Asian Kingdom of casinos and gambling…this is Macau! The former Portuguese colony is currently an autonomous region of China, where gambling is completely prohibited by the way. There is located currently the world’s largest casino, as well as an imitation of the Eiffel Tower, Venice or the tropical forest. According to sales, Macau is the largest gambling center, mainly due to Chinese tourists.
How to get from Hong Kong to Macau by bus
The cheapest option for transport from Hong Kong to Macau is by bus. First we got on the city bus A21 (HK$ 33) going to the airport and got off at its penultimate stop. We crossed the border check where everything was fine and bought a bus ticket to Macau for HK$ 65. It is interesting that the bridge from HK to Macau leads over the sea. The bridge is 55 km long and turns into a under sea tunnel for a few kilometers. It was a strange feeling to suddenly go under the sea: D.
In Macau, border control was again without a problem. Then we went to find a free shuttle bus to our hotel, which took us to Sheraton and the journey was over (every better hotel with a casino has a free shuttle bus that will take you to/from the port, airport, downtown, etc.).
Where to stay in Macau
Find cheap accommodation in Macau was really a problem, so we chose the middle way and stayed for one night at the Grand Sheraton hotel. We had a wonderful room with a huge comfortable bed and a bathroom that was as big as our entire room in Hong Kong :D. If you want some cheap accommodation try to book it really in advance since the cheaper rooms are selling very fast.
Quick breakdown of the itineary of what we did
First night we went to explore casinos on Cotai strip. We fell in love with the Wynn Hotel and its water show and mini cable car, the Galaxy Hotel pleased us with the possibility of low stakes, so we played roulette. Then we visited The Venetian Hotel (the largest hotel in the world) and Parisian hotel led us to the Eiffel Tower. Our Sheraton Hotel had the atmosphere of a palm world, and from its gardens was the best view of the Eiffel Tower. One interesting thing is that to create these casinos, one American investor had to build an artificial island and all the infrastructure!
The next day we got up at 5:30 am and headed to the Grand Lisboa Casino to take a famous street photo with the casino in the background. Finding the right street was not easy but we’ll tell you the street name: it’s Rua Nova and Guia.
Other interesting places to visit in Macau are in addition to the luxury casinos also the Ruins of St. Paul’s Cathedral that left after the cathedral fire, Monte de Forte (viewpoint), Casa de Mandarim, Coloane village or Taipa Village.
Getting around Macau
You can use public buses or free shuttle buses if they are provided by your hotel. We usually used free shuttle buses to get to the city center and after we walk everywhere because casinos and monuments are very close to each other.
… On the one hand, Macau is a gambling paradise, but on the other hand the home of ordinary mortals who live in gray, nasty houses. Macao’s GDP accounts for about 50% of gambling revenue, so we are curious to see how the city will turn out when it falls under the administration of China, where gambling is prohibited…
