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people of Macau spend their free time and socialise,” says Leanna Kelly, a travel consultant with Corporate Travel Plus. The Tai Chi class the group dropped in on in a
local park, where mainly older people gathered to perfect their art under a Tai Chi master, also impressed Kelly. “It was fun and I have even been looking up classes in Derby as I want to take it up now,” she says. “Tai Chi seemed a good way to clear the mind and build flexibility; I’m determined to be a flexible OAP one day like them!”
Table talk Macau may be surrounded by China, but there are plenty of Portuguese restaurants around and even a distinct “Macanese” cuisine. When they settled, the Portuguese brought with them European cooking techniques, African spices, Latin American flavours and Indian seasonings from their other colonial outposts and mixed this with Asian produce. What emerged is one of Asia’s most dynamic eating spots, where Michelin-starred chefs jostle with family-style Portuguese restaurants. On the first night, a relaxed dinner beckoned
downtown at Restaurant Litoral, a traditional restaurant serving Macanese and Portuguese cuisine. It was here that the group got their first taste of African Chicken, a spicy dish that went down a treat, especially with Robarts. “This was an excellent night – particularly the
Portuguese white wine and fine steaks. I also enjoyed the traditional lunch at Espaco Lisboa in Coloane. It was very good meal indeed, possibly the best we had to my mind, as it was such a small and charming restaurant,” he adds. Other dining included a wonderful night’s food and wine enjoyed at Restaurant Antonio,
a traditional Portuguese taverna in Old Taipa Village, a place that has managed to maintain its charm – peppered with colonial pastel-coloured buildings packed with bars and restaurants – in the shadow of the large casinos nearby. With the group given the VIP rooftop table, the night even included champagne sabering, being serenaded by a guitarist and chef Antonio Coelho flambeing crepes table-side for dessert.
The height of luxury Restaurants in new luxury hotels of Macau also bring fine dining to the fore, such as Lai Heen, an exquisitely designed Cantonese restaurant on the 51st floor of the Ritz-Carlton hotel, which opened this year. The group was treated to a banquet in a private dining space with views of the lights of Macau, followed by drinks in the bar, including selections from a gin trolley. “My highlight of the trip was probably dinner
in Lai Heen,” says Kelly. “Although the food wasn’t always to my taste, the ambience and setting was beautiful and we were so looked after by the Ritz-Carlton team. It was a great experience – and I’m scared of heights so being that high up was a challenge I managed to beat!” The all-suite Ritz-Carlton is combined with
the JW Marriott, which was just 118 days old when the group checked in for a two-night stay. The hotel is huge, with 1,015 rooms, but the attention to detail is incredible and rooms are packed with every modern amenity and sumptuous finish you would expect – but unexpectedly, the hotel also has the world’s largest JW Kids Club. Located in Cotai, the hotels are part of phase
two of the Galaxy Macau integrated resort, which also includes the Grand Resort Deck. This
Sky high: Test your nerves with the Skywalk at the Macau Tower, 1,109ft up on a platform without handrail (but you are harnessed on).
Panda time: See them at the Macau Giant Panda Pavilion at Seac Pai Van Park, Coloane.
Water wonder: The world’s largest water -based show The House of Dancing Water is at the City of Dreams.
Custard in Coloane: Visit Coloane, a fishing village that’s home to Lord Stows Bakery and the best Portuguese egg custards in town.
Find inner peace: Get up early and catch the locals practicing Tai Chi in a park.
By Leane Kelly, consultant, Corporate Travel Plus
watery playground includes Skytop Adventure Rapids, Asian-themed gardens and the world’s largest skytop wave pool and a sandy beach – all of which hotel guests can access. Looking down on this from your elevated guestroom, it all seems a contrast to the refined elegance of the hotel and quite surreal. But those in the group who had fun playing down there for a few hours ensured me it was very real. Another very real experience is the 1,109ft
Macau Tower, home to the highest bungee jump in the world at 764ft; you can even do it at night. The most motion we experienced however was lunch at the tower’s revolving restaurant, where there was a big buffet to follow around. But not content with a revolving restaurant,
DESTINATIONS WINTER 2015
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