Macau Asia: The Tower and The Glory
There are adrenaline rushes galore from
the top pf Macau’s centrepice building, The Macau Tower, but find time to lose
your shirt in one of the city’s famous casinos
The
Macau Tower Skywalk
Most visitors to Macau get their adrenaline
rush at the high- stakes casinos or watching Cirque de Soleil’s panopply of
fantastical creatires. Less dangerous for some than a night on the town may be
to climb 233- metre Macau Tower for its SkyJump, the world’s second highest
commercial sky jump.
Based on technology used by stuntmen in the
movies, the SkyJump flies guests through the air at 60mph for a 20- second
breathtaking flight over the neon- lit cityscape before decelerating to a
comfortable landing.
For something less extreme, though still
trilling, try The Macau Tower Skywalk X, a ‘walk’ around the outer rim of the
tower while safely connected to a hands- free overhead harness. The most
intrpid travellers will also want to join the ranks of Guinness World Record
breakers AJ Hackett and Edison Chen by doing the world’s hightest bungee jump
from the top of The Macau Tower.
The 120mph freefall lasts an exhilarating
few seconds before a series of gentle rebounds lands you onto a specially
designed airbag. It also offers the best view of Macau, if you have the nerves
of steel required to appreciate it at the time (macu.com)
The
Portuguese colonial
The Portuguese colonial- influenced Grand
Lapa Macau, a Mandarin Oriental hotel (mandarioriental.com/grandlapa), offers
rock climbing tower with four routes of varying difficulty for adults and
children (with equipment and supervision provided).
Or turn your friends into deadly enemies
with some ‘war games’ at Fisherman’s Wharf (fishremanswahrf.com.mo), one of a
number of fun activities available at this waterfront conplex of 150- plus
shops and restaurants. The entertainment is housed in buildings styled after
the great sea ports of the world such as Cape Town, Amsterdam and Venice, and
there are also amusement rides, arcades, and, as this is China, a casino.
Asia Taiwan: An Island to Tai For
Little explored by enternatinal
visitors, Taiwan offers a rich cultural diversity, a beautiful coastline and
misty far- off mountain scenery straight out of a Chinese scroll painting
Long over shadowed by mainland China, tis
island nation offers surprisingly dramatic scenery and outdoor challenges and
is ripe for discovery by visitors from overseas. The street markets of Taipei
abound with indigenous edible adventures like snake soup, pig’s blood cake and
a dish known as ‘stinky tofu’.
Overnight on arrival at The Sherwood Taipei
(sherwood.com). centrally cocated and elegantly finished, this locally- owned
boutique hotel offers a personalised alternative to the global brands whose
neo- lit logos dot the oaring skiyline.
Hualien, Taiwan
For the ultimate in natural adventures, hop
on the 35- minute flight to Hualien, 65 miles southeast of Taipei and continue
bu=y car along the twisting east- west Cross- Island Highway towards Taroko
National Park. WildChina (wildchina.com) customises its Taiwan Treasures
intinerary to include walking excursions inside the park along the cerulean
waters of the Li- Wu River as it whooshes down from the surrounding snow-
capped mountains. Go river rafting in the stunning Taroko Gorge itself then
rest up at Silks Place Taroko (taroko.silkplace.com.tw) a haven of calm with
Japanese chic guestrooms accompaied by dream- inducing acoustics provided by
the flowing waters below. Continue along the Cross- Island Highway, which links
Hualien to the city of Taichung, passing through 38 dramatic tunnels inluding
the Tunnel of Nine Turns and across the marble Bridge of Motherly Devotion.
WildChina’s other bespoke additions include
guided visits to the Dutch castles, Japanese temples and tea plantaions that
endow Taiwan with a diverse yet little- known cultural heritage.
Yangming
Moutain
Continue the physical adventures with a day
trip up Yangming Moutain and enjoy scenery out of a Chinese scroll painting.
This serene, mist- covered world lies just 45 minutes from Taipei. Set aside
another day for the Caoling Historic Trail, two hours from town. The path,
remnants of an old colonial road, meanders along a commanding cliff overlooking
the pounding waves of the South China Sea.
