TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: Twin Islands Worth Visiting

Trinidad and Tobago are an exercise in beautiful contradiction. In Trinidad, pristine mangrove swamps and rainforested hills sit side by side with smoke-belching oil refineries and ugly industrial estates.

Tobago has everything you’d expect from a Caribbean island, with palm trees and white sand aplenty, yet it’s relatively unchanged by the tourist industry.

Combined, this twin-island republic offers unparalleled birdwatching; first-class diving; luxuriant rainforests perfect for hiking, waterfall swimming and cycling; and electric nightlife, with the fabulous Carnival easily the biggest and best of the region’s annual blowouts.

Mayaro Bay stretches for nine miles on the east coast of the island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The beach which lines the bay, Mayaro Beach, is a popular destination for holidays, long weekends, and is one of the traditional places to spend the Easter holidays. Not only do beach-goers swim, but they also kayak, bird watch, camp, and occasionally kite surf, making Mayaro a tourist hot spot.

Located at the southern end of Manzanilla Beach, Trinidad and Tobago, one can reach Mayaro Beach by traveling along the Mayaro-Guayaguayare road or the Mayaro-Naparima road.

The name ‘Mayaro’ originates from maya, a plant that grew in abundance locally, and ‘ro’ meaning ‘the place of’ in an Arawak tongue.

Unlike other beaches, such as Maracas and Las Cuevas, Mayaro is far less crowded and more private. This allows for an escape from the mass of tourists that pass through, as the privacy of the beach provides a true sense of relaxation. Despite this, luxurious resorts and commodious rental homes line the shore.

Along with resorts, restaurants are also conveniently placed nearby to allow for easy access after a swim, such as Ambrosia Restaurant & Lounge, Deon's Fast Foods, and The Neighbourhood Grill.

In terms of attractions, the Brigand Hill Lighthouse, White Diamond Casino, and Pointe-a-Pierre Golf Club are all in the area.

Manzanilla Beach,one of the most sparsely populated areas on the island, Manzanilla has become a choice tourism destination for visitors seeking a quieter and less commercial beach experience. There are a few resorts, such as the Coconut Cove, that cater to tourists visiting the region for leisure.

Despite its appeal as an attraction, Manzanilla is infamous for its consistently rough waters and dangerous undercurrents during high tide.

The beach is also known as a hatching site of the local leatherback sea turtle. Due to the abundance of these nests, Manzanilla beach has caught the attention of eco-tourists as a destination for turtle-watching.

Queens Beach Resort, is an exclusive, private and romantic island resort lush with tropical plants and adjacent to miles of clear blue waters

Queens Beach Resort spreads idyllically along a pristine beach. The resort, now re-launched, seamlessly extends the magic of the island’s blessed natural beauty in its design even as it offers the finest contemporary luxuries and services. A choice of gourmet cuisine, water sports, and recreation make for a complete and exclusive destination.

The resort is only 75 minutes by car, available 24 hours, from Piarco International Airport.

The ethnic composition of Trinidad and Tobago reflects a history of conquest and immigration.While the earliest inhabitants were of Amerindian heritage, since the 20th century the two dominant groups in the country were those of South Asian and of African heritage.

Indo-Trinidadians make up the country's largest ethnic group (approximately 37.6%). They are primarily descendants from indentured workers from India, brought to replace freed African slaves who refused to continue working on the sugar plantations. Through cultural preservation some residents of Indian descent continue to maintain traditions from their ancestral homelands.

Afro-Trinidadians and Tobagonians make up the country's second largest ethnic group, with approximately 36.3% of the population identifying as being of African descent. People of African background were brought to the island as slaves as early as the 16th century. 24.4% of the population identified in the 2011 census as being of "mixed" ethnic heritage. There are small but significant minorities of people of European, Chinese, and Levantine (Syrian/Lebanese) descent.

But don’t expect anyone to hold your hand. The oil and gas industry leaves tourism low on the priority list, so it’s up to you to take a deep breath, jump in and enjoy the mix.

Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is a twin island country situated off the northern edge of the South American mainland, lying just 11 kilometres (6.8 miles) off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and 130 kilometres (81 miles) south of Grenada. Bordering the Caribbean to the north, it shares maritime boundaries with other nations including Barbados to the northeast, Grenada to the northwest, Guyana to the southeast, and Venezuela to the south and west.

The island of Trinidad was a Spanish colony from the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1498 to the capitulation of the Spanish Governor, Don José María Chacón, on the arrival of a British fleet of 18 warships on 18 February 1797.

During the same period, the island of Tobago changed hands among Spanish, British, French, Dutch and Courlander colonizers, more times than any other island in the Caribbean. Trinidad and Tobago (remaining separate until 1889) were ceded to Britain in 1802 under the Treaty of Amiens.

The country Trinidad and Tobago obtained independence in 1962, becoming a republic in 1976.

Trinidad and Tobago is the third richest country by GDP (PPP) per capita in the Americas after the United States and Canada. Furthermore, it is recognised as a high-income economy by the World Bank.

Unlike most of the English-speaking Caribbean, the country's economy is primarily industrial,with an emphasis on petroleum and petrochemicals. The country's wealth is attributed to its large reserves and exploitation of oil and natural gas.

Trinidad and Tobago is known for its Carnival and is the birthplace of steelpan, limbo, and the music styles of calypso, soca, parang, chutney, chutney soca, chut-kai-pang, cariso, extempo, kaiso, parang soca, pichakaree, and rapso.

Trinidad and Tobago are islands situated between 10° 2' and 11° 12' N latitude and 60° 30' and 61° 56' W longitude. At the closest point, Trinidad is just 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from Venezuelan territory. Covering an area of 5,128 km2 (1,980 sq mi),the country consists of the two main islands, Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous smaller landforms, including Chacachacare, Monos, Huevos, Gaspar Grande (or Gasparee), Little Tobago, and St. Giles Island.

Trinidad is 4,768 km2 (1,841 sq mi) in area (comprising 93.0% of the country's total area) with an average length of 80 km (50 mi) and an average width of 59 kilometres (37 mi). Tobago has an area of about 300 km2 (120 sq mi), or 5.8% of the country's area, is 41 km (25 mi) long and 12 km (7.5 mi) at its greatest width. Trinidad and Tobago lie on the continental shelf of South America, and are thus geologically considered to lie entirely in South America.

The terrain of the islands is a mixture of mountains and plains. The highest point in the country is found on the Northern Range at El Cerro del Aripo, which is 940 metres (3,080 ft) above sea level.

As the majority of the population live in the island of Trinidad, this is the location of most major towns and cities. There are four major municipalities in Trinidad: Port of Spain, the capital, San Fernando, Arima and Chaguanas. The main town in Tobago is Scarborough.

Trinidad is made up of a variety of soil types, the majority being fine sands and heavy clays. The alluvial valleys of the Northern Range and the soils of the East-West Corridor are the most fertile.

It is estimated that 20% – 30% of measured GDP represents the hidden economy.Within the Trinidadian and Tobagonian business structure illicit activities and licit activities work side by side, with many business and political organisations being funded by institutionalised drug smugglers.

Within Trinidad and Tobago there are two main drug cartels, the Syrian/Lebanese drug cartels and the Indo Trinidadian drug cartels. The Syrian Lebanese drug cartels are the longest tenured drug cartel on the islands, having ridden the wave of cocaine exportation from the 1970s to the current day.

The Syrian Drug Cartels control the vast sway of financing and business interest on the island and exhibit monopolistic tendencies which limit free market policies in insurance, health, finance, heavy and light manufacturing, and land distribution.

Trinidad and Tobago is one of the wealthiest and most developed nations in the Caribbean and is listed in the top 40 (2010 information) of the 70 High Income countries in the world. Its GNI per capita of US$20,is one of the highest in the Caribbean.

In November 2011, the OECD removed Trinidad and Tobago from its list of Developing Countries.Trinidad's economy is strongly influenced by the petroleum industry. Tourism and manufacturing are also important to the local economy. Tourism is a growing sector, although not as proportionately important as in many other Caribbean islands. Agricultural products include citrus and cocoa.

Recent growth has been fuelled by investments in liquefied natural gas (LNG), petrochemicals, and steel. Additional petrochemical, aluminium, and plastics projects are in various stages of planning. Trinidad and Tobago is the leading Caribbean producer of oil and gas, and its economy is heavily dependent upon these resources but it also supplies manufactured goods, notably food, beverages, and cement, to the Caribbean region.

Oil and gas account for about 40% of GDP and 80% of exports, but only 5% of employment. The country is also a regional financial centre, and the economy has a growing trade surplus.

The expansion of Atlantic LNG over the past six years created the largest single-sustained phase of economic growth in Trinidad and Tobago. It has become the leading exporter of LNG to the United States, and now supplies some 70% of US LNG imports.

Trinidad and Tobago has transitioned from an oil-based economy to a natural gas based economy. In 2007, natural gas production averaged 4 billion cubic feet per day (110,000,000 m3/d), compared with 3.2×106 cu ft/d (91,000 m3/d) in 2005. In December 2005, the Atlantic LNG's fourth production module or "train" for liquefied natural gas (LNG) began production. Train 4 has increased Atlantic LNG's overall output capacity by almost 50% and is the largest LNG train in the world at 5.2 million tons/year of LNG.

Trinidad and Tobago, in an effort to undergo economic transformation though diversification formed InvesTT in 2012 to serve as the country's sole investment promotion agency. This agency is aligned to the Ministry of Trade and Industry and is to the be the key agent in growing the country's non-oil and gas sectors significantly and sustainably.

Trinidad and Tobago's infrastructure is good by regional standards.The international airport in Trinidad was expanded in 2001. There is an extensive network of paved roads with several good four and six lane highways including one controlled access expressway.

The Ministry of Works estimates that an average Trinidadian spends about four hours in traffic per day. Emergency services are reliable, but may suffer delays in rural districts.Private hospitals are available and reliable.Utilities are fairly reliable in the cities.Some areas, however, especially rural districts, still suffer from water shortages.

