Macau China

I want to tell you about a gambling trip I went on a few years ago. I am not much of a gambler but the experience was well worth the trip. First of all we went to a handful of casinos; Wynn, MGM, Venetian and Sands. I was amazed at how big they were and even though I went to gamble, there were other things to do such as shopping, eating and I even rode a gondola in the Venetian. That night we had an incredible dinner at Morton’s and finished the night with a few drinks before calling it a night. You would think we had the perfect Las Vegas experience. However, we were not in Las Vegas, we were in Macau, China.

A former Portuguese colony, Macau was administered by Portugal from the mid-16th century until 1999, when it was the last remaining European colony in China. Portuguese traders first settled in Macau in the 1550s. In 1557 Macau was rented to Portugal by the Chinese empire as a trading port. The Portuguese administered the city under Chinese authority and sovereignty until 1887, when Macau became a colony of the Portuguese empire. Sovereignty over Macau was transferred back to China on 20 December 1999. The Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration and the Basic Law of Macau stipulate that Macau operate with a high degree of autonomy until at least 2049, fifty years after the transfer. Somewhat like the transfer of Hong Kong back to the Chinese.

Gambling in Macau has been legal since the 1850s when the Portuguese government legalized the activity in the colony. Since then, Macau has become known worldwide as the "Monte Carlo of the Orient". One interesting fact is that when you visit the US based Hotels and Casinos such as the Venetian you will meet employees from the US. We met employees that started at the Venetian in Las Vegas and transferred to Macau for the opportunity to travel.

You can fly into Macau but I would recommend flying into Hong Kong and taking the ferry into Macau. The ferries are safe, comfortable and ~ 1 hour. A visa is not required to enter both Hong Kong and Macau. If you fly into Guangzhou or take the ferry to Zhuhai you would need a Chinese visa. I took the ferry to Zhuhai and then walked across the border to Macau but I had business to take care of in Zhuhai. If you want to get a feel for life in mainland China then that is an option but the cost of a visa is ~$300.  

As you can see, there is a lot to consider when traveling to China.