Singapore is a multi race country with an amalgam of Chinese , Malay , Indian , and Arab immigrants . There also exist Eurasian and Peranakan communities. Despite our different races and religions , we're very united . We celebrate different religious occasions together , be it Chinese New Year , Hari Raya , Deepavali , Good Friday etc etc . In terms of communication , most people can understand and speak english which made Singapore tourism more convenient for foreigners . Besides english , we do speak other languages like mandarin , malay and tamil . Small it may be , Singapore is a very safe country to live in . In what ways ? Natural disasters like earthquake , tsunami , tornado does not occur in singapore . Public security is good as well , especially in town area where there will be policemen patrolling the areas , in fact it has one of the lowest crime rates in the world . It's a peaceful democratic society where disputes are infrequent . Despite the outbreak of SARS and H1N1 flu , the Government was able to minimize and control the amount of people being infected . Speaking of diseases , Singapore's medical facilities are among the finest in the world , in fact it's the leading medical hub in asia , more than 400,000 international patients visit Singapore for a whole range of healthcare services annually . Aren't you amazed that Singapore , a small country , actually provides world class healthcare services ? Mentioning Tourism in Singapore , it's industry is very well organized not only for it's infrastructure , but also it's safety , cleanliness and efficiency of the whole system . Singapore Tourism offers a large cultural diversity not only from it's colonial past , but also from the different races living here . You may not be aware , but for the past 2 years , Singapore have attracted a total of more than 10 million visitors per year . Wow ! Besides those I've mentioned , why is Singapore the best holiday destination ?
There's Singapore Zoo , with 315 species of animal in the zoo, of which some 16% are considered threatened species . Some animals aren't even available in the zoo from other countries like Chimpanzee , Australia's zoo don't even have one . It has an open zoo concept where animals are kept in spacious, landscaped enclosures, separated from the visitors by either dry or wet moats . It attracts about 1.4 million visitors a year . There's also a nocturnal zoo also known as the Night Safari , an entire open-air zoo set in a humid tropical forest that is only open at night , unlike traditional nocturnal houses which reverses the day-night cycle of animals . The animals of the Night Safari , ranging from Indian rhinoceros to tarsiers , are made visible by lighting that resembles moonlight . The naturalistic enclosures simulate the animals' native habitat where animals are separated from visitors with natural barriers , rather than caged , similar to the Singapore Zoo's open concept . Cultural performances are a regular feature at the safari , and include tribal dances , blowpipe demonstrations and fire eating displays . There's also Creatures of the Night Show , a performance presented by the animals in the Night Safari . Wow , cool isn't it ? Besides the zoo , there are still numerous nature sight-seeing attractions out there like Jurong Bird Park with extensive specimens of exotic bird life from around the world , the Singapore Botanical Gardens which includes the National Orchid collection with over 3000 types of orchids growing .
Have you heard of Sentosa ? No ? You must be kidding me ! Sentosa is a popular island resort in Singapore , visited by some five million people a year ! Why , and how ? There is this Tiger Sky Tower where you'll be able to get a panoramic view of Sentosa , Singapore , and the Southern Islands at a height of 110 metres above ground and 131 metres above sea level . On a clear day , the view extends to parts of Malaysia and Indonesia . There is also Butterfly Park which houses 15,000 live butterflies, representing more than fifty species ! Insect Kingdom with 3,000 species of rare insects from around the world , including a 160 mm Dynastes Hercules beetle ! Have you ever see such a big beetle before ? There's also Underwater World , an oceanarium , with more than 2,500 marine and fresh-water animals of 250 species from different regions of the world . The Underwater World also includes a Dolphin Lagoon which is home to some Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, also known as the pink dolphins . What's more exciting is that you can actually interact with the dolphins at close proximity during the "Meet-the-Dolphins" sessions ! I already have the urge to go to Sentosa now ! In the west of the island stand the guns of preserved Fort Siloso which guarded the western approaches to Singapore during World War II , such historic military-themed attraction is not to missed as well ! Feeling hot ? Wanna get wet ? Visit the Siloso Beach for some water splashing actions ! Over there you can play beach volleyball and other outdoor activities such as canoeing , skim boarding , mountain biking or rollerblading . There are also dining and shopping outlets along the beach . By early 2010 , Universal Studios Singapore , Singapore's 2nd integrated resort will be opened with a total of 24 attractions in the park and at least 18 of them will either be original or specially designed for the new park , not forgetting the casino . Don't forget to visit the Merlion ^^
Wait a moment , did you notice what I've mentioned earlier ? YES ! Dinning and Shopping ! How could we miss out on eating and shopping ! I remember there's this television commercial promoting Hong Kong tourism saying "买东西，吃东西，买东西，吃东西". Translate it to english it means shopping , and eating , and shoping , and eating again . It's possible in Singapore as well , visit the Orchard town area ! At Orchard there are shopping centers almost everywhere you go , next to each other , for example the newly opened Ion Orchard , there's a food station located at basement 4 where there are a variety lot of food to pick from , also there's a food opera where they sell all kinds of delicious foods , chicken rice , satay , nasi lemak , roti prata . If you prefer restaurant style dining , you may head to Basement 3 , where there is western food , japanese food , chinese food etc etc . There's also Burger King , the only fast food branch in Ion Orchard . Not to your likings ? You may also travel around for more food choices , not forgetting to shop as well !