English is the country's official language (the local variety of standard English is Trinidadian English or more properly, Trinidad and Tobago Standard English, abbreviated as "TTSE"), but the main spoken language is either of two English-based creole languages (Trinidadian Creole or Tobagonian Creole), which reflects the Amerindian, European, African, and Asian heritage of the nation.

Both creoles contain elements from a variety of African languages; Trinidadian English Creole, however, is also influenced by French and French Creole (Patois).Spanish is estimated to be spoken by around 5% of the population and has been promoted by recent governments as a "first foreign language".

A majority of the early Indian immigrants spoke Trinidadian Hindustani,a form of the Bhojpuri dialect of Hindustani, which later became the lingua franca of Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonians.

Attempts are being made to preserve the Trinidaian Hindustani language in the country, including the promotion of Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian musical forms called Pichakaree and Chutney, which are typically sung in a mixture of English and Trinidadian Hindustani.

The indigenous languages were Yao on Trinidad and Karina on Tobago, both Cariban, and Shebaya on Trinidad, which was Arawakan.

Many different religions are practised in Trinidad and Tobago. According to the 2011 census,Roman Catholics were the largest religious group in Trinidad and Tobago with 21.60% of the total population. Hindus were the second largest group with 18.15%, while the Pentecostal/Evangelical/Full Gospel denominations were the third largest group with 12.02% of the population. Significantly, respondents who did not state a religious affiliation represented 11.1% of the population.

The remaining population is made of Spiritual Shouter Baptists (5.67%), Anglicans (5.67%), Muslims (4.97%), Seventh-day Adventists (4.09%), Presbyterians or Congregationalists (2.49%), Irreligious (2.18%), Jehovah's Witnesses (1.47%), other Baptists (1.21%), Trinidad Orisha believers (0.9%), Methodists (0.65%), Rastafarians (0.27%) and the Moravian Church (0.27%).

Two African syncretic faiths, the Shouter or Spiritual Baptists and the Orisha faith formerly called Shangos, a less than complimentary term are among the fastest growing religious groups. Similarly, there is a noticeable increase in numbers of Evangelical Protestant and Fundamentalist churches usually lumped as "Pentecostal" by most Trinidadians, although this designation is often inaccurate.

A small Jewish community exists on the island. Sikhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Bahá'í, and Buddhism are practiced by a minority of Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonians. Several eastern religions such as Buddhism and Taoism are followed by the Chinese community. There is also a small Bahá'í community.

Trinidad and Tobago claims two Nobel Prize-winning authors, V. S. Naipaul and St Lucian-born Derek Walcott,who founded the Trinidad Theatre Workshop, working and raising a family in Trinidad for much of his career. Designer Peter Minshall is renowned not only for his Carnival costumes but also for his role in opening ceremonies of the Barcelona Olympics, the 1994 Football World Cup, the 1996 Summer Olympics, and the 2002 Winter Olympics, for which he won an Emmy Award.

Geoffrey Holder brother of Boscoe Holder and Heather Headley are two Trinidad-born artists who have won Tony Awards for theatre. Holder also has a distinguished film career, and Headley has won a Grammy Award as well. Recording artists Billy Ocean and Nicki Minaj are also Trinidadian. Interestingly, three actors who appeared on Will Smith's sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air are of Trinidadian descent: Tatyana Ali and Alfonso Ribeiro were series regulars as Will's cousins Ashley and Carlton, respectively, while Nia Long played Will's girlfriend Lisa.

Foxy Brown, Dean Marshall, Sommore, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Gabrielle Reece, pop singer Haddaway, Tracy Quan, Mike Bibby, Lauryn Williams, Fresh Kid Ice, and Roy Hibbert are all of Trinidadian descent.

Trinidad and Tobago also has the distinction of being the smallest country to have two Miss Universe titleholders and the first black woman ever to win: Janelle Commissiong in 1977, followed by Wendy Fitzwilliam in 1998; the country has also had one Miss World titleholder, Giselle LaRonde.

Trinidad and Tobago is the birthplace of calypso music and the steelpan, which is widely claimed in Trinidad and Tobago to be the only acoustic musical instrument invented during the 20th century.

Trinidad is also the birthplace of soca music, chutney music, parang, and Carnival. The diverse cultural and religious background also allows for many festivities and ceremonies throughout the year such as Carnival, Diwali, and Eid festivities.

It is an industrial island with a diversified economy, based to a large extent on oil, natural gas, industry and agriculture. It is one of the leading gas-based export centres in the world, being the leading exporter of ammonia and methanol and among the top five exporters of liquefied natural gas.

This has allowed Trinidad to capitalise on the biggest mineral reserves within its territories. It is an oil-rich country and stable economically.

MACAU: Visit Macau One Of The Gambling Capitals Of The World

Macau is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China. Located across the Pearl River estuary from Hong Kong, until 1999 Macau was an overseas territory of Portugal.

One of the world's most densely populated spots, Macau generates more revenue from gambling than anywhere else on the planet, including more than seven times the revenue generated by "The Strip" in Las Vegas.

Best known worldwide as the 'Vegas of China', the Macau Special Administrative Region is indeed a mecca of gambling and glitz.

But the city is so much more than that. A Portuguese colony for more than 300 years, it is a city of blended cultures. Ancient Chinese temples sit on streets paved with traditional Portuguese tiles. The sound of Cantonese fills the air on streets with Portuguese names.

You can eat Chinese congee for breakfast, enjoy a Portuguese lunch of caldo verde soup and bacalhau (cod) fritters, and dine on hybrid Macanese fare such as minchi (ground beef or pork, often served over rice).

The Macau Peninsula holds the old city centre, where colonial ruins sit next to arty new boutiques. Further south are the conjoined islands of Taipa, Cotai and Coloane.

Taipa has gloriously preserved Macanese architecture, Cotai is home to the new mega casinos and Coloane is lined with colonial villages and pretty beaches.

Macau was one of the earliest European colonies in Asia and the last to be relinquished (1999) and thus has a more visible colonial history than Hong Kong.

Walking through the old city you could convince yourself you were in Europe,if the streets were devoid of people and signs in Chinese, that is. The Portuguese and Macanese populations continue to maintain a presence but, as expected, most of the population is native Chinese.

Besides the city itself, Macau includes the islands of Taipa and Coloane, which are connected to Macau by bridges and to each other by a causeway, now built up into the Cotai Strip.

The Chinese city of Zhuhai borders Macau to the north, and the border crossing carries heavy two-way vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The Zhuhai Special Economic Zone extends south to Hengqin Island, an area west of Taipa, Cotai and Coloane; the Lotus Bridge from Cotai connects to that area.

There is significant movement by the local population of both Zhuhai and Macau across the border, making the two feel like twin cities.

Macau is subtropical with hot summers and mild winters. Visitors should note that typhoons often strike from mid-summer to Autumn which could stop many activities there.

Although winter is generally mild, there are occasional cold fronts which could make temperatures drop 10°C (~25°F) in a day

In the 16th Century, China gave Portugal the right to settle in Macau in exchange for clearing the area of pirates under strict Chinese administration. Macau was the first European settlement in the Far East.

It became Portuguese colony effectively after the treaty signed by the Qing and Portuguese Governments in 1887. It was also the last when, pursuant to an agreement signed by China and Portugal in 1987, Macau became the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 20 December 1999, ending over 400 years of Portuguese administration.

China has promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula - Macau is officially the same country with mainland China, but maintains its own ruling systems.

Like its neighbour Hong Kong, Macau still does not have a full democracy and the locals often think that there is too much control or influence from Beijing with more one country, less two systems.

In recent years, Macau's economy has boomed rapidly due to the opening of the gambling licenses. Thousands of tourists are in Macau each day, mainly from mainland China and neighbouring regions.

The standard of living in Macau has as a result grown significantly, and in many cases, on par with some European countries. The tourist industry has also diversified instead of casinos, Macau is also promoting its historic sites, culture and cuisine.

As in the rest of China, the Lunar New Year is a really big deal when all public transport modes are overcrowded and booked out.

Macau was geographically divided into three regions: the peninsula and two islands. However, reclamation of the area between Taipa and Coloane has created the fourth region of Cotai.

Districts of Macau
- Macau Peninsula
The northernmost region connected to the Chinese mainland. It is the center of most tourist activity and is densely crowded.

- Taipa
The island south of the peninsula, accessible via three bridges. It is a major residential center and is the location of Macau's International Airport.

- Cotai
A strip of reclaimed land between Coloane and Taipa, with vast new casinos rising up (such as The Venetian, the largest casino in the world).

- Coloane
The most southern island, it is considerably less developed than the other regions due to its mountainous terrain. It has two beaches, several hiking trails and a resort. It is also the location of Macau's first golf course.

Entering Macau
For many years, the usual way to get to Macau was to fly into Hong Kong and take a ferry across to Macau. Today, Macau is becoming a low-cost airline hub, and some are now arriving at Macau to later go to Hong Kong.

Entry Requirements
- For foreign nationals, the maximum limit of stay in Macau is restricted to 30 days before the expiry date of the passport or travel document and the entry or re-entry permit.

- For example, if a South African citizen presents a passport which has a validity of 40 days when she enters Macau, she will only be allowed to stay for up to 10 days, even though in general South Africans can stay for up to 30 days in Macau visa-free.

Macau has a separate immigration regime from mainland China and Hong Kong. All travellers from mainland China and Hong Kong and all foreign countries have to go through immigration and customs checks on arrival in Macau.

Therefore, if you want to re-enter the Mainland from Macau, you will have to re-apply for another Chinese visa unless your existing one is a multiple entry visa.

While Hong Kong and likewise Macau are officially part of the People's Republic of China, don't let this cause confusion, as they are still designated as SAR or Special Administrative Regions operating under their own immigration controls, currencies and autonomous governments.

An entry permit to Hong Kong is not valid in Macau and vice versa.

Holders of a Hong Kong permanent identity card or a re-entry permit can enter Macau visa-free for up to 1 year without having to present their passport. Holders of a Hong Kong non-permanent identity card can enter Macau visa-free for up to 30 days and must present their passport.

