As Macau continues to work towards attracting visitors from around the world, the Post was curious to know about the experiences of foreign visitors exploring the city’s offerings, as well as how likely they were to recommend visiting Macau to others. To find out more, street interviews were conducted with several tourists around the city centre yesterday afternoon, all noting that although they are only here for a short period, they were mostly happy to be here.
‘Just come and enjoy’
A couple from Brazil said they were enjoying their 2-day trip to Macau, and when asked how likely they would be to recommend it to other visitors, they responded: “Just come and enjoy…they are not gonna regret it”.
Residing in Hong Kong, the couple noted that they visited Macau out of curiosity and, coming from a Portuguese-speaking country, they wanted to learn more about the city, its background, as well as see some of its Portuguese influences. “It’s quite lovely”.
The couple noted that it was hard to say which part about their quick trip that they enjoyed the most. On the one hand, they noted, there are beautiful, historic places like the city centre that stand out during the day and are surrounded by culture. On the other hand, they found going around the integrated resorts in Cotai to be an enjoyable experience at night. “All of these places are quite beautiful.”
Visitors look around the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ruins of St. Paul’s yesterday afternoon. – Photo: Rui Pastorin
A worthwhile day trip
Rotter, a Swiss man who was on a day-trip from Hong Kong with his wife and mother-in-law, found his experience in Macau to be “quite good”. In terms of whether or not he would recommend the city to other travellers, the 30-year-old said that there wasn’t a simple answer.
“I guess I would recommend it because it’s a cool, short trip from Hong Kong. I’m not sure if I would travel from Switzerland especially to Macau, but from Hong Kong, a day-trip, of course”.
Caroline, Rotter’s mother-in-law who planned the trip, also told the Post that it was a worthwhile experience to take a day-trip here, particularly because “it’s not that far to travel from Hong Kong to Macau”.
The 63-year-old added that this marked the first time that she had returned to Macau in around 30 years, commenting on how much the city has changed since she was last here. “It has changed so much. I barely remember or recognise it because it is now so modernised”, while there are also many more people.
‘I love Macau!’
Craig, aged 40, was originally preparing for a trip to Hong Kong when he first discovered Macau. The English “adrenaline junkie” was drawn in by the bungee jumping activity Macau has to offer, and ultimately decided to take a quick one-day detour during his Hong Kong trip. The bungee jumping experience had been the highlight of his day, he noted.
He added that he was able to enjoy vegan food here in Macau. He heavily praised Puffin’ Café, a vegan and vegetarian restaurant, for their food and service. Craig said he would definitely recommend people to come visit Macau, adding: “I love Macau! Everyone’s friendly. The weather’s beautiful.”
‘All the things that tourists need’
Similar to Craig, Nuneo was also taking a short trip to Macau from Hong Kong. His first impression was that Macau is a “very safe place with good stores” and respectful people. As a Portuguese tourist, he “felt very good as Macau has a mix of Portuguese and Chinese culture”.
Nuneo had only been walking around during his day-trip, noting the “interesting details of Portuguese culture” he found in Macau. He particularly enjoyed visiting the Ruins of Saint Paul’s, noting that he felt that it was “nice having modern buildings mixed with historical buildings.”
Other than going to historical monuments, Nuneo was also able to experience local culture through shopping, local food and the people. “The prices are not very expensive. The people are very polite. It could be a very good experience to come here”, recommending people from all over to visit a city he described as “fantastic”.
He added: “What I see, I like. I think that Macau has all the things that tourists need. Good food, good shopping, good history, and it’s safe and very clean! So, perfect!”
