D27: Hong Kong - Macau day trip

An early start this morning as I decided to head over to Macau to check out the lay of the land. I couldn't do an organised tour, because I wouldn't get back to Hong Kong with enough time to get my shuttle to the airport.

By way of explanation - like Hong Kong, Macau is a Special Administrative Region of China. Macau was both the first and the last European colony in China. Portuguese traders first settled in Macau in the 16th century and subsequently administered the region until the handover on December 20, 1999. The Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration and the Basic Law of Macau stipulate that Macau operates with a high degree of autonomy until at least 2049, fifty years after the transfer. Under the policy of "one country, two systems", the Central People's Government is responsible for the territory's defense and foreign affairs, while Macau maintains its own legal system, police force, monetary system, customs policy, immigration policy, and delegates to international organisations and events.

Macau's economy is based largely on tourism, much of it geared toward gambling which has been legal since the 1850s when the Portuguese government legalized the activity in the colony. Since then, Macau has become known worldwide as the "Monte Carlo of the Orient", and gambling has become a significant part of the city's economy. Until Western-style casino games were introduced in the 20th century, only Chinese games were played, the most popular being Fan-Tan. Now, with all the casinos built in the territory, Macau is fast becoming know as the Asian Las Vegas.

It was another rainy day, but the trip over on the ferry was surprisingly smooth, and all up the trip over took about an hour.

After getting off the ferry, I headed outside the terminal not really sure what I needed to do, but there was a line of free buses taking tourists to the big casinos. I jumped on the first one which went to the Wynn Casino.

It really wasn't that different from any other casino I've been too - pokies, table games, bars, restaurants and shops... I had a bit of a wander, and saw a couple of other casinos, and it also looked like they were building some new ones as well.

Back at the Wynn I had a little play on the pokies and I actually had a bit of a win. What a surprise, so with my winnings I decided that I'd treat myself to a Tiffany silver heart necklace.

 

I then had a bite to eat, and had a bit more of a look around before catching the free bus back to the ferry terminal.

Once back in Hong Kong, I had a wander around Hong Kong Island and then made my way back over to Kowloon via the Star Ferry.

I had a late checkout at the hotel, so I was able to pack up my stuff ready for the shuttle. I left my gear with the concierge and went over to the Peninsula. They were still serving afternoon tea, but I had a cocktail and a nice piece of citrus tart. Yum!

Flight details:
Cathay Pacific CX103
Depart - Hong Kong @ 11:30pm (Non-stop)