Take a gamble on the other side of Macau

Sofitel Macau, in the heart of the Asian Vegast Photograph: Getty

Few folk could pass a week in the gambling magnet of Macau without a roll of the dice but somehow I managed it.

The former Portuguese colony has been transformed into a shimmering shrine to Lady Luck, with ever increasing numbers of tourists entering its high temples of risk. An ill-advised – and happily short-lived – period of losing much of my cub reporter’s salary on horse racing made it clear that gambling and I do not mix. But as luck would have it, Macau has a lot to offer those in search of culture rather than gaming.

Fresh off a 12-hour flight from Heathrow, we leave the skyscrapers of Hong Kong behind and speed 40 miles across the South China Sea by ferry towards the bright lights of Macau.

Home for the next few days is the elegant Sofitel Macau, which boasts such nice views from its outdoor pool that I could have happily stayed there for most of the trip. Once settled into our rooms, our guide, Alorino Noruega, took us for Macanese food at Restaurant Litoral, a cosy place where we filled up on crunchy cod cakes, garlic prawns and a spicy coconut speciality called African Chicken. Macanese food is thought to be one of the world’s first fusion cuisines, blending Chinese and Portuguese staples with spices picked up on Portuguese trade routes through India, Malaysia and Africa.

Macau itself offers a heady mix of cultures, with tiny Portuguese-style squares jostling alongside soaring Chinese skyscrapers, while the smells of Macanese cooking fill the air.

Similar to its neighbour Hong Kong, Macau became a special administrative region of China in the late 1990s, retaining customs from 400 years of Portuguese rule – including gambling, which is illegal in China. That is how it gained the moniker “Las Vegas of the East”, although its gambling industry has long surpassed that of the original Sin City. Apart from the bars and nightclubs, there is a burgeoning entertainment scene with highlights such as Galaxy Macau’s full-scale imitation Broadway or the House of Dancing Water aqua acrobatics show at the City of Dreams. But most visitors still head to big casinos like the lotus-shaped Grand Lisboa or the array of luxury hotels on the Cotai strip on the satellite island of Taipa. Baccarat had better be your thing because my companions could not find a poker table for love nor money, and a few hands of blackjack put paid to dreams of winning big. Far better to retire to one of the vertiginous rooftop bars such as the 38 Lounge at The Altira, where the splendour of the Macanese skyline lies spread out before you.

In the daytime the pinnacle of the 338m Macau Tower pierces through the hazy clouds as brave souls leap off on the world’s highest commercial bungee jump, but it is at night that the city comes alive.

Some of the excess can feel overwhelming but a few hours spent exploring the little streets will easily cure that. We set out on a walking tour of Macau’s historic centre from the black and white paved Senado Square, which is constantly abuzz with performers, street vendors and tourists. Joss sticks perfume the streets where ubiquitous almond cookies and slices of beef jerky are proffered at every turn as we wander to Macau’s oldest building, the A-Ma temple, from which the enclave supposedly derives its name. When Portuguese sailors arrived in the 16th century, they asked where they had landed and were told “A-Ma Gao”, which means the temple of A-Ma, the goddess of seafarers.

On a blisteringly hot day, the incense pyres and candles can become almost suffocating but there is shelter below the trees of the open air temple, where red and gold prayer votives send handwritten wishes to the goddess for wealth and handsome husbands.

The imposing Moorish barracks, which were built for soldiers from Goa who came to defend Macau, lie close to the shady trees at Lilau Square, a quaint colonial space surrounded by pastel-coloured houses.

Right next door is the Mandarin’s House, once home to Qing reformer Zheng Guanying, accessed through a round door to keep evil spirits at bay.

Macau’s most iconic landmark is the ruin of St Paul’s, a former Jesuit church and college that burnt down in 1835. All that remains is an elegant five-storied stone facade, offering a glimpse at the city through its paneless windows.

We barely scratch the surface of all the world heritage site has to offer before rushing off to fill up on steak, scallops and crêpes suzette at Antonio’s in Taipa, serenaded by a fado singer who could have stumbled in from the streets of Lisbon.

On the last day we visit sleepy Coloane, Macau’s other island, to see the Panda Pavilion, where resident panda Xin Xin recently gave birth to twins. If you can stand the humidity then hike up Coloane Hill to the enormous white jade statue of the goddess A-Ma, whose nearby monastery offers fantastic views of the Pearl River Delta.

Before leaving Macau I snaffled one of the best egg custard tarts from Lord Stow’s Bakery. The popular treat is available on every street corner but a British pharmacist called Andrew Stow left a lasting legacy on Macau’s taste buds by creating his own version using a soft, croissant-style pastry with an eggy base and a burnished top like a crème brûlée. Eating it in a small square bedecked with fairy lights, I enjoyed a snatched moment of calm before joining the fray again.

Despite its nickname, Macau is not really like Las Vegas, nor is it as brash as you might expect with all its garish charm. It is like a teenager who hasn’t settled into their maturity, slightly unsure of where they sit in the balance between the old world and the new. This is hardly surprising given the city’s meteoric expansion and it is only going to grow, as large portions of sea are continually being dredged to keep up with the desire to build. So go now, get lost in the winding streets, and you will unearth some real treasure. You can bet on it.

FACTBOX

Luxury rooms at the Sofitel Macau at Ponte 16 start from £96. To book and for more information visit www.sofitel.com

Cathay Pacific now offers a choice of three routes between the UK and Hong Kong, and onwards to over 190 destinations globally. These include five flights daily from London Heathrow, with prices starting at £421 per person, and four flights per week from both Manchester Airport and Gatwick Airport. The new Gatwick route exclusively features the new A350. For further information, visit www.cathaypacific.co.uk.

For further information on Macau, visit http://www.macaotourism.gov.mo/