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THE NUN at Macau’s Penha Chapel was keen to chat about everything from the former Portuguese enclave’s pace of life (well slower than that of Hong Kong) to the toll land reclamation has had on its beaches. We were at the top of Penha Hill, where the chapel, first built in 1622 and completely reconstructed in 1837, offers a contemplative lookout spot and is conveniently close to many of the city’s cultural sights and beautiful old colonial buildings. Now neon-wrapped Macau casinos vie for space with churches and temples. So the views from up high are of the city’s bustling gambling centre, where famous Hotel Lisboa with its distinctively gaudy neon lighting, once the main event, is now dwarfed by the literally rising competition.
This sleepy enclave is waking up – and fast – with more Macau hotels than you could shake a stick at. But, though you could be forgiven for believing otherwise, especially when you consider its vast gaming halls and the statistics (Macau now makes more money out of gambling than the Las Vegas strip), there’s a whole lot more to this “special administrative region” of China than just flirting with Lady Luck.
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Quick geography lesson before we leap into our Macau guide: Macau, which returned to China in 1999 after more than four centuries of Portuguese rule, is located on the western bank of the Pearl River Delta in southern China. The 25.4sq km enclave includes the Macau Peninsula, the islands of Taipa and Coloane and the 3.1sq km area of reclaimed land known as Cotai, now linking Taipa and Coloane. Two bridges connect the Macau Peninsula with Taipa. Of the 436,000 inhabitants, about 95 percent are ethnically Chinese. The rest are of Portuguese or other European descent, or from elsewhere in Asia.
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| St Paul's church facade |
Chances are you’ll arrive by high-speed Turbojet ferry (www.turbojet.com.hk) from Hong Kong (slightly less than an hour’s journey). It is about 150 patacas one way. The Macau pataca (MOP) is common rated with the Hong Kong dollar (US$1=HK$7.8) and Hong Kong dollars circulate freely everywhere from taxis to shops and casinos. You can buy ferry tickets on the day of your departure, but it’s best to pre-book as there can be long stand-by lines to get onto ferries, particularly on weekends and public holidays. Turbojet also has a new service between Macau and Shenzhen in southern China. The new Cotai Strip CotaiJet (Tel: [852] 2359-9990 or www.cotaijet.com.mo) operating from the Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal to Cotai - the fast developing casino area where the Venetian is located - has been temporarily suspended following a legal challenge mounted by competitors.
You can also enter Macau from mainland China, through the Cotai frontier post or the “Barrier Gate” on the northern border of Macau. Money to burn? Fly in by helicopter (a 16-minute flight from Hong Kong; one-way ticket from MOP1,205, tel: [853] 727-288) like the big boys do. The helipad is at the ferry terminal. You can also catch flights to a range of destinations from Macau International Airport.
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| Atmospheric A-Ma Temple |
Apart from Air Macau (http://en.airmacau.com.mo), a number of low-cost airlines, including the new Viva Macau (www.flyvivamacau.com), AirAsia (www.airasia.com), and Cebu Pacific (www.cebupacificair.com), fly in and out of Macau linking up places like Bangkok, Manila, Japan, South Korea, Beijing and Shanghai. Feisty budget airline Viva Macau even flies to the Maldives and operates charter services to Tokyo and Ho Chi Minh City.
Outside the terminal, Macau hotel shuttle buses line up (most hotels have regular free services to the ferry), or grab a taxi. First flagfall is MOP11, and fares are metre-regulated and reasonable. It should cost you about MOP20 to any point in the city. A journey to the furthest point on Coloane Island is between MOP65 and 90, depending on the traffic. It can be a frustrating ordeal to come by a taxi between 5pm and 7pm, when traffic is at its most congested and taxi drivers change shift. If all else fails, you can always hail a pedi-cab. Not a cheap option, but a bit of a thrill (about MOP150 for three passengers for a 20-minute ride). Do settle on a price before you set off.
Buses are cheap (only MOP2.50 within Macau Peninsula and MOP3.30 to Taipa). With a little time and patience, they’re a perfectly easy way to get about. All bus stops display bus numbers and destinations.
Chinese (Cantonese) and Portuguese are Macau’s official languages, so all street and other signs are in these two languages. Many taxi drivers speak little or no English. Ask your hotel concierge to write out the Chinese characters for your various destinations in advance.
