An Enriching experience!. Review on Singapore, General

There’s a popular song that goes:

‘Singapura-Oh Singapura

Sunny Island set in the sea

Singapura…Oh Singapura

Pretty flowers bloom for you and me.’

Singapore- the Lion City

Singapore translates to ‘the Lion City’ as the name ‘Singa” means Lion and ‘pore’ means city. Way back in the 13th century, a prince from Malaya was shipwrecked and was washed ashore to an unknown island where he saw a creature which he thought was a lion and named the island as “Singa Pura”.

A grueling month in the office had to be followed with a quick break away and my colleagues stumbled upon Singapore as an ideal destination to chill out. To them Singapore represented an ideal place to see lively beaches, waters as clear as crystals, urban splendors and shopping our hearts out!

If there was one airport in the world where you would not mind even being stranded for a few hours then it has to be the Changi International airport in Singapore. As the Singapore Airlines flight descended at this airport one could visualize the architectural spectacle that went into making the whole airport.

Changi International airport could be called as Changla (meaning Good in Marathi) or Changa (meaning Good in Punjabi). A paradise for those searching for expensive cosmetics, electronic items and wine.

Gate no F 54 would make the foodies excited by the presence of eating joints and a special mention of a joint called ‘Kaveri’. This joint serves Indian food and a cold drink of our choice for just $10.

“Changi International is more than just an airport, it is a destination in itself”, exclaimed the taxi driver who drove us to Hotel Windsor located in the MacPherson area.

The drive from the airport to the hotel was similar to what I had been told; that of snazzy skyscrapers against the horizon and the smooth ride I was getting.

In the land of Merlion!

A warm “Vanakkam” greeted us as we made our entry into the hotel. As I sat in my room and saw the Mass Rapid Transit transport system, which was just a stone throw away from my hotel, I could sense the system that would be giving me a speedy, comfortable access to major routes island wide. I at once bought a prepaid card from Singtel’s office, as mobile connectivity in Singapore is very smooth and easy. I then picked up a map from Visitor’s help center. The main advantage of such centers is to provide help to visitors in organizing their trips. As I went to bed that day, there was a definite excitement in me, at the prospect of seeing more of a place, which is visually captivating and spiritually enlightening- my vacation had begun!

Little India became our first destination in the itinerary. Our tour guide Vincent told us that this are of Singapore once belonged to a few rich cattle men. And true to its name, this place indeed was a little name. Name anything Indian and you get it here. As I strolled down the streets of Little India, the presence of numerous shops gave me the inkling that I had landed in India, while a group of foreigners standing next to me appeared awestruck by the ethnic corner of this fascinating country and one Englishman was trying on a heavily embroidered salwar. The most captivating part of this place was the Hindu temple and till date it was the most stunning temple I had seen. The temple appeared to me like a “layer cake” with the largest layer at the bottom and tapering gradually towards the top. Each layer has hand carved gods and I had to lie down across the street to try and get a good picture. To be on a safer side, I bought a Post Card in case I did not get it all in. We then went to Mustafa, a 24 by 7 shopping mall in Little India. This mall is bustling with activity throughout the day with loads of people shopping out here and you get a lot of variety in goods out here.

The next day was planned for a trip to Sentosa Islands, once the military base and holds the history of some of the major wars Singapore faced. We first reached the Harbour Front by MRT, as it is the most convenient and the cheapest mode of transport available here. The tour guide Vincent told us that there were two options to go to Sentosa Island. Either take the ropeway or go by free shuttle bus service from Harbour Front. I preferred viewing the exotic beauty of this place and took the ropeway route, which did not disappoint me one bit. Every place in this part holds a special significance in the minds of the tourist. The butterfly park and the insect park house more than 1500 species of butterflies and over 3000 species of the world’s most beautiful insects. The panoramic view of the entire city can be viewed from the Carlsberg Sky tower, which is touted as Asia’s tallest observation tower and is housed at 135 meter above sea level.

The experience that I had in Cinemania goes beyond description as it provided ultimate 3D real time experience and the adventurous 3D ride was just an icing on the cake.

Just before going for the Underwater World, I feasted at the Burger King joint and then went in a moving travellator, which ferried us through an 83-meter long tunnel into the ocean into the world of sharks, eels and other mesmerizing sea creatures.

The evening was a witness to the most expensive Musical Fountain Show in the world. It was none other than the Magical Sentosa Musical Fountain Show. Words are not enough to describe this show and it is a SGD 4 million show showcasing high tech Multimedia show with light, sounds, laser and a character called KIKI. The show lasted for 30 minutes and played a fully animated movie displayed on the water base created by a fountain, with characters created by lasers.

The third day was a trip taken to the Singapore Zoological Gardens which houses animals in their natural habitats; these animals are separated from the visitors using dry or wet moats, concealed with vegetation or dropped below the line of vision. Spacious glass enclosures are used incase of dangerous animals such as Leopards and Jaguars. Other attractions in this zoo include a night safari, animal rides, animal feeding and it took us a day to cover a part of the zoo. That night I was back to square one as another trip to Little India (just could not get enough of this place).

The fourth day began with a visit to the Orchard road. This road is the main hub for shopping and you would find traffic moving both above and below the ground. Out of 13 plazas (Malls), there are two that come for special mention. One is the Takashimaya Japanese Departmental Store. I liked the small bookstores here and at the Kinokuniya bookstore bought a Leon Uris’ book, which I had not read before.

Jurong Bird Park offers an educational and an entertaining experience. The biggest attraction in this park is the Penguin Parade and there were other bird shows too and an air-conditioned monorail took us round the entire park.

Golf in Singapore seems to be fast catching up. The golf courses here are primari