This casino is one of the smaller ones in Macau. It features baccarat, fish-prawn-crab, cussec and blackjack. If you fancy a flutter on the horses then the Macau Jockey Club Horse Race Track is close by.
The Mandarin’s House has the essential characteristics of a traditional Guangdong residence, yet also features a fusion of architectural influences from Chinese and Western cultures. The house was built around 1869 and was the ancestral home of famous literary figure Zheng Guanying. The charming hideaway has 60 rooms, a walled garden, decorative tiles, carved doors and a beautiful moon gate.
Being well over 500 years old, the A-Ma temple is the oldest temple in Macau. Inscriptions on the inner walls date back to the 1300s and there is a stone sculpture of a Chinese junk, which is a replica of the vessel taken by the venerated A-Ma. Built by a cliff, the temple is positioned on the spot where the Goddess apparently came ashore after surviving rough seas. Named by the Portuguese, Macau was derived from the temple’s original resounding name, A-ma-gao, meaning bay of A-Ma.
This is the right place to start if you want to get a sense of the flavor of Macau and forms a good start to many tours of the city. The Ruins of St. Paul’s are generally regarded as the heart of Macau. Built by the Jesuits in 1602, St. Paul’s Church was destroyed by fire in 1835, leaving only its stone facade with carvings that illustrate the early days of the Catholic Church in Asia. The back of the Ruins has been turned into a museum showing sacred art collected from churches and monasteries in Macau.
You can see it from any vantage point in Macau, so you might as well see what all the excitement is about first-hand. The Macau Tower is one of the tallest freestanding towers in the world, offering a breathtaking panoramic view of the whole of Macau, mainland China and the Pearl River Delta. Besides a complex of modern theaters that show both international and local films, the 338-metre-high Macau Tower also features a variety of restaurants including a revolving cafe.
Before you hit the tables at the 200,000 square foot casino, pay a quick visit to the 11-meter “Tree of Prosperity” for good luck. If you’re blessed with good fortune, take your sack-load of winnings to The Wynn Esplanade, which features top brands like Dior, Chanel, Fendi, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Bulgari. Health-conscious gamblers can take advantage of a no-smoking section, a rare find in Macau casinos. The newer Wynn Encore features a more intimate casino.
The casino operates 24 hours a day and provides a wide range of games, including baccarat, blackjack, roulette, boule, cussex (big-small), fan tan and hundreds of slot machines.
Attracting those diners not keen to queue at Fernando’s is neighboring Portuguese restaurant Miramar. Located on the same stretch of beach, it benefits from sea views and allows people to book in advance. Couples wanting a romantic dinner should ask for a table outside on the balcony overlooking the sea. As well as the usual Macanese favorites, the menu has more unusual dishes such as coffee-style steak and stewed red beans with pork. If you swim before you dine you can rinse off in the restaurant’s outdoor showers.
