There’s no denying Macao is a popular place to spend the Lunar New Year, particularly for mainland Chinese, people from Taiwan, and residents of nearby Hong Kong. But for those who want to escape the crowds, there are plenty of destinations directly accessible from the city’s international airport.
Some (not all, admittedly) will be havens of relative tranquillity during the Spring Festival – as the holiday is also called in China. Lunar New Year is not a public holiday in Japan or Thailand, meaning you can expect everything to be open and operating as usual.
But if you’re interested in experiencing a localised take on the festivities, try Vietnam (where the Lunar New Year is called Tết), Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and South Korea. New Year’s Day in the Chinese calendar, which falls on 29 January this year, is an official public holiday in all those countries, though the intensity of celebrations will vary by location. Areas with large Chinese populations will be the most festive. In others, like South Korea where the festival is called Seollal, celebrations will be low-key
[See more: Where can your Macao passport take you?]
Wherever you go, with three days of statutory holiday in Macao, plus the weekend, it’s a great opportunity for a quick break. Here’s a breakdown of places beyond the mainland that you can currently purchase airline tickets to, from Macao, without transiting this January and February.
The list is correct at the time of writing but things are always changing, so do check the airport’s website for updated flight information.
Indonesia
- Jakarta (Air Macau)
Japan
- Osaka (Air Macau)
- Tokyo (Air Macau)
Malaysia
- Kuala Lumpur (Air Macau, Air Asia)
Philippines
- Manila (Cebu Pacific, AirAsia Philippines)
Singapore
- Singapore (Air Macau, Scoot)
South Korea
- Seoul (Air Macau, Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Korean Air)
- Busan (Air Busan, Asiana Airlines)
Taiwan
- Kaohsiung (Air Macau, EVA Air, Tigerair)
- Taipei (Air Macau, Eva Air, Starlux, Tigerair)
- Taichung (Starlux, Air Macau)
Thailand
- Bangkok (Air Macau, Thai AirAsia, Thai Lion Air)
Vietnam
- Hanoi (Air Macau)
- DaNang (Air Macau, VietJetAir)
- Nha Trang (Bamboo Airways, VietJetAir)
