Making memories in Macao
Macao may be best known for its dazzling integrated resorts and bustling nightlife, but in recent years, the city has emerged as a surprisingly attractive travel destination for families.
There's no doubt that Macao is an exciting destination for adults looking to soak up the glitz and glamour in this entertainment mecca. However, beyond this there's now an entire cityscape of fun, family-friendly attractions that showcase Macao's rich old-world charm as well as its modern luxuries.
Lifestyle influencer Vienna Sou, who was born and raised in Macao, has seen the city change dramatically within her lifetime – going from a small town to now one of the richest places on earth, teeming with Michelin-star restaurants and world-class hospitality.
"The Macao I remember as a kid was quiet and peaceful," Sou recalls. "It was a small city, with nothing much to do. I grew up in my grandpa's noodle shop. My family was very traditional, and we celebrated all the big holidays and festivals there. All the neighbours knew each other, and they watched me grow up.“
Like many native Macanese, Sou left Macao when she was 18 to study in the United States. After marrying her husband Tarran, she returned to Macao and had their two children, now aged 2 and 3½. As a mother, she's experiencing many of the traditions she enjoyed as a child through the eyes of her young family – while also enjoying the city's newer elements.
Many of Macao's historical attractions can be attributed to its rich history. A Portuguese trading port for hundreds of years since the 16th century, Macao has naturally blended the best of East and West.
Located on the Macao Peninsula, the city's historic centre, registered on the Unesco World Heritage List, was over the years expanded via land reclamation to include Taipa and Coloane, connecting these once separate islands to form the greater urban-suburban area. Today, vestiges of its lusophone history remain, ranging from the front facade of St Paul's Church to the Taipa Houses – a group of old Portuguese houses that have been turned into a museum.
"We love to visit the old Portuguese houses and then, since my kids love pastries, we also get egg tarts in Coloane at the main location of Lord Stow's Bakery," Sou says of a favorite historical sightseeing ritual.
With family roots in Hong Kong, Sou says she also still upholds the tradition of yum cha, or Cantonese-style dim sum, for her kids every weekend. For the full old-school push-trolley experience, she recommends the Lung Wah Tea House, located near the famous Red Market since 1962.
Nowadays, however, Sou says her family also loves Lua Azul, located on the third floor of Macau Tower – a landmark which can also be ascended for unrivalled panoramic views of the city skyline and Praia Grande bay beyond.
"We've been going to Macau Tower for yum cha for many years with my great-grandmother," Sou says. "To this day we still go every Sunday with the whole family."
Though Sou's grandfather's noodle shop closed many years ago, and her grandfather passed away last year, she says homestyle noodles still remain her most poignant memory of a simpler time.
"I used to have grandpa's noodles every day – he would ask me what I wanted for breakfast, but it was always noodles," Sou says. "As a kid, you don't appreciate these things much, but I would give anything to have that again."
So today, when Sou does find herself craving a bowl of noodles, she sometimes ventures from her home in Taipa back to Old Macao, to a local shop near her old high school called Kwong Fai, which she frequented as a teenager.
"I still go sometimes even though it's a bit out of the way for me now," Sou says. "They do this amazing pork chop with dry-style noodles. I think Macao is very well-known for its pork chop."
While Macao has no shortage of historical sites and traditional cuisine, the city is on par with any global metropolis when it comes to luxury accommodations, such as the sophisticated St Regis, where Sou and her husband were married, or The Londoner Macao, where their kids enjoy watching the 'Changing of the Guard'.
Sou says families may want to look beyond traditional hotels and consider Macao's integrated resorts – multi-property complexes which house hotels as well as retail, dining, and other forms of entertainment suitable for all ages.
For those with small children, Sou recommends integrated resorts that feature a kids' club, such as the Galaxy Macau, where the on-site 'edutaining' Galaxy Kidz features an aquatic play zone, garden and edutainment center. The hotel's main Grand Resort Deck, meanwhile, offers Macao's truest resort experience with 75,000 square meters of wave pool, waterslides, geysers and waterfalls alongside poolside dining outlets.
"We like to go to the Galaxy for their new kids' club," Sou says, noting that this is somewhat of a treat since the club is only open to hotel guests. "At the Grand Resort Deck, my kids love the sandy 'beach' and lazy river. There's also a food court, which is easy for kids depending on their mood."
Sou says as her kids have got older, they've fallen in love with the 1,706-room Wynn Palace in Cotai with its new on-site Illuminarium, an immersive, multi-sensory exhibition that transports kids – and parents – to outer space, deep sea and a wild safari.
"There are so many screens everywhere, you feel like you're actually on an African safari," Sou says. "My kids love it. After that, we take a free ride on the cable car."
Beyond the resorts, Macao's island geography affords it a wide array of free, family-friendly natural outdoor attractions. In Taipa, where Sou's family lives, she says parents and kids may also enjoy the popular Taipa Waterfront, fitted with dedicated bike paths as well as green spaces and park benches for picnics and sunset viewing of the Macao skyline and the Macau Tower.
On the beach front, Sou's family is partial to the relatively quiet Cheoc Van Beach in Coloane, located in a small bay surrounded by lush green hills. For a bite to eat, La Gondola nearby sells the family's favorite slice of pizza. However, when visiting the arguably more popular Hac Sa beach, they opt for classic Macanese street barbecue – a nostalgic tradition Sou says takes her back to her own childhood in small-town Macao.
"At the [Hac Sa] beach they have street barbecue and I remember the first time we got chicken wings and the kids loved it," Sou says. "Seeing them enjoy that is so cool because I used to do that as a kid too. It's not fancy food, just street barbecue – but it's so good."
As Sou looks to the future of Macao, she says she's excited to see how the city has changed and become more dynamic for families and kids. At the same time, she's also keen on preserving traditions – and making new ones.
"I'm very big on keeping traditions alive for my kids and also celebrating our blend of cultures with Tarran," she says. "Bringing my kids to the same places I went as a kid – and making our own family traditions – is something I really love."
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