Macau sightseeing and heritage trail
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| Peeling St Lawrence's Church |
Kick off your Macau sightseeing in the heart of the city, at Senado Square with its distinctive Portuguese paving off the busy thoroughfare Avenida Almeida Ribeiro, also known as “San Ma Lo”. Here, old men cluster in groups at sundown and families gather. It feels Latin, with the churches to match. People whiz by on scooters, European-style, and it’s not unusual to see two men greeting one another with a kiss on the cheek. The 16th-century neo-classical Holy House of Mercy (the oldest institution in Macau, founded in 1569 as a home for widows and orphans) has a museum displaying old paintings and artefacts. Further down the square is the San Domingos church.
The 1784 neo-classical Leal Senado Building, Macau’s first municipal building, overlooks the square, which is just a short walk from the famous Ruins of St Paul. Its façade (the only part of the church left after it burnt down when struck by lightning during a typhoon in 1835) is an imposing sight. Some steel steps and a vertigo-inducing podium have been constructed at the back, so you can climb up to admire the views of Macau all around.
In Macau, there’s a temple for every church, so also check out the little Taoist temple, Na Tcha, just left of the ruins.
Macau’s “historic centre” is a Unesco World Heritage Site, of which locals are justifiably proud. Walking is the best way to see the sights in this area. From Senado Square, head to cobble-stoned St Augustine’s Square (just cross the main road up Rua Dr Soares and follow the signs) for a traditionally Portuguese streetscape. Even on weekends, it’s a quiet spot with pretty paving and beautifully restored and protected buildings.
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| Grand Lisboa Casino neon |
Dating back to 1856, St Augustine’s Church on the square has the distinction of housing the statue of Our Lord of Passion, which Roman Catholic worshippers annually carry through Macau’s streets at Lent. Yes, this IS China. Just to make sure, check out the Sir Robert Ho Tung Chinese Library with its peaceful garden dotted with reading tables close by. (Sir Robert was a Hong Kong businessman who bought the house – built in the 1890s – as a retreat in 1918 and left it to the Macau government in his will.)
A stone’s throw away is the oldest European-style theatre in China, the green-painted Dom Pedro V Theatre built in 1858. It still hosts regular symphony concerts and other recitals.
If you’re up for more walking (or grab a taxi), head to the Rua da Praia Grande (the main road along the main-made lakes in the Macau Tower area), and turn right into Calcada do Bom Parto to reach the well-guarded, yellow-and-white colonial home of the Portuguese consul-general (formerly the Bela Vista hotel), set in a quiet residential neighbourhood. The sprawling Hotel Ritz is nearby, but don’t even think about dropping in “for a drink on the terrace” as a local tourist pamphlet suggests, as you’ll be met with blank stares and eventually pointed towards a grimly dark and empty basement restaurant.
Not far from here, at Barra Point, is the famous Ming Dynasty A-Ma Temple, built on terraces against the hill and dating back to the 1400s. The temple is dedicated to the goddess of seafarers, A-Ma, and Macau’s name is derived from “A-Ma-Gau” (or Place of A-Ma). Bring your earplugs – devotees come here to explode firecrackers to scare away the evil spirits (stock up at the temple kiosk). Malign spirits might be scarce, but there’s a liberal sprinkling of beggars at this spot, which overlooks the Maritime Museum (worth a visit for highlighting Macau’s interesting seafaring history, but closed on Tuesdays).
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| New Crown Macau/ photo: hotel |
Check out the Moorish Barracks on Barra Street nearby. This is another new-classical building “with a Moghul influence” hailing back to 1874, originally built to accommodate an Indian regiment from Goa that was appointed to reinforce Macau’s police force at the time.
Leaving Macau Peninsula behind, Taipa’s old village still has a laid-back feel. Take a stroll down its historical centre, Rua do Cunha, with ubiquitous cookie and cake shops, quaint traditional shophouses and a relaxed pace. The old Praia waterfront is idyllic, with a row of five beautifully restored old neo-classical houses, grassy areas and benches to mellow out on. Until very recently, the views from here were of tranquil, rural Coloane, but now the under-construction The Venetian looms in the distance.
Coloane is the most untouched part of Macau, with two beaches, small eateries and low-rise housing. Locals like to hang out at Hac-Sa beach, with small beachfront stalls and barbecue areas. Take a stroll though Coloane village, where there are also a few small galleries for browsing.
