Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Walking Tour: Cotai, Macau

Macau is well-known for its busy casinos and beautiful Portuguese architecture. It is most common for people to visit the Taipa side of Macau, commonly referred to as central Macau.


You've seen a lot of it already in my walking tours Part 1 and Part 2.


But not far away from the iconic squares and packed streets, there's yet another side to the peninsula...


You have to cross a bridge to get to it, but you'll wind up in Cotai, a piece of reclaimed land which can be described as Reno to Central Macau's Las Vegas.


Not far from the small collection of casinos, there's a miniature tourist street.


It's much quieter here than near the ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral.


You can still find Portuguese food.


And a humbler array of houses.


Just past the blue restaurant...


You'll see pretty, unspoiled side streets...


...and a few shops where you can buy the famous Macau jerky.


Although this is a touristy area, it has a different sort of charm.


Walk to the end of the lane, where you'll find a typical cityscape.


Turn back to the charming buildings...


...and enjoy the chance to take pictures without the crowds.


Just a few steps beyond the quiet streets...


You can see the casinos of the Cotai Strip, including the Venetian.


It's a simpler sort of life in Macau, and here you can feel the real peace and beauty of it away from the madness of the central areas.


But of course, you can still find some casinos here too. 

If you want to see the busier side of Macau, you can check out my earlier walking tours. Thanks for visiting A Kindle in Hong Kong!

3 comments:

  1. I'm loving that building in the eleventh picture from the top. Absolutely charming.

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  2. These are great photos! I can't picture Macau with skyscrapers, but I've only spent two short afternoons there, once just to see it (and send postcards back to my family in the US) and once to renew my travel visa. It's very reassuring to see how many old homes are still standing, even relatively close to the casinos.

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  3. Macau Banyan Tree Hotel looks great....http://interestingpe.blogspot.ca/2012/05/beijing-din-tai-fung.html

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