Amazing Macau

Macau had never been on my radar until my wife and I decided to “kill” our frequent flyer points with Singapore Airlines.

The ferry service from Hong Kong Airport to Macau was so-so, the only worth-mentioning thing was the usual Hong Kong efficiency. We didn’t even have to go through immigration and the hassle of personal baggage handling when we boarded the ferry to Macau. The ferry terminal at Macau was also so-so.

But Central Cotai (apparently short for Coloane-Taipa Island) is a totally different world. The hotels are luxurious. All the world’s brand names are there. And it is restaurants, restaurants everywhere! I reckon 85% of the guests are Chinese mainlanders. Notwithstanding, the entire dream city looks and smells clean, even the toilets! (I am not being mean to Chinese mainlanders; many of them have yet to learn the ABCs of social etiquette!)

There are a few things we can learn in Macau. The two pictures above – one taken in rural Macau and the other, at Cotai - speak volumes of the territory’s ability to sustain between the two extremes. And two: the level of public hygiene is second to few. Even the trays and cutlery in the food courts are dry and clean, something you don’t even see in Singapore!