Macau hotels and casinos
There’s no shortage of accommodation in Macau, but book ahead, particularly on weekends and China holidays when the city fills up to bursting point. Macau is the only Chinese territory where gambling is legal and, it has to be pointed out, until not too long ago, it had a bit of a reputation for gambling dens of a more sordid nature – not to mention the odd shootout or two. Fear not. These days, the headlines are dominated by stories of phenomenal growth and glamour.
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| Wynn Macau Sky Suite/ photo: hotel |
Near the city centre is the 600-room Wynn Macau, the first foreign competitor to magnate Stanley Ho’s original, glittering granddaddy of Macau gaming, the Hotel Lisboa. It is easily among the top Macau luxury hotels. Deluxe superior rooms at the Wynn are huge (56sq m), with heavy, extra-large wooden doors, massive two-basin bathrooms and grand entrance halls. Tasteful creams and light browns abound and the facilities are extensive (from ironing boards to flat-screen television sets in the bathroom).
For VIPs, there are ten 300sq m Sky Suites with everything that opens and shuts – including your own in-suite spa, his and hers bathrooms, and more. What else do you expect for a rack rate of MOP36,000 per night? There are six restaurants (four in the casino, with 10,000sq ft of gaming tables and one-armed bandits and including, for those who don’t like to mix their vices, a non-smoking section). Try the signature Cantonese restaurant, Wing Lei, with its separate entrance and striking interior.
Wynn comes complete with a glitzy high-end mall for Macau designer shopping. The Wynn Esplanade features several top brands like Dior, Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, Prada, and Rolex. This is where punters spend their winnings on trophy bags and jewellery (apparently, locals believe the roomier your handbag, the better your chances to win big).
Billionaire Ho, who controlled Macau’s gaming market for four decades before it was liberalised, has answered back with the new high-end Macau luxury hotel, the Grand Lisboa, which will eventually comprise of casinos, nightclubs and a hotel. At night, the casino, which is already open, resembles a giant psychedelic, flashing globe. (In fact, the whole of Macau turns into a lightshow after dark.) The lotus flower-shaped hotel, with 300 rooms, is still under construction and should be completed in the second half of 2007. The Grand Lisboa is right next door to the original Hotel Lisboa, which – with its over-the top entrance halls and chandeliers, collection of priceless Chinese art pieces for viewing and many restaurants – is still well worth visiting. The old wing offers comfortable rooms with a faux-Versailles touch and soaring half canopies above the beds, its basement commandeered by fast-strolling “working” girls with business intent.
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| Lisboa Hotel: old stalwart |
The Lisboa wing offers rooms that conform more to a conventional modern standard. The Lisboa has been through extensive refurbishments that have produced brighter restaurants and bars and a brisk feel to things, not least due to the money coursing through its casino’s veins.
The Mandarin Oriental is another stalwart Macau hotel, with in-room Internet access and conveniences such as meeting facilities, an outdoor swimming pool, children’s centre, spa – and 24-hour casino, of course. The property is conveniently located close to the ferry terminal and offers modern comforts with a touch more understatement. It works both as a Macau business hotel within easy reach of the boat, as well as a family hotel.
The Landmark, Macau, is attached to a larger-than-life 24-hour casino, Pharaoh’s Palace. The Landmark has Chinese, Shanghainese and Japanese restaurants, a business centre, swimming pool, and is your ticket if you’re after a themed karaoke lounge. The latest glittering newbie - opposite the Wynn - is the lavish MGM Grand Macau, with 600 rooms, villas and suites. The Grand Casino offers around 375 gaming tables with 900 arm-exercising slot machines and a further 16 private gaming rooms. The Grand Ballroom can host 680 persons theatre-style while assorted function rooms and alcoves for those sound-and-fury board meetings provide versatile space for small meetings or larger conferences. Guests to the latest Macau casino hotel, the MGM Grand, will enjoy a health club, fitness centre with spa facilities, sauna, kitchenette, in-room computer, fax, and car parking. The, Galaxy StarWorld, near Wynn, is to be a 34-storey gambling and entertainment centre.
