On March 2nd, I embarked on my longest journey so far – a journey that took me through…
Times visited: 1
UNESCO sites visited: 1/1
Back in the spring of 2016, I had originally planned to explore China during my Asia trip, so I booked a flight to Macau – a former Portuguese colony turned special administrative region of China (similar to its neighbor, Hong Kong). But when it came down to sorting out the Chinese visa, I got a bit lazy. Instead, I pivoted and chose to visit Mongolia, finding a budget-friendly flight out of Hong Kong – which, conveniently, is just a 70-minute ferry ride from Macau. So I still made use of my original ticket and got to experience this quirky little corner of East Asia.
Because of the last-minute change of plans, I only had an afternoon to spare in Macau – but since the city isn’t particularly large, I made the most of every hour. Often dubbed the “Las Vegas of Asia,” Macau actually brings in seven times more gambling revenue than Vegas itself. Still, I wasn’t there for the casinos. Instead, I spent my time wandering the old city center, a beautifully preserved area that feels like a time capsule from the Portuguese colonial era (16th to 19th centuries) – if you can ignore the towering, glitzy casinos looming in the background. Despite the brief visit, I found Macau utterly fascinating – a place where East meets West and history collides with neon lights.