10 things to do in Macau other than gambling

Many people still think of Macau as the Disneyland for big-time gamblers and playboy tycoons. Surely, gambling king Stanley Ho, who transformed this former Portuguese colony into a world-class tourist destination, wouldn’t mind that at all.

I had this impression myself when I first visited Macau in the 1980s and had a glimpse of only gleaming five-star hotels and brightly-lit casinos with sexy girls and merry music. What a glittering refuge from reality. But no big deal for a non-gambler like me who would rather splurge precious dollars on a Barry Manilow show in Las Vegas than on some silly bandit-machine.

Some four years ago, I began liking Macau when I discovered that this place actually had a soul all its own just waiting to be discovered. I saw places that gave me cheap thrills, as well as lifted my spirits. I vowed to go back someday and rediscover these thrills.