Closer to the ferry terminal, at the newly constructed Fisherman’s Wharf (more on this later), is the new “boutique” Rocks Hotel, a 72-room low-rise white-washed building with balconies and green shutters. Rooms have Broadband, wireless telephones and LCD TV. It’s not a bad option. Another new kid on the gaming block, the Babylon Casino, is right next door. The Macau Fisherman’s Wharf Limousine Rental Service (with a kiosk just outside the casino) comes in handy when regular taxis are few and far between (MOP30 to the town centre, MOP60 to Taipa and MOP90 to Coloane). Another attraction along the "Inner Harbour" is the 2.3 hectare Ponte 16 entertainment and resort complex that includes a five-star Sofitel due to open later.
Coloane and Taipa hotels, casinos and poussadas
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| The Venetian, Royale Suite/ photo: hotel |
But wait, there’s more. Along the way from Taipa to Coloane, you’ll drive by the shimmering and hard-to-miss The Venetian Macao - Resort-Hotel, which opened in late August 2007, set on 10.5 million sq ft on the reclaimed Cotai strip. The Venetian is a sister development to The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino and the golden Sands Macau casino near the Macau ferry terminal, which opened in 2004 as the first foreign-owned casino in Macau, and claims to be one of the largest casinos in the world.
The Venetian has its sights firmly set on becoming the best Macau luxury hotel around and is pulling no punches in the Cotai brawl. As an “integrated resort” with a spa, gym and colossal 350-store shopping mall, The Venetian is gigantic, encompassing 3,000 spacious suites from 70-170sq m each and exhibition and conferencing space "large enough to hold 90 Boeing 747s". The Venetian Arena seats 15,000. And, of course, there's a whopper of a casino. The 546,000 sq ft gaming floor boasts about 6,000 slot machines and over 700 tables. The resort is a gigantic whimsical recreation of the "canals and icons of Venice”. If you’ve had enough of the Italian gondolas with singing gondoliers, you’ll, reassuringly, be able to catch a Chinese sampan too.
The Cotai development will eventually offer a mind-boggling 20,000 rooms, changing the face of Macau forever. On the cards are a Sheraton (the first phase of which is to open in 2008), and a 600-room Shangri-La Hotel and 1,200-room Traders Hotel (both to open in 2008). Not to mention an additional 1.2 million square feet of luxury serviced apartments under the St Regis brand. Also destined for the Cotai strip is the Galaxy Cotai Megaresort, sold as a “family-orientated” resort (not forgetting several thousand gaming tables). The development is scheduled to open some time in 2008.
Opened summer 2007 at the top of Taipa Island amid much fanfare (including a very lengthy, surreal ad featuring China’s very own Cary Grant, Chow Yun Fat), the Crown Macau purports to offer “six-star” service. This grand claim may not as yet be backed by pirouetting butlers, dancing nymphs and chocolate fountains, but the place has been working up a good head of steam. The 36-storey casino-hotel features 216 rooms (including eight villas), a spa and over 200 high-end gaming tables. Hang onto that wallet.
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| Bright Westin Macau/ photo: hotel |
If all this glitz makes your head spin, head back to Macau Peninsula. The atmospheric Poussada de St Tiago, set on Avenida da Republica near the A-Mah temple, in the restored remains of an early-17th-century fort, is small and traditional, with stone walls and floors. It’s a cool, calm haven. There’s also a small chapel on the premises, great for wedding or blessing ceremonies.
The Poussada de Coloane, out on Coloane island, is another friendly, if less polished, traditional establishment with 30 double rooms with balconies, long run by the same Portuguese family. There’s a wonderful, large outdoor area with tables to enjoy sundowners and the views. Sunday buffet lunch here is MOP120 (with 10 percent service). The swimming pool was empty during our visit in March, lending a somewhat desolate air to the back terrace.
For a five-star experience in Coloane, The Westin Resort Macau is a favourite among golfers and families with young children – or those who want to get away from the city lights (there’s no casino, for a start). Enjoy an 18-hole golf course (Macau Golf & Country Club, www.macaugolfandcountryclub.com), sea views, pleasant gardens with a large swimming pool, friendly staff and an outdoor children’s playground. The 208 well-equipped rooms have large balconies with outdoor furniture. With 12 meeting rooms and large grounds, The Westin is also popular for meetings and company team-building exercises.
If you’re looking for a hotel on Taipa Island, a number of new options have sprung up over the past few years. One older stalwart is the Regency Taipa, a former Hyatt Regency. The Regency is an oasis of calm for family stays surrounded by thrusting condominiums. Rooms are well appointed and attractive, several looking onto the bay. You’ll find an open-air pool area with a Mediterranean feel and some interesting restaurants.