Foreign nationals of the following countries/territories can enter Macau visa-free:

For up to 180 days: United Kingdom.

For up to 90 days: All other European Union member states, plus Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Cape Verde, Dominica, Egypt, Grenada, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Norway, Serbia, South Korea, Switzerland and Tanzania.

For up to 30 days: Australia, Belarus, Canada, Chile, India, Indonesia, Kiribati, Malaysia, Monaco, Namibia, New Zealand, Philippines, Russia, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United States and Uruguay.

For up to 14 days: Brunei.

For up to 7 days: China (PRC) (solely for transit via Macau to a third country and holders of a two-way permit with a valid exit endorsement).

For foreign nationals, the maximum limit of stay in Macau is restricted to 30 days before the expiry date of the passport or travel document and the entry or re-entry permit.

For example, if a South African citizen presents a passport which has a validity of 40 days when she enters Macau, she will only be allowed to stay for up to 10 days, even though in general South Africans can stay for up to 30 days in Macau visa-free.

In addition, all foreign visitors who intend to enter Macau for less than 48 hours for the purpose of travelling onwards to another destination via Macau International Airport are exempt from obtaining a visa.

If you require a visa, it can either be obtained in advance from a Chinese embassy or consulate, or on arrival in Macau (Macau visas are separate from visas valid for travel to Mainland China).

A visa on arrival costs MOP100 (individual), MOP50 (children under 12; per person for groups of 10 or more travellers with a collective travel document) or MOP200 (family passport).

A visa issued on arrival is valid for multiple entries within 30 days of the issuing date. This is a very quick and cheap way of getting a visa and definitely preferable over filling in an application at a Chinese embassy or consulate.

However, Bangladeshi, Nepalese, Nigerian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Vietnamese citizens,unless they hold a Hong Kong identity card cannot use the visa on arrival facility and must apply for a Macau visa at a Chinese embassy in advance or at the Commissioner's Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong.

The application form for a Macau visa if applying for one at a Chinese embassy or at the Commissioner's Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong is available at and the application fee is USD30 plus USD20 if the embassy has to refer the application to Macau.

The standard service takes 5 working days to process the visa application,if the embassy needs to refer the application to Macau, the application takes 3 weeks.

An express service of 3 working days is available for an additional USD20, while an 'extra express' service same or next working day, is available for an additional USD30 the express/'extra express' services are not available if the embassy needs to refer the application to Macau.

All travellers who enter Macau,regardless of whether visa-exempt or not may be required to show they have a minimum of MOP5,000 to fund their stay and possess a valid return or onward journey ticket.

The only exception to the return/onward journey ticket requirements is for residents of Hong Kong or mainland China, but not if they use a Hong Kong SAR or Chinese passport to transit through Macau to a third country/territory.

Lost/stolen travel documents: If your travel document is lost or stolen while you are in Macau, you should follow the procedure detailed at this webpage of the Macau SAR Public Security Police Force.

The form to complete for a lost/stolen Hong Kong identity card/travel document is , lost/stolen Australian passport/travel document and all other lost/stolen passports/travel documents .

Detailed information about immigration requirements is available at the website of the Macau Public Security Police Force.

By Boat
This is still the main way in which most visitors get to Macau. The main ferry terminal in Macau is the Macau Ferry Terminal (Terminal Maritimo) at the Outer Harbour.

This is a busy terminal handling most of the sea traffic between Macau and Hong Kong as well as the Chinese ports of Shekou and Fuyong,the latter which serves Shenzhen International Airport. Getting there/away: Buses 1A, 3, 3A, 10, 10A, 10B, 12, 28A, 28B, 28BX, 32 and AP1 run from the ferry terminal.

The bus stop is on the main road to the right as you walk out of the building. Pick up a free bus schedule in the tourist information centre in the building. If you are heading straight to a casino or hotel, most of these establishments provide free shuttle buses.

They gather to the left of the terminal building; step out of the arrival-level of the building and turn left; casino shuttles are in the big bus group while hotel shuttles are in the smaller bus group.

There is a lesser known ferry terminal in Macau, located at Pier No. 11 at the Inner Harbour. This is a new ferry terminal building after its former Pier 14 site was given to developers by the Macau Government. It is very near to the Macau city centre and can be easily reached on foot. This terminal mostly services boats to Shenzhen, Jiangmen and Wanzai across the Inner Harbour in Zhuhai.

A third temporary ferry service serves Taipa, Cotai and Coloane connecting to Hong Kong and Shekou. The Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal is adjacent the Ponte da Amizade Friendship Bridge on Estrada de Pac On, and is served by bus AP1 from the city to the airport, but not the other way around,unless you go around the entire loop.

There are also free shuttle buses to the Venetian, the Wynn, COD. A larger permanent ferry terminal is being constructed between the temporary terminal and the Macau International Airport, scheduled for completion in 2011.

From Hong Kong
Ferries to Macau operate from several points in Hong Kong, including the Hong Kong International Airport where you can bypass Hong Kong Immigration and transfer directly into a ferry to Macau.

Macau-Hong Kong Island: Ferries from Hong Kong's Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan on Hong Kong Island operate 24 hours a day at frequencies of every 15-30 minutes by day and hourly at night.

In Macau, they dock at the Macau Maritime Ferry Terminal. The cheapest one-way ticket from Hong Kong is HKD164,HKD25 extra per bag for luggage, though 1 hand-carry size luggage within 20kg could be free depending on the company and the trip takes one hour. You can buy tickets online in advance to ensure you secure the sailing you want at busy times. Weekend fares are more expensive.

Ferries are operated by TurboJet. Another frequent ferry service is operated by Cotai Jet directly to Taipa from Hong Kong, and there are free shuttle buses to The Venetian from the Ferry Terminal, for quick and easy access to Taipa and Coloane.

Macau-Kowloon: Ferries operate from the China (HK) Ferry Terminal on Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Ferries are slightly less frequent compared with services from Hong Kong Island, running every half-hour from 07:00-22:30. Fares start at HK$164 and the trip takes about 90 minutes. Both TurboJet and Cotai Jet operate on this route.

Macau-Hong Kong International Airport: Ferries from Hong Kong International Airport to Macau. These are less frequent but they allow you to bypass Hong Kong Immigration and Customs by transferring directly to the ferry in the airport's transfers hall. If a ferry ticket is purchased online in advance, your airline may be able to check your luggage all the way to Macau.

Alternatively, for airlines that are point-to-point and do not allow you to do so, you should request that the baggage handlers retrieve your checked-in luggage for you from the luggage belt which is only available after immigration while processing your ferry ticket by presenting your baggage tags.

You board the ferry at the airport SkyPier terminal which is accessed by an internal train. Fares start at HK$180 and services are operated by TurboJet Sea Express.

The price of ferry tickets differ based on the time and day of the week of the ride. Ferry departures at night (between 6PM and 6AM) and on weekends are more expensive.

Especially at the HK Macau Ferry Terminal, keep an eye out for ticket touts. Some offices here resell legit bulk tickets at a small discount, but an altogether slimier species sells unused tickets for ferries that are about to leave, you may catch them if you run, but will be out of luck and money, if you don't.

Be wary of anyone outside the elevators who enthusiastically beckons you to an agents office and shows you tickets for future sailings, only for you to end up with tickets for ferries that are departing in the next few minutes.

A few touts even pose as "inspectors" and, with practiced sleight of hand, swap your ticket. Don't let anybody not in uniform take your ticket!

From Mainland China: Several ferry companies run to Macau from mainland ports including Jiangmen, Shekou (in Shenzhen) and Fu Yong Ferry Terminal,next to Shenzhen Airport.

Macau-Fu Yong or Shenzhen Airport: TurboJet runs several ferries daily between the Macau Ferry Terminal and the Fu Yong Ferry Terminal. Journey time is about one hour. Economy fare $222, with premium and VIP fares also available. There are free shuttle buses connecting the Fu Yong Ferry Terminal with Shenzhen Int'l Airport at the front door of the ferry terminal, the shuttle journey taking 5-10 minutes. Taxis are also available from the terminal.

Macau-Shekou (Shenzhen):
Yuet Tung Shipping Co runs a ferry service departing from the Macau Inner Harbour Terminal at Pier 14 on Rua das Lorchas near intersection with Av Almeida Ribeiro at 10:00, 14:00, 17:30 and 20:15. $129, $78 for children. From Shekou, boats leave at 08:15, 11:45, 15:45 and 18:30. Journey takes about 1 and a half hours.

Shenzhen Xunlong Shipping Co operates from Macau's two other ports: 10 times per day between 09:45-20:45 from the Macau Ferry Terminal and 3 times per day between 11:00-19:00 from the Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal ¥170.

Macau-Jiangmen: CKS has a daily connection with Jiangmen from the Macau Inner Harbour Terminal at Pier 14 on Rua das Lorchas.

Macau-Wanzai (Zhuhai): Yuet Tung Shipping Co runs boats between the Macau Inner Harbour Terminal at Pier 14 on Rua das Lorchas, and the Wanzai Customs Port in Wanzai, Zhuhai. Journey time is about 10 minutes. $12.50. Boats start at 8AM and end at about 4PM. You can catch connecting buses to Gongbei and other places in Zhuhai from Wanzai.

A more frequent and cheaper option is to catch a ferry to/from Zhuhai's Jiuzhou Port, which is only a few kilometers from the Macau-Zhuhai border. Take a short taxi ride (¥10) or a No. 4 bus from the border crossing to the ferry terminal. The bus ride should be included in your ferry ticket. Ferries from Shenzhen Shekou Port to Zhuhai run every 30 minutes. ¥90.

When taking any ferry, make sure to arrive early since customs lines may take longer than expected.

By Car
The legal driving age in Macau is 18, the same as in Hong Kong and the Mainland.

There are two vehicular entry points into Macau from China. They are the Portas do Cerco (Guan Chap in Cantonese, Guanzha in Mandarin) at the extreme north of Macau Peninsula which connects you to Gongbei in Zhuhai, and the Lotus Bridge,officially the Cotai Frontier Checkpoint which links the Cotai Strip with the Wanzai district of Zhuhai.

