Macau

Macau, a special administrative region of China is 55-minute ferry ride from Hong Kong. Getting to Macau is very convenient as there are regular ferries from Hong Kong & one can also take the 15-minute helicopter ride. Now a Special Administrative Region Macau reverted to Chinese sovereignty after 400 years of Portuguese administration on December 20, 1999. Historical Macau is renowned for its churches & Chinese temples, casinos, old forts, cobbled lanes, charming Mediterranean atmosphere, & delicious cuisine.

About 95% of the population is ethnic Chinese, from different provinces, namely Guangdong and Fujian . The remaining 5% includes Portuguese, Europeans and other regions.

Chinese and Portuguese are the official languages, Cantonese being most widely spoken.

The Pataca (MOP$) is divided into 100 avos and it is Macau 's official currency.

Macau is in the monsoon region and from the climate classification is considered mild and rainy in summer. The most comfortable period begins from the middle of October to December.

Macau is one of the most developed countries in Asia in terms of public health provision. Here, the average life expectancy is 75.5 years for men and 79.9 years for women.

Macau is a very safe place. There are police stations and reporting centers throughout the territory and for emergency dial 999. There are also two new 24 hour emergency hotline numbers 110 and 112 meant to facilitate emergency calls by tourists from the mainland and abroad.

Macau provides a very efficient and reliable post office service with the head office in the Senado Square . It's open from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm (Monday to Friday), and on Saturday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm (Tel: 853-323666).