Trying to save while shopping ? No fret , visit Bugis Street =D There are also a variety of things to shop for over there , male clothings , female clothings , accessories etc etc , and it's definitely economically wise to shop there =)
Tired ? Don't forget the wonderful night life in Singapore ! Visit Charke Quay ! Clarke Quay is a historical riverside quay and a buzzing party central in Singapore, and is situated even further upstream from the mouth of the Singapore River than Boat Quay is . Presently , five blocks of restored warehouses house various restaurants and shops such as antique shops . There are also moored Chinese junks (tongkangs) that have been refurbished into floating pubs and restaurants . After saying so much , I seem to have forgotten about something . Ah ! The public transport system in Singapore ! There are 3 kinds of public transport , bus transport , rail transport and taxi transport . But I'm only going to talk about the rail transport in Singapore =)
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Rail transport , commonly known as MRT ( Mass Rapid Transit ) or LRT ( Light Rail Transit ) . To me , rail transport is very convenient , and it's also one thing I love about Singapore . The rail transport brings me to every corner of Singapore , with it , anywhere in Singapore is never too far =) As you notice that inside some of the MRT trains , they have light flashing indicating the stations you're at now and where you'll be at the next station . It also indicates the direction of the door which will be opening for the next station , green means the direction you're facing , red means the opposite direction . After I've said so much about Singapore , don't you agree that Singapore is the best destination for a holiday ? Shopping , dinning , visiting , eating , chilling , partying , everything is included ! Do you know what I love most about my country ? Hahas .. Don't be surprised , what I love most about my country is SINGLISH ! Hey I'm not being lame , don't you agree that only singaporeans speak singlish ? I've been to other countries , and whenever I speak english with slangs like "la" , "loh" , "leh" , they don't understand xD Even though it's not considered a language , but however people living in Singapore speaks this way . I grew up in Singapore , and the community I live in speaks of a lot of singlish , so if one day I were to leave for a foreign country , I think I'd miss the way I speak singlish so casually in Singapore xD I don't feel disgrace for the existance of singlish , however I'm proud of it =D
If I were to plan a perfect 1-day itinerary (day and night) for a foreign friend , I'd first bring my dearest foreign friend to Chinatown's Yum Cha Restaurant for breakfast ^^ At the same time I shall explain to my foreign friend the history of Chinatown , like why it's called "牛车水" in chinese which means buffalo-cart water etc while enjoying the mouth-watering dim sums =)
After our breakfast , I'll be bringing my foreign friend to the Sri Mariamman Temple near Chinatown . It is Singapore's oldest Hindu Temple founded in the year 1827 . Due to its architectural and historical significance , the temple has been gazetted a National Monument and is a major tourist attraction . I'd like to share with my foreign friend the hindu religious culture . In 1827 , Pillai had built a simple temple made of wood and attap . In the same year , he installed "Sinna Amman" , a small representation of the goddess Mariamman , in the temple . Mariamman is a rural South Indian mother goddess who is especially worshipped for protection against diseases . The temple is named after its principal deity , Mariamman , therefore it's called Mariamman Kovil , where Kovil means temple in tamil .
