When you think of Macau, it’s likely the dazzling casinos and grand hotels that come to mind. I mean, it’s not known as the ‘Vegas of the East’ for nothing. But if you head past all the hustle and bustle and ‘Ka-Ching’ of the slot machines, you’ll find yourself in Coloane, the leafy green part of Macau filled with hiking trails, beaches, temples and the giant pandas!
For more info on the A-Ma statue and cultural village click here
Macau Tower first opened in December 2001 and since then has become one of Macau’s best known sights and a focus of its skyline. The tower stands at 338m and has something for everyone, from shopping and cinema to dining with an incredible view and extreme thrills.
The Observation Deck is up 223m and offers a 360 degree view of the area. From here, you can see all of Macau Peninsula, Taipa, Coloane and across the Pearl River to mainland China. It’s a great deck for snapping photos, and for the milder thrill seeker, you can walk along the glass floor, looking WAY down to the ground below.
For the more adventurous thrill seeker, head up to the Adventure Deck at 233m. Here you can walk around the edge with Skywalk. Plunge towards the earth with SkyJump or try the Guinness World Record holder for highest Bungy Jump. For the truly extreme, there is Tower Climb, where you can ascend to the very top of the tower.
If you prefer to leave the thrills to someone else, head to the 60th floor for a buffet with an incredible view at the 360 Cafe. Here, you can watch the bungy jumpers go sailing by as you enjoy your dinner!
A few years ago, my sister moved to Macau, a Special Administrative Region of China near Hong Kong, to teach. Knowing I now had a free place to stay, Macau quickly made its way to the top of my “Must Visit” travel list. I arrived not knowing a whole lot about the country besides that it’s full of casinos and was a Portuguese colony for years.
Wandering around, it was very interesting to see the meeting of Chinese and Portuguese cultures, languages and food, mixed in with big, elaborate casinos. Definitely an interesting place to visit.
Here, I highlight a few of the not- to-be-missed sites found in Macau.
The world’s tallest statue of the goddess A-Ma (also known as Tin Hau) stands on the peak of a mountaintop on Macau’s Coloane Island, where the nearby A-Ma cultural village celebrates the beloved goddess.
A-Ma has long been revered in Macau as the protector of people who make their living at sea. The plaque by the statue tells the legend of A-Ma saving sailors during a fierce storm and ascending afterward into heaven near the site of the historic A-Ma temple.
To get to the village you can take a bus or hike the Coloane Trail beginning in Seac Pai Van Park.
We opted for the hiking option and after stopping by to see the panda, we headed up the trail and the many, many stairs through a leafy forested area coming to a opening with an incredible view looking back across at Macau. Then, the trail continued up to the top of the mountain to the A-Ma statue before heading over to the nearby Cultural Village. The detail in the paintings and carvings on the buildings and gateways here are so incredibly ornate you could spend hours just taking in all the detail.
If you are in Macau, be sure to check this place out, you won’t be disappointed!
Opening hours of Tin Hau Palace: 08:00 to 18:00 daily. Free Admission
Tales of a Travel Addict 
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