple already existed before Macau came into being.
We were witness to a Chinese dragon dance, Chinese welcome dance besides whose- who from Macau were present as chief guests. A refreshingly colourful and bright sight made me a happy tourist.
Next we headed to the ruins of St Pauls refer to the façade of what was originally the church of Mater Dei built in 1602- 1640, destroye
