Along our journey flying stand by, this time the road took us to Singapore, definitely one of the coolest cities we have seen so far.
Located off the southern tip of the Malaysian peninsula in Southeast Asia it is one of the smallest countries in the world.
Singapore is consistently perceived as one of the least corrupt countries in the world, and the world’s most expensive city.
Clean and Safe
> Death for drug traffickers under the law
> Singapore has penalties that include judicial corporal punishment in the form of caning
> Trial by jury was abolished in 1970 so that judicial decisions would rest entirely in the hands of appointed judges
> Singapore has been consistently rated among the least corrupt countries in the world
> Superior air quality and no traffic jams
Highly developed economy
> The Singaporean economy is known as one of the freest, most innovative, most competitive, most dynamic and most business-friendly
> The 2015 Index of Economic Freedom ranks Singapore as the second freest economy in the world
> the Ease of Doing Business Index has also ranked Singapore as the easiest place to do business for the past decade.
Of course, there are several great things to see, do and eat! These are my choices.
1. Marina Bay
Marina Bay is the centerpiece of Singapore’s urban transition. The glittering skyscrapers of the Central Business District are surrounded by so many interesting spaces,
making it the People’s Bay. When modern Singapore was founded in 1819, the coast was still largely made up of marshes and sand flats. After 1822, Singapore’s first know land reclamation project was carried out. The south bank of the river was drained and filled with earth, so that godowns and trading houses could be built.
Marina Bay Sands is a magnificent destination for entertainment, business and shopping, delivering once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
I divided it into these 4 main areas, so please click on each tab to see more details.
Towers
Marina Bay Sands hotel is three 56-storey hotel towers containing more than 2600 rooms in total. The views from floor-to-ceiling windows is magnificent.
The view from 57th floor observatory is fantastic....
Located between the Singapore River, Marina Bay and Chinatown, the Central Business District, commonly referred to as “the city” or CBD, is the centre of all commercial and financial activities. Some of the most prestigious companies, both local and international, have their offices in this densely built area.
Flyer
The Singapore Flyer is one of the world’s largest observation wheels. This wheel has 28 airconditioned capsules, each one fits 28 people and it takes 28 minutes to do a complete rotation.
Outfitted with the latest cooling systems and shielded by UV protection your Singapore Flyer experience whisks you out of the tropical heat and takes you up 165 metres into the sky. Engineered to eliminate vibrations and shakes, all you have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy the views.
Merlion
The Merlion is the national personification of Singapore. Its name combines "mer", meaning the sea, and "lion". The fish body represents Singapore’s origin as a fishing village when it was called Temasek, which means "sea town" in Javanese.
Very often, nations and cities choose an animal to represent them, one that symbolizes their origins and embodies the spirit they want to convey to the world. From the USA bald eagle representing a symbolof of freedom and strength, to the majestic Russian bear and the regal English lion, countries opt for animals that are most fitting to the image they want to reflect. Scotland is certainly up there among the most interesting ones, having chosen the mythical unicorn as its national animal, but one probably beats even that when it comes to an imaginative choice, by creating its own unique animal as the country’s symbol: The Singapore Merlion: half-fish and half-lion.
There is an old tale a Malay prince was shipwrecked on the island known as Temasek (now Singapore). He and his crew saw what they believed was a lion and aptly named the island Singapura which is sanskrit for Lion City. Whether the animal was a lion or not remains a point of contention. No lion has ever been reported on the island, apart from in the zoo.
Bay at night
As soon as the sun goes down, the city-state practically transforms itself from an efficient business hub to a buzzing network of bars, nightclubs and presentations of light shows. Enjoy some of those breathtaking captures from Spectra - the Marina Bay Sands Light and Water Show!
Lasers, LEDs, music, choreographed fountains and more are part of the 15 minutes remarkable presentation.
2. Gardens by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay is a nature park spanning 101 hectares of reclaimed land in the Central Region of Singapore adjacent to the Marina Reservoir. The park consists of three waterfront gardens: Bay South Garden in Marina South, Bay East Garden and Bay Central Garden. The largest of the gardens is Bay South Garden at 54 hectares. The Gardens by the Bay features over one milion plants from 19,000 species.
Gardens by the Bay is part of a strategy by the Singapore government to transform Singapore from a "Garden City" to a "City in a Garden". The stated aim is to raise the quality of life by enhancing greenery and flora in the city
3. River Walk
Singapore River tour is a nice walk or cruise from Clark Quay to Marina Bay and will take you through the three Quays (Boat, Clarke and Robertson) of the city.
Along this journey you’ll pass through the spectacular architecture of the bridges as arteries of commerce across the river that contributed to Singapore’s economic growth and rich history. From 1977 to 1987, there was a multi-agency effort to clean up the Singapore River. Dumping of waste and used water from industries located near the river was eliminated.
Originally a centre of commerce along the Singapore River, Clarke Quay is nowadays a labyrinth of restaurants, concept bars, retail stores and recreation outlets. The 2.5km river walk takes approximately 50 minutes with frequent pauses to soak in the views.
The mouth of Singapore River used to be the Old Port of Singapore. It was the centre of trade, finance and commerce. There were also government buildings built along the River side. Since the 1820s onwards, Singapore River was a centre of trade and commerce.
There are several other incredible points of interest in Singapore and here are some of them:
>Little India
>Malay heritage Centre
>Arab street area
>China town
The roles of these communities have changed throughout time, but today they mostly represent ethnic districts with a lot of tourists and local visitors.
However, the following two are international and mostly business related:
>Orchard Road or Orchard, known as the area of a major shopping belt and tourism attraction
>Changi Airport Singapore is one of the world's best airports. It is working perfectly fine for short layovers, but even better for longer ones. There is a theater, gaming station, different gardens, pool, lounges, stores, 24 hours restaurants and more.
Hope you enjoy this slide!
Little India, Singapore
Little India, Singapore
Little India, Singapore
Little India, Singapore
Malay Heritage Centre − Herb and spice garden
Masjid Sultan, or Sultan Mosque is is pivotal to Singapore's Muslim community
Masjid Sultan is the most important Mosque in Singapore.
Arab Street is Singapore's historic Muslim quarter colorful buildings.
Chinatown street market
Chinatown street market
Chinatown: The oldest shrine in Singapore − Sri Mariamman Temple
