The best place to start is the main square opposite the Provisional Municipal Council of Macau, near Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro - strangely the square is not often marked on the tourist maps, though it may sometimes be indicated by a symbol to represent the psychedelic pavement patterns (see image above). There is a Tourist Office on the main square.

Leading north is a pleasant walk through the shopping area and market (in fact, around this area there are a number of reasonable shops), with several small churches and a cathedral nearby. The side streets give a good indication of Macau life, both in conditions of buildings and property, and in the people walking around. In particular, there seems to be many mopeds - and sometimes the riders don't seem old enough to be out of nappies yet (well, maybe just). I wonder what the legal minimum age is..

Leading uphill you will find the Fortaleza do Monte, which offers spectacular views over Macau. The setting of the Fort itself is extremely picturesque and tranquil, with interesting shadows cast by the sun and plenty of opportunity to relax and contemplate the contrast between Macau and Hong Kong. From here you can also see the Guia Fort and Lighthouse, which I look forward to visiting next time I go to Macau. The lighthouse still operates, and the flashing is visible from around Macau at night. Maybe when I next visit I'll find out why - because it seems too far from the coast to be much use.

Near Fortaleza do Monte is the ruin of Sao Paulo and the steps which lead up to it. From outside we heard one tourist guide say the building behind the facade was made of wood and burned down, leaving just the facade. Seems a bit unlikely given the architecture. I suppose I could have gone to the nearby museum to find out, but was too busy enjoying the surroundings. There are some interesting balconies overlooking the steps, and it's also a fun place for tourist watching. The ruin is probably the most famous attraction in Macau.

Elsewhere on the peninsula, there are a number of other attractions - such as the Flora Gardens, Wine Museum, Grand-Prix Museum, Cemeteries, Temples, and so on. I've not had time to visit these myself and judging by Taipa and the enthusiasm of the Tourist department to mark anything and everything as an attraction, I'd choose carefully before making significant detours. Macau is best explored in a laid back manner, with maybe a just slight idea of where you may be heading.

Further from the historic center and the charm falls slightly as you enter the Casino area and taller buildings near the south coast. The area is too vast to cover by foot, so if there's something special you want to make the effort for - best catch a bus or taxi. One word of warning: as of September 2001, the Macau Tower ("Torre Panoramica") is still not open - so don't start walking in that direction because it looks interesting, as I did. Luckily I turned back when I realised just how far it was.

The Casinos in Macau are one of the main attractions for the residents of Hong Kong, where most gambling is illegal. From many third-party accounts, the Casinos of Macau have very little charm - not really necessary when you have a captive audience, I guess. I didn't partake myself, having better things to spend my money on.

South of the peninsula is the island of Taipa, home of yet more casinos and the Macau Jockey Club - if you're a gambler, you should probably make sure you have purchased your flight home before hitting Taipa really. I doubt whether Gamblers Anonymous will be coming here on holiday.

Taipa Village is the main other "attraction" of Taipa, but don't expect much. Lonely Planet describe Taipa Village as having "picture-book charm". This should immediately have set off alarm bells in my head, remembering the time when I visited the "picture postcard" village of Wareham in England. Rather than finding old men on deckchairs wearing "kiss me quick" hats in the park, I discovered a town containing a chip shop and a supermarket, with football louts in the local pub.

Unless you have exhausted all the nicer possible possibilities on the peninsula, twice, then it's best to avoid Taipa. Deserving a particular mention is the Four-Faced Buddha which on one tourist map appears to be, quite frankly, huge - at least the size of a two storey house. In reality, it's little bigger than your average wardrobe. Thankfully I'd taken a taxi (as it was the last attraction of the day) rather than the long walk from the village. When the taxi driver stopped at the side of the road I initially thought the taxi had broken down, it was so un-obvious.