Best casinos to try your luck in Macau

No longer regarded as just a Vegas knock-off, Macau has surpassed the famous strip to become the most successful gambling capital in the world. Now home to 40 casinos, which of these glittering gaming dens is the best bet for you?

The Venetian Macao

Macau itself may be small, but not when it comes to casinos. In fact, The Venetian is home to the world’s biggest casino. With 376,000 square feet of gaming space, there’s plenty of room, and chances, for you to place your best bet. There’s no less than 640 gaming tables (baccarat being the most common, alongside blackjack, sic bo and roulette) and 1,760 slot machines.

Furthermore, The Venetian has 3,000 guest suites, more than 30 restaurants – from Michelin-starred fine dining to intimate bars and cafés – four outdoor swimming pools, over 330 retail shops, and even an 18-hole rooftop golf course.

Grand Lisboa

An icon of Macau’s skyline, at 856 ft, Grand Lisboa is the city’s tallest building. Shaped like a giant golden lotus flower, it’s about as attention-grabbing as casinos come. Inside, the gaming space isn’t too shabby either. The casino has over 230 gaming tables and 880 slot machines. Games available include baccarat, blackjack, Carribean stud poker, American Roulette, sic bo, 3 card baccarat and fortune wheel. Bets range from a minimum of HK$300 ($38.35) up to a whopping HK$5 million.

In addition, Grand Lisboa offers 430 rooms and suites, as well as some of the city’s best fine dining restaurants. Among them are the three Michelin star Robuchon au Dome (European cuisine) and three Michelin star The Eight (Chinese cuisine), as well as several other food and beverage offerings, a luxury spa, outdoor swimming pool, and daily entertainment shows.

Wynn Palace

Wynn loves elegance and with this casino it shows. Costing a staggering US$4.2 billion to construct, it delivers on the promise of its name by being nothing short of palatial. In total, the casino itself offers more than 1,000 slot machines and live table games. This includes 350 gaming tables where guests can enjoy playing roulette, blackjack, poker variations and many others.

Wynn Palace is also home to 1,706 rooms and suites, Macau’s largest spa, more than a dozen fine dining and casual dining restaurants, as well as stunning floral creations and artworks. Meanwhile, guests can enjoy entering the resort via air-conditioned Sky Cabs flying over an 8-acre, 325,000-square foot Performance Lake.

MGM Cotai

MGM Cotai opened to the cost of US$3.2 billion in February 2018. The exterior of the glitzy resort is designed to resemble a jewellery box. Inside, it’s no less impressive. The casino features 177 gaming tables (12 for VIP customers) and 1,500 slot machines.

The property offers 1,390 rooms and suites, which include 16 Skylofts and 27 Mansion Villas. Guests can enjoy several dining and drinking options, a luxury spa, and an abundance of art. The star attraction is The Spectacle: 25 LED walls, four-stories high, located in the atrium displaying digital artworks and even visitor-generated content. There’s also more than 300 contemporary Asian paintings and sculptures, as well as 28 Chinese imperial carpets that date back to the Qing Dynasty and once adorned the Forbidden City in Beijing.

Morpheus

As the newest kid on the strip, the US$1.1 billion Morpheus casino (named after the Greek god of dreams) aims to become a new landmark in Macau. Visually striking, with an absence of supporting walls or columns, it’s the world’s first tower to be wrapped in and supported by a free-form exoskeleton. Having opened in June 2018 and designed by renowned Zaha Hadid Architects, Morpheus currently offers 40 gaming tables, but more are expected to be added next year.

The property features 772 guest rooms, suites and villas, an in-house spa, restaurants by star chefs such as Alain Ducasse, and a sky pool that is 130 metres above the ground.

See more: Reasons to add Macau to your bucket list

Source: Internet

Discover Ko Phi Phi, paradise on earth

Regarded as one of the most beautiful islands in Thailand, Koh Phi Phi is also known as heaven on earth. The scenery here can overwhelm visitors with its majestic green cliffs, crystal clear water and numerous kinds of fish and marine animals freely swimming in the golden sunlight.

Ko Phi Phi is an archipelago, which consists of six smaller islands located in Krabi, Thailand. The most well-known islands are Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Leh both more commonly known as Phi Phi island. The island is always busy with its many restaurants, hotels, tour agents and souvenir shops. The main beach can get crowded and noisy as white sand, clear blue water and beautiful surrounding is popular with tourists. Phi Phi island is quite small and can easily be explored on foot or by bike. Numerous exciting activities are offered here including kayaking, diving and tours exploring caves. Both the sunset and sunrise on the island are absolutely stunning and romantic.

