Macau

I was tempted to postpone my trip to Macau because of the rotten weather today! But the ferry tickets were booked and paid for and with the days vanishing quickly before heading home to the UK, I decided to brave the elements…

Macau is totally different to HK – many of the historic colonial buildings remain and are drawn together by the picturesque Portuguese style paving.





Sao Paulo is probably the most famous sight in Macau. Building was begun by the Jesuits in 1602 – but it burnt down three times and all that now remains is the impressive façade. Slightly further up the hill is the fortress – the Fortaleza do Monte.

Gambling in HK (apart from on the local races) and mainland China are illegal – but it’s a major industry in Macau accounting for 50% of GDP and 70% of government revenue… More and more casinos – each increasingly more grand - open all the time.

If you win big at the casino, you can always opt to fly back to HK by helicopter - 15 minutes instead of the 60 minutes by ferry...