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Some Unusual Things to Do in Macau
A couple of things to do in Macau for anyone looking for adventure
With so many things to do in Macau, you could spend two weeks here and not see half of it. Curiously, most of the locals I met thought there was very little to see and do, but I beg to differ, Macau is awesome!
So, what are a few of the best things to do in Macau? Here are a few options, in no particular order, as they are all wonderful.
1 - Tour by Bus & See Giant Pandas!
If you have the time and like to travel, rather than sightsee, you might like to take a bus or two. Stock up on water, get on a bus at a conveniently quiet stop to bag yourself a decent seat and enjoy the 'real' sightseeing journey.
We took a bus all over Cotai, Tapai and Coloane and eventually all the way back to the main City of Macau. Quick warning - this took a LONG time and so is only for the adventurous. But we did get to see so many things and so many people, see so many different areas - rich and poor.
We also got to see a lot of the new building work being taken on - wow, the islands will be completely different in a couple of years time, that's for sure!
One of the tourist maps I was looking at one the bus showed a panda icon on it. I couldn't find any more details and nobody I spoke to seemed to know what it was. Being curious, we decided to get off the bus at this point and it turned out to be a giant panda park.
We were lucky in that it was feeding time, so we spend a very enjoyable hour watching them eat and play.
The park is not just pandas though, with all sorts of other animals and plants - it's a great place to spend an hour or two.
Worth noting that although the panda environment is OK, it is a little on the small side and the pandas are easily disturbed by the audience - they should really do something to improve that aspect.
2 - Visit The Mainland Border Crossing
Well here's an unusual one that will only appeal to some, but if it's the sort of thing you might be interested, I say go for it.
We went to take a look at the border at 'rush hour' in the evening, as many people head home for work. The number of people was incredible and we decided to go along with it, swept along in a gentle, quiet wave towards the border crossing.
We went right inside the building, but rather than go through to security, we watched the people flow through. What surprised me was just how many people can go across the border so quickly.
So, why is this worth doing? Really, just to experience the numbers and also the feeling you get is really strange, being swept along, The people are very quiet, but they move fast. You might see a couple of people running, but not many.
The other thing you will see is loads of people selling stuff on the streets to take across the border - things that are not available to buy in mainland China.
Popular items included baby food (presumably after a recent kidney poisoning scare in mainland China, people looking to buy safe US brands)
3 - Visit a Macanese Food Market
Only one for real foodies and not scared of seeing live fish, chickens and other animals, as well as animal body parts hanging up, heads still on, but if this sort of cultural experience excites you then you should visit a market.
The easiest one to visit is right in the City Centre, hidden away just behind Senado Square. It is 5 stories high, each floor with a different type of food in it. One for fish, one for meat, one for veggies, another floor and then the top is a food court.
You will see all sorts of things that you would not get back home.
I really enjoyes seeing a fishmonger take a fresh fish out of the water, and fillet it in just a few seconds with what looked like a meat cleaver - incredible skill.
The food court at the top is really good to visit for good cheap local foods. It is an easy way to eat with locals, as a lot of the foods you can just point at , or point to one of the pictures.