Why Macau?
There are two very different faces to this former Portuguese enclave a short boat ride from Hong Kong. There’s the Macau that has been transformed since its return to China in 1999 into the Las Vegas of the East by the construction of giant hotel casinos on a vast land-reclamation project. And there’s my kind of Macau, still a wonderfully exotic destination, where there are reminders everywhere of centuries of Portuguese influence hidden behind the glitzy Vegas facade.
Macau’s ancient colonial and Chinese heritage of churches, mansions, temples and palaces are well protected by Unesco. The food is out of this world, whether you want European fine dining, Cantonese seafood or unique Macanese dishes such as spicy African chicken. And a 10-minute drive can take you from an air-conditioned mall with Cartier and Hermès boutiques to a bracing nature walk through thick forests that rise up above sandy beaches along the South China Sea.
A comfortable bed
The most discrete luxury address is the Mandarin Oriental (www.mandarinoriental.com/macau), one of the rare hotels not to have a casino, while its spa is perfect to relax in after sightseeing or shopping. Double rooms cost from 1,921 Macanese patacas (Dh881).
Nearby is the Metropole (www.metropolehotelmacau.com), a kitsch but comfortable 1970s hotel with reasonable rates. Doubles cost from 692 patacas (Dh317).
At Cotai, the latest plush resort to open is Studio City (www.studiocity-macau.com), offering spacious rooms and suites, plus plenty of entertainment for families travelling with children. Doubles cost from 1,002 patacas (Dh459).
And to get away from it all, in tranquil Coloane, the Pousada de Coloane (www.hotelpcoloane.com.mo) is a traditional, blue-tiled Portuguese inn, near the beach and golf course. Doubles cost from 750 patacas (Dh344).
Find your feet
Begin with a relaxed morning walking tour of the Unesco World Heritage Sites dotted around the ancient streets of Macau’s old town centre. Most tourists just want to snap a selfie against the dramatic ruined facade of the iconic 17th-century St Paul’s Church. But there are more than 20 distinctive pastel monuments of Macau’s colourful history, and not to be missed are the palatial Chinese Mandarin Mansion, the imposing mid-16th-century baroque St Lawrence’s Church and the Senate building, with an immense square that serves as the unofficial town centre. There’s also Taipa, a quaint village of boutiques and restaurants, while unspoilt Coloane offers quiet beaches and surprising nature trails.
Meet the locals
A minute’s walk from the huge crowds that gather around St Paul’s Church, Calcada do Amparo, better known as Portuguese Street, is a haven of peace where Macanese meet in friendly coffee shops, go shopping for antiques and snack on street food.
Out in Taipa, Quarter Square (Largo Maia de Magalhaes) is a popular barista coffee bar and design showroom, while Art Space (Rua dos Clerigos) is a new gallery and meeting place for photographers and artists.
Book a table
Macau is a cosmopolitan foodie paradise. The one address everyone wants to be seen at is Robuchon au Dôme (www.grandlisboahotel.com), a glamorous golden cage atop the Grand Lisboa casino. Joel Robuchon proposes his classic French cuisine with an Asian twist, such as roast lobster with green peas and bok choy. Reservations are a must. Expect to pay 2,988 patacas (Dh1,410) for the eight-course tasting menu.
For exquisite Chinese recipes that blend Asian herbs and vegetables with lobster, abalone, chicken and lamb, visit the two-Michelin-star Jade Dragon (www.cityofdreamsmacau.com) an elegant dining room hidden between the noisy gaming rooms of City of Dreams.
For a completely different experience, visit Taipa at night, where half a dozen Portuguese taverns are tucked away in the side streets. At António (www.antoniomacau.com) diners are serenaded by musicians and enchanted by genial chef António Coelho, with a menu that's a feast of traditional dishes such as bacalhau cozido – cod with chickpeas and egg – for 270 patacas (Dh124) and atum fresco – barbecued tuna with a rich red-onion sauce – for 290 patacas (Dh133).
Shopper’s paradise
Every designer brand in the world seems to be on show at mega malls such as The Shoppes at Four Seasons or One Central Macau. But it’s much more fun to explore the backstreets of the old town and discover original boutiques, such as Iaohin Gallery (Rua de Tercena), which makes intricate amber jewellery, or Macau Fashion Gallery (Rue de São Roque), which showcases young Macanese fashion designers. Then there are dozens of Koi Kei bakeries everywhere, where visitors buy the irresistible almond cookies.
Don’t miss
The 500-year-old Santa Casa de Misericórdia Albergue, which has been transformed into a vibrant centre for art, music and street festivals.
What to avoid
The Giant Panda Pavilion. Everyone wants the chance to see one of the iconic animals, but there are long queues and most of the time, they’re asleep anyway.
Getting there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies from Dubai to Hong Kong daily from Dh2,990. From there, a high-speed ferry (www.turbojet.com.hk) costs 317 patacas (Dh145) return.
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The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Have you been targeted?
Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:
1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.
2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.
3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.
4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.
5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Brief scores:
Toss: Kerala Knights, opted to fielf
Pakhtoons 109-5 (10 ov)
Fletcher 32; Lamichhane 3-17
Kerala Knights 110-2 (7.5 ov)
Morgan 46 not out, Stirling 40
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
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Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
RESULTS
Men
1 Marius Kipserem (KEN) 2:04:04
2 Abraham Kiptum (KEN) 2:04:16
3 Dejene Debela Gonfra (ETH) 2:07:06
4 Thomas Rono (KEN) 2:07:12
5 Stanley Biwott (KEN) 2:09:18
Women
1 Ababel Yeshaneh (ETH) 2:20:16
2 Eunice Chumba (BRN) 2:20:54
3 Gelete Burka (ETH) 2:24:07
4 Chaltu Tafa (ETH) 2:25:09
5 Caroline Kilel (KEN) 2:29:14
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Score
New Zealand 266 for 9 in 50 overs
Pakistan 219 all out in 47.2 overs
New Zealand win by 47 runs
New Zealand lead three-match ODI series 1-0
Next match: Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi, Friday
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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