From October through until the end of December is autumn in Macau, and if you can jump on a plane soon, you’ll be treated to the most pleasant weather the destination has to offer. The slightly cooler temperatures that start in October provide locals with welcome relief from the hotter, more humid days of summer from March to September.
Autumn brings gorgeous days, mild tem¬peratures and the humidity is at its lowest. The start of autumn also marks the beginning of Macau’s event season.
EVENTS
The mixing of eastern and western cultures over the last four centuries has left Macau with a unique collection of traditions, festivals and events. In October, Macau hosts an International Music Festival but the biggest event of the year is the Macau Grand Prix held in November. The main streets of the Macau Peninsula are converted into a racetrack similar to the Monaco Grand Prix in France. Stay around throughout November and you’ll also catch the Macau Food Festival, and Fringe Festival.
HISTORICAL SITES
Colonised by the Portuguese in the 16th Century, the Macau region is a fusion of Chinese and Portuguese culture. The historic peninsula is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, due to its historical buildings, streets, and places of religion. The city is punctuated by rich gardens that showcase the way the Chinese and Portuguese learnt to combine their landscaping styles to create and preserve lush green spaces even in the busiest urban areas. The Sun Yat Sen Park in northern Macau is one of the many parks that commemorate the friendship between Chinese and Portuguese.
Be sure to visit the world heritage listed A-Ma Temple which honors Mazu, the sacred sea goddess who blesses the fisherman of Macau. Another historical site to visit is the Guia Fortress, home to the oldest lighthouse in China and the first to shine on the South China Sea. The Macau Peninsula is really a place to see by foot. Visitors follow a mosaic limestone pavement from the Senado Square to the ruins of St Paul’s Cathedral. Here they see the Moorish Barracks and the remains of the 16th century city walls.
CASINO
Visitors can try their luck at the many casinos located along the southern waterfront of the Macau Peninsula. The new and ever-developing Cotai strip, otherwise known as the “Las Vegas Strip of the East”, is located between the island of Taipa and Coloane, and has become home to an exciting collection of casinos, live entertainment and luxury accommodation. Each lot on the strip offers shows such as Cirque du Soleil and Dragone.
The City of Dreams complex on the Cotai strip is an experience within itself. The integrated entertainment resort features three extravagant yet diverse hotels, The Grand Hyatt Macau, Crown Towers and Hard Rock Hotel. Don’t miss out on “The House of Dancing Water”, the world’s largest water-based show, housed at the complex’s Theatre of Dreams.
CUISINE
The food of Macau is universally adored. The local cuisine is a blend of Cantonese and Portuguese origin. Flavours of turmeric, coconut milk, cinnamon and bacalhau are heavily featured in Macanese dishes. Try a famous dish of Galinha a Portuguesa, Bacalhau, Macanese chilli shrimps and curry crab, and Macanese egg tarts.
Macau is on the western shore of the Pearl River Delta, a gateway to mainland China and the South China Sea. South of the Macau Peninsula, are the islands of Taipa and Coloane, also part of Macau. They are connected by a land reclamation, and tourist hotspot, Cotai. Taipa is joined to the mainland by bridges over the Pearl River Delta. Coloane remains the quieter of the two islands.
PLACES TO STAY
ALTIRA
From A$248
Avenida de Kwong Tung, Taipa, Macau www.altiramacau.com
WYNN/ENCORE
From A$357
Rua Cidade de Sintra, NAPE, Macau www.wynnmacau.com
MANDARIN ORIENTAL
From A$301
Avenida Dr Sun Yat Sen, NAPE, Macau www.mandarinoriental.com
THE CITY OF DREAMS COMPLEX
GRAND HYATT MACAU
From A$191 daily
City of Dreams, Estrada do Istmo, Cotai, Macau
www.macau.grand.hyatt.com
CROWN TOWERS
From HK A$246 daily
City of Dreams, Estrada do Istmo, Cotai, Macau
www.cityofdreamsmacau.com
HARD ROCK HOTEL
From A$136 daily
City of Dreams, Estrada do Istmo, Cotai, Macau, China
www.hardrockhotelmacau.com
GETTING THERE
There are currently no direct flights to Macau from Australia. Air China offers visitors frequent flights from Australia to Macau via Beijing. www.airchina.com.au
Thai Airways also offers flights to Macau via Bangkok. www.thaiair.com
Macau’s islands are accessible from the Macau International Airport.