Macau Magic

Gambling was legalised by the Portuguese in 1847 and the casinos faced no communist crackdown even when it was handed over to the People’s Republic of China. Last month, Sheldon Adelson, the tenth richest American and the man behind the casino boom, threw open the doors to a bigger venture, the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino Macao, a hotel that can house 3,000 suites and a complete entertainment centre.

The in-house shopping mall at the Grand Canal Shoppes is where high-street shopping meets Venice, with its gondolas, painted backdrops and Italian men in straw hats singing love songs. The novelty draws people from Mainland China, Hong Kong and even the Philippines in droves. Indians, Americans and Europeans are, for once, in the minority.

If the grandeur of the Venetian gets to you, we suggest you catch the shuttle bus and head out to town. Here designer stores sit next to extravagant casinos and everyone from vegetable vendors to the rich kids waiting to bust their bucks are fashionably dressed.  A day tour, usually done on foot (we take the bus), covers all the important landmarks.

As you cross the magnificent Lotus Bridge, the Statue of Kun Lan, a golden Bodhi Satvaha, with a resemblance to Madonna, is an arresting sight as is the Macau Tower, one of the tallest in Asia. We then arrive at the oldest temple in Macau, a heritage site from which the island gets its name. The A-Ma Temple is dedicated to the seafarer’s goddess and dates back to the 16th century. Legend has it that Portuguese tongues tripped on A-Ma and so they called it Macau—the name stuck. Last but not least, the imposing St Paul’s Ruins. Built by the Jesuits in 1602, it was gutted in a fire and only the grand façade remains. But it’s still a popular hangout. 

Bit by the shopping bug, some of us head for Senado Square, my favourite bit of the city. Near the ruins of St Paul’s, it’s a good place to spot bargains. One can get up to 50 per cent off on clothes at Hang Ten and local labels come as cheap as 28 Pataca—the local currency. Tucked down bylanes are small green tea shops and a supermarket where one can shop for everything from black bean sauce to egg noodles, authentic Oolong tea and pork and bamboo shoots in Shezwan sauce. Although some of the ingredients can be bought at Crawford Market in Mumbai, there is something to be said about the authenticity of buying it here. 

Back at the gambling tables, a few friends emerge with wide grins. Rohit Khilnani has won 200 Hong Kong dollars at the tables. “I was elated till I saw a lady in front of me encash 30,000 HKD,” says Khilnani. It was a night of victory for many other women. But the big news: the headcount at the casino has gone up to 3.5 lakh. So you know where Asia is gambling this season.
How to get there
Take a direct flight to Hong Kong; avoid Singapore or Dubai stopovers. Take a ferry ticket from Hong Kong to Macau