After that , I'll be bringing my foreign friend to the Forth Art Gallery located in Chinatown . I'll be bringing my foreign friend to witness the artistic productions by our local talents and practicing artists . As we finish viewing the artistics productions , I'd recommend my foreign friend to try out the bakkwa . Bakkwa is something we buy during festive seasons especially Chinese New Year . How could I miss out this opportunity to introduce the culture , history of bakkwa ?
As we talk about it , we'll be proceeding to Kampong Glam via the MRT first , and then a few minutes walk to Kampong Glam or we can take public bus =) As I bring him there , he'll be able to witness the malay culture as I show him around . I'll also be bringing him to the Malay Heritage Center to showcase the heritage, culture and history of Malay Singaporeans . Kampong Glam is derived from two Malay words . Kampong, meaning "village" or "settlement" , and Glam (or Gelam) referring to a variety of eucalyptus (Melaleuca leucadendra) which grew in the area .
As we move on to other programmes , I'll be bringing my foreign friend to visit the famous Kwan Im Temple . Why is it popular ? Kwan Im Temple remains as one of the major temples in the area , with thousands of devotees visiting the temple to pray for blessings from the Goddess . It is known for people to receive good luck after worshiping at the temple , thus making it a popular temple to visit . Most devotees visit the temple on the first or fifteenth day of Chinese New Year . On the eve of Chinese New Year , the temple is opened all night and the street is packed with devotees praying to the Goddess for an auspicious start to the New Year . The temple is well known for its divination activity . Qian or divining sticks which are wooden sticks with writing on it , are placed in a brass can and shaken . These cans have been resounding in the temple since 1884 . When such sticks fallout , they are interpreted to tell one's future . In 1990 , the temple was the first in Singapore to provide divination slips in English for English-educated devotees and visitors . An alternative name for the temple is "Guan Yin Tong Temple" . I'm sure there's something we want to pray for , let's hope that our prayers will be answered there .
Feeling tired ? No way ! As we move on , we'll be going to Bugis Street to .. SHOP ! Ain't this word strong enough to ignite your soul to set you shopping ? We'll be able to get some refreshments there as well . If we feel hungry , fret not , there's a lot of food stores around , fast food , restaurants , almost everything , as bugis junction is just opposite . In Bugis Junction , there's this area where the water dances with pattern . Dance with the water , but please don't get yourself wet . If you're feeling bored , you may head down to Virtual Land to use the computer to play games or chat with your relatives abroad , or head to the arcade and have some fun ! Make sure you don't burn a hole in your pocket , as around evening time , we'll be heading to Orchard town area to continue shopping ! Once again we'll be taking the MRT , towards Somerset station . Why not Orchard station ? As there's a lot of shopping centers around , we can start hopping from Somerset station , it's along the way anyway ! Branded labels , formal wear , casual wear , delectable cuisine , accessories , for men or women , we have EVERYTHING there ! We'll have to stop shopping and arrive at Ion Orchard by 8pm . Then we'll either visit the food station where there'll be many delicacies , have our dinner at the food opera or any restaurant of your favour .
After dinner , we'll be heading towards the Esplanade to explore it's wonders . It's design is well known as "The Durian" , isn't it unique ? The building was designed by two architectural firms working in conjunction : by DP Architects (DPA) of Singapore and the London-based Michael Wilford & Partners (MWP) , although the latter left the project in May 1995 . The original design , presented to the public in 1994 , consisted of unadorned glass cases over the theaters , and initially elicited criticisms from the public , including calling it "two copulating aardvarks" . Critics also accused that the design is insensitive to Singapore's location and climate as it would have created a greenhouse in the tropical climate of Singapore , but according to DPA director Vikas Gore some form of shading was always intended , and a cladding of aluminum sunshades was added to the final design . The unique architectural design has been said to have an appearance similar to either a durian (a tropical fruit) or the eyes of a fly . However , many Singaporeans casually refer to the Esplanade as "The Durian" , maybe beccause Singaporeans love to eat durian ? Hahas . After that , I'll be bringing my foreign friend towards Clark Quay , at the same time witnessing the beautiful night view of Singapore . At the same time I can also bring him to see our original merlion , located near Fullerton Hotel . As we set our foot on Clark Quey , that would be our final destination of the day . We'll be able to enjoy night life there , like visitng pubs (depending on our age) , playing bungee jump etc etc . After that , it's home sweet home . There's no place better than home , and I'm glad that Singapore is my homeland .
Indulge in the Uniquely Singapore experience .
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