I’ve been going to Macau regularly since the mid-1980s, and with the exception, perhaps, of Berlin, Macau has changed more than any other city I know. I used to go there to escape the rigors of Hong Kong’s relentless buzz, to kick around its hilly back streets, to eat well on far less money than what it cost in Hong Kong. No Longer. Macau is not the place it used to be.

I describe what Macau was like and what it has become in Experience Macau’s Dual Heritage, which was published in Global Traveler. It’s a story of what’s been lost in Macau’s rush to become the biggest gambling mecca of the world, but also of what cultural treasures remain.

Mega resorts in Cotai include this wave pool
Mega resorts in Cotai include this wave pool
macau is not the place it used to be, but its historic downtown Macau is a World Heritage Site
Historic downtown Macau is a World Heritage Site

For more on Macau, see my articles Escape Macau’s Sensory Overload in Coloane and Walking through Macau’s Historic Districts.

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