Lion Cityscape

Plucky Singapore sits at the heart of Southeast Asia, an overachieving city state that punches well above its belt size as a tourist destination. There’s so much packed into this modern pleasant city, the beaches and resorts of Sentosa Island, the history and culture of the Colonial district, timeless character in Chinatown, fabulous shopping in Orchard Road and a host of fun family activities.

Find out all the hidden charms and well kept secrets on this blog. We’ve been travelling Southeast Asia for ages, and plan to develop this site into a full blown guide to Singapore soon. You can look forward to a resource with hundreds of pages of tourist info, complete with pictures and video.

From the beauty of the Botanical gardens to the lively restaurants and bars of Clarke Quay, to the fascination of the Night Safari and Jurong Bird Park or the the pungent aromas in Little India, this site has it all. Airport facilities, accommodation, business travel, shopping, walking tours and more, find it all here.

Tanjong Beach is very popular with locals and tourists

Sentosa Island has been considered Singapore’s premiere playground for a number of years. Since shrugging off its rather morbid Malay name of Pulau Blakang Mati (The Island After Death) is has become a rather gaudy mixture of reclaimed sandy beaches, five star hotels and a smattering of nightspots.

Basic admission costs $2 per person but additional charges are levied depending upon which attractions you intend to see. There is a direct monorail to the island from Vivocity which takes a little more than five minutes, although the famous cable car is currently being renovated until the middle of 2010.

The latest addition to the island’s attractions is the fourth Universal Studios Themepark in the world which is set to open in the next few months. As its counterparts in Japan and the US, there will be rides based upon popular films released by the Hollywood-based studio.

Tiger Sky Tower is the tallest observation tower in Asia and provides panoramic views of the area. While Dolphin Lagoon has pink dolphins performing tricks for the adoring crowds. Nearby Fort Siloso is a former British naval base with guns still seemingly posed ready for an invasion party. (9am to 9pm, $10/7 adult/child)

Images of Singapore provides younger visitors with a rather uncontroversial versions of the story of Singapore’s founding, complete with hi-tech gadgets showing how the many comprising races have come together and currently lie side-by-side in harmony. ($10/7 adult/child)

Sentosa Luge allows guests to feel the thrills of the bobsled, although the track’s incline makes it difficult to get any real speed up. Probably not the most exciting ride for teenagers but worth a look for younger kids. ($10 single ride)

Songs of the Sea is a multimedia extravaganza that features pyrotechnics, live casts, lazers and water jets. Worth booking ahead especially on weekends as it can be extremely popular. Very popular. (Shows at 7:40pm and 8:40pm.)

Underwater World is apparently Asia’s largest oceanarium featuring tropical fish and sharks. There is a walk-through aquarium which is extremely popular with youngsters and it is also very educational. ($19.50/12.50 adult/child)

The Merlion at its new location in Marina Bay (photo by Isabella K. Badenoch)

Singapore is famous for its Merlion image, but many visitors are unclear about where the Merlion image came from. In fact, what is a Merlion? A Merlion is a mythical creature that has the head of a lion and the body of a fish. The Merlion ‘logo’ as visitors see it now was actually designed by Fraser Brunner as the logo for the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) back in 1964. It is a registered trademark and permission needs to be obtained by the  STB for people to use the Merlion image for commercial purposes.

The Merlion has a historic significance as well. Singapore was originally known as ‘Temasek’, which is a Javanese word meaning ‘sea’. Then, in the 11^th century, was renamed Singapura, meaning ‘lion’ and ‘city’ by Prince Sang Nila Utama, who said he saw a mythical creature on the island, which later turned out to be a lion. Hence, Singapore is also known as the ‘Lion City’.

The Merlion statue measured 8.6 meters in height and weighs an amazing 70 tons! It was made by Singaporean artist, Lim Nang Seng. Very few people know this, but the eyes of the Merlion are made of red teacups! The statue was installed at the mouth of the Singapore River, across from Elizabeth Walk, on the 15^th of September 1972, by then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. However, the Merlion was moved a mere 120 meters in 2002, since its view was obstructed by the building of new building complex along the river.

Now, visitors can enjoy the Merlion statue at Marina Bay, adjacent to One Fullerton. The Merlion is the center piece of a new 2,500 square meter park, aptly named Merlion Park, that was constructed as the new home of the Merlion.

