On this particular Travel Tuesday, we are heading to where the East meets the West in a beautiful country that is very under the radar – even though it is an awesome opportunity to indulge in a fusion of cultures in one very small radius.<\/p>\n
That country is Macao, and it is situated in the South China Sea about forty miles west of Hong Kong. I recently had the absolute pleasure of welcoming\u00a0Jamie Lusher a Senior Public Relations Executive from the Macao Government Tourism Office\u00a0<\/strong>to fill us in on what makes Macao a bucket list destination \u2013 and she did not disappoint! \u00a0Read on to discover why you should consider a trip to Macao \u2013 whether on its own or as a stop in an Asian adventure curated especially for you!<\/p>\n **************************************************<\/strong><\/p>\n You Said It\u2019s Small?\u00a0<\/strong>Macao is actually made up of two islands and one peninsula and remember I said it was very small? \u00a0Those two islands and one peninsula together only measure 11 square miles total \u2013 with the\u00a0Macao Peninsula<\/strong>\u00a0at 3.6 square miles,\u00a0Taipa Island<\/strong>\u00a0at 2.9 square miles and\u00a0Coloane Island<\/strong>\u00a0at 2.9 square miles as well. \u00a0But even though it is quite compact – that doesn’t take away from the fact that there is so very much to explore here!<\/p>\n How Do I Get There?\u00a0<\/strong>Macao is about a 15-hour journey from most major US cities however you can get there a variety of ways and the Macau International Airport offers many connecting flights to nearby destinations – making Macao a perfect destination to bundle with a few other stops. As Jamie pointed out – it’s a long journey to get to there but one of the wonderful things about the destination is that it offers a great jumping off point for other major Asian destinations. For instance, you have Japan to your north and the Philippines, Kuala Lumpur, Thailand and Singapore to your south \u2013 just to name a few. So, think about it \u2013 what a great package deal – you get this amazing, smaller destination but then you can extend your stay to some of the other areas via the Macau International Airport \u2013 meaning we can create a great itinerary for you with a starting point or endpoint of Macao. Definitely something for you guys to consider!<\/p>\n One of the many cool things about Macao is that US citizens are not required to obtain a visa – unlike visiting China. Meaning there is no visa application process \u2013 you will actually get a visa upon arrival from the US (and Canada) making it a breeze to go through immigrations. What About Language and Currency?\u00a0<\/strong>There are two official languages in Macao – Chinese and Portuguese. This explains why you will see the Portuguese spelling of Macau which is with the \u201cu\u201d and the English spelling of Macao with an \u201co\u201d – but of the two the main languages spoken there it is mainly Chinese with some English as well. Portuguese is not as spoken as widely but you’ll still see Portuguese on the street signs. The currency \u2013 which is oh so colorful \u2013 is both\u00a0Macanese Patacas<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 which is 8 Macanese Patacas to one US dollar and\u00a0Hong Kong dollars<\/strong>\u00a0which is about 7.75 Hong Kong dollars to one US dollar. Since Hong Kong dollars are widely accepted in Macao Jamie said she almost always recommends going with them as the Macanese Patacas are not accepted in Hong Kong \u2013 so if you are planning to bundle the two cities \u2013 as many do – getting Hong Kong dollars will simplify the currency exchange for you.<\/p>\n But Is It Historical?<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Macao\u2019s history is incredibly unique and fascinating as it has over 500 years of cultural exchange between Portugal and China. The best way to describe it is that you could be walking along, and you almost feel like you’re in Europe and then you turn down another street and now you’re in China! There are even parts of it that feel very Caribbean to me looking at Jamie\u2019s pictures. And Jamie explains to us that – in fact – Macao’s history is certainly one for the books. It\u2019s recognized by UNESCO and there is a\u00a0UNESCO World Heritage Site\u00a0<\/strong>made up of over 20 stunning monuments in Macao. These include:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n These and many of the other UNESCO World Heritage monuments are actually walkable – so Jamie highly recommends taking a walking tour or just wandering about on your own and getting lost in Macao and all its history.<\/p>\n How About the Food?\u00a0<\/strong>Ah yes \u2013 my favorite topic \u2013 gastronomy! Well, here is a hint about what to expect from the culinary scene \u2013 in 2017 Macao was designated as a\u00a0UNESCO City of Gastronomy<\/strong>! And here is another hint \u2013 Macao is home to\u00a018 Michelin starred restaurants<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 yes 18 in 11 square miles! – and they include \u2013 French, Japanese, Chinese, European, Indian and Italian cuisines. The interesting story here is that the way Portugal came into play within the Chinese territory. The Portuguese history dates back over 500 years ago and it kind of blends its way into the gastronomy. \u00a0When the Portuguese landed in Macao, they brought most of their recipes with them and proceeded to go to the Chinese women and asked them to cook for them. Along with their recipes they had all these spices from the spice routes of Africa, India – you name it. So, the Chinese women took these Portuguese recipes and they blended them together with their own style and that became what is known as Macanese cooking today. As per Jamie one of the most famous \u2013 and favorited – Macanese dishes is called\u00a0African chicken<\/em>. It is so named because it is chicken that is served over rice but is made with all these unique spices from along the spice route giving it a really spicy texture and according to her is absolutely delicious. I would certainly like to find out for myself! Who\u2019s with me?