I know the Christmas season has quickly come and gone once again, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to start thinking about next year’s holiday travel plans, right? This year, the beau and I got to finally visit Macau together in the lead up to Christmas. Macau had been on my list pretty much as soon as I first visited Hong Kong, but with the pandemic that was impossible until earlier this year after both Macau and Hong Kong reopened their borders. Christmas is a magical time to visit Macau, so we figured this was the perfect time for my first visit. The special administrative region is decked out from head to toe in Christmas decor, and you can hear Christmas music as you walk down the street especially in Cotai.
I had been told by many people that Macau would remind me of Las Vegas, and they were correct. In fact, while I was in Macau, there were quite a few times I had to remind myself I was not in Las Vegas (and not attending a pageant!). While the main city of Macau is full of Macanese history and Portuguese architecture, Cotai is where it most resembles Las Vegas. The streets are lit in magnificent colors, you can visit Paris, London, and Venice all in one day, and the casinos are full of visitors hoping for some gambling luck. And then there’s the hotel with the gorgeous lake and magical fountains out front, the Wynn Palace, that draws visitors in with its fountain shows, gondola ride over the lake, and the fabulous restaurants and hotel that await guests inside.
After having a good night’s sleep, we still naturally woke up at 6 am (thank you, parenthood). After a slow start in our suite, we made our way downstairs to Fontana for their expansive international breakfast buffet. There are western options, Portuguese options, and Chinese options. I was particularly excited to see the noodle bar, as delicious, fresh shrimp wontons awaited me. Since moving to Asia, I flock to savory for breakfast more often than sweet, although I did have to grab a few egg tarts because, after all, I was in Macau.
For two nights in the days leading up to Christmas, staying at the Wynn Palace in Macau certainly made me feel like Christmas was in the air. From Christmas music playing throughout the hotel, to the special menus at restaurants dedicated to Christmas, and to the magical Christmas decor that was on display throughout, it made me a little disappointed that we did not get to bring little bean on this trip to see it for herself. However, there were so many other families having such an exciting time and it was so touching to see, so a trip to Macau at Christmas is most definitely in little bean’s future. If you’re already looking for ideas for Christmas next year, put Macau on your list.
Thank you to Wynn Palace for inviting us. Although we were guests of Wynn Palace, all my opinions are my own.