Visitors can reach the Merlion Park via MRT, getting off at Raffles Place station. It is also possible to visit the Merlion by river taxi, as there is a boat landing right by the Merlion statue.

Tired of crowded, staid Chinese food in Singapore? For something different, for something to amaze your palate, head to Chef Chan’s restaurant. Run by Master Chef Chan Chen Hei, who is not concerned about going mainstream, his restaurant is tucked away in the National Museum of Singapore on Stamford Road. Many complain that the restaurant is hard to find, with no obvious signage, but it is worth the treasure hunt! The interior is decorated with an amazing amount of Chinese antiques, all belonging to the Master Chef, this restaurant makes diners feel like they have stepped into China in the 1930s.

The restaurant offers a range of set menus, which have been time-consumingly arranged by the Master Chef. These are good choice for first-comers as well as returnees. The dishes are arranged to complement one another. However, it is possible to change or substitute dishes, if necessary. Make sure that the menu you choose includes the most famous, not to miss Chef Chan’s famous Crispy Roast Chicken – most set menus do. This is the Master Chef’s signature dish and what he is famous for. Even if you don’t like chicken, you must try this dish. You will never have tasted chicken like this ever before in your entire life and will be back for more. This is the most crispy and succulent chicken ever! The other dishes are good, but pale in comparison to this masterpiece.

The set menus run from approximately S$56++ per son, upwards. This new restaurant is much smaller than Chef Chan’s old restaurant in the Odeon Towers (located inside a commercial building, which took away from the ambience). According to Chef Chan, the reason for this is so that he can better control the quality and delivery of the food. The new restaurant definitely does manage that. There are only 6-7 tables in the restaurant, so booking ahead is a must, especially on weekends (Tel.  +65 6333 0073).

Interior of Chef Chans Restaurant

For those wanting some authentic Singaporean food, but in a clean and comfortable setting, head to the Chatterbox. The Chatterbox is located on the ground floor of the Meritus Mandarin Hotel on Orchard Road. Famous among locals, the Chatterbox is considered to have the best Hainanese Chicken Rice (or Mandarin Chicken Rice, as the restaurant calls it) in Singapore. Albeit being more expensive than at other restaurants, the chicken is amazingly succulent and comes with all the condiments, served beautifully on a lacquer tray. 

What is Hainanese Chicken Rice? Well, for those uninitiated, it is whole chicken that is boiled. The broth is then used to cook the rice. This infuses the rice with delicious chicken broth and the boiling of the chicken means that the meat is succulent, juicy, plump and soft. This is then served with dark soy sauce or ginger sauce (whatever you prefer) and chicken soup. The restaurant also offers this dish as a take-out, but eating it at the restaurant is better. The restaurant closely monitors the breeding of the chicken and chicken feed, to get the most plump and juicy chicken. You will not be disappointed and will most likely go back for more!

The Chatterbox has regularly won dining awards and according to the restaurant has served over 8 million Hainanese Chicken Rice sets since its establishment in 1971.

The restaurant is very popular with locals and visitors alike and can get quite crowded, especially on weekends, so book ahead to avoid disappointment,  on Tel. 6831-6288. The restaurant also serves a range of Western and Asian dishes, as well as other Singaporean favorites and has an extensive children’s menu. The milk shakes are popular among young and old! Opening hours are 05:00-01:00 (Sunday-Thursday) and 24-hours (Friday, Saturday and Public Holidays).

Little India is firmly on the tourist maps of Singapore and is probably it’s liveliest neighbourhood. Just step into the area on Sunday afternoon when all the migrant Tamil workers have their day off and you’ll see what I mean. It’s probably better to visit on any of the other days of the week and the main reason to come is the food. Of course there’s also a bargain and all to be had, but for authentic Indian cuisine, you won’t be disappointed.

There are plenty of down to earth restaurants here, where food is served on a banana leaf and eaten with your hands, and it’s not just the local Indian community that dine here, Singaporeans of all walks of life regularly visit Little India for a meal.

It’s fairly close to the centre of Singapore, a short taxi ride maybe, but also accessible by MRT, then you can wander among the 5 or so blocks and soak up the atmosphere, picking out a restaurant that you fancy. When you’re done, try some shopping for fabrics or bollywood movies, it’s all part of the experience. Of course the aroma of spices is par for the course!

CCN