On Phi Phi you can book tours to visit nearby islands with prices ranging from 600 – 1,400 Baht. On these tours, tourists explore beautiful islands and can freely swim in the clear blue ocean. Phi Phi also has an exciting nightlife, which attracts young visitors. There are often parties on the main beach, with drinks, fire dances and great music where you can mingle and enjoy the exciting atmosphere.

Ko Phi Phi is one of Thailand’s most attractive tourism destinations so prices are relatively high. The main street leading to the beach is lined with seafood restaurants, with prices starting from 150 Baht. Accommodation prices for motels, hotels or resorts in Ko Phi Phi are expensive at 800 – 1,000 Baht for a motel room. To reach Ko Phi Phi fly from Vietnam to Bangkok and take another flight or bus to Krabi or Phuket. From here, you can take a canoe or ferry to the island. If you only visit Koh Phi Phi island boat rides from Krabi are your best option.

Read more: The most romantic resorts for a honeymoon in Thailand

Source Wanderlust Tips

What to do on your first trip in Yangon, Myanmar

Yangon, the former capital city of Myanmar, is the main gateway to this beautiful Southeast Asian country. Pagodas are the main tourist attractions in Yangon, but Myanmar is also well-known for good food, such as Mohinga (rice noodle in fish soup), coconut noodle, and Laphat Thote (tea leaf salad). With your first trip to Yangon, what will you do?

Be captivated by the Chauk Htet Kyi Pagoda

This 65-metre-long reclining Buddha is another popular tourist spot in Yangon. Make sure to pay special attention to Buddha’s feet when you visit this pagoda, as there are 108 unique symbols that represent the former lives of Buddha before attaining the Enlightenment. You can also visit the Ngar Htet Gyi pagoda, which is located across to see the statue of the sitting Buddha.

Take in the grandeur of the Shwedagon Pagoda

The main attraction in Yangon is undeniably the Shwedagon Pagoda, one of the most well-known pagodas in the world. The colossal gilded structure is 99 metres (325 feet) high and sits on top of a hill overlooking the city. It can be seen from most places in Yangon in the daytime and becomes part of the beautiful skyline at night. Believed to have been built some 2,600 years ago, the Shwedagon Pagoda is thought to be the oldest pagoda in the world.

A dazzling 7,000 diamonds, rubies, sapphires, topaz, and emeralds encrust the stupa, while the main dome is plated with shining gold. A dazzling sight no matter what time of the day, it is no wonder that the Shwedagon Pagoda is also affectionately termed as “The Crown of Burma”. The revered pagoda also enshrines strands of Buddha’s hair and other holy relics, making it a major pilgrimage site for Buddhists.

Admire Taukkyan War Cemetery

This gravesite serves as the final resting place for over 6,000 Commonwealth soldiers who fought for the Allied cause in World War II. The immaculately-manicured memorial park is the largest war cemetery in Myanmar, having received remains previously buried in other, less accessible gravesites.
A memorial on the site bears the names of 27,000 missing Commonwealth soldiers presumed to have died while serving in Burma. Unlike other parks in Yangon, Taukkyan requires no entrance fee; getting here takes a 45-minute drive from Yangon's city center.

Sit at a local tea shop

The most common eatery you will find across Yangon is a teashop. You will also be surprised to find all these teashops filled with Burmese men. Believe it or not, but you can get more than 10 varieties of teas (such as Cho Seint, Cho Pawt, Pawt Seint) depending up your preference level of condensed milk and evaporated milk.

Buy souvenirs at Bogyoke market

Bogyoke market, also known as Scott’s market, is the popular tourist attraction for buying souvenirs in Yangon. The recently-built Junction City shopping mall is located across Bogyoke market, and a bridge connects these two areas. A helpful tip for shopping in Bogyoke market, you may bargain for half the quoted price. So, flex your bargaining powers to stretch your shopping budget.

Read more: Visit the interesting markets in Yangon, Myanmar

Travel around the city on the Yangon Circular Train

Before you fret about not having enough time for the rest of Yangon, hop aboard the Yangon Circular Train for a ride you won’t forget. The local commuter rail network travels around the city in a 45.9-kilometre (28.5-mile) loop with 39 stops bringing you through landscapes of urban concrete, paddy fields, and rural villages.

The cheapest method of transportation in Yangon, the flurry of locals on board will give you plenty of opportunities to interact and share a thing or two. From monks to chicken-sellers, strike up a conversation to add spice to your journey, or just sit by the window and enjoy the diverse views and breeze.

Source Internet