Four Days in Macau Chronicles Summary 2010

I like Macau for its beautiful blend of east and west culture as much as coffee aficionados would enjoy their mix of coffee and cream. I would have wanted Manila to be something like this city, or close. Despite the old marble streets and the aging walls, its taints and stains paints a pattern of rich history between two worlds, especially from the Chinese and Portuguese. For such a small island, it’s just a joy to roam around its streets. Here’s the summary of our 4-day trip in Macau.

Budget: This familiarization trip, taken last May 6-9, 2010, was by invitation of the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Philippines so I couldn’t give a real budget here since they covered most all the expenses. But I could fairly say there are options both for backpackers and luxury travels here. There are also a lot of Free Attractions (even food) in Macau you can enjoy.

Itinerary: The itinerary can help how you can plan your Macau trip since it shows what can be done in a day. This one is a bit rushed and packed a number of places per day but you can adjust accordingly to your own pace and interest of places.

Day 1

• Transit: From Manila to Macau
• Little Turtle with Big Noodles
• Stay at Sofitel’s Ponte 16

Day 2

• Threading the Streets of the Old Town
• Senado Square and St Dominic’s Church in Mono
• The Ruins of St Paul’s Church and the Macau Museum
• Fun and Wonder at Macau Science Center
• Luxe Dining at Horizons Macau
• Dragon’s Treasure Show at the City of Dreams
• Night Walk at the Central
• Taipa Evening Stroll
• Portuguese Night at Miramar

Day 3

• The Camoes Garden and the Old Protestant Cemetery
• Shopping at the Red Market with Antonio Coelho
• The Guia Fortress and the Grand Prix Museum
• Macanese at Ristorante Litoral
• A-Ma Temple Festival and the Chinese Opera
• The Venetian Glitz and the Cirque du Soleil Zaia
• A Culinary Performance at Antonio Restaurante

Day 4

• The Lilau Square and the Eclectic Mandarin House
• Penha Hill, Maritime Museum and Dinner at Macau Tower
• Fly back to Manila

Recommendations: I’d definitely explore the old town and heritages sites of Macau more since I’m not much into Casinos. Most of the food we had are really good but for value and authentic street side Macau Food, I enjoyed Little Turtle. For Free stuff, try the Dragon Treasure Show which I thought was spectacular among the free shows in Macau. Oh if you ever get hungry, pass by the food street going to St Paul’s Church Ruins and sample the food there like cookies, peanut bars and beef jerky for free.