Macau (as well as Hong Kong) is a special administrative territory of China, which previously was the colony of a completely different country - Portugal. Macau is less famous than Hong Kong, but nevertheless, tourists visit this city. In my article I will try briefly telling what the city of Macao, what it can be done and to whom it can be interesting.
Macau city was founded quite a long time ago and for four centuries was managed by Portugal, because he was her colony in Asia (by the way, it was the oldest European colony in that region). At the end of the twentieth century, Macau was returned to China, becoming a special administrative territory of this country.
Thus, Currently, Macau is a rather interesting phenomenon - this is a Chinese city, which preserved some Portuguese traits in himself - I mean, architecture, building, monuments and, of course, a cultural heritage (for example, in Macau, a number of inscriptions still Pores duplicated on Portuguese - it looks very unusual).
In my opinion, this is one of the arguments in favor of visiting Macau is a very curious combination of cultures, which is worth viewing with your own eyes.
How to get to Macau
The easiest way to get to Macao from Hong Kong, for this there is a water crossing - ships from Hong Kong go to Macau several times a hour, you can get very quickly - the whole trip will take you no more than an hour. In addition, for lovers of unusual ways to move between Hong Kong and Macau, the helicopter line is open. There is there and the airport, which basically takes flights from China. In general, in Macao it is most convenient to get from Hong Kong or from China.Than famous Macau
Macao is a major financial center of Asia (this is true to tourists, the truth is most likely not very interesting), and he is primarily a casino and nightclubs. On the territory of not the largest city there is more than thirty casinos, the most famous of which are Grand Lisboa, Galaxy and The Venetian. In the casino you can not only try good luck, but also look at the luxurious interiors made in Chinese style - all this is rather curious.
You can also visit nightclubs, which in Macau plentiously - you can choose the establishment of your taste and wallet - there are both clubs playing European music and clubs specializing in Asian musical products. Be that as it may, in Macau incredibly many different clubs and bars.
In addition, there is a hippodrome, on which jumps are periodically held, as well as a very exotic place for Europeans - a special complex on which dog run is held.
From time to time, various large-scale shows are held in Macau - among them you can note, for example, the fireworks show. If you get to the city during the next show - you can assume that you are lucky - you can entertain yourself for free.
sights
Makao Center is built up so much that reminds us of the Epoch of Portuguese Master, it is an old house, and an insamble of squares. In this city, you can also visit a number of churches and temples of various denominations - in Macao thrives tolerance to different religions - these are Christian (mostly Catholic) churches, and Buddhist temples and much more.
You will also be admired to the rest of the fortress that Jesuits once erected and visit a number of museums - Makao Museum, in which you will be able to get acquainted with the history of this city, find out which ethnic groups lived here a few centuries ago, see creative samples created by various People, as well as trace the history of the development of the city up to the present, the Museum of Natural Sciences, the Maritime Museum, the Tea Museum and the Museum of Communications.
Where to stay in Macau
Unfortunately, it is worth a recognition that prices for hotels in Macau will not call humane (all prices I will point out at the time of writing a article, that is, March 2015) - the cheapest accommodation option, which offers a well-known booking site is a hostel, night in Which will cost you two thousand rubles. Next, prices increase sharply - during the night in a three-star hotel, you will be asked for at least five thousand rubles (I mean a double room), and for the average hotels of three-four stars already have to give from 7 to 8 thousand per night. If your budget is not limited, then in Macau you can choose between several luxurious hotels in Sheraton Macao Hotel, The Landmark Macau, Galaxy Macao, Grand Emperor Hotel, Mandarin Oriental Macau or Grand Hyatt Macao. The night in a five-star hotel will permanently cost you at 14 - 30 thousand rubles, it all depends on the specific hotel, the type of room and the services provided, as well as from the overall production of hotels in this or that season.
By the way, hotels in Macau are not so much - a booking site, which in Hong Kong offers more than one hundred different accommodation options, is limited to 50 hotels in Macau.
As you already understood, the attractions in Macau have enough - among them there are museums for every taste - both traditional (historical) and more modern, involving interactive acquaintance with the exposition.
In general, I would recommend going to Macau first of all those who are close to it - for example, in Hong Kong. Makao will probably enjoy fans of gambling (or those who would like to visit the luxurious casino), as well as those who love stormy nightlife - the benefits of clubs in Macau enough. In addition, Macau will be interested in those who like mixing various cultures and unusual cities. Those tourists who love to inspect museums will also be satisfied - of course, there are not much there, for example, in European capitals, but still there are different options. If you just love to take a walk and feel the national flavor, then in Macau you are waiting for both architectural ensembles in colonial-style, resembling Lisbon and purely Chinese areas with street markets.
At the same time, I will note that the city is not very big, therefore, in my opinion, Macau can quite see in a few days.