We often get emails for travel deals in Perth. Some of them are really good and some are just okay. So, when we received a good offer to go to Singapore we jumped on it. Singapore is a relatively short trip from Perth and is in the same time zone. So, all in all, it's very convenient to travel there if you live in Perth. Nadia and I ended up going to Singapore for 4 days. Here's a brief run-down:
Singapore is basically an island cut off via straights from the rest of Malaysia. It is a very different place than anywhere in Malaysia however. One of the features of Singapore is the water. It is surround by, what is essentially, ocean rivers and the ocean to the south. It also has several canals running through the city. In these canals are "quays". These are places for boats to dock and for people to gather. Some of these quays have been turned into evening hotspots and tourist destinations. Above, Nadia is sipping a beer overlooking a canal.
Our hotel was right in the heart of Singapore and around the block from the train station. So, it was very convenient to either walk where we needed to go or take the train if we needed to travel a little further. Also, the view from our balcony was pretty good. In the foreground is a central monument and in the background is the famous Marina Bay Hotel. While we were in Singapore the streets were being set up for the upcoming Formula 1 race. Unfortunately, we were two weeks too early for the race but nonetheless it was kind of cool to see how it all came together.
A visit to Singapore wouldn't be complete without a trip to the iconic Raffles Hotel. Here is the courtyard of the hotel from one of the walkways above. Legend has it that this hotel is where the "Singapore Sling" cocktail was invented. We looked into having one at the hotel but it was over $20 dollars for one drink!
Here Nadia is in front of the "Gardens by the Bay". This is a man-made attraction within an urban garden. In addition to the natural waterways and flora, the Singaporians built several "Avatar" like tree structures.
This is the view from the Marina Bay Hotel, mentioned earlier, looking down on the "Gardens by the Bay". The Marina Bay Hotel itself is remarkable. It is very tall and was built to look like a huge ocean ship sitting atop three pedestals. In addition to looking cool, the hotel has an amazing pool at the top of the building that looks down onto the city and gives you an over-the-edge sensation.
This is basically the view from the Marina Bay pool. Here you can see most of the central business district of Singapore. While we were able to tour the hotel and go up to the top, the pool area was restricted to guests only.
One of the attractions of Singapore is it's lively and large Chinatown. Within Chinatown you'll find lots of eating spots, shopping areas (mostly hawkers) and old, historic buildings. One of the activities that we indulged in while visiting Chinatown was getting our feet eaten by the particular fish that do a good job of it. It was a little uncomfortable at first, mostly ticklish, but after a few minutes we settled in and enjoyed the experience.
We finally did have our Singapore Sling, but not at Raffles, and it only cost us $15 each!
Singapore is a unique city within Asia. It is very clean, very organized and very rule oriented. It also has embraced it's history by way of keeping and nurturing it's historical buildings, but by also respecting the nature that surrounds it. Yes, the waterways are very polluted but the general amount of pollution compared to most major Asian cities is small. Above the modern meets the ancient: a new and impressive series of condos are being built not far from a city park and wildlife sanctuary. Also in this photo, although it's difficult to see, are some monkeys playing in the trees.
Not far from where the monkeys were was this little snake just hanging out near the handrail on the bridge. Fortunately, we weren't holding the hand rail when we spotted this.
Near the park area is the cable car that takes you to Sentosa Island. This island houses several theme parks including Universal Studios Singapore. We didn't go to any of the theme parks but we did explore the small island.
Also while on Sentosa, we managed to have a break at the beach with a drink. We didn't drink everywhere we went but it was close.
One of the hot attractions in Singapore is the zoo. This particular zoo doesn't have cages and instead relies on ditches, moats and other natural type of features to ensure that the people and animals don't get too close. In addition, this zoo offers a night safari. It starts off with a tram ride going around the zoo and then you have the option of going it on foot. The great thing about night safari is that most of the animals are more active at night. The unfortunate aspect, however, is that they are harder to see and even harder to photograph. Above is about the best picture I managed to get. I think it's a raccoon but can't be sure. Also, flashes weren't allowed as they could damage the animals eyes.
All in all, we really enjoyed Singapore. It was, in a way, like taking a large North American city and plunking it in South East Asia. The only downside is that we did so much walking in Singapore that we may have done some permanent damage to our feet.
