Macau - Grand Lisboa Casino - Panoramic
The world of gambling is filled with interesting dynamics, most fascinating to me is the ridiculous amounts of money that is made in the gaming industry every year, whether the economy is good or not.
I have never understood the draw of gambling but the environments which have been created around them are worth investigating. The cities that take gambling to a whole other level are Macau, China and Las Vegas, NV, USA. There are incredible similarities between the two cities, however, each also provides unique experiences. One more than the other, in my opinion.
I have never understood the draw of gambling but the environments which have been created around them are worth investigating. The cities that take gambling to a whole other level are Macau, China and Las Vegas, NV, USA. There are incredible similarities between the two cities, however, each also provides unique experiences. One more than the other, in my opinion.
Las Vegas - Looking at Planet Hollywood from in front of the Aria
The last trip I took to Macau in 2012, I was lucky enough to be there with my parents and my big brother and my trip to Las Vegas a few months ago (June 2014) with my fiancé, both with such wonderful memories. Putting together this post has allowed me to relive those memories!
Let’s start by looking at Macau as there is so much rich cultural history. There is a beautiful combination of the Portuguese influence from when they were colonized and the Chinese culture. There is no place like it in the world! The city of Macau is growing exponentially and has a very healthy economy with a very, very low unemployment rate. Most people living in Macau work in the hospitality/gaming industry and some come over from Hong Kong to work. There is so much interesting information about Macau, much more than just the gaming industry, too much to discuss here. Look out for another post later on the cultural background of Macau.
My Macau Musts are:
Let’s start by looking at Macau as there is so much rich cultural history. There is a beautiful combination of the Portuguese influence from when they were colonized and the Chinese culture. There is no place like it in the world! The city of Macau is growing exponentially and has a very healthy economy with a very, very low unemployment rate. Most people living in Macau work in the hospitality/gaming industry and some come over from Hong Kong to work. There is so much interesting information about Macau, much more than just the gaming industry, too much to discuss here. Look out for another post later on the cultural background of Macau.
My Macau Musts are:
Dinner at Beijing Kitchen at the Grand Hyatt – It is a gorgeous restaurant with beautiful teapots lining the walls. There are open concept kitchens where they expertly prepare the food. The must eats are their traditional Beijing style Duck, which is prepared in wood-fired ovens and then their hand-pulled noodles. It is mesmerizing to watch the chefs pull the noodles. It was a meal I will never forget and dream of often.
At the City of Dreams, I loved The House of Dancing Water. I am not easily impressed (because of over 2 decades in dance) and I thought the show was great. The show has a little bit of everything for everyone. The production value is incredible. There is water, ballet, acrobats, motorcycles, and some much more!
Photo courtsey: The House of Dancing Water
A well-kept secret is in the older part of Macau and they make the best stuffed chicken. I will not give you the name, but picture that gives a good hint as to where it is. I dream about this chicken and my family and I will travel to Macau just for this stuffed chicken with the crispy skin…perfection.
Las Vegas on the other hand is a place that is portrayed regularly in main stream media (movies, television shows) and has developed its identity, in part, from that media. I do not think I have any new revelations about Vegas, but it was really about seeing the differences from Macau.
As we walked down the strip from our hotel, The Cosmopolitan, it was hot, first and foremost! Alcohol had a major presence everywhere and almost everyone had an alcoholic beverage in their hands. Many of the special elements along the strip didn't surprise me from what I had seen on the movies. The scale of many of the hotels were actually smaller than I had thought, which shocked me. Especially, New York New York, wasn't nearly as large as I had envisioned.
Another surprise was how clean the casinos were. Even though there was smoking in the casinos, it was not incredibly overwhelming. The casinos weren't also as busy or loud as I thought they would have been. The biggest disappointment for me, based on all the hype, was the Bellagio lobby. It was smaller and not as grand as I had pictured.
Many of my impressions are based on the expectations that were, in some ways not accurately created, based on movies and television shows. Overall, I did like Vegas and would like to return to experience more restaurants and hopefully meet a few of my favorite celebrity chefs.
**Photos and more on my experience in Las Vegas can be read about in a previous post**
As we walked down the strip from our hotel, The Cosmopolitan, it was hot, first and foremost! Alcohol had a major presence everywhere and almost everyone had an alcoholic beverage in their hands. Many of the special elements along the strip didn't surprise me from what I had seen on the movies. The scale of many of the hotels were actually smaller than I had thought, which shocked me. Especially, New York New York, wasn't nearly as large as I had envisioned.
Another surprise was how clean the casinos were. Even though there was smoking in the casinos, it was not incredibly overwhelming. The casinos weren't also as busy or loud as I thought they would have been. The biggest disappointment for me, based on all the hype, was the Bellagio lobby. It was smaller and not as grand as I had pictured.
Many of my impressions are based on the expectations that were, in some ways not accurately created, based on movies and television shows. Overall, I did like Vegas and would like to return to experience more restaurants and hopefully meet a few of my favorite celebrity chefs.
**Photos and more on my experience in Las Vegas can be read about in a previous post**
Here are some pictures that I took in Macau and Las Vegas for comparison. The most striking is that of The Venetian. That ceiling, eh!
It is clear that there are significant differences between the two cities. I find that there are major attractions to both, neither of which actually involves gambling for me. Both cities have great culinary options, shopping, and daily activities.
I would love to hear what your impressions are about Macau and/or Las Vegas.
Best,
MJ
**All photos used here are mine (Michelle Jamieson) and shouldn't be used without credit**
I would love to hear what your impressions are about Macau and/or Las Vegas.
Best,
MJ
**All photos used here are mine (Michelle Jamieson) and shouldn't be used without credit**
