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Macau is full of boundless surprises, concealing a soulful character beneath its glittering surface. Compact but overflowing with diverse experiences, this city beckons travellers with its unique blend of Chinese heritage and Portuguese influences. Its skyline features the juxtaposition of modern marvels with historic landmarks, while the bustling streets pulse with life. Macao stands as a world centre of tourism and leisure, where any sightseeing itinerary can be coupled with gastronomy, sporting events, art festivals, creative pursuits and other activities. With its multifaceted charm, Macao is a captivating destination that goes beyond first impressions, revealing its true depth to those who peel its layers.

Top Attractions in Macau

Ruins of St. Paul's		Casino at Venetian Macao		Historic Centre of Macau		Macau Tower Convention & Entertainment Centre
A-Ma Temple (Ma Kok Miu)		Macau Giant Panda Pavilion		Skycab Cable Car (Wynn Palace)		Coloane Village

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  Macau Dining
  
  As well as being a popular gambling resort, Macau can boast that it is a paradise for gourmands. It would be hard to find another city like it with its abundance of restaurants with so many different types of cuisine ranging from that of China's Guangdong Province to Portuguese, Thai, Korean, Japanese, Viet Nam, American, African as well as other western countries.

• What to eat

• Bacalhau (codfish)
  This is probably Macau's most famous Portuguese dish. Bacalhau is actually dried codfish slices imported from Portugal. It is an essential part of Portuguese cuisine and there are many of ways of cooking it. Before cooking, the fish slices are soaked in water for 20 hours to get rid of salt. It can then be served baked, grilled, stewed or boiled. The popular dishes made of Bacalhau include Fried Bacalhau Balls, Streamed Bacalhau with Seafood and sometimes it is served with rice. Most restaurants in the city offer this well-known dish.

• African Chicken
  This special chicken dish is a result of borrowing ideas from both the African and Indian traditions of using spices. The chicken is first seasoned with a piquant sauce made with garlic and capsicum together with Cola a Portuguese spice and then baked in the oven. The finished chicken is seasoned with the sauce again before serving. The recipe for the sauce is the secret of Chef Yang, who invented this dish. The best place to try it is SOLMAR on AVENIDA DA PRAIA GRANDE.
  
  Galinha Portuguesa
  SoupThis tasty offering is chicken baked in the oven together with potatoes, onions, egg, saffron and curry.
  
  Linguado Macau
  These are fresh and tender Macau soles that are fried and usually served with green salad together with cheese, shrimps and other seafood.
  
  
  Shopping
  
  Thanks to its free port status Macau is a shoppers' paradise and foremost among the popular buys are jewelry (particularly gold), brand label clothes, Chinese antiques, porcelain and pottery as well as wine, cameras, watches, knit-wear together with a host of electric gadgetry all at free duty prices.
   

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  Where to Buy

• Senado Square Area
  Senado Square is the main bustling area in central downtown on the northern side of Av. Almeida Ribeiro (New Road) where a great number of stores and food stalls line the streets. The best buys here are fashionable clothes.

• Red Market& Av. de Horta e Costa

• Red Market is now as a pedestrian street at the intersection of Av. do Almirante Lacerda and Av, de Horta e Costa. The street owes its name to a range of red buildings constructed by the Portuguese in the 20th century. At present, it is a well-known street with all sorts of stalls selling fruits, vegetables, flowers and clothes. The fruits here are best in the city and are inexpensively priced.

• Rua de S.Paulo Area

• The most popular piazza is located close to the Ruins of St. Paul's. A dozen or so furniture and antique shops can be found along the Rua de S.Paulo with authentic antique porcelain, ancient coins and rosewood reproductions of traditional Chinese furniture. Most shops offer good delivery services at reasonable prices. Rua de N.Srå do Amparo nearby is a gravel road and here various peddlers set out all kinds of pottery, figurines and Chinese paintings as well as secondhand articles on the ground. This area is also well-known for its variety of pastry shops and dim sum bakeries, among which Koi Kei is the best. Several featured shops sell various souvenirs for visitors. You can bargain for the goods in this area.
  
  Getting to and Around Macau
  
  Getting to Macau
  Air: Located on the east side of the outlying island of Taipa, Macau International Airport (MFM) has convenient transfers between the air and ferry services in the region. Its runway is on a narrow strip of reclaimed land and is connected to Taipa by two bridges.
  Train: Macau does not have a railway station or rail lines. But it is not far from Zhuhai Railway Station, which is just across Gongbei Port. Passengers from Mainland China can arrive there, pass the border to reach the city. The railway station has been connected with many cities, including Beijing, Guangzhou, and Guilin.

• Ship: There are three ferry terminals providing schedule ferry services to Shenzhen (Shekou Port, Fu Yong Ferry Terminal in Shenzhen Airport) and Hong Kong (Tsim Sha Tsui, Sheung Wan, HK Airport).
  
  Getting Around in Macau
  Visitors to Macau are frequently surprised by the orderly way that traffic moves in this small city. On average some 130,000 vehicles each day take to the narrow and winding roads in an area of under 30 square kilometers, so a well ordered traffic plan has proved vital. Some 80% of the roads are one-way and this ensures that outside the morning and evening peak periods there is little congestion. A plentiful supply of taxis at the airport and ferry terminals together with an excellent public bus service helps with the movement of people at all times. An important feature of which the visitor should be aware is that the traffic in Macau moves on the left hand side of the road.
   

• Light Rail Transit

• Nowadays, only Macau light rail Taipa Line Phase One is under construction. This subway line will link the Border Gate and Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal and contain 21 stations via Macao International Airport (MFM). It will open in 2019 or 2020. In the future, the Light Rail Transit (LRT) will totally operate five subway lines.
  Macau Light Rail Planning Map

• Public Buses
  TRANSMAC and TCM are the two bus companies operating all public and mini buses in the city.
  Bus lines cover almost all the attractions and hotels on the Peninsular and the main scenic spots on the outlying islands of Taipa and Coloane. The routes operate on a one-way circuit around the city. This means you would not necessarily have the same stops on a return trip. Ask the drivers for details.

Taxi

• There are around 1,100 taxis in the city which provide convenient service for local citizens and visitors along with city buses and free shuttle buses of casinos and hotels. Sometimes, it may be a little hard to hail a taxi, especially at the airport or Border Gate. Taxis here are mainly in white and yellow: the former can hold 4, 5 or 6 passengers, and the latter can accommodate at most 4 passengers.