Well, almost…

Think of Macau as a “work-in-progress”. That being said Macau’s a good time even now and the vision for Macau as Asia’s number one entertainment spot is not unrealistic. At the moment, there are cranes and bamboo scaffolding aplenty. (Bamboo? Yes, even atop skyscrapers. This region even has a bamboo scaffold workers’ union.)

There are a few hurdles to overcome however. If you’re not from Asia or Portugal, there’s a good chance you didn’t hear much of Macau before a few years ago. If you are from one of those two places, you’ll know that Macau had a bit of a dodgy reputation as a gambling den and a seedy, x-rated, entertainment spot. If you’re still looking for a trip to the underbelly (pun?!?), there’s a sauna (or two) my friend the Baron could recommend, but nowadays you’ll also find mega-trendy clubs and bars in the initial stages of launching Macau to the global entertainment forefront. The best nights are the ones that are widely promoted and attract the Hong Kong crowd and international jetsetters from Vegas and the region.

To highlight:

Steve Wynn brought Vegas’ highly touted Tryst to Macau when Wynn Macau opened in September. Okay not 1300 capacity like in Vegas, but Macau’s best party nights have arguably been here.

Sky 21, newly opened in the AIA Tower on the edge of Nam Van Lake, have not yet opened their doors full-time, but the events they have thrown are killer.

StarWorld Hotel has opened a bar on its 16th floor and I was there on Friday - packed house: No seats. Drinks are really reasonable too; a guy from the Crown property who was sitting at the bar solo said that bottle prices had been creeping upwards the past months though. He also told me that it’s possible to buy a bottle, put your name on it and keep it behind the bar.

Big news to hit the wire this week was that the Venetian Macao and LifeBrandz are bringing world famous Buddha-Bar to their soon-to-open property. The Venetian will also host internationally acclaimed Cirque du Soleil as a permanent show.

Entertainment in Macau is a big topic. If you’re coming into town and want to know what’s up, check the website (www.gomacau.com) or leave a comment to this post and I’ll get on the horn with you and let you know if there’s something big on the go.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 21st, 2007 at 7:57 pm and is filed under Gossip. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.