I've got 4 days to spend in Hong Kong...two of those 1/2 days will be devoted to the tour that I'll be on. What do travelers think about Macau? Is it a "must-see?" Should a meal, 1/2 day, full day or overnight trip be devoted to this island?<BR>Thanks for your feedback!

Personally, I loved the trip to Macau. I'd recommend a full day trip, with little or no ti,me spent in the casino.<BR>There's a lot to see, and it's fun to walk around, but some form of transportation will be necessary to see all of it. We went with a small (10 or 15 people) tour group (a pick-up group just for that trip, as we weren't there on an organized tour), so transportation and lunch at a very nice hotel was provided. Be prepared for a bit of a wait to get through customs when returning to HK.

Thanks for your response Les!

A friend and I took the ferry for the day. There's a Macau travel office at the ferry landing area. They were very helpful. We took public buses and walked. Had a great late lunch that was very Portugese in flavor. We found Macau to be more provincial than Hong Kong. I would skip the casino, spend a 1/2 day or day.

I am an American living in HK and would say Macau is not a must place to see but is ok if you have time. The ferry takes about 1 hour to get there so that is 2 hours from your day spent going to and from HK. As the earlier posts state, Macau is much more relaxed and easy going than Macau and the Portugese architecture is interesting. For dining I recommend Fernandos which is a great and famous portugese restauratn on Taipa island across the bridge from Macau. If you stay overnight in Macau be careful and there is a lot of seedy night life and women on the streets after dark.

Yes absolutely agree with Mike! Macau is good if you have spare time on your hands. If you end up going, you can take a helicopter ride back to HK in the evening which makes a shorter and nicer trip (the harbour with lights looks spectacualr!). Fernandos is definitely a great restaurant to eat at. The food is authentic. If you're american or if youve travelled to las vegas, dont bother going to the casino...<BR><BR>I would say a day trip is good enough. Good luck!

We went there last w/end. Agreed with Mike. It's certainly not a natural beauty spot anymore although some interesting sights and if I only had four days I would wait and see all in HK that I could and then see if there is time. If so, definately Fernandos or A Lorta restaurants.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to respond. I have enjoyed the feedback. Does anyone else have an opinion?

I would spend the time in HK. There is alot to see and do and you may not want to leave. For a side trip, I would take a trip to Lantau island over Macau. You can book any number of day trips easily from the front desk at most hotels just 1 day ahead. You can factor in the weather also then. I would wait till I got to HK and decide then. Macau is OK, but definately not a must see. I wouldn't fret over not seeing it.

Would visiting one of the smaller islands be a "must see" over Macau and which one would you choose?<BR>Thanks again for your feedback!

Mike has it right - especially about Fernandos. As for sightseeing besides the usual places the cemetary is interesting and historic.<BR><BR>One WARNING - it can be HOT HOT HOT so wear sunscreen, take a hat, drink lots of the fluid of your choice and enjoy.

Would people vote for seeing one of the smaller islands as a "must see" while in Hong Kong or should we just be sticking to Hong Kong itself. Macau doesn't seem to be getting rave reviews.

I was in Macao on May 5th this year and I enjoyed it. I took a tour and there was a lot to see ...almost too much for the one day we had. The only problem I had was I wanted to focus more of the Old Portugeese stuff rather than the Chinese stuff and our Chinese guide..although excellent seemed to stress the new Chinese stuff. I will go again and next time find a guide that will show me more of the P. side of the island.

Hi!<BR><BR>I am planning a trip to Hong Kong and mainland China very soon. We would like to visit Xi-an and we are having some problems figuring out how to get there. CITS in New York is giving us outrageous airfares. We are really debating if we should skip Xi-an. Anybody knows what would be the best way to get from Hk to Xian.<BR>Thank you for your help<BR><BR>Sophie

I adored Macau, but I think Aarti summed it up by saying "Macau is good if you have spare time". <BR><BR>We adored Macau; it has wonderful restaurants (Fernando's is ALMOST worth the trip from HK alone), an interesting Aisan-colonial feel, and a fun touristy-walking-around-shopping area. <BR><BR>But 4 days is not too much in HK if that's your only destination. Is this one piece of a multi-destination trip? Have you been elsewhere in Asia? <BR><BR>If, for example, the 4-days-Hong-Kong trip is going to be followed by a week in Singapore, I'd say try Macau for a bit more laid-back locale. If HK were to be followed by a week in Hanoi, I'd say stay in HK the whole time.<BR><BR>There is a LOT to see and do in Hong Kong. Particularly if you're already spending two half-days with a tour group, you are likely to have a lot of things you wish you had time to do. I wouldn't necessarily recommend ANY day trips. Would you mind posting more background info on this trip, your interests & preferences (museums, antique shopping, desire to see several different places, etc.)? Be glad to post again based on your responses.<BR><BR>Whatever you choose, you'll have a wonderful time!

Hello and thanks to everyone who has responded so far. Our time in HK will be part of an organized tour, which will feature HK, Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Guilin and 3 days on the Yangtze River. My companion and I will be arriving in HK prior to the start of the tour, so will have 2 full days on our own to fill. Then the tour wisks us right off to Beijing....but we return to HK for 2 full days and 3 nights at the end of the tour. We will be with our group for 2 of those mornings and then have the 2 afternoons free to do as we wish. I hope this helps you understand our journey a little better. Thanks in advance for anymore feedback you can provide....the other little islands surrounding HK sound very charming and I wondered if they would be more fascintaing than HK or Macau....as will we be "citied out" after this itinerary?

Dear Kitty, When are you taking your tour and which tour company are you going with? We are going to cover pretty much your itinerary, plus a side trip to Bangkok, with Ritz Tours in October. Would love to hear about your trip when you return. On our free day in Hong Kong, we hope to go to Lantau on our own and see the big Buddha. Thank-you.

With that extra info, I'd say: go to Macau. It IS a great place, and has a really unique European/Asian feel to it that you won't see in the other places you're going. <BR><BR>That said, I haven't ever been to the other islands around HK, so while I can say that I think you would really enjoy Macau, I can't compare it to the other options.

Hello back to Brenda!<BR>I am traveling with Tauck Tours. Went with them to Eastern Europe and thought they were really fabulous! I will be there and home again before you depart, so would be happy to share information with you.