Because Macau is its separate SAR from Hong Kong, it does enforce its own immigration and border control. I ventured down to the ferry dock this morning, bought my ticket and was sipping my cup of Starbucks coffee while brushing up on my travel guide. When I got to the part that read, "Most visitors to Macau do not require a visa in advance…" I realized I didn't have my passport. This could be a problem as unrefundable ferry tickets are time and day specific. I went back to confirm that I did in fact need my passport, and the ticket guy said, "Yes, you do"…however, his face said, "Of course, dumbass." Then he made me a deal. If I can go get my passport and be back in 40 minutes, he'll change my ticket to Super Class (1st class) and change the time to the 11:15 ferry. I really don't know why the upgrade nor do I know why the time limit, but I suspect he relished some delight in the challenge and he probably felt at some level I wouldn't go for it. Well, I ran…literally, to the subway, across fours stops and several trains and made it back with 10 minutes to spare. He smiled, and said "You deserve it" and changed my ticket. Worse case, I would have had to buy another one for $25. But I had to get my passport anyway, the first class ride was nice and I too relished the challenge.
Macau has two real draws: rich and engaging Portugese history and gambling. Casinos, not surprisingly, are the real story here. Just last year, Macau surpassed Las Vegas in annualized gambling revenues. Based on what I saw, that's not going to change anytime soon. For the past 40 years, gambling was the exclusive domain of Dr. Stanley Ho. How he negotiated Macau's sole gambling license is another story. However, late last year the Macau government also granted licenses to Steve Wynn (that's his Wynn Casino at the top, looks just like the one in Vegas but not so massive), and the Sand's Resort (their property was also massive, but not worthy of a picture as it was so uninteresting). Macau is a legitimate boomtown. The economy has grown steadily around 13% per year since 2001, and the island-state will open an estimated 19,000 new hotel rooms per year over the next 4 years.
If you're not a gambler, there are still some interesting things to see here. There are quite a few distinctly European buildings, plazas, churches and squares. As a whole, they alone could be worth the trip. The food is also amazing, and interesting combination of Portugese and Cantonese cuisine. (Try the African spiced chicken at A Torcha). There is one interesting street (pictured below) where the tiles are set in an interesting pattern that has a dizzying effect in person. People were actually staggering a bit.
My take on Macau was its good for a day trip, and certainly if you're in Hong Kong and have the time, check it out. I don't know that its worth the trip here to see on its own. But if you lived in Asia, it sure beats the trip to Las Vegas. For this reason alone, and the amount of disposable luxury dollars floating around this part of the world, Vegas should be very, very worried. I'm not sure I would recommend Macau right at the moment, but in two years its going to make Las Vegas look like Branson, Missouri.
