Macao Things to Do

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one can see sweeping views of Macau from it. The Colina da Penha is otherwise known for Bishop Hill, because the magnificent Bishop's Residence is on the hill. By the side of the Bishop's Residence, there is a St. Mary Hall called Chapel of Our Lady of Penha which was built in 1622. The Chapel is simple, situated in the middle of winding hillpath. The then Colina da Penha was only a fort. Since the dismantlement of the fort in 1892 the Chapel was enlarged up to the grand scale of today. The Bell Tower of the Church is high to the cloud, solemn in silence. The surrounding is picturesque for path in the flowering shrubs and the thick growth of grass, shadowy woods and magnificent buildings. In front of the church there is a high terrace on which stands the statue of Virgin Mary of marble sculpture who folds her two hands, facing the sea with kindly face.

It is open daily from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm.

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TurboJET is the name of the ferry service of the Hong Kong-based Shun Tak-China Travel Ship Management Limited. It was formed when Far East Jetfoil and Turbo Cat merged in 1999.

TurboJET has several routes over the Pearl River Delta including Hong Kong, Hong Kong International Airport, Shenzen, Guangzhou and Macau. The busiest service is the one between Hong Kong (Connaught Road, Central) and Macau (Maritime Ferry Terminal). The TurboJET vessels cover the 70km journey in about one hour.

The ferry departs every 15 minutes and costs from $134HK one way.

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The fort was built on the Mount of St. Paul and was the military centre of the then Portugese colony - Fortaleza do Monte (Mount Fortress). It was built in the 16th century to protect the colony of the Jesuits and later became the military defence of Macau. It is included in the UNESCO world heritage Site of the 'Historic Centre of Macau'

The Museum of Macau was built here in the 1990's and the gardened fortress area has imposing views of Macau.

The fortress garden is reached through the museum building and both are definitely worth visiting.

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A large proportion of the economy of Macau is based on tourism and gambling. It is known as the 'Las Vegas of the East' or the 'Monte Carlo of the Orient'.

The Portugese legalised gambling in the colony in 1850s and since then has been a well known gambling destination. Only traditional Chinese games were played until the westernstyle games were introduced in the late 20th century. The liberalisation of the industry in 2001 has seen a boom in the building of new casinos.

The casinos are used mainly by tourists from Hong Kong and the mainland as well as foreigners - the local Macanese don't, in general, visit casinos.

Some of the buildings have the most amazing architecture - I particularly liked the 'Art Deco' style glass work of the Babylon Casino.

Whether you visit to play or just look the website below provides a good map for the older casinos - the newer ones like 'The Venetian' are on another island.

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Macau Sky Tower is a telecommunication tower. It is 338m high and the observation deck is at 233m. The tower is known for its outdoor Skywalk - a walking tour around the outer rim. It is also the home of one of A J Hackett's bungee jump sites - the highest in the world. The observation deck also features areas of glass floor.

The Macau Sky Tower has been featured in the reality television program 'The Amazing Race'. It is one of the members of the World Federation of Great Towers.

I have a totally illogical fear of towers but it is worth the trip up - the view is spectacular. Maybe you'll have more luck with the glass floor - I couldn't bring myself to walk on it! I did see someone bungee past the window!

The bus took us directly to the entrance so I didn't get a close up photo of the tower - the close up photo is courtesy of Wikipedia.

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The Ruins of St. Paul's consist of the façade of the Cathedral of St. Paul. The cathedral was built by the Portugese in the 17th century and it was dedicated to the apostle St. Paul. It is now the most famous landmark of Macau and was listed as World Heritage in 2005.

The cathedral was built by the Jesuit monks from 1582 to 1602 and was the largest Catholic church in Asia until the importance of Macau was taken over by Hong Kong. The fortune that the cathedral once saw ebbed away at the same time. It was destroyed by fire during a typhoon in 1835.

All that remains is the southern stone façade. The fine carving was done by Japanese Christians in exile and local craftsmen. It took 7 years from 1620 to complete. The façade sits on a small hill at the top of 66 stone steps.

To the left side of the structure is a tiny temple - a contrast in more ways than one.

As an icon of Macau it is worth a visit especially if you are interested in history. It is located next to the Macau Museum.

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A-Ma Temple is located on the southwest tip of the Macau Peninsula. Built in 1488, it is one of the oldest and most famous temples in Macau. Tthe temple is dedicated to Matsu, the goddess of seafarers and fishermen.

The first Portugese sailors landed on the coast near the temple and on asking the name of the peninnsula were told Maa Gao, the name of the temple. It has been called Macau ever since.

The temple became listed on UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005.

The temple has been built into a steep hillside and provides beautifuls views as well as a place to worship and meditate.

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The Golden Lotus Square in the former Portuguese colony of Macau is a large open area featuring a sculpture of a large Lotus flower - the emblem of Macau. It was given as a gift by the State Council of the People's Republic of China in 1999 marking the transfer of the sovereignty of Macau from Portugal to the People's Republic of China.

The beautiful flower is made from 6.5 tons of bronze which has been gilded. It is 6m high and stands on a base of red granite.