IF YOU GO . . . The best time to visit Macao is on a weekday between October and December. The weather is best during those months. On weekends, crowds of gamblers from Hong Kong fill the hotels, and even with 100 sailings per day, at times there is no room on the ferries. Taxis with meters are plentiful and inexpensive.
Several companies offer a variety of Macao sightseeing trips as well as excursions into China.
This December, it will be the turn of neighboring Macao, the colony Portugal has governed on the China coast since 1557. Even so, if you have a chance, this is the year to visit Macao. Although it has its own airport, most visitors zip over to Macao aboard one of the many ferries from Hong Kong, a voyage that takes about an hour. And most people go for only a day, which really is not enough. For such a tiny spot, Macao has a distinct, fascinating personality.