Highlights:
Macau is such a colorful place. It is full of arts, history, and sights. By day it reveals the Portuguese-inspired buildings as well as traces of Chinese heritage through its temples. I have learned to appreciate Macau through tourists’ eyes during my most recent visit. The good Macanese meals are always a plus. Driving over the bridge (now there are two) to Taipa and Coloane, shopping for such delicacies as chinese tea, passing snake stores in the old streets, and darting motorcycles and swerving cars and pedestrians were all highlights.

Quick Tips/Suggestions:
Though this Portugese colony has since reverted back to Chinese rule last December, not much has changed. It has had its share of bad press in the time before the handover as local triads (organized crime units) fought for territorial power. There were shootings and car bombs, but all that has died down. I suggest you don’t wander too far away from main sights. Watch out for pickpockets. I’ve never had a problem, but maybe because I’m always with locals. Most people stay on the resorts on Taipa and Coloane and rent mini-Mokes to get around.

Best Way to Get Around:
Taxis: Taxis are convenient. There are many of them in line right outside the boat terminal. This place is very modern these days. I still remember the time when the pier was no more than a small building, basically a mess especially going through customs. I’ve also paid a taxi for a day’s rate (it’s very reasonable, especially compared to US rates) and the driver would just drive and wait. During lunch, I invited him to join us, but of course, that’s not essential.

Buses: There are a lot of buses-locals get around using the efficient public transportation.

Car: I don’t recommend renting a car, as driving tends to be a little crazy here. You could rent a mini-Moke if you are staying on the islands of Taipa and Coloane. These are cute little jeep-like vehicles. They go a bit slow but there is not much traffic on the island so it’s fine.

Mainz impressed me. It is a big city, the capital of the Rhineland-Palatinate, yet has a small-town ambiance. It’s a historical treasure house, especially with the Gutenberg Museum. Yet, with its numerous long-lasting festivals, it’s definitely a party city as well.

Highlights:
Mainz has plenty of interesting things you should see, but at the top of the list is visiting St. Stephan’s to experience the majestic stained glass windows of Marc Chagall. Trust me, absolutely do not miss this.

At the Gutenberg Museum, you’ll be taken out of the world of bits and bytes and returned to the Middle Ages to see how Gutenberg revolutionized the world of printing.

Do plan to visit local restaurants such as the fun Eisgrug-Brau, where you’ll be able to feast on a hearty luncheon buffet, as well as wash it down with their very own brew. Ah, the Germans are such great brew masters. Make a point to see the historic section of the city, as well as the Roman ruins in Mainz, especially the boats that were found in the harbor. Also try to plan your visit during one of Mainz’s fabulous festivals, to enjoy this fun-loving party city.

Quick Tips/Suggestions:
If you have come to Mainz on a KD cruise, then it will be really easy for you to get around the city because they offer their passengers an outstanding Mainz city map. It’s small and easy to carry around in pocket or purse, yet is large enough to be very easy to read, making it incredibly easy to see the major sites of the city.

Special paragraphs highlight important city sites, and there’s handy information about where the tourist bureau is as well, along with museum addresses and schedules. The map is done in conjunction with Mainz marketing, so you should be able to pick it up at the tourist office (which is at the information center at the train station or at the city hall, Rathaus).

Best Way to Get Around:
On Foot
Whenever possible, I like to see a city on foot because I feel that you really see more. You have greater flexibility, don’t have to waste time looking for a parking space, and, best all, have more opportunity to interact with local people. Sometimes I think that’s why I travel.

Cruise
I came to Mainz via a KD Cruise, and I’d definitely recommend this cruise line as a way to travel along the Romantic Rhine, because you can customize your itinerary to see the cities and villages you want.