You don’t see many travellers from Western countries in Macao. Just 5.3 percent of SAR’s tourists hailed from outside of Greater China (mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan) in February, and most of that cohort were from elsewhere in Asia. Places like South Korea, Malaysia and Japan – markets the tourism authority is actively courting.
But the lack of Westerners is perhaps a little surprising when you consider Macao’s rich and highly visible heritage as a trading post for one of Europe’s major empires (and the fact that many Macao residents still hold Portuguese passports).
While the SAR is an off-the-beaten-track destination for today’s long-haul, independent globetrotters, they do still trickle in. Often as a side-trip from Hong Kong (which sees significantly more visitors from the likes of Europe, Australia and North America). These travellers aren’t much interested in trying their luck at Macao’s casinos, perusing its luxury retail outlets or following flag-bearing guides around the Ruins of St Paul’s (all favourite haunts of mainlanders). They tend to take a more DIY approach to exploring new places. Which, as it turns out, can be challenging for a newcomer to Macao.
Macao News approached three couples from the US, Russia and the Netherlands to find out why they came here, what they enjoyed and whether they’d return. All were on their first trip to Macao, all travelled independently. Overall, they praised Macao’s authentic eateries and dismissed its glitzy casinos. The biggest struggle? Finding useful and accurate information prior to arrival, especially around public transportation.
[See more: Asia’s little Lisbon: Why Macao is the perfect alternative to Portugal’s capital]
These interviews have been edited for brevity.
The Americans
Justin Fitzgerald, 41, and Kitty Pichejkulbordee, 35
VERDICT: “Fantastic food … [but] Macao caters to people coming here in tour groups. As an independent traveller, that gives you a little more work to do.”
Who are you?
We’re a couple who met in New York City and now live close to the Canadian border. Kitty’s a primary school teacher, [Justin’s] a telecommunications project manager. A lot of our trips are centred around doing something specific, a hike or climbing some mountain. Otherwise we focus on exploring a specific cuisine.
What brought you here?
We went to this Macanese restaurant in Chicago and absolutely loved the food. The experience made us kinda interested in where it came from. Then, for this trip, we wanted to go somewhere neither of us had already been and we wanted it to be food-focused. Hong Kong won out for logistical reasons. It just made sense to add in a couple of days in Macao. We stayed two nights.
First impressions?
All the charming little alleys, the cobblestone streets, the decor reminded us of the Açores in Portugal. But turn the other way and it’s all Chinese dragons. That cultural crossover is so cool. Then you’ve got Cotai. It’s pretty weird. Cotai feels like a post-apocalyptic movie because it’s so empty. There are probably heaps of people inside the resorts, but as for their exteriors – it’s like you’re driving around like this bunch of massive, empty warehouses that are painted gold.
What did you love?
Macanese food. It’s so unique. And super hard to find anywhere else. New York City has Portuguese, but it’s not the same. There’s certainly no Macanese in Toronto. Today in Coloane we had pork chop buns, roasted sardines and oxtail soup. We’ve also had egg tarts and minchi. All really delicious. But I wish we were more than just two people so we could have shared more food.
Eating at [the Macanese restaurant] Cozinha Aida’s was our Macao highlight. We were there on one of its last nights open* and you could really feel the community vibe. The owner knew everybody, chatted with everybody. The waitress recommended fried bacalhau and we loved it.
*Cozinha Aida closed its doors, possibly temporarily, in February.
Any surprises?
The lack of nightlife on the Macao peninsula. Guess it’s all concentrated in the casinos? We thought we found a cool independent bar to visit. The internet promised it was open, but it was not. And we couldn’t find anywhere else. There also doesn’t seem to be a centralised place to find out what’s happening each day/night in the city?
Also – before we started planning properly – we really wanted to rent a car and drive it across the bridge between Hong Kong and Macao. It’s the longest bridge in the world, afterall. But we learned that’s not an option for tourists, so we thought we’d take the bus. Then we read online that you can’t take luggage on the bus (we have four suitcases between us). Even though that didn’t really make sense, we couldn’t figure it out. No one would confirm. So, we ended up on the ferry which was a bit disappointing.
Constructive criticism
Transportation is not so convenient. Normally we use Uber and public buses wherever we go. In Macao, there’s no Uber. You can’t call a taxi. There’s zero information for tourists about the bus system. We were told you had to get a bus card and load it, but maybe that’s not true?* Google maps also wildly exaggerates how long it takes to get anywhere by bus.
Macao caters to people coming here in tour groups or going directly to the casino. As an independent traveller, that gives you a little more work to do. If the government wants tourists to utilise the city’s mass transit system, it’s gotta make it more accessible. We didn’t see any signs saying, “here’s what to do.”
*Cash is, in fact, accepted on Macao buses.
Will you be back?
We’d love to come back for the food. But what would we do in between eating? The Ruins of St Paul’s are nice, but they’re no Sagrada Familia [in Barcelona]. And the tourist street down from them – oh my god, it’s just absolutely crammed. We’re not gamblers, but went into the casino to see what it’s like. Definitely not our thing. If we return, it’ll purely be for Macao’s fantastic restaurants.
