A One-Stop Destination to Avoid Crowds: Macau Sands Resorts is the Top Choice
National Day is coming soon! Have you all planned where to go? This year due to the pandemic, many travelers who are fascinated by overseas travel are unable to go abroad, and domestic cross-province travel has become a revenge-spending holiday program for most people. According to a recent authoritative report from Trip.com, searches for Northwest China have surged by 475%, showing that everyone wants to find a relatively less popular area for travel and vacation.
Recently, I have also received many private messages from fans asking me to recommend good places for leisure travel during the National Day holiday. Since September 23, the whole country has resumed endorsements for travel to Macau. Traveling to Macau during the National Day holiday is definitely a hidden gem of a destination.
When it comes to leisure resort areas in Macau, the first one that comes to mind is the Sands Resorts. Here you have the Italian style of The Venetian, the French romance of The Parisian, countless Michelin-starred restaurants and local delicacies, and a dazzling array of shopping malls worth your splurge...
Looking at the current prices of Macau hotels on OTA platforms, you can stay in a luxurious five-star hotel for as little as three to four hundred per person, plus free dining vouchers and entertainment experience tickets. Does it make you want to go right away? Today, let's step into the Macau Sands Resorts together and explore something different this National Day to avoid the crowds!
**Experience the City's Romance Like a Parisian**
Gorgeous French palace architecture, a wide array of art paintings, a romantic atmosphere... Who would have thought that such French romantic charm can also be felt in Macau. The multifaceted Parisian Macao, like the city of Paris itself, brings together people from all over the world and offers them an unparalleled surprise experience.
Speaking of The Parisian Macao, the most eye-catching feature is certainly the Eiffel Tower at its main entrance. Built at half the scale of the original, even if you can't travel to Paris, France, you can still feel this romantic Parisian spirit up close in Macau.
The Parisian Gardens, directly opposite the hotel, is the best spot for taking iconic photos with this Eiffel Tower. From the hotel's main entrance, just cross a traffic light intersection to get there, and the transportation is very convenient. Many people have pre-booked the hotel's picnic packages. Imagine a leisurely afternoon, meeting up with a few close friends for a picnic on this lawn facing the Eiffel Tower—what a rare and precious gathering experience.
Since you're at this magnificent hotel, how can you not stay a night in the Champagne Suite at The Parisian? The guest rooms feature a simple and elegant design style, and being in such a luxurious suite exudes French elegance at every moment, allowing you to deeply feel this French romantic charm right in your room.
On a leisurely afternoon, why not pick up a book and sit in an armchair to spend a quiet afternoon. The view of the Cotai Strip unfolds before your eyes in the guest room. Sip a cup of coffee or champagne, and gaze out the window at the iconic Eiffel Tower, lost in thought—it's a unique pleasure.
The fitness center on the 6th floor of the hotel is equipped with fitness facilities and a multi-functional training room, allowing travelers to keep up with their exercise even during leisure travel. The outdoor swimming pool is also one of the hotel's major highlights. You can either swim leisurely here or take a photo with the Eiffel Tower in the background.
**The Venetian: Macau's Crowd-Pulling Popularity King**
When it comes to The Venetian Macao Resort, I believe everyone is familiar with it. As Macau's first integrated resort, although more and more resorts have opened in Macau, its popularity remains undiminished.
If you ask me about my first impression of The Venetian, the first thing that comes to mind is definitely the gondola ride experience. The highly talented Italian gondoliers lead us on a unique journey through the Venetian water city.
During the boat ride, the gondolier will proactively cooperate with you for photo opportunities. At the same time, they will enthusiastically show the guests a carefully prepared performance. After the whole experience, I felt as if I had truly been to Venice.
The rooms at The Venetian are also distinctive. This time I stayed in the luxurious Viva Suite, which is so spacious that you could even invite a few friends over for a party. The rooms are also filled with artistic romance, from the art paintings on the walls to the furniture decorations, and the luxurious marble in the bathroom—all giving a sense of luxury. Moreover, the hotel has recently been running promotions, allowing you to stay in a luxurious suite at an ultra-low price.
And the hottest art exhibition in Macau recently—teamLab SuperNature—has also grandly opened for trial at The Venetian. This project is created by the art team teamLab, featuring giant works up to 8 meters high and an interactive space of 5,000 square meters. This immersive art museum is worth a special visit.
The entire exhibition is divided into various themes such as "The Infinite Crystal Universe," "Flower and People: Lost, Immersed and Reborn," and "Light Sculpture - Plane," aiming to explore new relationships between people and nature, and between people and the world through art.
**Sands® Shoppes: A Shopper's Paradise**
Shopping is also a very important part of traveling to Macau. And where is the best place to shop in Macau? That would be within the Macau Sands Resorts. The entire resort features multiple shopping areas including The Parisian Shoppes, The Venetian Shoppes, Four Seasons Shoppes, and Sands Plaza, collectively known as Sands® Shoppes. Moreover, these areas are connected by indoor walkways, allowing you to browse through more than 850 stores in one go.
Not only that, but the entire Sands® Shoppes is currently offering big promotions, with over 80 international fashion brands including L'Oréal Paris, TARDINI, and T Galleria by DFS offering discounts as low as 1% off. This is definitely the perfect time to splurge.
For trendy and sophisticated men, I would recommend the Vendôme Plaza in The Parisian Shoppes. Compared to women, men tend to prefer shopping in areas where styles or brands are concentrated. The shops in Vendôme Plaza are mainly focused on men's luxury watches and trendy clothing brands, making it very suitable for urban business elite men.
