The Mighty But a Bit Small Macau
When in the US, the gambler’s haven is Las Vegas, when in Asia, that place is most definitely Macau.
Macau is made up of three islands connected to one another by a 2 ½ kilometre bridge and highway. The whole area (all three islands) is only about 25o hectares or 5800 acres. It is small, but what a might small area it is! Not only is this a highly developed area, this is a world famous tourist destination as well.
Macau or Macao, is located just across the Pearl River across Hong Kong and is a Special Administrative Region or SAR of China. It was only in 1999 that Portugal released Macau back to the Chinese government in accordance to their treaty.
Macau was the first and also the last of the European colonies established in China. The others were Hong Kong and Kowloon. This is considered as Asia’s biggest gambling destination and rakes in even more profits and revenues than Las Vegas in the US.
Walking on the streets of Macau, the visitor would soon feel that they are in Europe rather than in Asia. The tourists who visit fell comfortable visiting here for they would not have any problems in communication. Portuguese, English, Cantonese and Mandarin are spoken all over the islands.
In the past, the only way to get to Macau was flying in from Hong Kong and then take the ferry over. Presently, air travel direct to Macau is now possible because of the low-cost airline services. In fact, there are now more tourists flying in to Macau and then ferrying over to Hong Kong.
The best thing about Macau is that tourists do not need to have visas when they come in because of the Visa Free Entry of 7, 30, 90 and 180 days up to one year. But that really depends on the nationality of the visitor.
Residents in Hong Kong can just make use of their Identity Cards and could stay in the area for up to a whole year. Other nationals have to get a visa which can be obtained from their local Chinese embassies or consulates or get one once they arrive in Macau.