<\/p>\n Another favorite of Jamie\u2019s is the Macanese street food. Street food is always a favorite of mine too \u2013 no matter what the destination \u2013 as I love the idea of seeing them prepare it right in front of you \u2013 making that in itself an experience. And of course, we can absolutely arrange for a food tour that takes you right into the heart of all that street food in Macao \u2013 as well as to the top tier restaurants because they are intermingled among those vendors. And speaking of top tier restaurants I have to tell you guys that 18 Michelin starred restaurants is a huge deal. Getting a Michelin star is no small feat and they’ve got 18 of them! It\u2019s just an honor to eat at a Michelin star restaurant because you know the chefs have worked so extremely hard to get it. Plus, the star rating is also about consistency and maintaining that consistency \u2013 trust me – having gone to culinary school I totally appreciate what goes into that star rating.<\/p>\n Another plus of the gastronomy scene here is getting a taste of Portugal \u2013 mainly because oh my gosh those Portuguese desserts are amazing! Jamie agreed and shared a story about one of her favorite restaurants in Macao. It\u2019s this little, tiny hole in the wall Portuguese restaurant and it’s kind of hidden in a back courtyard in an old Portuguese house. She told us how it\u2019s one of her favorite things to do – to sit down and enjoy the food with good company and a bottle of wine and then of course get the\u00a0serradura<\/em>\u00a0which is a famous dessert there and is also known as Macao pudding. \u00a0Then there is always the\u00a0Portuguese egg tart<\/em>\u00a0which is another great dessert you can find at Lord Stow’s Bakery \u2026 and well as Jamie said – you’re going to walk it all off so feel free to indulge! And Where Would I Stay?\u00a0<\/strong>Clients always ask me about the accommodations in Macao and tend to assume that they are going to be mostly one star or two-star properties but there’s actually quite a number of four and five star and luxury properties to choose from. In fact \u2013 they have the most five-star properties per square mileage in the world. Jamie advised that the one thing that they like to tout about Macao is that it’s\u00a0affordable luxury<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 meaning you can get an amazing five-star accommodation starting at $100 to $150 dollars per night. And that includes a really lovely room and amenities such as breakfast and sometimes even a free mini bar. Of course – there are budget options as well.<\/p>\n One really cool thing is the way they have configured some of their resorts there – it’s resort style – but there are multiple hotel properties within one resort. They do it this way so that they can sell to a wider, more diverse family that wants to visit but have differing thoughts about the type of accommodations they want to stay in. Perhaps one of them wants a more family-oriented resort and another wants a little bit more luxury with shopping and a spa and yet another wants a more romantic resort – you get the idea. This way they are able to cater to all of those different tastes in one resort complex. Brilliant!<\/p>\n The majority of the resorts have unique shows and amazing entertainment – we are talking Broadway-esque shows. Jamie shared that one of her favorites is\u00a0House of Dancing Water –\u00a0<\/em>which is a love story – but it includes so much more – like diving and acrobatics and a pirate ship and is great family entertainment for sure. Along with productions like this you will also find such amenities as lazy rivers, wave pools, water slides and the world\u2019s first figure-eight Ferris wheel! Many of the resorts also house casinos \u2013 however they are separate from the resorts with separate entrances and no children are allowed.<\/p>\n Will I Have Enough To Keep Me Busy?\u00a0<\/strong>Well, when you get done marveling at the UNESCO World Heritage monuments, taking in the talent at your resort, cashing in at the casino and lounging on the lazy river\u2026 yes! The answer is emphatically yes \u2013 check out this lineup:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Plus, when the sun goes down Macao lights up and the nightlife offerings abound. And perhaps my favorite story from Jamie \u2013 or from any of my chats so far \u2013 is when she told us that you can bungee jump off of the\u00a0Macao Tower<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 which by the way is the world’s highest bungee jump. And she did! And she said I was totally worth it – 100% worth it – but very terrifying – and wonderful all at once! Love it!<\/p>\n And Because This Is The New Normal \u2013 Here Is The<\/strong>\u00a0Updated COVID-19 Information<\/strong>: As of this writing the CDC has listed Macao as Level 1 \u2013 which means there is a low level of COVID-19 there. HOWEVER – visitors from foreign countries are prohibited from entering Macao.<\/p>\n For the CDC\u2019s most up to date information on COVID-19\u00a0click here<\/strong><\/a>. And for the most up to date entry requirements for Macao\u00a0click here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nSounds like even more of a reason – and the perfect opportunity – for you to grab those kids your home schooling \u2013 get them a passport \u2013 and take them to Macao for a living classroom experience they will never forget!<\/p>\n\n
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\nTo sum up the good eats in Macao – I think the best way to explain it is that it’s truly the world\u2019s first fusion cooking and really it gives us a great understanding of how multiple cultures come together to give us new tastes to savor.<\/p>\n\n
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