Macau dining guide and Portuguese food
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| Lisboa Old Wing: faux Versailles |
Pick your cuisine. Macau has Cantonese, Portuguese and “Macanese” (a combination of Portuguese, Chinese, Indian and Malay), and everything else, from Italian to Shanghainese and Japanese. You’ll find dishes such as caldo verde (a potato vegetable soup), bacalhau (a type of fish), Portuguese sausages and “African chicken” cropping up everywhere. Good prawn dishes too. Here are some stalwarts with staying power.
For authentic Portuguese food, a great atmosphere, pretty interior and good prices, seek out A Lorcha (Rua Do Almirante Serigo, tel: [853] 2831-3193), just a stone’s throw from the A-Ma Temple and Maritime Museum. We feasted on a delicious lamb stew (MOP88, enough for two) and tender stuffed calamari. A MOP85 bottle of Portuguese wine hit the spot. The meal came with a complementary basket of freshly baked rolls (not just warmed up). Service is amicable but not speedy. This is not the kind of meal you want to squeeze in just before a meeting. Sit back and relax. Nearby Restaurante Litoral (tel: [853] 967-878) has a good reputation for its Macanese dishes such as curry shrimps, fried prawns and stewed duck with herbs.
For excellent but simple dining, cobble-stoned strolls and relaxed village life, head to the old part of Taipa village. Every local knows Cozinha Pinocchio (tel: [853] 2882-7128), a spacious and quite famous restaurant serving Macanese dishes such as charcoal-grilled squid (MOP78), Portuguese fried rice (MOP32) and Portuguese sausage. You’ll also get typical Cantonese vegetable dishes with garlic. The pork ribs are decadent but tasty. A glass of sangria is MOP25. The one-sheet menu has photos of every single dish on the menu.
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| Senado Square: old world charm |
Moving on from wooden puppets to baby elephants, nearby Dumbo Restaurant (on a street corner with the big Dumbo elephant sign) is a large space serving more Macanese food. Small, soberly named A Petisqueira, just off Taipa village’s main road is famous for its traditionally Portuguese food and great cheeses.
In Coloane, near the Hac Sa beachfront, you’ll find one of Macau’s most famous restaurants, the rustic Restaurante Fernando (widely known as simply “Fernando’s”). Don’t expect anything grand, and the menu is only in Portuguese (there are photos to help you choose, though). The food is hearty and wholesome (“Calamari frito com Alho” [calamari with garlic] for MOP160 or “Sardinha Assada na Brasa” [grilled sardines] for MOP66), but the atmosphere even better. Book ahead or be disappointed (tel: [853] 2888-2264, 2888-2531).
You may be a long way from the Mediterranean, but for Italian food those in the know swear by the humble Pizzeria Toscana on Calcada da Barra near the ferry terminal (tel: [853] 2872-6637). The walls are graced with signed photographs of VIPs who have dined here. For more upmarket Italian, the Grand Lisboa’s Don Alfonso restaurant (tel: [853] 803-7722) with southern Italian cuisine boasts Michelin-starred chef Alfonso Iaccarino.
Every sweet tooth must try Macau’s pastries, the most famous of which are Portuguese egg tarts. Margaret’s Café e Nata (near Senado Square, on Rua Almeida Costa Cabral, tel: [853] 2852-7791) is a tiny, bustling sidewalk joint with wonky tables and grey plastic stools, offering arguably the best pastries you’ll find anywhere. The egg tarts are fresh, creamy and straight from the oven. This is a great place for a cheap breakfast or coffee break, and you’ll see the locals in action. A huge croissant with cheese and ham costs MOP12.
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| Pharaoh's Palace casino |
The Senado area itself offers more than people-watching and old buildings. Find more Portuguese egg tarts (and great noodles and congee) in a more elegant (and touristy setting) at Wong Chi Kei (tel: [853] 2833-1313) on the square. (Wong Chi Kei has a famous sister branch on Wellington Street in Hong Kong.)
Near the ferry terminal on the waterfront lies Macau’s new Fisherman’s Wharf (www.fishermanswharf.com.mo), a shop and restaurant-lined strip with a United Nations of architectural (and food) styles: from an African village and Arabian minarets to a Chinese imperial palace and man-made volcano (which “erupts” at intervals). It’s Macau, but not as you know it. The spicy Szechuan dishes at Hero Chinese Restaurant (tel: [853] 728-807) are not bad, and the suckling pig at sister restaurant Camoes (tel: [853] 728-818), serving “modern Portuguese” food, comes recommended by locals.
