Macau

Macau is a fusion of East and West: the fact that Macau was previously a portuguese colony creates a flair that is unique in Asia. On one hand you have a Mediterranean style historic centre with little streets, baroque churches, Art Deco apartment buildings and little parks and gardens and on the other hand skyscrapers like in Hong Kong and huge Las Vegas like casinos. Walking on the paved sidewalks and pedestrian area in the old town reminds of the city of Lisbon. Some 30 buildings and squares have in conjunction be recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Every day Macau is flooded by hordes of Chinese gamblers since Macau is the only place where casinos are legal in China. Some locals view the pace of change since 1999 (when China resumed sovereignty over Macau) with melancholy since quality of life has worsened for some with the gambling industry´s boost to the economy.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong rocks! A city so dense and crowded but full of history and real style. It is just amazing to see so many skyscrapers in such a small piece of land. The reason for this dense constructions relies on the HK topography (full of mountains), which also makes HK Island and Kowloon (the mainland) so special.
Suprisingly, HK has more to offer than luxury brand shopping malls and stressed bankers rushing to their offices. Restaurants and bars of all kind and prices delight residents and visitors. You can also take a train and in less than an hour you arrive to some really decent beaches which allow you to escape the hassle of the big city.
Some other highlights include the daily evening lightshow of HK Island skyline, the cablecar and the great Buddha Statue in Lantau or the horse races at the HK Jockey Club (where every sunday and wednesday a mixture of middle class people and the crême de la crême gather to gamble and loose up to 40M € a day.
HK is probably the most interesting city in Asia and one of the best cities in the world for a short visit!