In many ways, the former Portuguese colony of Macau is more interesting than nearby Hong Kong. Where else can you find Chinese culture in the vibrant street life and at ancient Buddhist temples, colonial history in the crumbling pastel stucco architecture, and China's future in the glittering shopping malls and jammed casinos, where nouveaux riches from across the border come to play? You've got to see the casinos to believe just how totally a Communist country can worship money; check out the new Venetian Macau, the largest casino in the world, and the old Lisboa, where grannies and gangsters have been gambling for decades. But the magic of Macau reveals itself through wandering its narrow backstreets, complete with hawkers selling Chinese jerky and dim sum, then heading over to Coloane Island for a glass of vinho verde by the South China Sea. Most people come by one-hour hydrofoil from Hong Kong, but you can also take a 15-minute helicopter ride (heli hongkong.com; one way, $285). If you're coming from China, a taxi from Zhuhai will get you across the border.

The optimal time to visit is in the fall, after the summer monsoons, when the weather is still warm and the skies are clear.

The calling code for Macau is 853. Prices quoted are for May 2008.

Lodging
Sadly, there is no longer a grand old hotel that evokes Macau's colonial era. The Bela Vista, built in 1870 and renovated by the Mandarin Oriental in 1990, was it, but at the time of the handover to Chinese sovereignty, the Portuguese government kept the best property for itself: The Portuguese consul general now lives there in style. So when in Macau, you may as well plunge right into the new, sparkling, Sin City ethos. At the cavernous Venetian Macau, where there are faux Renaissance paintings on the lobby ceilings, day-trippers from Guangdong Province stroll through the mall, past stores selling expensive watches and designer handbags (but why buy a real one when you can get a perfect knockoff across the border for a tenth of the price?). The rooms, with marble bathrooms, canopied beds, and sunken living areas, are surprisingly elegant. More to the point, the hotel has the world's largest casino, where you can watch grim-faced Chinese gamble their savings away (2882-8888; doubles, $215–$345). The Wynn Macau—on the mainland, next to the Lisboa Casino—is a cut above, with a pop art–inspired purple, red, and yellow lobby, white and cream-colored rooms with enormous windows, a tropical swimming pool, and less of a convention center feel. The casino is just as smoky as all the rest in Macau (2888-9966; doubles, $230–$295). The Mandarin Oriental, with its pool, gardens, and excellent Asian and European restaurants, is a favorite of many weekenders (2856-7888; doubles, $270–$490). If you want to escape the traffic and the gambling crowds at the end of the day, the ideal hideout is the Westin Resort, on sleepy Coloane Island. It has two pools, tennis and squash courts, an 18-hole golf course, and the low-lit ambience of a first-class resort (2887-1111; doubles, $190–$270).

Dining
Food is not by any means the main reason to visit Macau, especially if you're coming from food-obsessed Hong Kong. But while you're there, you've got to try such Macanese specialties as grilled sardines and African chicken, adapted from the cuisine of another former Portuguese colony, Mozambique. It's made with peppers, paprika, coconut, and peanut butter, and one of the best places to try it is Henri's Galley, an old stalwart on the waterfront (4G-H Av. da Republica; 2855-6251; entrées, $7–$13). Litoral, a simple Macanese restaurant, offers such standards as curry crabs and bacalao, or cod, with boiled potatoes (261A Rua do Almirante Sérgio; 2896-7878; entrées, $12–$23). The Clube Militar de Macau, in a historic pink-and-white stucco building, is a great place to experience what life was like for the Portuguese: The food, served by uniformed Filipino waiters, is mediocre, but the atmosphere—dark-wood floors, ceiling fans—is a throwback (795 Av. da Praia Grande; entrées, $13–$21).

There's plenty of good Chinese food in Macau, however. Portas do Sol, in the Hotel Lisboa, cooks up delicious Szechuan and northern Chinese food (with the majority of prices ending in 8 for good luck) and has professional-level ballroom dancing to a Swedish swing band (2888-3888; dishes, $8–$38). For scrumptious dim sum and snacks such as shrimp dumplings and spring rolls, Fook Lam Moon is a favorite with locals (63A Av. da Amizade; 2878-6622; meals, about $30 per person).

Stop for a milk custard at Yi Shun Milk Company, a popular and noisy place in Senado Square—look for the neon cow above the window, near the Starbucks. It's impossible to eat just one of the mouthwatering egg tarts, which are about 50 cents each at Lord Stow's Bakery in the little fishing village on Coloane Island (1 Rua da Tassara, Coloane Town Square; 2888-2534). Hong Kongers practically get teary-eyed when they talk about Fernando's, a relaxed hangout hidden by vines next to a bus stop in Coloane; enjoy a jug of sangria, roast chicken, grilled sardines, and french fries, or have a drink at the open-air bar (9 Hak Sa Beach; 2888-2531; entrées, $9–$18).

Reading
It's hard to find much by way of history on Macau, but I recommend The Voices of Macao Stones, by Lindsay Ride and May Ride (Hong Kong University Press, $36), and Taste of Macau: Portuguese Cuisine on the China Coast, by Annabel Jackson (Hippocrene Books, $19). Frustratingly, there are no decent guidebooks that focus solely on Macau, but Lonely Planet's Hong Kong & Macau has a fairly hefty section on it ($20).