Or take in the excellent views of the Pearl River Delta and city from the revolving restaurant at Macau Tower, 360° Café (tel: [853] 988-8622), serving an international buffet.
Macau nightlife and bars
When the lights go on in Macau, the drabbest buildings by day become pulsating neon palaces. All the casinos and hotels have bars and nightclubs, many of which go on through the night. One old institution not to be missed is the “Crazy Paris Show” at the Hotel Lisboa.
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| Macau old city: sedate pace |
More upmarket (with matching prices) is the new Wynn Tryst Ultralounge at the Wynn Macau, where you can party in style until the early hours. In the same league is the brand-new cosmopolitan Sky21 club (tel: [853] 2872-3344) with live music in the AIA Tower.
At night, Fisherman’s Wharf is slightly less plastic, with an up-and-coming nightlife. American-style Al’s Diner (tel: [853] 567-888) with its outdoor bar and indoor LCD screens showing music videos also features live music. So does the Afrikana close by. The trendy Fashion Bar (tel: [853] 725-579) has already picked up quite a following and is open from 9pm to 7am.
Oddly located in the Macau Cultural Centre, the Bex Café (tel: [853] 797-7755) is nonetheless a place to see and be seen. Late-night stuff. Likewise, the Lime Light Bar (Avenida Infante D Henrique; tel: [853] 711-800), which pulsates until after 3am and has nightly live music, except for Wednesdays.
Alternatively, cross the bridge to another world in Taipa, where down-to-earth Old Taipa Tavern (tel: [853] 825-221), with a restaurant attached, remains a local favourite.
Take the plunge… or take in a Macau museum
For “the world’s highest bungee-jump” from a 233m platform, head to the landmark 338m Macau Tower (tel: [853] 9888-656; www.macautower.com.mo), which is the 10th-tallest freestanding tower in the world. Not for the fainthearted. Adrenaline junkies might also want to try the “Long Ironwalk”, “Sport Climbing” or “Long Flying Fox” on offer on weekends and public holidays. No? Then take a lift to the top and simply admire the views from the balcony.
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| Rocks Hotel, Fisherman's Wharf |
For something more sedate, take in a Macau museum or two. The Wine Museum at the Tourism Activities Centre near the ferry terminal has displays and tastings (tel: [853] 798-4188; closed Tuesdays; MOP15 for visitors over 18, including wine tasting). The five-floor Macau Museum of Art (tel: [853] 791-9814; www.artmuseum.gov.mo, closed Mondays) hosts temporary exhibitions by local and international artists. Permanent exhibitions include Chinese calligraphy and paintings and historical art.
Macau Shopping for all tastes
Macau is a free port with no taxes or duties, and shopping is not bad at all. There are a few malls with all the usual goods and brands and the new trend is for glitzy malls attached to five-star hotels, such as the Esplanade at Wynn Macau. The Mandarin Oriental has long housed a mini-mall with several branded stores, from Burberry and Hugo Boss to Salvatore Ferragamo and Hermes.
But if you’re looking for more a “local” Macau shopping experience, you’ll find it in older parts of the city. Popular purchases include jewellery (if you buy precious metals or gems, ask for a warranty card and a receipt you can read), Chinese antiques and porcelain, electrical appliances and watches and textiles. The best jewellery stores are on Rua de Almeida Ribeiro, where there are also many Chinese herb and dried seafood shops. Also browse the shops on Avenida Infante D Henrique, or Rua do Campo (for rice paper and Chinese calligraphy).
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| Regency poolside |
There are many shops between the Rua dos Mercadores and Rua de San Paulo near the Ruins of Saint Paul, selling anything from wooden and rattan goods to traditional medicines (don’t be afraid to bargain). The San Domingos market in the streets behind Senado Square offers shoes, clothes and bags as well as souvenirs and lingerie, and the side streets around the Ruins of St Paul’s (such as Rua do Santo Antonio and Rua das Estalagens) have lots of furniture and antiques shops to browse.
Taipa Village has a regular Sunday fleamarket in the village centre, where you can pick up knick-knacks, toys and traditional crafts.
So, that’s Macau in a nutshell. Grab a phrase book or two and you’re on your way.
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