Any suggestion that Macau might be adversely affected by competition from Singapore's two integrated resorts looks to be far off the mark.
Early this month, the streets were crowded with tourists and the casinos packed with punters. This despite the fact that it was a Monday, and the temperature was soaring.
I was following a well-travelled trail: Singapore is one of the top 10 markets for Macau, with about 256,000 arrivals from the Republic last year. From January to May this year, the figure topped more than 100,000. Most of the visitors probably made day trips from Hong Kong Island via a one-hour ferry ride. A return ticket costs HK$300 (US$38).
Macau, one of the two Special Administrative Regions of China, has long been associated with gaming. Revenue from its 30-odd casinos for the first quarter of this year exceeded US$5 billion. But there are things for a tourist to see, do and eat outside the casinos - you can bet on that.
Because you can use Hong Kong money in Macau and the two territories are so close to each other, you might make the mistake I made of forgetting to bring my passport to the ferry terminal.
Its proximity to Hong Kong belies the fact that Macau has a different history and culture.
Civil servant Lim Shumin, 24, who visited it last month for the first time, was impressed by the rich heritage of Macau, a small area of less than 30 sq km with a population of 552,000.
"The buildings there are very pretty and good for sightseeing, and the hotels especially are very grand. It is not crowded like Hong Kong, which felt very fast-paced," she says.
Another first-time Macau visitor, civil servant Pamela Yeo, 24, was "pleasantly surprised" by the beauty of the architecture, as she had thought that Macau was 'nothing much'. "It's so quaint. It's like a liveable Sentosa," she says with a laugh.
I found Macau to be reminiscent of Malacca, another former Portuguese colony, with the colonial influence evident in the design of its low-rise buildings. Just like Malacca, it has a fine variety of food, ranging from Chinese to Portuguese to Thai.
Stepping off the ferry just past noon, I headed straight for Senado Square in the historic centre of Macau, which has been a civic hub for centuries.
Easily distinguishable by its distinctive wave-patterned stone mosaic, the square retains a quaint charm of its own and is reminiscent of public meeting places that can be found in any European city - this despite heavily commercialisation, with brands such as Levi's and McDonald's all around.
I took my lunch at Wong Chi Kei, a well-established restaurant which has counted former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten among its customers.
My meal consisted of wonton noodles, accompanied by extra large deep-fried wonton with sweet sauce and sotong meatballs with preserved oysters. Whether fried or steamed, the wonton certainly lived up to its reputation.
The meal for three persons cost about HK$250 (US$32).
Satiated, I took a leisurely stroll to the ruins of St Paul's, a Unesco World Heritage Site. This is the facade of what remains of the Church of Mater Dei, once the largest Catholic church in Asia. First built in the late 16th century, it was destroyed by fire in 1835.
It was a climb up some steep steps, but the view was worth it. Besides the facade, there are also a small museum of sacred art and the remains of a crypt.
Along the way, vendors offered samples of everything from bak kwa (barbecued meat) to egg tarts to almond cookies. One vendor offering bak kwa was surrounded by a group of tourists. When the horde dispersed a minute later, his basket was bare.
I also chanced upon an elderly couple selling golden coin biscuits at Pastelaria Pun Veng Kei. The stall is almost an institution in Macau as the couple has been there for more than 40 years
Made from simple flour, eggs, sugar and butter, the biscuits attracted a long queue. Progress was slow as the old man baked the biscuits by himself on two flat pans over charcoal stoves.
His ability to sit nonchalantly in front of the stoves in the oppressive heat was a stark contrast to my struggling to mop the beads of sweat pouring down my face.
But the wait for the sweet, crispy and fragrant biscuits was worth it. A big box costs HK$25 (US$3).
I later tested Macau's frequent and inexpensive bus service, where a single trip sets you back by HK$3.20. The network is extensive and the vehicles comfortable and efficient.
It was also on the bus that I discovered that while Hong Kongers are known for being outspoken, the Macanese appear to be equally unafraid of voicing their feelings. Faced with tourists who hesitated at the door of his bus, the driver yelled in Cantonese: "Are you getting on or not?" This prompted the tourists to hastily clamber up the bus.
A stroll through the bustling three-storey Red Market, one of the busiest in Macau, reveals fresh food of all kinds, including slaughtered fish so fresh that you can still see their hearts beating.
Speaking of heart, in the end it is hard to avoid the billion-dollar industry that pumps lifeblood through the arteries of Macau.
I had to escape the heat by taking a shuttle to the air-conditioned comfort of the Venetian Macao resort hotel. Among its features: the world's largest casino and more than 350 international brand stores.
The opulence of the gaming area was marked - the ceiling was decorated with a Renaissance motif that looked like something out of the Sistine Chapel.
Watching the punters hard at play, amid a haze of cigarette smoke, I could not resist chancing my arm. Taking HK$20 out of my wallet, I slipped the note into an electronic slot machine and pressed some random buttons with instructions I did not comprehend.
My final returns - HK$0.60. I guess it is true what they say - the house always wins.
