Going to Macau

[AngryABCGirl]

I'm going there in a few weeks. Hooray for Macau. HK-ers tell me it's shady and dangerous.

[SunWuKong]

I'm going there in a few weeks. Hooray for Macau. HK-ers tell me it's shady and dangerous.

Macau is more fun for the fellas than for the ladies. but take pictures of the old Portuguese architecture and try some Chinese-style Portuguese food.

[AngryABCGirl]

Macau is more fun for the fellas than for the ladies. but take pictures of the old Portuguese architecture and try some Chinese-style Portuguese food.

Any activities that you might know of that might be better for female clientele and just touristy crap? I'm going with some HK girls and watching them spend their daddys' money gambling. They should know, but just in case.

[kimpossible]

I'm going there in a few weeks. Hooray for Macau. HK-ers tell me it's shady and dangerous.

You'll be fine. The Portuguese stuff is crazy and cool. You can visit the old colonial quarters. If I remember correctly you can pay to sit in "first class" which is really just the front of the ferry. At least you can see where you're going and get a meal. Was worth it to me since I was sightseeing and don't make that run every day.

Passport control took quite a while for us but that could be because my husband's passport states his birth in China. Anyhow, it took a while.

Get an idea of where you want to go when you first leave the ferry terminal upon arriving in Macau. Grab a taxi and go. Be careful though. Just because you're a young woman alone. I'd advise you to radiate American-ness and maybe throw some English in even if you don't need to.

The pimps shouldn't bother you too much since you're not there with a guy. It's not like Amsterdam where hookers are in the window or anything. You won't really come across it in an in your face way.

Two things I found interesting that I would recommend: wine & Grand Prix museum and head toward to street where all the cookie makers are. It's all very fresh and they make it in the store front. By cookie I mean with shredded pork, sesame seeds, seaweed and what not folded in.

One more caution about the cabbies. NOT like Taipei cabbies. You should be okay if you grab the cabbies by the balls and make sure they don't mess with you and maybe avoid the seriously shady alleys. Otherwise I really don't think it's that bad.

If you want an easy lunch, Casino Lisboa has a variety of cafes. SWK could probably recommend something more specific and harder to order from.

Have fun.

[kimpossible]

I'm going with some HK girls and watching them spend their daddys' money gambling.

Oh good. You'll be fine then. Sorry I was overcautious. I thought you were going by yourself. Buttcheeks were a little clenched.

[AngryABCGirl]

Get an idea of where you want to go when you first leave the ferry terminal upon arriving in Macau. Grab a taxi and go. Be careful though. Just because you're a young woman alone. I'd advise you to radiate American-ness and maybe throw some English in even if you don't need to.


Really?

Everyone has told me not to do this when I go anywhere because it makes me more of a target and shut the fuck up, especially in Southeast Asia because of possible identity theft of US passport and speak try to just pass an random anonymous Chinese person of indiscernable origin wherever I go since my body language isn't that American anymore. I've noticed a lot people aren't that friendly toward Asians from American around the board in Asia.

[yoMAMA]

north korean dictator kim jun il's son is rumored to be in macau.

[kimpossible]

You're right, you're right. Those are equally important and true. It's why I keep my passport in my maiden name.

Although it could be useful tactic, the passport issue is much more serious . Bad advice on my part.

[CBC guy]

Ah Macau... the food is excellent, do buy the almond cookies and stuff to take home, its pretty good.

I just went there a few months ago. As long as you stay safe, its a good place to relax. People there are more laid-back than in HK. But there are shady back alleys and stuff, and the casinos are pretty hardcore. Unlike Las Vegas and its veneer of brash classiness, Macao's Casino (at least the Hotel Lisboa) is smoky, dirty and crowded, definitely not a place to linger. By all means "try your luck" but its not a place to linger LOL.

[kimpossible]

Put up some pics. I'll do the same. We can all play travel agent for AngryABC while we go down memory lane. I'll move it to travel later.

[SunWuKong]

Any activities that you might know of that might be better for female clientele and just touristy crap? I'm going with some HK girls and watching them spend their daddys' money gambling. They should know, but just in case.

oh maybe they know where to find some "ducks" in Macau. but as far as i know, Macau is not much outside the girlies and the gambling. there's some sight-seeing and food-sampling, but the girlies and the gambling are the big business in Macau.

[SunWuKong]

Really?

Everyone has told me not to do this when I go anywhere because it makes me more of a target and shut the fuck up, especially in Southeast Asia because of possible identity theft of US passport and speak try to just pass an random anonymous Chinese person of indiscernable origin wherever I go since my body language isn't that American anymore. I've noticed a lot people aren't that friendly toward Asians from American around the board in Asia.

eh, i wouldn't worry too much about the taxis. they are metered, so just watch the meter and make sure nothing funny happens with it. but you are going with local HK friends, so i'm sure they'd know what to watch out for.

everybody always tells me to be careful with taxis in HK, in Macau, and in Shenzhen, but i've never gotten ripped off before.

[SunWuKong]

I'll move it to travel later.

done.

[SunWuKong]

I'd advise you to radiate American-ness and maybe throw some English in even if you don't need to.

this can be useful when you don't want people passing out flyers on the street to bother you, or when you're underdressed but want to get into an expensive restaurant. and yes, i've done both.

[CBC guy]

I've also never been ripped off by taxis in HK, Macao or Shenzhen. I think if you speak Chinese, it helps somewhat.

I WAS ripped off by a taxi in Athens, Greece, funny enough.

[AngryABCGirl]

eh, i wouldn't worry too much about the taxis. they are metered, so just watch the meter and make sure nothing funny happens with it. but you are going with local HK friends, so i'm sure they'd know what to watch out for.

everybody always tells me to be careful with taxis in HK, in Macau, and in Shenzhen, but i've never gotten ripped off before.

I think taxis rip people off from everywhere they can if the person doesn't know where the hell they're going. It just scarier in a foreign country. Even taxis in SF rip off tourists. The only scary thing is in some countries taxis are shady and kidnap people, it use to happen in Taiwan a lot in the 90s. Now if you scream at them for going the wrong way they'll be like "oh shit" and give you extra change so you don't report them because the government actually cracked down or something. It's not 100% though, ever.

[MD2020]

I trudged around Macau for a whole day on my own a few years back. Seemed much more laid back than HK to me. I was only there during the daytime, so I probably didn't get to see the shady stuff people were talking about, only a couple of what I assume were Russian hookers milling around.

If you are a trooper you can walk around and see most of the touristy stuff in a day or two. There's a ton of cathedrals if you're into that sort of thing. The inside of the Casino Lisboa is interesting to see once, a bunch of stuff on display. Since I've visited, I think some new mega-casinos have opened too.

I also had some egg tarts that were really good.