You can only enter if your vehicle (cars only, no motorcycles) has both Macau and mainland China number plates and the driver carries both Macau and China driver's licenses. Note that you have to switch sides of the road; mainland China drives on the right, Macau on the left.

Portas do Cerco: This is the usual entry point into Macau from Zhuhai and is very busy. It is open from 7AM-midnight. The crossing will bring you directly into Gongbei in Zhuhai.

Getting there/away: The best way to approach the crossing from anywhere in Macau is to use Avenida Norte de Hipodromo which continues as Avenida da Ponte da Amizade, or Avenida Comendador Ho Yin from the western part of the peninsula.

Lotus Bridge: Much quieter than the Portas do Cerco, this crossing involves you driving over the Lotus Bridge over the narrow channel between Cotai and Hengqin Island (China). The crossing is open from 9AM-8PM. Getting there/away: The Cotai frontier checkpoint can be accessed via the Taipa-Coloane Istmus Road (still known as the Taipa-Coloane Causeway) and turn off at the Flor de Lotus roundabout about halfway between Taipa and Coloane.

By Coach
You can take the coach from Guangzhou, the mainland's third-largest city,formerly Canton. The trip takes about 3 hours and costs around ¥80. Coaches are available from the Guangzhou airport at regular intervals. The bus takes you within walking distance (200 metres) of Portas do Cerco, the usual entry point into north Macau.

There is also a direct coach from Shenzhen airport and also Shenzhen long distance bus station. The trip from Shenzhen is about 3 hours.

There is also a direct coach from Dongguan to Macau Airport. The trip takes about 3 hours and costs around ¥100.

You can also get a bus from either place to Gongbei bus station in Zhuhai. That puts you right across the street from the border facilities so you can walk to Macau. This can save you a bit of money; the bus is about the same price either way, but food and hotels are cheaper in Zhuhai.

By Air

Macau International Airport is off the shore of Taipa Island. It has basic facilities and a couple of aerobridges, but it's possible that you will park on the tarmac and take a bus to the terminal.

Macau's home carrier is Air Macau. While nowhere nearly as well served as Hong Kong, the airport is popular among low-cost airlines thanks to its low landing fees. AirAsia Group flies to Macau from Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok-Don Mueang and Manila while Tigerair serves Singapore, Cebu Pacific and Philippines Airlines serve Manila and Clark, Thai Smile serves Bangkok and Jin Air serves Seoul-Incheon .

Bus AP1 plies a route between the airport and the Barrier Gate. Its route passes through several points on Taipa Island, and it stops at the ferry terminal on the peninsula on the way. It costs MOP4.20 per passenger, MOP3 per bag. It has limited provision for baggage, and can be very crowded,you may not even get the first bus to arrive.

Change at the ferry terminal for other destinations, the frequent number 3 bus runs from the ferry terminal and passes the Lisboa, Landmark Hotel, and Holiday Inn, or catch one of the hotel/casino shuttles which go the ferry terminal. The buses do not give change, but there is a currency exchange just inside the terminal that will change foreign currency into low denomination MOP.

Alternatively, take a metered taxi straight to your destination, but there's a MOP5 airport surcharge plus MOP2 for the bridge and MOP3 per bag. Fares to the city centre are around $40-50, the trip taking 15-20 minutes.

If you are bound for Hong Kong, Zhuhai or Shenzhen, you can use the airport's Express Link special bus service to connect directly to the ferry or the Zhuhai border without passing through Macau immigration.

However, the bus schedule is limited (11:00-18:00 only), which limits the utility somewhat; depending on your flight, if you don't need a visa for Macau, it may well be faster to go through immigration twice. If you have a same-day ticket, you can also use this service in the return direction to transfer directly to the airport.

Air Macau flies daily to Beijing, Nanjing, Ningbo and Shanghai. They also fly several times a week to Chengdu, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Hefei, Nanning, Wuhan and Xiamen. Xiamen Airlines flies to Fuzhou, Hangzhou and Xiamen.

Other airlines include AirAsia, Cebu Pacific, EVA Air and Spring Airlines among others. It is usually cheaper to fly to Zhuhai and cross the border by land as flights between Macau and the mainland are considered to be international flights.

On Foot
You can cross from mainland China to Macau on foot at Gongbei/Portas do Cerco (Barrier Gate) crossings at the south of Zhuhai/the extreme north of Macau Peninsula. In fact, thousands of Macanese and Chinese citizens do it daily, making it an horrendously busy crossing. Depending on the time and day of the week, expect long waits to get processed, up to 3 hours.

Many business people work in Macau and live in Zhuhai, resulting in a morning rush hour into Macau, and an evening rush hour out of Macau. It is similar on the weekends, with many people trying to get in a full day's visit. Mid-afternoon might be the shortest wait, with times down to about 30 minutes.

Getting there/away: The massive underground Portas do Cerco bus terminal is beneath the pretty garden in front of the border checkpoint plaza. You'll be able to find buses to most parts of Macau, including Taipa, Coloane and the Cotai Strip from here, including many free buses to the casinos. From downtown Macau by taxi, the border is about 10 minutes and $30.

As most people crossing the Barrier Gate are either mainland or Macau residents, foreign passport holders may get a short queue at the Zhuhai immigration clearance as they do not pass through the same counters as Chinese nationals. However, Macau's immigration divides entrants only into Macau residents and visitors, without further differentiation, and foreigners have to queue with an overwhelming number of mainland residents.

There are money changers at the Barrier Gate that give very good rates so you can change your money into Chinese renminbi before crossing the customs.

Although you are not allowed to walk on the Lotus Bridge between Wanzai and Cotai, you can board a bus to cross it.

By Helicopter
The Sky Shuttle helicopter service operates every 15-30 minutes between Macau's Terminal Maritimo and the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Pier in Hong Kong, as well as five times a day to/from Shenzhen airport. The trip takes just 16 minutes, but weekday/weekend tickets cost a whopping HK$3700/3900 one-way.

Get around On foot: This is probably the best way to get around the Macau Peninsula, which is small, compact and full of things to discover. Many roads are also one way so there is quite a chance that it won't be slower than to take road transport which may need to make a long loop to reach the destination.

Most streets have a pedestrian sidewalk making walking easy, although you will have to fight the crowds going in all directions. Traffic rules are not very well adhered to, so ensure that you look both ways before crossing. In and around the Senado Square, the pavements will be made of hand-laid limestone pieces made into simple designs, something that will surely catch your attention. Macau is also hilly, be prepared to struggle up and down steep lanes and steps.

Especially in the old city, the city streets do not seem to run in any particular pattern and you'll most likely get lost at some stage, which is part of the fun of exploring Macau.

Don't bother trying to get around the Cotai area on foot though, as the huge long streets with nothing much on them except the outside edge of new hotels and giant building sites will eat up time you could better spend elsewhere in Macau.

By Coaches
Macau and its districts are served by three bus companies - Transportes Urbanos Macau (Transmac) and Sociedade de Transportes Colectivos de Macau (TCM). Sociedade de Transportes Públicos Reolian (Reolian). The bus system in Macau can be difficult to use.

It is often difficult to gauge which direction the bus is heading and the routes through the city center are very curvy, making a long ride out of a short distance. Bus drivers usually only speak Cantonese, very little English or Mandarin and certainly no Portuguese at all. Most bus stops contain no English, although you can sometimes figure out the destination from Portuguese words.

Nevertheless, the websites of all three companies have good route guides. The TCM website is only in Chinese, while the Transmac website depicts routes schematically.

There is a flat fare of $3.20 for rides within the Macau Peninsula, $4.20 between the Peninsular and Taipa, $5 between the Peninsula and Coloane village, and $6.40 between the Peninsula and Hác Sá (Coloane). But like the buses in Hong Kong, your fare is according to the bus stop you board, not by the length of the journey.

Fares are displayed next to the fare box, so get your destinations written in Chinese if you need to tell them where you're going. You need the exact fare as drivers do not give change. Macaupass, a debit card similar to Hong Kong's Octopus Card system, is now widely used by Macau citizens as it provide discounts on paying bus fare.

However, it may be hard to purchase one as the distribution points are limited. Buses accept Hong Kong coins,but not the $10 Hong Kong coin.

By Scooter
Scooters are a wonderful way to see the sites of Macau, they are also the primary mode of transport for locals due to Macau's narrow streets and lack of car parking space. Scooters will seat one or two people and can provide the convenience to see some of the more beautiful and less crowded spots in Macau, such as Coloane Village, Cheoc Van Beach or the Portuguese fort.

Macau is very small and it is easy to navigate around, while driving is much less hectic and more civilized than in other places in Asia.

Macau Scooter Hire provides scooters for rental, though it is best to make reservations online prior to your arrival. Motorbike rental starts at US$19 for 3 hours or $40 per day. The longer the hire the cheaper it gets per hour / day. Driving licenses from most countries covering mopeds or motorcycles are accepted.

By Shuttle Bus
If you've got more time than money on your hands, you can travel around Macau for free simply by hopping on and off the complimentary shuttle buses operated by all major casinos and hotels. Virtually all serve the Terminal Maritimo, with buses every 5 to 10 minutes, while the big boys (Venetian, Wynn, City of Dreams, Galaxy etc) also shuttle to the Border Gates, the Taipa Ferry Terminal and the airport.

The buses to Hotel Lisboa, for example, drop you off just a few blocks from Largo do Senado. You generally have to be at least 18 years old to use them. You may have to get a ticket from Lisboa Casino in order to leave the casino by shuttle but most of the casinos offer totally free to take their shuttle buses.

By Taxi
Taxi fares start at $17. Largo do Senado to the border is about 45MOP. The longest possible taxi ride from the Border Post at the extreme north of Macau to Coloane in the south would be well under 200MOP.

It is a good idea to have your destination written in Chinese as most taxi drivers know only Chinese. Most taxi drivers carry with them a list of casinos and other important places so refer to it on the sunguard of the front passenger seat.

Each bag placed in the boot of the taxi is entitled to an additional surcharge.

