Asian Trips - Strolling in Macau. A Visitor's Guide to Macau, Taipa, and Coloane.
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List Price: $14.95
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Manufacturer: ThingsAsian Press
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Average Customer Rating:   
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 915
EAN: 9780971594098
Format: Illustrated
ISBN: 0971594090
Label: ThingsAsian Press
Manufacturer: ThingsAsian Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 205
Publication Date: 2007-03-21
Publisher: ThingsAsian Press
Studio: ThingsAsian Press
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Editorial Reviews:
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From its cuisine to its architecture, the southern Chinese port of Macau is truly a city of contrasts. The ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral, the iconic symbol of this former Portuguese colony, stand beside a temple devoted to Na Tcha, the monkey god. Residents practice traditional Chinese tai chi routines on European-style plazas paved in Portuguese tile. Local dishes combine the culinary traditions of Portugal and China, with additional ingredients and recipes from India, Africa, and Brazil. Ultramodern high-rises and 400-year-old colonial buildings line the city streets. Shop names and traffic signs are posted in a bilingual fusion of Cantonese and Portuguese. Unexpected contrasts like these abound in Macau, where Eastern and Western traditions have blended for nearly five centuries.
This guidebook is designed to help visitors navigate Macau's maze of narrow streets as well as understand the striking contrasts that make this city such a fascinating place to visit. With its compact size, winding back streets, and pedestrian-only lanes and plazas, Macau is best explored on foot. Though geared to those who wish to experience Macau at a walking pace, this guidebook will serve any visitor interested in the history and culture of one of Asia's most unique cities.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Not as useful as expected
Comment: I bought this book a week before my trip to Macau and was expecting the book to be useful in terms of getting me to the sites that the book mentioned. The book sounds more editorial than informative and definitely lacks photos & images. It also did not have a comprehensive map of Macau or the islands. So it is definitely not a reliable tour book. The book only includes close up maps of the walking trails, so it was difficult to see what part of Macau it was in. The trails were mostly all part of what is now designated the "World Heritage site of Macau", which the book also failed to mention. It also doesn't mention how to get to these areas from the harbor, as it was about a 40 minute walk through some not so tourist friendly areas to get here. Word of advice, take a taxi because it is cheap, and it will help you avoid the shady areas. Thats what we did to get back to the harbor. There are free maps at the harbor that you definitely want to pick up, and then when you get to the World Heritage "town" you can pick up a map of the "town" and it keys all the historic sites that you will want to visit. We didn't even bother using the book after that. It was completely useless and a waste of money.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Another Gem of the Orient
Comment: Known for centuries as a colonial backwater, Macau has undergone a dramatic transformation into a giant metropolis rivaling that of its cousin colony, Hong Kong. Being the only piece of land in China that has legalized gambling, it draws in wealth and development almost in perpetuity. Indeed, Macao is one of Asia's best kept secret.
Alluding to that, writer Steven Bailey provides a comprehensive review of the history of Macao as a Portuguese colony; its glorious age as an international entréport, the Dutch threatened invasion in the 17th century, its gradual decline into the background beneath the shadow of Hong Kong, and its recent resurrection as a cosmopolitan city to be reckoned with; all the way from 400 years ago to its return to China in 1999.
Though the casinos make an indelible imprint on Macao, this book is not written for the gambling enthusiast, as the writer insists. (If you are one, you probably won't need a travel guide book anyway). Strolling in Macau is really for the strollers. Do you like to sightsee as you walk; and drop in on some random restaurant serving local delicacies? Do you like visiting museums, lighthouses, old temples, church ruins, market vendors? Are you interested in not just the face and appearance of the city but would like to feel the very pulse and beat of it? Then you find kindred spirits in this book.
You see, behind the megaton cranes, searing skyscrapers and 5-star casino hotels, Macao contains a rich heritage of Cantonese culture mixed with Portuguese. Buildings, foods, languages, and the people are a unique East-meets-West blend.
Interestingly, in Strolling in Macao, Mr. Bailey provides not just a list of addresses as to where to go, but painstakingly maps out every step of the way; reminiscent of a treasure hunt guide. For example, after reaching the Porta d'Amaz da Fortaleza, the stroller is advised to pass through the gate to discover a `small little known café tucked away inside the ramparts' for a cup of good coffee and to catch the `cooling sea breeze', which would not otherwise be caught if one does not venture to the upper ramparts of the fortress.
In the spirit of contrasts, Macao stands out not only in culture and beverages (i.e. European red wine alongside Chinese brandy and herbal brews) but also in geographical landscapes. The intrepid traveler is enticed to visit the little known island of Coloane which houses 1% of Macao's population and is zoned out as a green territory for a healthy countryside hike.
Operating as a husband and wife team, Strolling in Macau provides maps and snapshots that are both picturesque and telling. It is that sort of book that is both an informative journal and a seducing advertisement.
I believe this book does much justice to this inimitable peninsula found on the tip of southern China, jutting out like appendix, not unlike Italy is to Europe. Indeed, who would have known that the romance of Europe and the esotericism of Asia can be found in this `backwater colony' of Macao?
Customer Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Guidebook
Comment: It's alarming that this is the only guidebook devoted entirely to Macau. The good news is, it's quite good! There's a wonderful balance of practical information and anecdotal information/ideas for a trip. You can feel the author's passion for Macau and it's very inspiring.
Of course Macau is a city that is very much on the move these days, so hopefully he'll continue updating it. The guidebook is very recent, and thus very accurate -- but the scene is changing by the minute.
Bravo!
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