A side trip to Macau while on a trip to Hong Kong was an impromptu decision. The younger child quietly worked on a trip plan, presented it to us, got us to agree to the idea, booked tickets and sketched out an itinerary.
So there we were, on a day trip to Macau that had to be executed with clockwork precision and with a clinical approach so as to get the most of the day and ensure that we got back to the ferry terminal to board the boat back to Hong Kong. Traffic quickly piles up in the evenings and the later the worse it gets!
The day was divided in two – first half for the historic centre and the second half to visit a casino from where we could take the free shuttle bus back to the ferry terminal.
We started at the Senado Square, admired all the buildings and churches in the vicinity, visited the Ruins of St. Paul, walked along the cobbled streets and through a bit of the city and made our way to the Mandarin’s House. That’s how we chanced upon this little gem of a place, Largo do Lilau or in simple English, Lilau Square.
Canopies of two large banyan trees provide the lushest green cover that has a soothing effect on the weary traveller such as us after all that walking on a hot sunny day! Early Portuguese settlers chose to live here because of the presence of a fresh water spring. The classic old residential buildings around the square have western and local elements in their style and add character to the place; it feels a bit like Europe 🙂

Lilau Square is at the corner of Rua do Barra and Rua do Lilau. It is a stone’s throw from the Mandarin’s House, a 500m walk to the famed A-Ma temple and a 300m walk to St. Lawrence Church.