Seniors Visit Macau

I just learned that Macau was selected as one of the top 25 places in the world to visit in 2016. Seniors, get your coffee and let’s go there for a closer look to see why. Macau is a small peninsula in mainland China, across the Pearl River Delta from Hong Kong.

A Portuguese overseas territory until 1999, it reflects a mix of Portuguese and Chinese influences. Its giant casinos and extravagant malls have earned it the nickname, the “Las Vegas of Asia”.

One of its more striking landmarks is the 338m-high Macau Tower, with sweeping city views. The history of Macau (The City of Dreams)  is traced back to the Qin dynasty (221–206 BCE).

 Seniors Visit One Of The World’s Richest Cities

Macau, also spelled Macao, is a special administrative region on the southern coast of the People’s Republic of China. Macau is one of the world’s richest cities, and it became the world’s largest gambling center in 2006. Its economy is heavily dependent on gambling and tourism, as well as manufacturing. This Travel Guide on Macau can put senior travelers in touch with major attractions and things to see and do.

Lonely Planet notes that the city lies 65km to the west of Hong Kong, has 566,000 inhabitants and is a city of duality. Its fortresses, churches and the culinary traditions of its former Portuguese colonial masters speak to a uniquely Mediterranean style on the China coast.

These are intermixed with the customs, alleys, temples and shrines of its Chinese heritage. On the other hand, Macau is the ‘Vegas of the East’, the only place in China where gambling is legal.

Seniors Enjoy Colonial History Of Macau

Wikitravel kicks in with their take on Macau and wants you to know that Macau was one of the earliest European colonies in Asia and the last to be relinquished (1999), giving it a more visible colonial history than Hong Kong.

Walking through the old city, senior visitors could be convinced they were in Europe – if the streets were devoid of people and signs in Chinese, that is. The Portuguese and Macanese populations continue to maintain a presence but, as expected, most of the population is native Chinese.

Besides the city itself, Macau includes the islands of Taipa and Coloane, which are connected to Macau by bridges and to each other by a causeway, now built up into the Cotai Strip.

TripAdvisor has over 200 suggestions for senior visitors to consider in Macau, starting with the Casino at Venetian Macao. The Historic Center of Macau is where I would want to start my visit.

Unique Macau will put you in touch with videos that can serve as itinerary guides prior to a visit. Enjoy your stay. -jeb