Macau has a taxi shortage problem, and aside from long queues for taxis, taxi drivers often illegally ask inflated prices without turning on the meter, or refuse to take passengers to undesirable destinations.

Beware of dishonest taxi drivers who often approach tourists just off the legitimate taxi stands or casinos, offering rides for 2-5 times more than the legal metered fares, practice known in Macau as "fishing".

During weekday rush hours (16:30-19:30), it can be very difficult getting a taxi as most taxi drivers on station head back to the depot to change drivers. If you are lucky enough to catch one, some drivers may ask you to pay extra, upwards of 50MOP-100 on top of the normal fare to your destination. It is not uncommon to see a huge line for taxi queues during peak times. Plan accordingly.

By Triciclo Cycle-rickshaws

As in Hong Kong, cycle rickshaws (triciclo or riquexó) are a dying breed, although a few still lurk around tourist haunts like the ferry terminal and Hotel Lisboa. Prices are negotiable, but a few hours of city touring by triciclo might cost around $200.

Car Rental
Car rental is not a popular option in Macau given the territory's high population density and small size. Avis provides car rental services in Macau and you have the option of renting the car with or without a driver. Roads are generally well maintained and directional signs are in both Chinese and Portuguese.

Unlike in mainland China, international driving permits (IDP's) are accepted in Macau, and traffic moves on the left side of the road with most cars being right-hand drive,largely due to influences from neighbouring Hong Kong.

If you wish to drive to mainland China, your vehicle must have a second set of number plates issued by the Guangdong authorities, and you would need to carry an additional Mainland license, as the Chinese government does not recognise Hong Kong, Macau or foreign licenses. You would also need to change sides of the road at the border.

Languages
Macau's official languages are Cantonese and Portuguese.

Cantonese is the most commonly spoken language of Macau. Mandarin is not widely spoken, though most locals are able to comprehend it to some degree. Staff working at major hotels and tourist attractions will usually be reasonably competent in Mandarin.

English is spoken by most front-line staff in the tourism industry. Nearly all museums and casinos have some staff with excellent English, as do many hotels, shops and restaurants, especially the up-market ones. However, English is not as widely spoken as in Hong Kong, so outside the main tourist areas, especially in establishments catering to the average working class, you will find that most people are not conversant in English.

This includes most bus and taxi drivers, so be sure to have staff from your hotel write down the names of your destinations in Chinese to show the taxi driver, and get your hotel's business card in case you get lost. If you have to ask someone on the street of directions in English, your best bet is to approach a young adult who is likely to be a college student or having graduated from it,which is not difficult to find given the fact that more and more young people in Macau are now entering universities.

Speakers of Portuguese won't find it very useful when talking to local residents, as it is no longer compulsory in schools, but it helps a lot in understanding place names and signs. There is plenty of informational material for tourists available in Portuguese as well.

As Portuguese continues to be an official language of the SAR, government offices are required by law to have Portuguese-speaking staff on duty; for tourists, the most commonly used is the Macau post office, Correios de Macau. Many Portuguese cafés and restaurants also have Portuguese-speaking staff.

All official signs in Macau are bilingual in traditional Chinese and Portuguese. Note that under the "one country, two systems" policy, Macau continues to use traditional Chinese characters and not the simplified Chinese characters used in Mainland China.

Vong or Wong?
One of the oddities of Macau is that some Cantonese names and words that are pronounced with what in English is a "W" sound, and that in Hong Kong are transliterated with a "W", are transliterated with a "V" instead, such as in Cheoc Van (which in Hong Kong would be Chuk Wan).

This can also be seen in the surname Vong in Hong Kong Wong. No doubt Portuguese pronunciation has had an influence on this choice of transliteration. To complicate things further, this has not been done consistently so there are both Vongs and Wongs in Macau - both written with the same Chinese character.

Attractions
Although best known for gambling, Macau is rich in attractions and oozing with atmosphere, thanks to hundreds of years of fusion between European and Chinese cultures.

Macau is a fascinating place to just walk around as the place is packed with churches, temples, fortresses and other old buildings bearing an interesting mix of Portuguese and Chinese characteristics.

Besides buildings, there are also hundreds of narrow alleyways forming a maze in the old part of Macau where the people of Macau carry out businesses and work. If the sheer density of humans get to you, take a break and enjoy several pretty gardens or head to the island.

One of the interesting things to see in Macau is a statue of the Bodhisatta Avalokitesvara,known as kwoon yam in Cantonese located next to the sea near the Sands Casino and MGM Grand. Despite being a Chinese deity, the statue is distinctly European in design and resembles statues of the Virgin Mary one can find in Europe.

Rua da Tercena is the most popular art, antique, and flea market street in Macau, a little off the beaten track with less Chinese tourist crowds and a lot of character. It is located near St Paul's, behind Senado Square. Follow Rua de São Paulo to Rua das Estalagens and turn down the hill to the next narrow street. Go past the shops selling antiques, the tailor shops, and other small shops until the road reaches a fork.

And if culture is not your thing, there is the Macau Tower for awesome views and adventure sports, or Fisherman's Wharf to enjoy some theme-park activities and shopping.

You'll find most of the attractions in Macau Peninsula, but Taipa and Coloane, each with a pretty village, also draw hordes of visitors. Visit the Cotai reclaimed land area to see its transformation into the "Las Vegas Strip of the East". The Venetian is the most famous with its Venice-styled shopping mall with rivers running through, and is also currently the largest casino in the world.

The City of Dreams is a giant casino with high end fashion shops, a free video 'bubble' show, three hotels and the world's most expensive theatre show. The 'House of Dancing Water' cost US$250 million and the stage holds five olympic swimming pools worth of water. Ushers give the front few rows of the audience towels. Free shuttles from the main ferry terminal leave constantly.

Heritage
A large section of Macau Peninsula has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site and 25 buildings and sites within the area have been deemed to have cultural and historic significance.

One of the best ways to cover the sights is to do the Macau Heritage Walk circuit. The heritage Buildings, the Sao Paulo Cathedral, the Fort and the Macau Museum are all adjacent to each other and can be conveniently seen individually even if one cannot catch the Heritage walk timing.

Taipa Village and Coloane Village, still inhabited by some fishermen, are also interesting with their colonial-era shops and houses along narrow lanes.

Museums
Macau has several museums. The "Macau Museum Pass", which gives discounted entry to most of these, is currently off the market. The main museums, such as the Macau Museum, are in Macau Peninsula although there are two museums on Taipa - the Museum of Taipa and Coloane History and Taipa Houses Museum.

Casinos
Gambling is Macau's biggest industry, and busloads arrive daily from mainland China to try their luck. In addition, many Hong Kongers arrive on weekends with the same aim. For many years, the Casino Lisboa was the most famous and a landmark well known to people outside Macau, but it is being eclipsed by Sands Casino which opened in 2004.

Nevertheless, the original Casino Lisboa is still worth a visit as its halls contain many original antiques on display from the private collection of gambling tycoon Stanley Ho.

Most casinos are located along the waterfront on the southern side of Macau Peninsula. North of the Lisboa is a strip with many smaller casinos, a number of hotels and bars, and quite a few restaurants. This can be one of the more interesting areas of Macau; among other things it has quite a good Indian restaurant and several Portuguese ones.

However, parts of it are also fairly sleazy, with lots of hookers and touts, so some caution is in order. New casinos have also opened in the area called NAPE south of Avenida de Amizade, including Wynn Macau and Sands Macau.

All this is going to be overtaken by the new development on the Cotai Strip, which is being made into "The Las Vegas Strip of the East". The biggest casino in the world, Venetian Macao, opened its doors in August 2007 and the not-much-smaller City of Dreams followed in 2009, with many more still to come. There are also several casinos on Taipa, including the Crown Macau.

There are ATMs available at either casino as well as Forex facilities to change your money. Gamblers are required to be at least 21 years of age, as of 1 November 2012 to be allowed to play. Interestingly, local civil servants are not allowed to enter the casinos with the exception of the first three days of the Chinese new year.

Greyhound racing

Another popular form of gambling in Macau is greyhound racing, where people bet on dogs in the same way that many people in other countries bet on horses. The minimum bet is MOP10, and payouts can be made in both Macanese patacas and Hong Kong dollars.

Canidrome is your spot for great Greyhound racing. It is located on Avenida General Castelo Branco. Greyhound races are held at the Canidrome on Monday, Thursday and Friday plus weekends - racing starts at 19:45 with 16 races each night.

MOP10 admission fee (redeemable when betting) to get in. Box seats are MOP80 for non-peak days and MOP120 for weekends and holidays. There is off-track-betting available for the Canidrome at Jai-Alai Palace, Hotel Lisboa and Kam Pek Casino.

Adventure
At a height of 233 metres, the bungy jump from Macau tower, maintained and operated by A. J. Hackett is the 2nd highest in the world. Along with the bungy, one can also try the Sky jump, that is somewhat like a jump but is more protected and doesn't involve a free fall, and a sky walk, that is a protected on a platform running around the circumference of the floor. Bouldering and sport climbing activities are also conducted at the tower's base. See the Macau Peninsula page for details.

Swimming
Macau's two beaches - Hac Sa - (black sand) and Cheoc Van (bamboo bay) - are located on the southern side of Coloane island. They are very popular and are frequented by locals and visitors, especially at the weekend.

Besides beaches, there are several public swimming pools all over Macau. All high-end hotels also have swimming pools.

Hiking/Cycling

There are opportunities for hiking and cycling on the relatively rural islands of Taipa and Coloane.

Bowling
There is a bowling centre of international standard which was constructed in 2005 for the East Asian Games at the Macau Dome in Cotai area. There is also a bowling alley in Macau near the Camoes Garden/Protestant cemetery.

Purchasing
The official currency of Macau is the pataca (MOP), which is divided into 100 avos. Pataca is the traditional Portuguese name for both dollars and pesos, and the $ sign is used locally.

