Attractions in Singapore
Editor's Note: Ingrid Martin is a member of this year’s International Youth Wind Orchestra (IYWO). She was also a part of the IYWO in 2003. Photos in this article are by the author.
Hello from sunny Singapore to all WASBE members. As I’ve been in Singapore a while, I was asked to share with you some information about the sights and delights of Singapore. In the last week we’ve been lucky enough to visit many of Singapore’s headline attractions. I hope this article gives you a bit of an idea as to what there is to see in Singapore.
Getting around
Singapore has an incredibly efficient, clean and state-of-the-art train system — the MRT. The best way of using this system is by purchasing an Ez-Link card for $15 at any train station. This includes $7 credit on the card, a $3 refundable travel deposit and a $5 non-refundable card fee. With this card you can travel on the system just by tapping your wallet on the sensors or even pay for McDonalds (no need to take it out of your wallet).
There are an abundance of bus services and stops to hop on & off as well. If you want to just travel around the CBD to places like Chinatown, Raffles, Esplanade & Orchard Rd, consider purchasing a day pass for an SIA Hop-on bus. At $3 for Singapore Airlines passengers and $8 for others this pass can be used as many times as you want in a day, and can be purchased from SIA desks in most hotels including Swissotel The Stamford.
Shopping
Singapore is the place to go for shopping, especially electronics, accessories, watches, jewellery and sunglasses. Be sure you bargain down the retailers for prices as we have seen lots of variations in price. We searched for a digital camera and prices ranged from SGD $350-650 in the same shopping centre. If you make multiple purchases you can also bargain even further.
Clarke Quay & Boat Quay
Both busy little night spots, Clarke Quay & Boat Quay are home to many of Singapore’s busy bars and restaurants. Situated right on the river, they’re a great place to unwind for dinner or with a drink whilst watching the boats and crowds go by — all by the light of the shimmering river reflections. Expect to pay a bit more for your food here too, around $12 for a main course. The variety of food is substantial and there’s something to satisfy the conservative to the adventurous. For those wanting to hear some Jazz, head to Harry’s or Jazz@ Soutbridge on boat quay who have live bands every night.
Chinatown
Chinatown is a must for any visitor to Singapore. If you can, visit on a Sunday, so you can catch the many flea markets that abound here. There are bargains galore to be found, and you should bargain all you can. Work out what you would like to spend on something and make an offer. As you wander down the Pagoda St market you can visit the spectacular Sri Maniamman temple (on the corner of South Bride Rd), with it’s colourful doorway.
Other flea markets to go to include Far East Square where you will find Star Wars and other toys at incredible prices as well as a great retro/kitsch shop with original first issue LPs of Louis Armstrong, Sinatra, Ella & the Beatles to name a few.
While you’re in the area, it’s worth visiting one of the hawker centres, which are halls full of hundreds of food stalls. This is the cheapest food in Singapore, starting at $2 for a main meal and the choice is overwhelming. If you’re in Chinatown, visit the one on Maxwell Rd.
You will also find an abundance of shopping malls selling anything and everything. Once again, be ready to drive a hard bargain.
Botanic Gardens & Orchid Garden
These are a bit further out of the main Singapore CBD, but are well worth a look. There will be several WASBE outreach concerts here during the conference week. The orchid garden (within the Botanic Gardens) is gorgeous, and a great place to go for a relaxing walk and to view Singapore’s national flower. The botanic gardens are extensive, so if you would like to see it all you may want to allow a few hours.
Orchard Rd
This is Singapore’s most famous shopping strip, which is a good few kilometres (miles) of shopping malls upon shopping malls. There are lots of designer shops toward the western end of the street, as well as lots of electronics shops. As always in Singapore, be ready to bargain!
Other malls to visit: Suntec City, Raffles City.
Sentosa
Sentosa is Singapore’s island resort, which you can get to by taking the MRT to Harbourfront and getting a bus across the bridge. Normally there are cable cars with fantastic views, but they have been closed for the last couple of weeks. At Sentosa you will find the Carlsberg Skytower with 360° views of Singapore, the Merlion statue, Underwaterworld, Dolphin Lagoon, Fort Siloso and the Images of Singapore museum. Fort Siloso and Images of Singapore are really fantastic exhibits and well worth a few hours of your time to learn more about the culture and history of Singapore. The underwater world is also very entertaining.
Sentosa is fairly pricey, so you should choose which attractions you wish to go to. There are also some great beaches — swimming is free!
Singapore Zoo, Jurong Bird Park & Night Safari
The Zoo has many different animals from all over the world, and a few interactive attractions, such as the elephant rides and photos with orang-utans. In general the Zoo wasn’t as spectacular as we’d been led to believe, but is probably still worth a look.
The Jurong Bird Park is quite interesting, and the large aviaries are worth the trip, as are the toucans and macaus. Make sure you catch the All Star Bird Show so you can get a glimpse of all the different species at the park.
The night safari is held at another part of the zoo, where you’re able to see some nocturnal animals in their natural habitat, but there is no flash photography allowed. This is a nice way to spend a night around the animals, as the weather is cooler.
More things to do…
- Have a Singapore Sling at Raffles Hotel
- Visit Equinox restaurant on the 70th floor of the Swisshotel The Stamford
- Enjoy an inexpensive massage at one of the many massage parlours
- Try some food at a hawker stall
- Visit Fort Canning park and the Battle Box Museum
©2005 WASBE