Macau — Dec. 2018

In 2018, I visited Hong Kong and China for the first time. While growing up, the Mrs. and I lived somewhat parallel lives in regard to casinos. Her parents took her on holiday to Macau from their Hong Kong apartment, and my parents took me on vacation to Reno/Lake Tahoe from the San Francisco Bay Area. On Dec. 23, we took an evening jaunt to Macau.



At the ticketing area for the ferry from Kowloon, there are several ticket booths, but there was also a guy standing in front of a booth selling tickets. It seemed odd to me, but the Mrs. wasn't fazed and bought the $25USD tickets from him—it was no problem. The high-speed ferry ride to Macau takes about 55 minutes. The upstairs area is an upgraded section with more spacious seating and drink service.



At the ferry terminal, you can find a shuttle bus for the casino you want to visit and get a complimentary ride. We went to the Casino Lisboa because that’s where the Mrs’ family often stayed in the 1970s, and they had some sort of connection to Stanley Ho, its founder.



Before the trip, I learned (probably from the Wizard of Macau site) that Casino Lisboa is now one of the oldest casinos in Macau—and one with the lowest limits for table games. The Mrs. had said the lowest limit for table games in Macau on her previous visit was about $50USD. So I was pleased to see that the Casino Lisboa’s minimum for blackjack was 200HKD, or about $25USD.

The casino did indeed have a classic look—or “old” if you see it that way. I jumped into an open spot at one blackjack table and got two 100HKD chips or “jetons.” I planned to make only one bet, as I never wager $25 as a starting bet back home. There was one side bet on whether you’re dealt a pair. I didn’t bet it, and was dealt two jacks—and they held up with the dealer having a pat 19! So, I happily cashed in three of the chips—keeping one as a souvenir.



Photography in the casino is forbidden, but I managed to sneak a few photos, including my winning blackjack hand! I was really pleased that I was able to capture the scene inside the casino because interior shots are nearly non-existent on the interwebs.



We went over to St. Dominic’s Church, about a 12-minute walk. Because it was Christmastime, they had a special light show that was projected onto the church. But I thought it was not done well—mainly because the area was too bright from all the nearby stores to really see what was being projected. In comparison, the “Brilliant!” show at the Las Vegas Neon Museum nailed the projection concept.



The area around the church has plenty of shopping and restaurants. The one thing that stood out is the number of shops that offer samples of jerky and almond cookies. If you wanted, you could get filled up with just dried meat and cookies by stopping at all the stands.




For dinner, we found a restaurant and ordered won ton noodle soup, beef chow mein, and Hainanese chicken and rice—all for less than one blackjack win! Lots of families came in after we did, which we took as a good sign. The food was indeed delicious.




Afterward, we visited the Wynn. The front has a “dancing waters” show similar to the Las Vegas Bellagio, but this display is much smaller. Before the show started, one song oddly playing over the loudspeaker was the 1977 American hit “Baby Come Back.”



As others have stated about gaming in Macau, it seems to be serious business for the gamblers. I got that vibe at the Casino Lisboa, which had a lot of people in a relatively small space. But the Wynn has a vast amount of space to walk around, so it felt much more open and relaxed. It didn't seem like security was watching my every move.



The Wynn had “stadium” gambling, including blackjack, baccarat, and sic bo. That area was a good place to sit and rest. They also had smoking lounges to keep cigarette smoke out of the gaming areas.



We stopped in to the CINNE bar for drinks. I had an Earl Grey Martini—a refreshingly unique flavor for a cocktail. We were the only ones there upon entry, but others came in later. The server brought us a complimentary appetizer plate and mentioned that it was from their Michelin Star chef!




We went outside for a walk, and the Mrs. wanted to check out the StarWorld casino, which has a long escalator in the lobby to access the casino floor. However, because I was carrying a bag of the famous Macau almond cookies for gifts, the security guard wouldn’t allow me in. I later noticed they sell those cookies at the Hong Kong airport for about the same cost—so no need to buy them in Macau!

We stopped by the MGM, which I recall had a twisty floor plan and was undergoing renovations. I played bubble craps, but didn’t quite understand what I was betting—and in the next roll, I lost 110HKD (about $14USD) when it 7-out.

We walked around the stores near the casinos, but this area seemed cold and depressing. It was time to take a Wynn casino shuttle to the ferry for our trip back to Kowloon.



Overall, I enjoyed my time in Macau experiencing new sights, sounds, and tastes. I would have liked to visit other casinos, but I probably wouldn’t have been interested in actual gambling. The food and drinks of Macau were delicious, and were also the highlight for the Mrs. But Macau is mainly in her past—we much prefer Nevada’s overall variety of games, drinks, and entertainment.

Good stuff... always enjoy Macau reports.

Thanks smooth! I enjoyed your trip report and pictures very much.

Was it the weather keeping everyone away from the stores, or something else that made it seem sad and depressing?

Is the political unrest in H.K. that we see on the news in the U.S. concentrated in a few areas, or is it all over?

Quote: Ayecarumba

Thanks smooth! I enjoyed your trip report and pictures very much.

Was it the weather keeping everyone away from the stores, or something else that made it seem sad and depressing?

Is the political unrest in H.K. that we see on the news in the U.S. concentrated in a few areas, or is it all over?

Thank you! The area around St. Dominic’s Church was decorated "Western style" for Christmas and had a lot of people, so that was pleasant. It was cold but clear early, but it started to have intermittent rain later. When we were looking for a restaurant, we walked down many streets in that area that were dark and deserted even though the restaurants appeared to be open. I'm not sure if that was because it was cold and rainy, or just not a popular area. We finally found a comfortable place to eat.

The stores near the casinos just seemed unappealing—like the kind you'd visit only if you knew they had something you wanted.

And apologies for the confusion, but 2018 wasn't a typo—my trip report truly is from last year! I thought about addressing how the political unrest is affecting the region, but I decided to write the report from a "frozen in time" perspective.

Here's a more merry look at Macau during Christmastime in 2018.

Awesome TR smooth. I’m going back in February for a couple nights, I haven’t been since 2017 and I’m looking forward to it. If you ever get back you have to go to A Lorcha and have the African chicken. Heads up you need to make a reservation.

Thanks for the tip, PG—but I don't know when I'll be back, if ever.

Unfortunately, if I do, it might be for something similar to the movie "The Farewell."