The pataca is pegged to the Hong Kong dollar (HKD) at MOP1.03 = HKD1 and, in practice, a large percentage of cash transactions in Macau are made in Hong Kong dollars, which are accepted on an equal 1:1 basis by almost all businesses. If you pay using Hong Kong dollars, you may receive patacas as change, or a mixture of patacas and Hong Kong dollars.

If you pay in HKD and receive change in MOP, the vendor has, in effect, taken a small amount of foreign exchange commission from you. Consider it a convenience fee and if wanting to stretch your MOP as far as it can go, visit a currency exchange counter. You may find businesses refusing the HKD10 coin, due to the fear of counterfeits.

Although dollars and patacas may be used interchangeably almost everywhere, there are two main exceptions. Transactions made at government offices may only be made in patacas, and most casinos will only accept Hong Kong dollars.

Chinese yuan (CNY) are also accepted in some businesses, often at a poor exchange rate, but they can easily be changed to patacas at bureaux de change and banks.

Getting money is quite easy as there are banks and ATMs (cash machines) on nearly every street. Holders of a debit card on one of the international networks will have no issues withdrawing money. Holders of Chinese Union Pay cards will not have trouble either withdrawing local currency from their accounts. ATMs usually dispense patacas or dollars (100 and 500 notes) and some will also dispense Chinese renminbi currency.

Changing to or from patacas outside of Macau is almost impossible even in Hong Kong, so any patacas should be spent or changed before leaving the SAR. The money changers at the Barrier Gate provide good exchange rates; however, if you wish to change money before you arrive then change into Hong Kong dollars.

Visa and MasterCard credit cards are widely accepted in major restaurants, stores and the ferry terminal but some merchants may require a minimum purchase amount, usually $100.

Tipping is generally not practised, though bellhops may expect about MOP10 or so for carrying your bags. In full service restaurants, a service charge is usually imposed and that is taken to be the tip. However, you should know that the 10% service charge may not go to the specific people who served you. Rather, it is used by the owners to pay the salaries of these employees.

If you wish to give a tip, you should give it in cash directly to the person you wish to reward for their good service. Taxi drivers also do not expect tips, and will return exact change, or round it in your favour if they can't be bothered to dig for change.

Shopping
While the newer megacasinos have introduced Macau to the joys of sterile franchise-filled malls, the city centre streets around the older casinos are still a bizarre monoculture of ridiculously expensive watch, jewellery and Chinese medicine shops,with an emphasis on herbal Viagra-type cures, all aimed squarely at liberating lucky gamblers from their winnings.

Finding tasteful souvenirs can thus be surprisingly challenging, although the streets between Largo do Senado and the ruins of St. Paul's and in particular Rua da Tercena, do have a scattering of local art and antique shops.

Bargaining in the small shops can be done, usually working on the model of the shopkeeper quoting a price, the buyer making "hmmm" sounds and the shopkeeper lowering the price a bit. A full-fledged haggling match is quite rare, as most antique shops sell precisely the same things at precisely the same prices.

For a more Western shopping experience, head to New Yaohan on Ave Doutor Mário Soares n˚90. There is a bakery and supermarket on the 6th floor. On the other floors there are fashion, perfumes and everything else you would expect from a department store, but expect much higher prices to what you are used to.

Dining
Macau is famous for excellent restaurants, unique cuisine and mellow bars. Above all, the city is famous for Macanese and Chinese cuisines: .

Portuguese food (cozinha portuguesa), brought in by its Portuguese colonizers, is hearty, salty, straighforward fare. While many restaurants claim to serve the stuff, fully authentic fare is mostly limited to a few high-end restaurants, especially the cluster at the southwestern tip of the Peninsula. Typical Portuguese dishes include:

- pato de cabidela (bloody duck), Duck meat stewed in duck blood, vinegar and herbs, served with rice; sounds and looks somewhat scary, but it's excellent when well done
- bacalhau (salted cod), traditionally served with potatoes and veggies
- caldo verde, a soup of potato, chopped kale and chourico sausage
- eijoada (kidney-bean stew), a Brazilian staple common in Macau as well
- pastéis de nata (egg tarts), crispy and flaky on the outside and soft and sweet on the inside

Macanese food (comida de Macau) was created when Portuguese and Chinese influences were mixed together with spices brought from Africa and South-East Asia by traders, and many restaurants advertising "Portuguese" food in fact serve up mostly Macanese dishes. Seafood and barbecue specialist Fernando's on Coloane's Hac Sa Beach is probably the best-known restaurant serving this mixed cuisine.

- Almond cookies. Dry Chinese-style cookies flavoured with almond. Macau's top souvenir, they're compact, durable and hence sold pretty much everywhere.
- Galinha à africana (African-style chicken). Barbequed chicken coated in spicy piri-piri sauce.
- Galinha à portuguesa (Portuguese-style chicken). Chicken in a coconutty curry; despite the name, this is not a Portuguese dish at all, but a purely Macanese invention.
- Pork chop bun. The Macanese version of a hamburger, the name pretty much says it all: it's a slice of freshly fried pork (often with a few chunks of bone left) with a dash of pepper placed inside a freshly baked bun.
- Beef Jerky. More moist and fresh than typical jerky, and quite delicious. Easily found on the street leading up to the Ruins of St. Paul, where venders will push free samples at you as you walk by with great enthusiasm. Be sure to try them all before choosing the one you like best!
- Minchi. Minced meat with fried potato cubes, served on white rice.

All that said, the food of choice in Macau is still pure Cantonese, and a few aficionados even claim that the dim sum and seafood here beat those in Hong Kong. The streets of central Macau are littered with simple eateries offering rice and noodle dishes for under $30 (although menus are often only in Chinese), while every casino hotel worth its salt has a fancy Cantonese seafood restaurant where you can blow away your gambling winnings on abalone and shark's fin soup.

The greatest concentration of restaurants is in the Peninsula, where they are scattered throughout the district. Taipa is now a major destination for those going for Portuguese and Macanese food and there are many famous restaurants on the island. There are several restaurants in Coloane, which is also home to the famous Lord Stow's Bakery, which popularized the Macanese egg tart. Yummy!

Drinks
Reasonably priced Portuguese wine is widely available. A glass in a restaurant is around $20, while bottles start from under $100, and a crisp glass of vinho verde ("green wine", but actually just a young white) goes very well with salty Macanese food. As elsewhere in China, though, locals tend to prefer cognacs and whisky. Macau Beer is widely available and roughly $8 for a 330 ml bottle in supermarkets. There is also a wine museum which you can have the opportunity to taste over 50 varieties of wine.

There is a buzzing nightlife in Macau. There are a variety of bars and clubs along the Avenida Sun Yat Sen close to the Kum Iam Statue and the Cultural Centre where you can have a good night out. Locals, especially among younger people, prefer to meet up with their friends in Western style cafes or places that serve 'bubble tea'. 'Bubble tea' is usually fruit flavoured tea served with tapioca balls and can be served either hot or cold.

The shops in town centre (near Senado Square) often open until late at night and are often crowded. The casinos have also become a big hit for entertainment, offering performances of international standard (advance booking advised) and comprehensive shopping malls for those less interested in trying their luck on the machines.

For those who want to pamper themselves after a shopping spree, there are spas available in almost all respectable hotels. Note that these are different to "saunas", which are thinly disguised brothels (prostitution is legal in Macau), but these can be easily distinguishable by their shop appearance.
Sleep

Macau is very backpacker unfriendly. Due to government regulations there are no hostels in operation and the one YHA requires special permission for lodging. Therefore if you are a backpacker then it is better to stay in Hong Kong and come to Macau for the day, unless you're willing to spend $190 per night for a bed with no facilities.

The bulk of Macau's hotels are on the Peninsula and Cotai, although there are also many options - including high-end ones - on Taipa. Coloane, which offers fewer and much quieter options, has accommodation ranging from the famous Pousada de Coloane to Macau's two beach-side youth hostels.

Hotel rates are most expensive on Friday and Saturday nights because demand is higher with tourists coming to Macau to gamble over the weekend. Try to make a booking through a travel agent, even if for the same day, as the rates can be substantially lower than walk-in rates. If you are coming from Hong Kong, book through an agent at the Shun Tak ferry pier for the best deals. Getting a package deal including return ferry tickets gives you the best price.

In the Inner Harbour area, many of the pensions and two star hotels are also the place of business for many of the mainland PRC prostitutes that work in Macau, and most hotel "saunas" are in fact thinly disguised brothels.

Hotel listings are in the individual district pages. Budget accommodation is one that carries a 2-star rating or below, a mid-range place has a 3-star rating, and a splurge place has a 4-star rating or above.The cheapest hotels on a weekday are around $190.

Hotel Metropole Macau, Avenida da Praia Grande Macau, Macau,. As the first City Boutique Hotel in Macau, we are devote ourselves to service our guest with efficiency and courtesy to express the meaning of Boutique service. CNY400 - 1200.

Macau has 12 tertiary education institutions. Besides some smaller and more specialized schools (Security Forces School, Tourism School, European Studies Institute, etc), the ones of importance are:

University of Macau. The oldest and most popular university, established in 1981 (then under the name University of East Asia). Offers degree programmes in a wide variety of fields at all levels, including pre-university courses, bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees. The majority of degrees are taught in English, except education and law which are taught in a choice of either Chinese (Cantonese) or Portuguese.

Macau University of Science and Technology. Established after the 1999 handover of Macau to China, courses are mainly taught in Chinese (Mandarin) by professors from the mainland, and a significant portion of its student population draws from the mainland too.

Macau Polytechnic Institute. A spin-off of the former University of East Asia, it was established in 1991 to provide practice-oriented education and training mainly to the local population.

Macau Inter-University Institute. Established in 1996, it originally only offered postgraduate education, but since 2005 also offers undergraduate degree courses, and since 2006 pre-university courses, mainly in the humanities.

Institute for Tourism Studies, Macao (IFT) . Established in 1995, the Institute for Tourism Studies （Portuguese: Instituto de Formação Turística，Chinese:is a public institution of higher education which is administered by the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government. The institution offers degrees in tourism, culinary arts, event, retail, heritage, and hotel management.

