The Macau Special Administrative Region, commonly known as Macau, is one of the two special administrative regions of China - the other of course, being Hong Kong.

Macau lies on the western side of the Pearl River Delta, bordering Guangdong province in the north and facing the South China Sea to the east and south.

Portuguese traders first settled in Macau in the 16th century and subsequently administered the region until the handover on December 20th 1999, making the region the first and last European colony in China.

Today, Macau is a veritable tourists' haven, with plenty of commerce and retail businesses. Macau is also known for its proliferation of mega-casinos, making it a gambler's delight.

With so much to see and do, Macau is the perfect candidate for an eventful holiday visit. There are many flight offers available this season, so find flights online and book that last minute holiday before the summer is out.

Traditions and culture in Macau

One of the distinct features of Macau is the blending of Portuguese and Chinese cultures. This is most evidently illustrated in the Macanese language - generally known as Patua - which is a distinctive Creole that is spoken by several Macanese, an ethnic group of mixed Asian and Portuguese ancestry.

Macanese cuisine is a mixture of southern Chinese and Portuguese culinary styles with significant influences from both the Lusophone world and south-east Asia. One of the most popular snacks is the Portuguese-style egg tart which is also widely eaten in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Other famous Macanese foods include Galinha a Portuguesa, which is served as pieces of chicken, potato and occassionally boiled with a mild, coconut-based curry and baked until golden brown.

Tourists to Macau looking for a bite to eat are also sure to enounter Macanese Chili Shrimps, stir-fry curry crab, papaya salad, and for the more adventurous, pig's ears and rabbit stewed in wine.

Recommended in Macau

The biggest event of the year here is the Macau Grand Prix in November. For the event, the main streets of the Macau Peninsula are converted into a racetrack, somewhat similar to the Monaco Grand Prix.

Other annual events include the Macau Arts festival in March,the International Fireworks Display Contest in September, the International Music festival in October and November and the Macau International Marathon in December.

Weather in Macau

Macau has a sub-tropical climate, with a yearly average temperature of 20 degrees C (68 degrees Fahrenheit). Humidity is highest during the typhoon season in June, when temperatures of 30 degrees C (86 degrees Fahrenheit) usually accompany torrential downpours that continue until September.

Autumn (October to December) brings a cool change to the heat and the humidity starts to drop to more bearable levels.

Destination checklist for Macau

Macau has a population of about 520,400.

The official currency is the pataca.

Cantonese, Mandarin and Portuguese are the official languages spoken.

Macau is eight hours ahead of GMT and uses the international dialling code +86.