shopping | Free At Leisure

The Ruins of St. Paul, Macau’s famous heritage landmark

I still dream of Macau.

Up until I had history class in high school I had little awareness that such a place thrived in East Asia. That until the penultimate turn of the previous century it was under Portuguese rule for over 400 years. That now, much like Hong Kong (an hour by ferry away) it is China’s SAR (Special Administrative Region). This colorful backdrop probably paved the way for the modern-day grandiose and allure of the city.

Yes, ply the tourist route and hit all the heritage corners — The Ruins of St. Paul, Senado Square, St. Lawrence’s Church, A-Ma Temple, Taipa Houses, et al. Even do the bungee up in Macau Tower if you must. I’ll be saving the day tour for later (though I must extol the virtues of pasteis de nata —egg tarts— which is probably Macau’s best specialty, best bought and eaten near the Ruins’ steps).

For now I’ll breeze through and tell you what I appreciate most about Macau: nightfall.

It is at dawn when the city lights up and takes on a different, exciting vibe. The cold air is more pronounced; the people, both local and foreign, stride in fashionable gear. The narrow streets fill up with crowds in search of a delicious supper. And must I leave out the CASINOS?

Arguably Macau’s milking cow of an industry, casinos emerge with a life of their own and loom ever higher and brighter at night. It is as if you are thrust into a different world, where you succumb to intoxicating pleasure and there seems to no turning back.

In full disclosure: I have no gambling habits to speak of, just a blatant obsession with all places modern and glamorous! I’ve never been to the insides of casino hotels before this, so I definitely had a blast shuffling in and out. Mind you, there’s more to it than gambling and haute living, part and parcel of these five-star hotels are the most fashionable shopping arcades, theaters, restaurants and food courts, and recreational/lifestyle areas. The luxurious interiors of these hotspots for me are already worth checking out, and can get blissfully lost into. So many hallways and passages, it’s like I’m Alice in one hyperactive wonderland! Adding to the convenience are free shuttle buses which can take you from one casino destination to the next, so I bet by two days you can say you’ve explored the Vegas of the East!

The following is a photoset of what I deem Macau’s very own Sunset Strip: