An eventful year which began with a visit to Singapore and New Zealand.
Review of the Year Part 1
Tag: Singapore
Notes from 38000 feet.
Trying to occupy myself on the fourteen hour leg from Singapore back home I wrote a few short notes about our trip to Singapore, New Zealand and Australia. The list is below and I haven’t added anything since I got back so it really is a snapshot with little editing. If I were to compile it now it might be a little different but probably not much. The list is in no particular order and lots of research went in to 1, 8 and 12.
- New Zealanders make the best coffee.
- Singapore is an excellent stopover en route to New Zealand, there is so much to see and do.
- 23Kg is a more than generous luggage allowance and you don’t need to use it all and you have to lug it around with you.
- I thought I knew what rain was until I went to tropical Queensland.
- Botanic gardens don’t have to be dull and boring
- New Zealand is a wonderful country in which to drive a car, the roads are so quiet.
- Koala Bears are bigger than I imagined and difficult to spot in the trees.
- Craft beer is a big thing in New Zealand and beers are very good.
- The breakfast on Singapore Airlines is excellent
- There is so much more to the Red Centre of Australia than Uluru.
- Spending part of the winter in the Southern Hemisphere is so much better than spending it in the cold and damp of the UK.
- Old vine Grenache from the Barossa Valley really is excellent
- There is hardly any litter in New Zealand.
- Almost everyone we met on our trip were positive, friendly and helpful
- There is so much still to see and do in Australia. We need to go back as soon as we can.
Top things to see and do in Singapore
1. Gardens by the Bay. These botanical gardens for the modern age will delight both young and old. Situated on over 100 hectares of land reclaimed from the sea there is plenty to do and see. There is a charge for the two conservatories and Supertree OCBC Skyway but the rest of the gardens are free to wander around. They are so good I wrote a whole post about them. You can read it here
2. Chinatown. A great way to spend a few hours is to wander the streets and lanes of Chinatown taking in the colourful markets and shops. You are never far away from food here and the smells drifting on the warm air are a real invitation to sit down and sample a few local dishes. The Peoples Park Centre and Lau Pa Set Festival Market are great places to try.There are several interesting temples to visit including the Thian Hock Keng and the Sri Mariamman. If you can visit during the New Year celebrations Chinatown will be festooned with decorations in the traditional colours of red and gold.
3. Little India. No visit to Singapore is complete with spending some time in the streets of Little India. There is an amazing array of colourful fabrics on sale in the many shops and the smells of spices and fragrances fill the air. Again street food is a plus here, we had a great chicken curry for breakfast (close to the Heritage Centre) which was an absolute delight. There are a number of temples that welcome visitors and the Sultan Mosque is only a short walk away.
4. Singapore River .The Singapore River is the beating heart of the city. The riverside walk is lined with numerous bars and restaurants, specially in the area around Clarke Quay. The Meidi-Ya Japanese supermarket in the Liang Court shopping centre in Clarke Quay is a great place to pick up supplies. You can also pick up a river cruise from Clarke Quay for 25SD. This is best done after dark. The trip takes you down the river and into Marine Bay. The city looks stunning with many buildings and attractions illuminated, a camera is an absolute must.
5. Sample the food. You are really spoilt for choice in Singapore. you can splash the cash and eat fine dining in the cities many Michelin starred restaurants but it is much more fun to eat in one of the many Hawker Centres and sample the street food. Prices represent excellent value for money, our best was dinner was 17SD for both of us. The quality is good as the stalls are regulated to ensure standards are kept high.
6. Thian Hock Keng Temple. Built in 1840 this temple, in the heart of Chinatown, once faced the sea and was used by sailors plying the trade routes between Singapore and China. Today it is a long way from the sea but is a remarkable place to visit. There is a calmness and serenity about the place which is a marked contrast to the hustle and bustle of the city. So important is the temple that it has been declared a national monument.
7. Marina Bay. You can not fail to be impressed by the development at Marina Bay. The Marine Bay Sands Hotel dominates the waterfront. Over 2500 rooms, a convention centre, a casino, the place is huge, and that is before you include the shopping mall underneath. The area also includes the ArtScience Museum, built to redeemable a lotus flower it houses both permanent and temporary exhibitions.
8. Ride the MRT. The easiest way to travel round the city and a pure joy. Clean, safe and relatively cheap the air conditioned stations and trains give welcome relief from the heat and humidity. The driverless trains are frequent and for the most part are nowhere near as crowded as the London underground can become.