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Macau in a Nutshell.

Posted on 17 December 2007

This past weekend I headed to Macau with my buddy Leeway. It was a fun trip no doubt. I came back with less money than I went there with (but that’s expected ;)). We stayed at the Hotel Sintra.

Here are some of my thoughts about Macau:

Macau and Hong Kong currency annoyances. Over there they accept both Macau and Hong Kong currency. This is a good thing (pretty much 1-to-1 ratio). However, some of their gambling tables ONLY accept one type of currency. So you end up with some Macau, some Hong Kong money in your wallet after a few rounds of gambling at different tables. This makes it really annoying when you approach one-currency-only tables…
Security checks before entering casino area… Yep, you go through airport-style metal detectors before entering most casinos in Macau. It was a bit strange but I guess it’s just their style…
It’s true. Macau gamblers are uber serious! Yessir. When I gambled in Vegas and Reno, you would encounter both the hardcore-serious AND chill-easy-going visitors. In Macau, basically people are there to win money. You see a lot of people with distressed expressions.
With the exception of the Venetian, Macau can’t match up to Vegas. Simply not the same vibe. Maybe it also has to do with the people. I just get a better feeling when perusing the Vegas strip.
Hotspot = Venetian. MGM opening in a few days. The Venetian was pretty amazing, apparently it’s larger than the one in Vegas. It is beautiful inside especially with the Christmas decorations during this time of the year. Lots of (expensive) shopping inside and definitely tons of gambling tables. The MGM will be officially opening in a few days, it looks amazing. I’m sure it will be a big hit.

Would I go again? Ehhh…… yea I guess. Mostly to check out the MGM and Starworld (didn’t get a chance to visit there). One funny fact is I did not see ANY poker tables. No poker in Macau?

You can check out my photos from Macau on my flickr.