Recommend January 2011 - (Page 34)

THE TWO FACES OF ASIA— MACAU & MYANMAR Left to right: Dazzling Macau and subdued Myanmar. There’s no better way to appreciate the diversity of Asia than by experiencing the contrast of the modern vibrancy of Macau—a one-time Portuguese colony that’s morphed into a fast-paced, Asian Las Vegas—with the placid, mystical environs of Myanmar with its stunningly beautiful countryside and centuries-old temples and monasteries, with a culture that’s still awash with the Buddhist faith. MACAU Bustling Macau (also spelled Macao) is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People’s Republic of China after the handover at the end of 1999 and ever since, it’s been on the fast track of uber gambling resort development, “out-Las Vegasing” Las Vegas. Indeed, some of the region’s largest and plushest casino resorts also have a Las Vegas presence—the VENETIAN MACAO, FOUR SEASONS HOTEL MACAO, HARD ROCK HOTEL MACAU, GRAND HYATT HOTEL MACAU, CROWN TOWERS MACAU, MGM GRAND MACAU and the standout WYNN MACAU. Here, too, you’ll ﬁnd Las Vegas-style entertainment such as CIRQUE DU SOLEIL’S latest production, “Zaia” at a new 1,800seat spaceship cabin-like theater at the Venetian Macao; Performance Lake located just in front of Wynn Macau where lofty plumes of water and ﬁre shimmer and dance through the air to classical and popular music, as well as Broadway show tunes; and the “Lights & Sounds” tribute daily after sunset at MGM Grand Macau—Central Plaza, with images of special themes, incredible visuals and music to match, plus a whole lot more. But while the glitter and glamour is highly visible, there are still some traditional attractions for travelers to enjoy. GOWAY TRAVEL (800-387-8850; goway.com), for example, has three different itineraries to build on to Macau, all of which originate from Hong Kong. On the 2-day Macau and the 3-day Exotic Macau programs, clients are picked up from their hotel in Hong Kong and transferred to the ferry terminal where they board the turbo jet ferry to Macau, which takes approximately 60 minutes. On arrival, they get a half-day tour of Macau that includes the ruins of Sao Paulo Cathedral, the Museum of Macau, the Temple of A-Ma and the Macau Tower & Casino. Lunch is included at a local restaurant, as well as hotel accommodations, leaving clients free time on the rest of the program to explore on their own. On the 6-day Hong Kong and Exotic Macau program, they spend the ﬁrst three days in Hong Kong with visits to Stanley Market where they can stroll through this seaside village bazaar, and the famous ﬁshing village of Aberdeen for a chance to ride in a sampan. En-route, they’ll you be able to view the popular A14 recommend.com http://www.goway.com http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend January 2011

Editor's Notes/Agent Speak
Hotel Desk
Tour Talk
A New Look at Ancient Egypt
Celebrity Cruises' Eclipse
Asia Travel Planner
Viking River Cruises' Viking Sky
Discovering Piedmont, Italy
Latin America 2011
The M Resort in Las Vegas Hits its Off-Strip Stride
Gansevoort Miami Beach
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Recommend January 2011