The Venetian Shoppes, on the other hand, is more mainstream. Everything from daily necessities, sportswear brands, fast fashion, to imported snack stores can be found here. At the same time, many big-name cosmetics and luxury watches also have outlets here, meeting the needs of people from all walks of life.
Four Seasons Shoppes is a concentration of luxury and designer brands, including Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Cartier. The interior decoration of the mall is also meticulously designed, allowing every guest to enjoy a premium European luxury shopping experience.
**A Culinary Journey Around the World**
The Macau Sands Resorts offers a diverse range of dining experiences, whether you want to savor exquisite Michelin-starred cuisine or try authentic traditional dishes from around the world—everything can be found here.
Currently, restaurants in the Macau Sands Resorts are gradually reopening. For example, La Chine, the only restaurant on the Eiffel Tower, resumed on September 28, but some restaurants are still closed or open for limited hours. If you want to dine there, you can check the official website or call the hotel in advance to confirm.
Hiro Japanese Restaurant at The Venetian Macao has become the newest popular restaurant in the entire Sands Resorts. Although it has been open for less than three months, due to its selection of fresh seasonal ingredients, comfortable dining environment, and high-quality service, there are always queues every time you go.
Hiro is the English name of the executive chef, Hiro Kakeda, who has traveled all over the world in his over 30-year culinary career and worked at many internationally renowned hotels and restaurants. The restaurant offers set menus for teppanyaki, tempura, and sashimi. Besides the main courses, each set also includes salad, ramen, dessert, and other options, which is very suitable for those of us who have trouble choosing.
The restaurant's design is modern and stylish while still retaining a casual and friendly atmosphere. You can sit in front of the teppanyaki grill and watch the chef cook while enjoying your meal; you can also choose a booth to have dinner with friends; or you can enjoy your meal at the bar or in a private room—whatever you prefer. The restaurant is often filled with the laughter of guests, and such cheerful scenes of happy conversation seem to have been missing for a long time.
When it comes to French bistro cuisine, you must try the Parisian French Restaurant. Different from the traditional impression of French restaurants, this Parisian French Restaurant gives a relaxed and casual vibe from its design to the atmosphere. Even if you are not wearing a suit and tie for dinner, it won't feel out of place.
In terms of dishes, it offers more traditional home-style dishes from various small towns in France. The dinner set menu includes creative and locally characteristic dishes such as pan-seared foie gras with apple, green pea soup with poached egg, and traditional braised duck leg, which are perfect to enjoy with family and friends.
Imperial Palace at The Parisian Macao is a restaurant I have always loved. It offers consistent quality with exquisite Cantonese dim sum, Cantonese cuisine, and hot pot. For the signature dish, you must try the pumpkin cream sauce stir-fried shrimp balls. The large shrimp balls are coated with a rich pumpkin cream sauce, and when eaten together with crispy ingredients, you can experience multiple layers of texture.
Imperial Palace is also known as a famous hot pot restaurant in Macau. The soup base options are very rich, and the two main seafood hot pot sets are very popular among tourists and locals. The service details are also very attentive. For the first time, I saw a restaurant where staff would come regularly to skim off the purines from the soup base—such touching service details.
In addition, restaurants like C Portuguese Restaurant for authentic Portuguese cuisine, Sei Kee Yuen and Imperial Court for snacks and dim sum (both open 24 hours), and the popular but temporarily closed Indian restaurant Ajit, are all worth savoring one by one during your vacation.
**The Londoner® Macao: Coming Soon**
The Star Bridge on the Cotai Strip connects The Venetian to Sands Cotai Central and The Londoner® Macao. Currently, the Londoner Macao project is in full swing preparing for its grand opening.
As a resort hotel project that David Beckham personally participated in designing the suites, The Londoner Macao takes inspiration from the Palace of Westminster and the Houses of Parliament, featuring a 96-meter-high Elizabeth Tower and a specially designed clock face. Passing by the Star Bridge this time, I already caught a glimpse of its exterior silhouette.
Although The Londoner Macao is not yet completed, strolling on the Star Bridge leading to it, I already felt a strong British vibe. Taking photos at the British-style phone booth, posing in the London underground station, or writing your heroic image under the London Bridge... I am really looking forward to the splendid unveiling of The Londoner Macao, which will bring the Macau Sands Resorts to a new level of popularity.
**Tips for Entering Macau**
Currently, the whole country has reopened endorsements for Macau, but appointments can only be made at the Entry-Exit Administration Bureau in person; self-service machines are temporarily unavailable. It is generally recommended to allow at least 7 working days before departure to apply for the endorsement, as some areas require about a week just to get an appointment. You can also choose to apply in less busy districts.
In addition to having a valid Macau endorsement on your Mainland Travel Permit, you also need to undergo a nucleic acid test (NAT) at a designated hospital to enter the Macau Special Administrative Region. The test is very convenient and fast, so don't worry about it being troublesome. It is recommended to have the test done 2 days before departure, as the result is only valid for 7 days, so don't do it too early.
On the day after the test, for residents of Guangdong, the Yuekang Code will be directly linked to the NAT result. For non-Guangdong residents, you need to go to the hospital the next day to print a negative report with an official stamp. When entering Macau, you need to show the Macau Health Code at the same time, and then you can enter without undergoing a 14-day quarantine.
After clearing customs, you will see the complementary shuttle buses of the Sands Resorts, which take you to The Venetian Macao, The Parisian Macao, Sands Cotai Central, and Sands Macao. If you have more questions about traveling to Macau, feel free to leave a comment below.
