This is part of an ongoing series. To start at the beginning, click here.
Day 4 in Macau, and we are going to Coloane and Taipa. These are two small islands south of the main peninsula. The straits between the two islands have been reclaimed and is called Cotai (Coloane + Taipa = Cotai, get it?). It is now home to a strip of luxury casinos like The Venetian, Sands, City of Dreams, Galaxy, etc.
First we took the free shuttle bus from the ferry terminal to Sands Cotai (same one we took 2 days ago, but this time to the Sands Cotai instead of Sands Macau). From Sands we stepped out into the cold to see the Venetian across the road, and it really is very impressive.
On the other side of Sands is City of Dreams, which was no less impressive, but slightly smaller. They are currently doing some renovation works, so we didn’t go in to have a look see. Behind City of Dreams is Hard Rock Hotel, hardly visible among the mega hotels / casino.
Sands itself is pretty impressive, housing 4 world class hotels, shopping, DreamWorks Experience, etc.
Anyway, we’re just passing through here. We took a public bus from Sands to Coloane. Both Taipa and Coloane are really small villages, quite detached from the excesses of the rest of Macau. If you walked around the town, you can circumnavigate the town in less than half and hour on foot.
(a local nursery selling bonsai)
In the densely packed town centre, the main attraction is the Chapel of St. Francis Xavier, built by the Portuguese in 1928. It is fronted by a small square and faces the straits with the peninsula across.
(Alyssa in front of the square. Sporting all black look today)
(one of the attractions of this chapel is the painting of Madonna and child in a very Chinese style)
(I’m guessing this is St Francis himself)
the main reason most people visit Coloane is to buy Portuguese egg tarts from Lord Stow’s Bakery. His original shop is right in the middle of town. We had many egg tarts in Macau, including from his ex-wife and main competitor, Margaret, but Lord Stow’s is undeniably the best. Between the 4 of us, we shared 12 tarts.
Next – We explore the Venetian and on to Taipa.