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Macau’s southern islands of Coloane and Taipa offer a retreat from the bustling peninsula
CHI LL OUT Macau’s southern islands of Coloane and Taipa offer a retreat from the busy peninsula, with two beaches popular for a spot of relaxation and a range of watersports, or there’s a series of hiking trails to enjoy or even the prestigious Macau Golf and Country Club at which to tee off. A relaxed atmosphere pervades the two islands’ respective hubs, Taipa Village and Coloane Village, where laid-back cafes and restaurants line the central squares and streets and wooden junks are still carved by hand. If a spot of pampering is a priority,
back to ground level – or just bungy
jump off the Tower and reach speeds of up to 200kmh!
WIN A TR I P TO MACAU! Has reading about this fascinating destination whet your appetite for more? If so, sign up to
MacauSpecialist.co.uk and complete the online training programme – designed specifically for travel agents – by the end of October to be entered into a prize draw for an amazing holiday to Macau for two people. The prize includes return flights to Hong Kong, ferry transfers to Macau and four nights accommodation in one of Macau’s top hotels. See the opposite page for more details, or visit:
www.macauspecialist.co.uk/win
FOOD Macau’s cultural diversity is also reflected in its cuisine, taking its influences from the Mediterranean, Asia, South America, Africa and India too! Wherever visitors choose to eat they’re bound to enjoy some unforgettable Asian-fusion cuisine. Seafood from the South China Sea features on many menus, as does sausage and sardines from Portugal. Among the best-known dishes are Galinha à Portuguesa (Portuguese Chicken) and Galinha Africana (African Chicken), plus seafood dishes such as Macanese chilli shrimps and stir-fried curry crab. Traditional Chinese dim sum options are ever present, and so too is a fine selection of tapas dishes. One area in which Macau’s Portuguese influenced cuisine particularly excels is in cakes, pastries and desserts, with pastéis de nata (egg tart) among the favourites.
Top: Senado Square's Holy House of Mercy; Above: A-Ma Cultural Festival; Right: Fisherman's Wharf
50 September 2010 •
www.sellinglonghaul.com
SHOPPING Shopping aficianados can look forward to everything from markets and street stalls through to spectacular designer malls offering the world’s top luxury brands. Clothes, jewellery, textiles and electronics are in abundance, as well as traditional goods such as cashmere, silk, Portuguese wines and Chinese teas, art and medicines.
meanwhile, visitors can book in for treatments at an increasing number of luxury spas at some of Macau’s top- name hotels. They include the Six Senses Spa at the MGM Grand and the spas at the Mandarin Oriental and Wynn.
NIGHTLI FE As well as its vibrant restaurant-scene, there’s no shortage of pubs, bars and nightclubs either, at spots such as Nape on the waterfront or at the numerous top-end hotels across Macau. Visitors that fancy a flutter can try out one of Macau’s glitzy casinos, while the Venetian Macau Resort on the Cotai Strip even boasts Cirque du Soleil as its resident show.
FE STIVALS AND EVENTS Macau hosts a comprehensive events diary, one well worth checking out in order to plan itineraries around. Chinese New Year, for example, falls around the end of January or beginning of February; the Senhor dos Passos procession, unique to Macau, takes place at the end of February or beginning of March; there’s the Macau Arts Festival every May; the Dragon Boat Festival in May or June; the International Fireworks Display Contest in September/October; and the famous Macau Grand Prix every November.
WHAT’S NEW Significant hotel openings this year include the 213-room Mandarin Oriental, and Encore at Wynn Macau, an all-suite boutique extension to its sister property
the Wynn Macau. There are 414 suites and villas, two restaurants, a bar and spa. On the Cotai Strip, The Venetian
Macau Resort has opened the MALO CLINIC health and wellness centre, with 58 spa rooms and a comprehensive choice of treatments, plus medical and dental services. Guaranteed to make its mark when it
opens this September is the House of Dancing Water at the City of Dreams entertainment centre. It will be the world’s largest and most spectacular water-based show and feature a cast of over 70 international performers in a purpose built theatre. The Macau Science Centre is one of
the latest additions to Macau’s long list of visitor attractions, featuring 14 galleries, a planetarium and several interactive exhibits.
WHE R E TO BOOK IT THOMAS COOK SIGNATURE
0844 871 0678
www.tcs4agents.com Six nights in Macau and Hong Kong, including a two-day tour of Macau by private car, transfers and flights with Cathay Pacific is from £809 in December, based on two sharing.
TRAVEL 2
0800 0224 182
www.travel2.com Travel 2 is offering a five-night Hong Kong and Macau break from £879 per person. The price includes flights with Cathay Pacific, a sunset cruise and Macau tour. Price is per person, based on two sharing and subject to availability. •
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