OT: Has anyone been to Macau?

[mirror70]

I may be going there in November during the F3, F3000, and Formula Renault championships for a couple of job interviews. I have neither been there nor do I have any friends who have, so I have no idea what to expect. Have any Bombers been there before?

[Gecko]

I was there at the begining of March for a day (I was staying in Hong Kong). English is common (though not as common as Chinese), lots of good shopping, camera's and other electronics, good food, surprisingly very good indian food in addition to chinese food. I had a blast and wish I had been able to spend more time there but alas the navy only gave us so much shore leave.

[mirror70]

Any idea what the weather will be like? or what currency to bring? Sights to see? Customs I should be aware of?

[Gecko]

that part of China is rather south...the weather should be about the same as when I was there. Pleasant, 60-80 depending...I wore shorts in early march. As for money there are cash exchanges everywhere in HK, Kowloon & Macau...you can also get money out at any ATM machine, of which there are plenty

[Guest Liz]

Macau has a lot of charm. Both the old Portuguese architechture that dominates the quay and the Portuguese food are impressive. Keep out of the casinos my son. Nov. weather should be pleasant 70's with always a chance of rain. Hope you get the job as I lived in hong Kong and never wanted to leave.

[Dan]

Macau is a short trip to Hong Kong (via ferry), and you can get to Guangzhou within a few hours as well (ferry plus bus or train from HK/Kowloon).

Personally, I wasn't that enthusiastic about Macau, but each to his own I guess. I agree the food is good and there's some interesting architecture, but I'd rather hang out in HK and eat the yummy Cantonese food. The only Macau casino I visited was pretty seedy, and the heavy and very visible security didn't help things any.

There's some worthwhile hiking both on the mainland and on the islands near HK - people talk about Lantau a lot, I believe. I biked into HK from China a few years ago, so I can vouch for the fact that they have some pretty ***** big hills, with some interesting very steep trails that would be nice for hiking and were rotten for cycling.

[mirror70]

No worries about the casinos - I'm too poor to even dream of going in one. I'm also too cheap. :)

More basic questions: What electrical system do they use? Where should I fly into? In practical terms, what is the exchange rate like? (ie, how much would a meal cost?) What is "business casual" dress like? this one is probably a stretch: how likely am I to find an unsecured wireless network to leech off of?

I'll be in Macau and busy for the 3 or 4 days of the grand prix, as well as a day or two on either side of the event depending on the team's schedule. Since I've never been to Asia, I figure this is as good a time as any to make a trip of it. Are there any recommended stops (be specific as I know nothing of the region) or suggested itineraries to follow? FWIW, I love hiking and mtn biking and as a general rule prefer those activities to what's available in most cities I've been to.

[Gecko]

some things to think about PACK LIGHT... the cheapest place to fly into will be HongKong and then take the hydrofoil over to Macau (about $20) carrying lots of bags is a hassle. Taxis are relatively cheap (as compared to Japan where I live) the HK Subway is OK but not as convenient as it could be. I know HK much better that Macau so my info is slanted that way. I have, at home, a very good hiking guide book that I got there (I did one hike in March) I'll post the name of it tonight. Shopping is best price wise (IMHO) in Kowloon which is across from HK by the cheap ($.40) Star Ferry. Stay out of the Buy Me Drink Bars in WanChai...it'll just cost you too much money for in my (married) opinion too little. There are two bars in that area that I did find to be nice, Devils Advocate (pretty much a pub) and Dusk til Dawn (nice place with very good live music). Food is what you look for you can find American style restaurants (Outback, Fridays etc) but that will cost you. I ate street food indian in Kowloon that was amazing and less than $2 for more than I could eat...same for the chinese food. Stanley market is another sight to see/shop. If you have someone special Pearls are a great deal in that area.

outdoor is also a better deal there than in the states

added info

the book is called "walkers companion, Hong Kong all year hiking". It's in both english and chinese ISBN 988-201-605-7. however you are only likely to find it as an import (I couldn't find it on the USA Amazon

[Dan]

I'm not too sure what your parameters are when you say "make a trip of it." Does that mean you have a few weeks to play with and could travel outside the HK/Macau/Guangzhou area?

If so, I'd highly recommend Angkor Wat - it was still pretty far off the beaten track when I visited in '99 and I think the sooner you get out there the better.

Vietnam is absolutely beautiful and has stellar cuisine, but the people in big cities tend to be extremely skilled at separating tourists from their money, and I was constantly surrounded by people with their hands out when I was there. If you can stick to smaller towns, it's worth a trip.

Thailand is nice and very approachable if you've never traveled in Asia before, with friendly people and of course, Thai food. People talk about the islands Ko Tao and Ko Phi Phi a lot, though I haven't been myself. There's supposed to be good hiking in the Chiang Mai area (northern Thailand), and Bangkok turned out to be a lot more fun than I expected.

In my opinion. Malaysia and Singapore are kind of ho-hum, though there is great Indian food in Malaysia.

Traveling in China might be a little bit challenging, but if you have time and inclination, I'd suggest Guilin, a town/region famous for its beautiful mountains and laid back atmosphere, and maybe X'ian, where the terra cotta soldiers are/were found (of course, that depends on how you feel about museums).

If you're feeling adventurous, I highly recommend cycle touring in the region, but you'd need to have a fair amount of time on your hands for that, of course.