Thursday, March 27, 2008 Macau today By Nelia G. Neri
WHAT a difference a decade makes! When I first set foot in Macau in the late 90’s, the place was a far cry from the bustling and fast developing city that it has become today. The Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) is composed of the Macau Peninsula and the islands of Taipa and Coloane. In between the two islands is a reclaimed area called Cotai which is touted to rival the Las Vegas entertainment strip once it is fully developed.
In the past, Macau was basically known as a gambling haven and the site for motor races but now it has evolved into a tourist mecca with the sprouting out of modern landmarks offering fun and entertainment (oh yes, gambling is as alive as ever), excellent food and value-for-money shopping....and not to forget, Macau’s rich history and culture. Definitely, the place is an interesting blend of the Chinese and the Portuguese cultures which means it showcases a bit of Europe in a predominantly Chinese environment.
Our trip to Macau was courtesy of Cathay Pacific Airways (CX), with the land arrangements taken cared of by the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO). But of course MGTO’s main purpose was to show off the Macau of today to our group of six Cebu journalists. Our tour escorts were MGTO deputy marketing director Charina Puno of Manila and CX-Cebu passenger sales supervisor Connie Cimafranca.
On the part of CX, the airline wanted us to experience the hassle-free trip from Cebu to Macau taking the TurboJET Sea Express which operates ferry services between the Hong Kong airport and the Macau Ferry Terminal. Immigration is in Macau. And one more thing, CX gave us a chance to get a taste of the famed pampering in its Business Class section.
Since our suitcases were checked through to Macau, all we had to do when we arrived at the HK airport was to go to the Turbo Jet Air/Sea Transfer Desk (signs are all over) and get the tickets. We then proceeded to the Transit Hall for the bus to the Sky Pier (a brief seven-minute ride) where we boarded the turbo jet. The crossing took only 45 minutes. Everything was a breeze! (And it was the same on our way back - from the Macau Ferry Terminal to the HK airport all the way to Cebu - absolutely seamless!)
On hand to welcome our group was MGTO public relations executive Joao Nobikoff Sales who is the absolute authority on Macau tourism having been in the organization for more than 25 years. He brought us to our home for the next three nights - the imposing 600-room MGM Grand Macau.
To say that we were sitting in the lap of luxury at the MGM Grand is an understatement. We had the best of everything - an elegantly furnished room with push-button conveniences and a plush bathroom (we loved the bath tub), deluxe service at all times, and yes, a breakfast buffet at Rossio which had everything we could think of for the first meal of the day.
Inaugurated only last December, the 35-storey hotel is located on a prime waterfront area in the Nam Van gaming district. Center of attraction at the lobby are the chandelier of red flowers by American artist Dale Chihuly, and right underneath it, the graceful figure of a dancing lady by world renowned sculptor Salvador Dali.
What sets the hotel apart from the others in the entire city is the 1088 square meter Grande Praca off the main lobby. It is reminiscent of a typical European plaza but is roofed with a glass ceiling rising 25 meters above the floor level. The hotel has several restaurants and bars. As for its gaming facilities, they incorporate the best influences of both East and West.
Not too far away is the Wynn Macau, another luxury gaming hotel which reminds us very much of the Bellagio in Las Vegas because of its dancing waters. We had a lovely Italian dinner one evening at its Ristorante Il Teatro where we got a front seat view of the “Performance Lake.” It was simply magical viewing the show of dancing waters along with multi-colored lights and balls of fire to the strain of classical melodies, Broadway tunes and popular music.
Another attraction in Wynn is the centerpiece of its atrium which is the Tree of Prosperity. The iconic Golden Tree of Prosperity rises up from below when the 21-meter diameter gold cupola in the ceiling (featuring the 12 animals from the Chinese zodiac) opens up. Rays of light illuminate the tree making it change into the colours of the different seasons, its transformation taking place to the beat of dramatic music.
Macau is moving fast. Construction is at fever pitch and soon the fabled The Venetian Macau Resort Hotel in Cotai will be surrounded by other hotels in what will be known as The Cotai Strip. Yes, on the drawing board are more hotels offering all kinds of entertainment - the Four Seasons, Sheraton, St. Regis, Shangri-La, Traders, Hilton, Conrad, Fairmont, Raffles Intercontinental, among them.
Hands down, The Venetian will be lording it over the entire strip as even now it is the uncontested king of all gambling casinos in size and magnitude. The hotel has 3000 all-suite guest rooms (we saw a few) and one million square feet of retail space, which is more than any shopping mall in Hong Kong. The casino floor is all of 550,000 square feet, definitely the largest in the world. And then there’s the 15,000-seat Venetian Arena which is for hosting a wide variety of sports and entertainment events.
A towering presence in the city is the Macau Tower Convention and Entertainment Centre. Absolutely a “must visit” because it offers a stupendous and unobstructed view of the islands. What’s more, there are the daring-do’s available for the thrill seekers. Taking the cake is the Mast Climb which allows climbers to go to the tower’s summit at 338 meters. The ascent and descent is said to take almost two hours. Not to worry because the necessary precautions are in place.
There’s the Bungy Jump which gives the sensation of falling at an astounding 200km/hr and rebounding at 30 meters above the ground...definitely not for the faint-hearted. Next on the heart-stopping list is the Skyjump which MGTO’s Charina Puno and Zee editor Cybill Gayatin did from a height of 233 meters aboveground with no second thought. Of course they were properly secured with all kinds of attachments. The activity is listed under the Guinness World Records as “the highest commercial decelerator descent.”
Cathay’s Connie Cimafranca and Nathalie Tomada of the Freeman opted for the Skywalk X which was a trek around the main outer rim of the tower with an overhead rail system to ensure their safety. In the freezing weather, it was quite a feat!
The Macau of today is going the way of most modern cities, growing by leaps and bounds and making its mark in the tourist market. However, it has preserved much of its history and culture, and has thus retained its charm and character.
(My colleague Chinggay U. will be writing about the other face of Macau in next week’s travel issue.)
