The Cotai Strip: Macau's Resort Boulevard

The Cotai Strip is the part of Macau most people picture first: a wide boulevard of enormous integrated resorts built on land reclaimed from the sea between Taipa and Coloane. Where the old town is Portuguese and human-scaled, Cotai is scaled for spectacle, with themed hotels recreating Venice, Paris and London, huge shopping malls, theaters and restaurants, and a casino in nearly every complex. You do not need to gamble to enjoy it, and many visitors never do.

The area is named for Coloane and Taipa, the two islands it connects. Reclamation began in the 1990s and the first big resorts opened in the mid-2000s, transforming Macau into one of the world's largest gambling destinations. The resorts compete on size and spectacle, and many are designed as self-contained destinations with hotels, malls, entertainment venues and food courts so that guests can spend days without leaving the building.

The Venetian Macao is the best known, a vast resort modeled on Venice, with painted ceilings, a Grand Canal running through a shopping mall and gondoliers who sing as they row visitors along it. It is a spectacle in its own right, and entry to the mall is free. The Parisian Macao next door has a half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower that visitors can ascend, while the Londoner replicates British landmarks inside and out, with themed shows and a changing of the guard.

Other resorts on the strip have their own highlights. Studio City has a tall figure-eight Ferris wheel that rises above a Batman-themed attraction, and City of Dreams is known for its shows and restaurants. Wynn Palace offers a free fountain show on its Performance Lake in the evening and a SkyCab gondola that takes visitors on a short ride around the resort's gardens, one of the most scenic free-ish experiences in the area.

For eating, Cotai is a good place for variety, with every major resort holding dozens of restaurants from casual food courts to fine dining by internationally known chefs. Prices run higher than in the old town or Taipa, but the range is wide, and food courts offer reasonable value. Shopping is extensive, with luxury brands and outlets, and many shops stay open late to cater to the evening crowds.

Moving around is easy, since the resorts offer free shuttle buses to the ferry terminals, the border gate and major hotels, and the Light Rapid Transit stops along the strip. The distances between resorts can be longer than they look, however, and covered walkways connect some but not all of them. In hot or wet weather, plan to take a shuttle or taxi between more distant resorts rather than walking outside.

A few practical notes help. Entry to the casinos is restricted to those over 21, and photography is generally not allowed on the gambling floors. Dress codes are relaxed, but most resorts expect neat casual wear. Weekend prices for hotels and shows are much higher than on weekdays, so if you plan to stay on Cotai, midweek is far better value, and booking shows and attractions ahead of time helps avoid disappointment.

If you have a free evening, a good plan is to start at the Venetian for the canals, walk over to the Parisian for the tower view at sunset, then cross to Wynn Palace for the fountain show. It gives you an easy, entertaining few hours without spending much, and it shows a side of Macau that is entirely different from the colonial old town, making a day split between the two a rewarding contrast.

First-time visitors often ask how much time to allow. A single resort can occupy a few hours, but visiting three or four in one evening is exhausting, because the distances inside and between them are large. Pick two themed resorts you want to see, add one show or viewing deck, and give yourself time to sit and eat rather than rushing between lobbies. If you are staying elsewhere in Macau, the free shuttles make a one-evening visit easy, and you can return to the old town by the same route when you are ready to leave.