Hong Kong and Macau_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 14th Edition) - Andrew Stone [268]
OLD TAIPA TAVERN Map Bar, Live Music
2882 5221; Rua dos Negociantes, Taipa; noon-1am, happy hour 5-8pm
Known as ‘OTT’, its location near the Pak Tai Temple at Taipa Village makes this delightful bar a sublime spot to watch the comings and goings in the centre of the village. A wonderful live band plays on Saturday.
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THEATRE
Apart from the floorshows in the casinos, authentic theatre in Macau has begun to take off, with Cirque du Soleil taking the lead.
ZAIA Map
2882 8818; www.cotaiticketing.com; Venetian Macao Resort Hotel, Estrada da Baía de Nossa Senhora da Esperança, Taipa; adult MOP$388-788, child MOP$194-394
Cirque du Soleil has already put up its big top in the Venetian, ushering in the next big entertainment scene in Macau (apart from gambling, of course). Zaia, the nightly resident show, is a spectacular mix of high-wire acrobatics and choreographed dances. Up to 40% discounts for tickets are often available.
DRAGONE SHOW Map
8868 6888; Bubble Theatre, City of Dreams, Taipa
Though not many details were revealed at the time of writing, this water-themed megashow just across the road on the Cotai is designed to rival Zaia, and is scheduled to commence in early 2010.
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SPORTS & ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES
Cycling
You can rent bicycles (MOP$15 to MOP$20 per hour) in Taipa Village from Si Toi ( Map; Largo do Camões; 10am-10pm), next to Pak Tai Temple, and Iao Kei ( Map; 2882 7975; 36 Largo Governador Tamagini Barbosa; 10am-7.30pm), next to the Don Quixote restaurant.
Cycling across the Macau–Taipa bridges is prohibited.
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Go-Karting
The Coloane Kartodrome ( Map; 2888 2126; Estrada de Seac Pai Van; 11.30am-7pm Mon-Fri, 11am-8.30pm Sat & Sun) is the region’s most popular venue for go-karting. There’s a choice of seven circuits. It costs MOP$100/200 for 10/25 minutes; a two-seater is MOP$150 for 10 minutes. Races are held on Sunday.
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Golf
The 18-hole, par-71 course at Macau Golf & Country Club ( Map; 2887 1188; www.macaugolfandcountryclub.com; 1918 Estrada de Hác Sá), connected to the Westin Resort Macau on Coloane by walkway on the 9th floor, is open to foreigners through the hotel. Green fees are MOP$1550/2880 on weekdays/weekends, and you must have a handicap certificate to tee off. There’s also a driving range ( 2887 1111; per 40 balls MOP$45), from where you drive balls into the ocean.
Acquired by the casino giant Harrah’s in 2007, Caesars Golf Macau ( Map; 2888 0123; www.harrahs.com/golf/macau-orient-golf; Estrada de Seac Pai Van, Taipa) on the Cotai is an 18-hole, par-72 course. The first phase, completed in 2008, includes a golf school and a newly refurbished driving range. Green fees are MOP$1620/2120 on weekdays/weekends.
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Hiking
There are two trails on Guia Hill ( Map ), in central Macau Peninsula, which are good for a stroll or jog. The Walk of 33 Curves (1.7km) circles the hill; inside this loop is the shorter Fitness Circuit Walk, with 20 exercise stations. You can access these by the Guia Cable Car.
The Little Taipa Trail (Trilho de Taipa Pequena; Map ) is a 2km-long circuit around a hill (111m) of that name in northwestern Taipa, reachable via Estrada Lou Lim Ieok. The 2.2km-long Big Taipa Trail (Trilho de Taipa Grande; Map ) rings Taipa Grande, a 160m-high hill at the eastern end of the island. You can access the trail via a short paved road off Estrada Colonel Nicolau de Mesquita.
Coloane’s longest trail, the Coloane Trail (Trilho de Coloane; Map ), begins at Seac Pai Van Park and is just over 8km long; the main trailhead is called the Estrada do Alto de Coloane. The shorter Northeast Coloane Trail (Trilho Nordeste de Coloane), near Ká Hó, runs for about 3km. Other trails that offer good hiking include the 1.5km-long Altinho de Ká Hó Trail and the 1.5km-long Hác Sá Reservoir Circuit (Circuito da Barragem de Hác Sá), which both loop around the reservoir to the northwest of Hác Sá beach.
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Water