January 17, 2012

An adventure : Taipa & Cotai, Macau



Macau is separated into 4 parts which are known as Macau Peninsular, Taipa, Cotai & Colone. After spending 2 days in Macau Peninsular, it was time to cross the bridge over to Taipa. Taipa house the Macau International Airport and Cotai is home to many up-coming casions, one of which is The Venetian, the largest casino in the world (source : Wikitravel).

Upon arrival, we realize that it a residential area with nothing much to see or do. However, the casinos there were amazing.. Much nicer then the ones located in Macau Peninsular. It's a indeed a bonus for us to be able to experience both.. 


Fave memory : My favourite memory there is, without question, when Rockstar proposed to me. It was unexpected and funny and romantic. Hot, balmy air, romantic lighted walkways, gorgeous architecture... feels like I was in Venice :)


Must eat : Before leaving for Macau, I was instructed to visit the 'Goon Ya Kai " which is a street  filled with food and pastries, located in Taipa. We wanted to try Macanses food but it was hard to find so we decided to go for the next best, Portugese food. We went to Galo, an establisment serving Portugese food and had Beef Steak Coffee Shop Style (MOP85) & Pork Shop with Tomato Rice (MOP70). Another must try is the Mok Hong aka Serradura. It comes in pudding, cake or ice-cream. Ice-cream is absolutely addictive taken cold and dry. 

The well-known corner Pork Burger stall serves pork burger which are hard and dry. A better choice would be another shop located in the middle lot along the main street which specialize in bird nest tart. Their pork burger is freshly made with softer and tastier meat. We tried their bird nest tart and let me say this... delicious! It must be taken when its hot, just let it slide into your mouth and taste the warm soupy fluid slide down your throat and follow it with the crunchy pastry. 


Must See : Macau is famous for their casionos. And some of the must visit casionos are located in Cotai. The Venetian - Its huge, its big, its gorgeous, its beautiful. Take time to walk through the whole place. The Galaxy - Elegant and classy. Its gold outside, gold inside, gold everywhere. City of Dreams - Modern & futuristic. 


Don't Miss : Lord Stow's Bakery, famed for its Macanese Egg Tart. The story behind it is that Lord Stow & Margaret were once husband and wife. Lord Stow bakes, Margaret manages the bakery. Then they divorce and now Margeret has a cafe in Macau Peninsular called 'Margaret's Cafe e Nata' and Lord Stow has 3 bakeries in Cotai & Taipa island. I've tried both and must say that Lord Stow's tart wins hands down, no competition at all. It was so good that I had to go back the second time just to taste the soft and crunchy egg tart, within 1 day. The easiest branch to go is located in The Venetian itself. Look for Franck Muller (the swiss watch shop) and its located a short walk behind it. Just sit a a couch and watch the gondola goes by. When the gondolier starts singing, the whole area vibrates with his/her voice and that is enough to give you goosebumps. 


Where to sleep : We stayed at the GrandView Hotel,  about 10mins walk away from Goon Ya Kai. Its nice and cheaper compared to other hotels. If you are there to gamble, stay in one of the casiono hotels. However, expect the price to be much higher. 


Traveler Tip! : Make use of free buses provided which goes practically everywhere. Bus stations are found in most major casino and its free. Just make sure you queue-up in the right line. You don't want to end up in another casino when your actual destination is the airport.  


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