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| Edited By: Heena Khandelwal |Source: DNA |Updated: Jul 01, 2018, 06:35 AM IST
A four-day tour to Macau was nothing less than luxurious and although I stayed within the confines of the property of Sands Resorts Macao, strangely, I never felt the need to step out. It ensured a tick against every item one would have on their checklist while travelling.
How? The property aims at offering an integrated city structure – a resort city – at their resort and connects one property to another through air-conditioned bridges. This means even though you are staying at The Parisian, you can have your lunch at The Venetian and shop at The Four Seasons, all without even stepping out onto the streets. (Tip: this also means a lot of walking and you must wear a comfortable pair of shoes.) Through this partnership, the resorts collectively quench your thirst for architecture, food and shopping, while allowing you to indulge in activities and have plenty of time to relax.
Imagine looking outside the window in Macau and seeing the Eiffel Tower! Now, imagine seeing it being lit up at night. The Parisian, as the name suggests, has taken its inspiration from France and tries to offer a French ambiance. Besides a half-scale recreation of the Eiffel Tower, which is equivalent to a 38-storey building, the French element is visible in the restaurants that offer cuisine typical of the 'city of lights' alongside the cakes and patisseries. The architecture boasts of a dome-inspired from L'Hotel National des Invalides, a water fountain inspired from Fontaine des Mers, gilded doors and facade inspired from Palais Garnier and a huge shopping area offering the latest in fashion. One is kept equally entertained with street artists, mimes and buskers. The Love Lock Bridge is another interesting attraction.
Just a few minutes from 'Paris' is a mini-Venice. At The Venetian, which rose to fame after hosting 2013 IIFA Awards, gondoliers will sing their hearts out for a couple being navigated in the city's canals. On a sunny day or on a clear night with twinkling stars, your heart is sure to skip a beat at the beauty of the canals.
Clearly, this is the Vegas of the East, where theatres and the larger-than-life celebrity performers are booked years in advance and shows are sold out. Equipped with the latest technology, the 1800-seating capacity theatre at Sands Cotai offers a classic Chinese folklore Monkey King with multimedia elements such as 3D technology, video mapping and LED screen projections. Another space, The Parisian Theatre, offers live music concerts, Broadway theatre and Vegas-style shows. Currently showing is a sold-out show, a cabaret production titled La Parisienne Cabaret Francaise, which includes comedy, magic and ice-skating.
Macau imports a large amount of its fruits and vegetables, making even daily-items like lemon expensive, one of the local residents casually informed us in the middle of a conversation. Inside the property, accessibility isn't an issue. There are plenty of restaurants – French, Chinese and even Indian. The property boasts authenticity in each cuisine. If the Lotus Palace offers a varied selection of fresh seafood, hot pot, dim sum and provincial Chinese dishes, The Brasserie aims at authentic French flavours, its signature dishes being the Galette Complète, a buckwheat crepe filled with cheese, fried eggs and Paris ham with a green salad among other dishes. The kitchen at Golden Peacock offers traditional Indian cuisine and is led by Chef Justin Paul, from Kerala. Besides him, there are 11 Indians in the team of 13 chefs. A recipient of one-star rating in the Michelin Guide for Hong Kong and Macau for five consecutive years since 2014, it imports spices from India and prepares nearly everything in-house from yogurt, paneer and ice cream to masalas, sauces, pickles and chutneys.
A visit to any casino is a must when you're in Macau. The hotel has a spacious casino. Its sheer size could be estimated at about 3,76,000 square feet and it offers about 640 gaming tables featuring Baccarat, Sands Stud Poker, Blackjack, Sic Bo, Roulette and 1,740 slot machines.
Do Not Miss
Beyond the self-sustained network of resorts, there are a plethora of other attractions. One example is the Ruins of St Paul and walk around the area, it offers an equally interesting perspective on the land, people and the architecture.
It is both. Macau is also spelled as ‘Macao’, even in the information stored with the immigration desk. Let them know it is the same, although they might make you wait for a while till they clear up the confusion.