The Russians
Iana Mazhentseva, 32, and Arian Maleev, 31.
VERDICT: “Macao feels almost like this secret city, like our surprise discovery.”
Who are you?
We are teachers from Moscow, tutoring students remotely. When Russia gets too cold, we go travelling – usually for about six months of the year. We like to travel in a non-touristic way. We are not about taking selfies with the ‘must-see’ tourist sites. Instead, we take things slowly and explore local life.
What brought you here?
[Iana’s] brother moved from Russia to Portugal and fell in love with that country. His love spread to former Portuguese colonies [and territories] and he could not stop talking about how wonderful they are to visit. So, we have been to Malacca and Goa and now Macao on his recommendation. We stayed here three nights.
First impressions?
Parts of Macao feel a lot like Europe. The little cobblestone streets, the greenery everywhere: it’s true the city is like a ‘little Lisbon’. But it’s also very Chinese. It’s much easier to travel around as an independent person here than in China, however.
What did you love?
We love that it simultaneously feels like a village and a big city. We really love all the signs in both Chinese and Portuguese. When we send photos of them to our family, or post them on social media, no one can figure out where we are. This is kind of fun.
We heard Macao is one of the most densely crowded places on earth, but it doesn’t feel like it. Walking around is easy. We loved that the streets are like labyrinths. You can just walk and walk and discover all the hidden gems for yourself. I think there is a lot that hasn’t been written about, that you need to find on your own. Macao feels almost like this secret city, like our surprise discovery.
Any surprises?
When we went to check out one of the casinos, it was not understandable for us. We couldn’t see the games you recognise from the movies. To be honest, it just didn’t seem very fun: no flamboyant Vegas vibe, for sure. But gambling itself was not something we were interested in trying.
Constructive criticism
Macao: please get an Octopus card system, like Hong Kong! It was hard for us using cash, as in Russia no one does that anymore. Then, some places you could only pay with local apps – like AliPay or WeChat, which we don’t have. We would have spent much more money if there was an Octopus card.
It was also very confusing to navigate how to get to Macao from Hong Kong. And then, once you’re here, people can tell you where to get a shuttle to the casino, but not how to use a bus to get anywhere else.
Will you be back?
Before we came, a lot of people in Hong Kong told us that there’s nothing interesting in Macao, that it’s such a hassle to reach. But in the end, we loved it more than Hong Kong. We liked it so much we are planning to come back and spend three weeks here.
[See more: This is how you catch a public bus in Macao]
The Europeans
Vasily Prokapov, 38, Anna Sidorchyk, 32
VERDICT: “We now realise one day in Macao is not enough.”
Who are you?
We’re a couple living and working in Amsterdam, but we’re originally from Belarus. Dual citizens. [Anna runs] a small production company, making videos telling brands’ stories, Vasily is a sales engineer in a cloud computing company. We have this passion to visit as many places around the world as we can and just enjoy local culture.
What brought you here?
Where we go usually comes down to where’s offering a cheap ticket. That’s how we ended up in Hong Kong this time. Now we have two weeks split between Hong Kong and Taiwan, but Macao is quite close and we thought, Why not? All we knew prior to coming was that it’s a kind of a gambling Mecca, like Las Vegas, and that the Portuguese arrived here a few centuries ago. We are just visiting for the day.
First impressions?
It’s so cosy and friendly. And pretty! Macao doesn’t feel like a big city and it’s easy to just walk around.
What did you love?
We started our day at an old tea house [Lung Wah Tea House, near the Red Market]. We are always hunting for authentic places and here, well, we were just so impressed. If we lived in Macao, we would come to Lung Wah every day. The atmosphere was excellent: old ceramics, paintings, tea sets. It’s spacious and quiet and unpretentious. Bonsai plants on the balcony. It feels like a time-warp and there’s a big painting of Chairman Mao. It’s run by this lovely elderly gentleman. We couldn’t help but think, What will happen to this special place when he’s gone? We wish that guy success and that he runs his business for many more years.
Any surprises?
We weren’t expecting so much Portuguese influence. All the beautiful tiles everywhere, the architecture. But you don’t see actual Portuguese people. Well, there aren’t many Western faces at all. In terms of people on the streets, it’s very Chinese.
We are also embarrassed to admit being surprised that Macao has its own currency. It’s so tiny, we thought they’d just use Hong Kong dollars or yuan.
Constructive criticism
For such a short distance, the journey between Hong Kong and Macao was confusing and difficult. It shouldn’t be. Then you get out into the [Outer Harbour] Ferry Terminal and it’s just like a zombie wasteland. Empty, not really clear how to leave. We struggled to catch the bus, because we’d read online that Macao buses accept Octopus cards from Hong Kong. That wasn’t the case, so we had to get cash. All this logistical stuff would be much easier with a few accurate instructions in English.
Will you be back?
We now realise one day in Macao is not enough, but unfortunately we don’t have time on this trip. Initially we thought we’d have a quick look at the old city, go to Taipa, check out a casino, and that’s it. Done. But we like the old city so much that we’ve decided to focus only on the northern part of our route. For sure we wish we’d factored in more time for Macao.
