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Singapore is frequently dubbed a dull and sterile city, but it is quite unfair
for that as actually, Singapore has much more to feast the eyes beyond plazas
along the tourist clusters and cultural extravaganzas that are designed to be on
the patterned itineraries. Even such a pattern, there are always some changes or
renovations which make it have a new face or aspect to admire. Hence, you will
never be dull although you have seen the same things for times. Singapore always
endows many things that challenge your exploring instinct.
Lying along the northeast bank of the Singapore River, the district is the
site where Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles first set foot in 1817. Since then, the
quarter has grown rapidly, becoming the vibrant international port of seaborne
trade of the British East Indian Company and still retaining, nowadays, a core
of the city. The British colonial buildings around the district recall the
fascinating atmosphere in the time that the British ex-pats once strolled here.
Places of interest include: Singapore National Museum which houses art and
antique galleries; Singapore Art Museum which specializes in modern Southeast
Asian arts; the Raffles Hotel with its grandiose architectural style, considered
as one of the best world-class hotels; and other churches and convents
constructed in French-Gothic Revival style such as St.Andrew's Cathedral and the
Cathedral of the Good Shepherd.
The Colonial Singapore is an ideal place to explore on foot. There is a
walking tour map available at the Raffles Hotel Museum, National Museum shops
and Visitor Information Centers.
Overshadowed by the gleaming high-rise buildings of the financial district,
the China Town is a cultural heart of Singapore, providing scenes of the old
days. Unfortunately, many of its traditional buildings were demolished upon the
urban redevelopment. Stalls and small business dotting along the sidewalks were
relocated and rebuilt in the indoor market at the modern Kereta Ayer complex,
becoming now a tourist spot with its wide range of goods. Nevertheless, China
Town still endows its original atmosphere and is still a good place to wander
around. Tanjong Pagar, the classic Chinese neighborhood is where you can find
traditional tea shops, clog and kite makers, painted masks, waxed paper
umbrellas, lacquer ware from China, and many other artifacts from all over Asia.
Its food market with riots of fruits, vegetable, herbs and spices offers a
lively atmosphere. Southwest of Tanjong Pagar, the Bhukit Pasoh is a traditional
part of Chinatown where the Chinese clans and family associations concentrate.
Telok Ayer is the cluster of important Chinese, Hindu and Muslim temples. This
is area will be more colorful when it come to religious festivals of each cult.
Located north of the Colonial District, Little India offers a completely
distinct facet of Singapore with lively, boisterous and crowded streets which
echo an important element of the island's history. Serangoon Road, once a
swampland, is home to Indian origins in Singapore who migrated here during the
1920s. The majority of Indians in this area are Chettiars, a money-leading caste
from South India while other groups include Tamils, Bengalis, and Sikhs.
Little India today is a great place for shopping, eating and admiring places
of worship. This is an Indian microcosm as you can feel its typically Indian
atmosphere and find the imaginable Indian products here. The fragrance of spices
of Indian cuisine and incense lingers everywhere. If you would like a new sari,
Indian sandals, a tape of Indian music, or a portrait of worshipped god, Little
Indian offers you all of these. The Zhujiao Center is a vibrant market of the
district; it is composed of the wet market selling all types of fruits and
vegetables while upstairs, stalls sell variety of clothes and household goods.
The Little India Arcade is managed to be souvenir shops for tourists, but
retains somewhat a traditional Indian charm; textiles, spices, handicrafts and
artifacts are all available. Important Hindu Temples in the area are also worth
visiting such as Sri Veeramakaliamman, Sri Srinivasa Perumal and Temple of One
Thousand Lights.
Formerly a thriving Arab village known as Kampong Glam, Arab Street is the
center of Muslim in Singapore and also a traditional district of textile. A riot
of colorful batiks from Indonesia, silks, sarongs, shirts are sold around the
bazaar-styled market. Apart from its bazaar, a good stop for shopping, also of
interest are its important mosques, including the Sultan Mosque, the biggest and
liveliest mosque in Singapore and Malabar Muslim Jama-ath Mosque, regarded the
most beautiful.
The shoppers' paradise, the Orchard Road is the hot tourist spot, teemed with
high-class and up-market hotels and shopping malls. It is said to be the most
expensive shopping street and to have the highest density of shops in the world.
Nice restaurant serving fine dishes can be easily found. Architectural works
around the area is also eye-catching for its combination of Chinese and European
style.
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:: PARK AND RESERVES & ANIMAL KINGDOM :: |
Although the gleaming skyscrapers and modern buildings are familiar sight of
the island, Singapore still keeps its reputation as the "Garden City"
owing to its significant space of primary tropical forest. The Singapore Botanic
Gardens, spreading over 52 hectares at the proximity to the city center, is a
great habitat to more than 4,000 species of plants; the National Orchid Garden
also encompassed within the area, has the world's largest orchid display with
over 60,000 plants. Just 12 kilometers from the city center, the 164-hectare
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve contains more species of flora than that of the
entire North American continent. The Reserve also embraces Singapore's highest
point, the Bukit Timah Hill, at 164 meters above sea level.
Apart from the abundant flora, Singapore also endows a wide variety of fauna
which can be seen at Singapore's splendid zoos. The Singapore Zoological Gardens
is regarded as one of the world's most spectacular zoos for its ingenuity in
using the rock walls and streams as natural barriers. Sprawling over 28
hectares, it is home to over 3,600 mammals, birds, and reptiles, including rare
and endangered species.
Next to the zoo is the Night Safari, the world's first night zoo. The zoo
allows visitor an exciting experience to view animals when they are at their
most active. Within the zoo's total area of 40 hectares, there are more than
1,200 animals, covering 110 exotic species.
The Jurong Bird Park is one of the world's largest and most striking
aviaries. It is also a refuge of over 8,000 birds of 600 different species from
all over the world.
There are many other gardens and reserves in Singapore worth exploring such
as the Chinese Garden and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserves.
Offshore, the Sentosa Island, the city-state's most visited attraction,
offers a wide array of recreations from museums, aquariums, beaches, sport
facilities, etc. Camping ground, hostel, and luxurious hotels are all available.
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Singapore