Employment

Non-residents who wish to take up employment in Macau, including those from Portugal or China, need to obtain a valid work permit and are then issued the so-called Blue Card,officially called Non-Resident Worker's Permit. The process takes approximately a month to receive a work permit, at which time employment may begin, and another 1-2 months to receive the Blue Card.

As illegal employment has over the past decades been a problem plaguing Macau, the authorities do crack down severely on any offenders (both worker and employer) caught. Visitors are therefore advised not to engage in illegal employment.
Stay safe
Severe weather

There is a risk of typhoons, mainly between July and September. A system of typhoon warnings is in place that are issued by the Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau and are broadcast widely on television and radio:

The typhoon warning system is basically a copy of the system used in Hong Kong.

- Number 1: tropical cyclone is within 800 km of Macau
- Number 3: tropical cyclone is likely to bring winds of 41-62 km/h to Macau, with gusts of 110 km/h (usually issued when the typhoon is within 300 km of Macau)
- Number 8: tropical cyclone is nearing Macau, bringing with it winds of 63-117 km/h, and gusts of up to 180 km/h
- Number 9: the centre of the tropical cyclone is approaching Macau and it is expected that Macau will be severely affected
- Number 10: the centre of the tropical cyclone will hit Macau directly, with mean wind speed over 118 km/h and intense gusts

During a number 8, 9 or 10 typhoon everything in Macau shuts down. People stay home and it is not advisable to venture outside as there is the risk of injury or worse from flying debris.
Crime

It should be pointed out that compared to many other cities in the world, Macau is relatively safe to travel. The standard of living of the local Macau residents is generally good (one of the best in Asia). In addition, as a city geared towards tourism, the Macau government is keen to "clean up" the city and its image. For example, the police in Macau are now seen by the public as more effective than they used to be.

Points To Note When You Travel To Macau.

- You should beware of pickpockets, especially in crowded areas like tourist attractions and the border stations. Keep your valuables somewhere safe. Pickpockets usually come in a group and use one person to distract people while the others work.

- Be wary of harassment from street prostitutes and hawkers handing out leaflets/flyers.

- Recently a scam involving mainland Chinese visitors asking for money has become widespread, mainly in downtown Macau. These people, who are usually properly dressed, claim to have lost their wallet and not to have eaten the whole day, asking for $20-30 to buy some food. The police have issued warnings in the local media not to give money to these people.

- In the mid-90s, Macau had some vicious gang wars among the triads, mobsters with automatic weapons. Macau police had the situation partly under control by the time the Chinese took over in 1999. The current government seems to have it entirely under control; there has been no sign of open mob conflict in this century. The triads usually don't bother ordinary people, so the advice is not to mess with them (such as by borrowing money from loan sharks and then failing to repay it), and they won't mess with you!

- Macau has a large taxi shortage problem, and aside from long queues for taxis, taxi drivers often illegaly ask inflated prices without turning on the meter, or refuse to take passengers to undesirable destinations. Dishonest taxi drivers often approach people near taxi stands or casinos, offering rides for 2-5 times more than the legal metered fares, practice known in Macau as "fishing". Kidnappings in a locked in taxi are also not unheard of.

Health

One unexpected cause of sickness in Macau is the extreme temperature change between 35°C (95°F) humid summer weather outdoors and 18°C (65°F) air-conditioned buildings. Some people experience cold symptoms after moving between the two extremes often; it is not unusual to wear a sweater or covering to stay warm indoors, and it is therefore usually good advice to carry a long-sleeve item of clothing when expecting to visit air-conditioned places for extended periods of time.

Whilst tap water is technically safe to drink (taste aside), most locals boil or filter their water or buy inexpensive bottled water, which you are also recommended to do so. A 2.5 litre bottle of drinking water starts around $0.25 in supermarkets.

There have been some cases of Dengue fever in recent years. The government has proactively sprayed insecticide in areas where there is potential of mosquito breeding, so this risk is largely contained. However it is best to avoid being bitten by using mosquito repellent and/or wearing long clothing, especially at dusk.

Socialize

People in Macau are generally friendly to foreigners,given the fact that Macau had hundreds of years of Portuguese colonial rule, the locals, even the older population are used to living side by side with Westerners. However, do not assume the locals speak English (or Portuguese) and a few essential Cantonese phrases are always helpful.

When visiting Chinese temples basic respect should be shown, but taking photos is usually allowed and you don't need to ask for permission as long as there isn't a no-photography sign posted.

Binge-drinking or drunken behavior is not tolerated in Macau.

For a comprehensive list of respecting local culture, see the "Respect" section of Hong Kong, which is very similar to Macau.
Contact

Macau's international dialing prefix is 853.

The tourist information offices on Largo do Senado and at the jetfoil terminal have maps, information on museums and events, helpful English-speaking staff, and at the Largo do Senado office free Internet access. You may have to queue for the Internet, since there are only a few machines.

Chinoy Express, Rua De Mercadores. A cheap and fast internet cafe ($5/hr) right near Rua De Felicidade. Serves cheap snacks and right across the road is a Filipino bakery with cheap and tasty breads and very large bottles of San Miguel ($6).

Mobile phones
Macau has excellent mobile phone coverage. Macau has both GSM 900/1800 and 3G 2100 networks. Check with your operator. Phone plans stemming from the Mainland require proper set-up for use outside of the Mainland.

Wifi

Macau has extensive free wifi coverage throughout the city. It is known as the wifigo system. You can also use the encrypted service wifigo-s. The username is "wifigo" and the password is "wifigo"

THAILAND: Wealthever Leaves 2,000 Tourists Stranded At Suvarnabhumi Airport

Prime Minister Prayut Cha-o-cha has ordered a probe into a company that left some 2,000 tourists stranded at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Tuesday night after they had paid for a trip to Japan.

The tourists were left waiting at the airport as the staff of Wealthever, the company arranging the Songkran trip, failed to turn up.

Wealthever reportedly was in the business of selling vitamin supplements.

Prayut on Wednesday said at least 2,000 tourists were suspected to have been duped.

He urged Thais people not to be gullible.

“Thais believe too easily.

Don’t trust anything before checking otherwise you will be cheated,” he said.

He said the legal process in this case would commence only after the fraud victims file lawsuits.

The holidaymakers reportedly paid between Bt15,000 to Bt20,000 to the firm for the three-day trip to Japan from April 13 and 15.

THAILAND: Proposal To Allow Passengers In Pickup Trucks

Police have proposed that it should be legal for passengers to ride in two-door pickup trucks' extended cab spaces and in the cargo bed of pickup trucks under certain conditions.

A source at the Royal Thai Police said on Tuesday that Assistant Police Commissioner General, Pol Lt-General Wittaya Prayongpan, sent a letter to the Land Transport Department (LTD) director-general last Friday regarding the proposal under the Automobile Act 1979.

The letter said that police had implemented the traffic regulation that required all passenger seats to have seat belts. They have received complaints from many private pickup truck drivers saying they needed to carry passengers in the extended cab and open cargo bed.

Police have asked the LTD to consider criteria that allows people who need to use pickup trucks to carry more passengers than can be accommodated in seats with seat belts in certain circumstances. This would prevent drivers from having to register vehicles as “personal pickup trucks for more than seven passengers”.

Police suggested that the LTD follow three guidelines:

1. The extended cab space behind the front seats of certain two-door pickup truck models could have seat belts installed so they could carry passengers.

2. Pickup trucks with an open cargo bed, if required to carry passengers, could be allowed for up to six persons with hand rails and seat belts if possible.

3. Trucks allowed to carry passengers in the cargo bed must drive at less than 80 kilometres per hour in municipal areas.

Tuesday was also the day when a new requirement came into effect that required the drivers of passenger vans on fixed routes to remove excess seats to meet the 13-seat limit. Failure to comply could result in a Bt5,000 fine and a licence suspension of up to six months, said Deputy Transport Minister Pichit Akkharathit. The new law covered 15,808 passenger vans registered nationwide.

JAPAN: Enjoy Osaka Barbecue At Nikuya

A perfect spot to dine with family and friends during the holidays, Nikuya by Oishi has a scrumptious barbecue buffet that takes its cues from authentic Osaka cuisine.

Folks in Osaka are famously fond of charcoal grilling, and Nikuya has captured the essence of their barbecue cuisine so well that customers are spoiled for choice.

The dishes are made with top-quality ingredients from home and abroad, including melt-in-the-mouth Wagyu chuck roll from Japan, Jo-Karubi from Australia, Harami from the US, mussels from New Zealand and salmon from Norway.

The restaurant has two choices for leisurely two-hour repasts. The Premium Buffet (Bt399) features brisket from Australia, rib-eye steak, karubi, pork neck, pork ribs, pork liver, pork belly and smoked bacon, and that’s only the start – there are 40 other items on offer.

Costlier by well worth it, the Super Premium Buffet (Bt539) boasts harami from the US, strip loin, short ribs, Australian brisket, Norwegian salmon, New Zealand mussels, Kurobuta pork, octopus, saba, shishamo and 50 further selections.

There are also a-la-carte set menus. The Super Premium version (enough for two hungry people) boasts “super premium” beef, seafood and pork starting from Bt379. The smaller Premium Set has “premium” seafood, beef, pork and chicken starting at Bt159.

MALAYSIA: Kim Jong-Nam Suspected Killers Arrainged In Court

Two women accused of assassinating the half-brother of North Korea's leader appeared in a Malaysian court on Thursday ahead of a murder trial that could see them hanged.

Indonesian Siti Aisyah, 25, and Doan Thi Huong, 28, from Vietnam, were taken in bulletproof vests to a heavily guarded magistrate's court close to the airport where Kim Jong-Nam was fatally poisoned two months ago.

Police accuse the pair of having wiped the banned nerve agent VX on Kim's face at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on February 13 as he was about to board a flight to Macau, where he was living in exile.

Rival South Korea accuses the North of masterminding the killing of Kim, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. Pyongyang denies the accusation, insisting he died of a heart attack.

In a brief hearing, the women were ordered to appear before the court on May 30 as state prosecutors sought more time to prepare their case. The pair did not enter a plea.

Doan's lawyer asked the court to alter the murder charge since prosecutors have not identified four people mentioned in charge documents as accomplices to the women, but the judge did not entertain the request.

About 100 police officers, include commandos in balaclavas and carrying assault rifles, guarded the court compound during the women's appearance.

Dressed in a red top and blue jeans, Siti kept her head down throughout the hearing. Doang, also casually dressed, quietly observed the court proceedings.

The case is due to be transferred to an upper court where the women will be tried for murder. If convicted, they could face the death penalty, which is carried out by hanging in Malaysia.

The killing sparked a diplomatic crisis between Malaysia and North Korea which saw both countries banning each other's citizens from leaving and withdrawing their ambassadors.

The travel ban was lifted in late March after a deal was struck involving the return of Kim's body to North Korea.

Police are still looking for four North Korean men who are suspected to have taken part in the murder plot, but are believed to have returned to Pyongyang.

Three other North Koreans earlier described as "persons of interest", including a diplomat based in Malaysia, have been allowed to return home under the deal.

Indonesian officials have maintained that Siti was duped into believing she was taking part in pranks for a TV show, while Doan's family said she was invited to Malaysia to be an actress.

Tran Huy Hoang, a young Vietnamese man who attended the hearing and described himself as a cousin of Doan, said She loves to travel and party but she never do anything violent.

Cathay Pacific Airways Replaces CEO Ivan Chu Kwok-leung With COO Rupert Hogg

Cathay Pacific Airways will replace Ivan Chu Kwok-leung, its chief executive for three years, with chief operating officer Rupert Hogg on May 1, Hong Kong’s loss-making flagship carrier announced on Wednesday.

Hogg takes over as CEO at a time when the airline is undergoing a major overhaul of its business after reporting a loss of HK$575 million last year.

Cathay has been struggling as a premium airline in the face of stiff competition from new aviation players, including budget and Middle East carriers.

Cathay staff gathered at the airline’s Lantau headquarters for a sudden town hall meeting. The leadership reshuffle was announced at the meeting after the stock market closed at 4:30pm.

John Slosar, chairman of parent company Swire Pacific, paid tribute to Chu, who will remain with the Swire Group and shift to its mainland business as chairman of John Swire & Sons (China).

“Ivan played a key role in the airline’s management during some very good times and, more recently, some difficult and challenging times,” Slosar said.

“In response, he led the team in devising the three-year transformation strategy which will provide the platform for Cathay’s medium-term recovery and continued development.”

Chu, 55, a local industry veteran who rose through the ranks at Cathay, has been CEO since March 2014. During his tenure at the helm, Cathay won the industry’s top award as the world’s best airline. He has also overseen a major expansion of the company’s routes, and a multibillion-dollar overhaul of its aircraft fleet.

Over the same period, however, the airline’s share price has fallen 28 per cent, an indication of the tough business environment.

Slosar said he was optimistic that the changes in play would build on the foundations laid by the current management and help take the airline to “new heights”.

“Rupert brings an impressive level of aviation and business experience to the job,” he said of the new CEO.

“He has played a major role as chief operating officer over the last three years and brings commercial focus and a spirit of innovation to our efforts to overcome the well-documented structural challenges facing the airline.

He is the right man to lead our team.”

Hogg, 55, another company veteran, first joined the Swire Group in 1986, and became chief operating officer in March, 2014. He was also responsible for Cathay’s cargo and sales and marketing divisions.

Traditionally, Cathay’s CEOs move on after three years.

Under Hogg, a number of directors will be promoted or leave their roles. The post of chief operating officer will also be scrapped.

In the longer term, a possible successor to Hogg is Paul Loo, currently director of corporate development and IT, who will become chief customer and commercial officer.

Martin Murray, finance director since 2011 who has overseen some of Cathay’s large fuel hedging losses, will stay in his current post as the re-titled chief financial officer.

Former Cathay CEO Tony Tyler said Hogg would be an “excellent” leader. “He’s experienced in the airline business as well as other industries, and is a smart and energetic guy who will lead the airline well. I certainly wish him every success in overcoming the many challenges ahead,” he said.

Aviation analyst Geoffrey Cheng, said: “Hopefully the cost saving initiatives will allow them to get through the stormy weather. Hoggs is hands on and understands the current challenges.”

“Rupert is the charismatic type of leader Cathay hasn’t had since Tony Tyler but desperately needs in order to win back staff engagement,” aviation analyst Will Horton added. “Ivan’s tenure is unmemorable and Cathay lost considerable strategic and financial ground.”

MALAYSIA: Tourism And Tax Bill To Make Hotel Guests Pay Tourism Tax

The Malaysian Parliament has passed a Tourism Tax Bill in which it must be imposed and levied on tourists staying at any accommodation made available by an operator.

Parliament was adjourned after the Tourism Tax Invoice 2017 which was tabled by Tourism and Tradition Minister Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz was handed with a big majority.

The Bill was passed in the longest Parliament session of the country, which lasted more than 20 hours.

According to local news media Bernama, the session ended at 5.05am early Thursday (6 April) morning, setting a new record as the longest Parliament session, surpassing the old time of 4.25am.

During the debate, Minister Nazri stated that the revenue from Tourism Tax would be in the region of RM654.62 million if the overall occupancy rate for the 11 million ‘room night’ in the country can achieve 60 percent.

He said that with proper promotion and 80 percent occupancy rate, RM872.82 million can be collected.

"Tax collected can provide a sustainable fund every year to develop the Tourism industry and ensure tourism becomes even more competitive," he added.

In accordance with Section 8, the Bill stated that tax shall be charged and levied on a tourist staying at any accommodation premises made available by an operator at the rate fixed, which will be discussed at a later stage by the finance minister, together with the tourism minister.

The Tourism Tax would be collected from all types of premises used as accommodation for tourists, except homestay and Kampung Stay registered under the ministry, premises managed by institutions (education), premises used for training purposes and religious institutions where such facilities are not used for commercial purposes.

It shall be the duty of a tourist to pay the tourism tax to the operator of the accommodation premises.

The Bill also read that where more than one tourist are staying in the same accommodation at the same time and the tourism tax has been paid by any one of them, the other tourist staying shall not be liable to pay tourism tax.

Clause 9 of the Bill also proposed the finance minister to be empowered to exempt any tourist or class of tourists from the payment of the whole or any part of the tourism tax, or also to exempt any operator from collecting tourism tax.

Under the Criminal Procedure Code or Act 593, the proposed act empowers a senior officer of customs for the purpose of enforcement, inspection and investigation in case an offence is committed.

GERMANY: ITB Berlin Reflects Good Travel And Tourism

ITB Berlin 2017 confirms what we need to hear in the travel and tourism business, that hiccups are temporary and the industry as a whole is in good health, and getting better looking by the day.

At the world’s leading travel trade show, there was no sign that people’s lust for travel has waned.

Once again, the 26 halls on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds were fully booked. Over the course of five days more than 10,000 companies from 184 countries were represented on 1,092 stands covering 160,000 sq m and showcased the global tourism industry’s latest products and trends.

Dr Christian Göke, chief executive officer of Messe Berlin GmbH, summed up, “As the world’s most important gathering place for the tourism industry ITB Berlin above all brings people together. A million face-to-face meetings at ITB Berlin will do one thing in particular, and that is build trust, trust on which we increasingly depend in our business dealings, in a digitalised and globalised world that has become more and more difficult to understand.”

Botswana, the official partner country, was an apt candidate to showcase sustainable tourism, this year being designated as the Year of Sustainable Tourism by UNWTO. Taking the theme forward was the focus on key topics ‘Safety & Security’ and ’Artificial Intelligence’. Among emerging trends and content seen at the event, Medical Tourism, a new segment stood out, while engagements around Travel Technology reached an ever-widening audience.

Among upcoming events and previews, delegates were given a glimpse of ITB China that will debut in Shanghai in May 2017, as well as standout features of the 2018 event.

Despite a number of tourist destinations such as Turkey and France experiencing a sharp decline in tourism due to political unrest and terrorist attacks, global tourism in 2016 increased by four per cent.

This is one of the findings of IPK International’s World Travel Monitor survey, which was presented at the ITB Berlin Convention. Rolf Freitag, CEO IPK International, forecast a further four per cent rise in global tourism in 2017. Goes back to our rhetoric that global tourism defies terrorism and unrest in the long term.

Looking ahead at 2018, the Berlin Travel Festival will take place next year for the first time and is intended to be a complementary event to ITB Berlin, not competition.

A preview of the event was hosted under the motto "People, Places and Memories." Experts from around the world who have something to say to representatives of the target group are invited to the programme items presented on the trade days, such as "New Ways of Traveling" or "Wednesday is the New Saturday."

The Berlin Travel Festival’s target group is clearly defined: it is millennials who have grown up with digital media, who have travel needs different from the conventional holidaymaking classes, and "whose online world we want to bring into reality," explained Bernd Neff, one of the three partners of the newly founded I love Travel GmbH.

One of the trends which has taken hold everywhere in the travel industry was evident in each of the 26 display halls at ITB Berlin. Digital transition has taken over the business of selling tourism at great speed.

Positive forecasts for the European economy and in particular for Germany as one of the biggest source markets for international tourism have also given the sector a boost.

The travel industry’s high expectations for 2017 have been significantly helped by a resolutely favourable mood among consumers, while unemployment has sunk to historically low figures.

One topic that occupied exhibitors and visitors throughout was consumers’ increasing concern for their safety.

Dr Göke summarised, “Even in these uncertain times people refuse to be put off from travelling. They are prepared to adapt to the new situation and bring their personal holiday needs into line with the changes taking place in society. They now carefully think their holiday plans over and afford a great deal of consideration to their personal safety.”

This year both exhibitors and visitors at ITB Berlin will return home with a message that is just as strong as it is clear, that racism, protectionism, populism and barriers between nations are not compatible with a prospering tourism industry.

The travel industry is one of the biggest branches of the global economy and one of its most important employers. It promotes international understanding in many ways and contributes to long-term economic growth.