Singapore Sling

Fire Show at Safari Zoo
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So much to see, where do I start? My advice to anyone visiting Singapore is to head for the nearest MRT station & purchase an EZ Link card & get a map of the rail network - transport is for nothing! As my 2 travel companions Sinead & Jeanna (that will be with me for a month) only having arrived on Thu PM I tried to hold off on some of the experiences that we could share first-time together (Night Zoo, Raffles Hotel for Singapore Slings etc), so I found myself doing a lot of things I might not have bothered with otherwise. Getting your barings doesn't take long - once you head out of any of the main MRT stations you find yourself wandering aimlessy and coming across something of interest.

We're going to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo!
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What have I seen so far?

Chijmes is a historical building that I believe used to be a convent - it is now a multi purpose hall with lots of nice places to eat & drink - a must to see if you are in Singapore. Best to go at night when it is all lit up.

Temples can be found everywhere - some very bizarre with all sorts of rituals going on inside. The pictures I have taken are from Kwan Im Temple & Sri Krishnan Temple on Waterloo Road which I believe are Chinese and Hindu respectively.

Chinatown at Night
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Hawker Centres are an experience not to be missed. Together with food courts, they are the main eating choice for people when dining out. A hawker centre is never too far away in Singapore, with a meal costing on average $S6 (EURO 3).The most well known Hawker centre in Singapore is Newton Circus where I went to eat with my friends the night after they arrived. Do not miss this, especially if you are a seafood lover. It was here we sampled stingray and squid amongst other interesting dishes. Jeanna's brother has been living in Singapore for the last six years so it was great to have an expert on hand when making our food choices! You should also try carrot cake when in Singapore but beware - it is not what you would expect!

Enjoying a beer at the Arab Quarter
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The food choice in food courts throughout the city are usually indoors and air conditioned and tend to be more cosmopolitian than the traditional hawker centres - they usually offer Italian, Korean & Japanese cuisine.

A day trip to Sentosa Island is also worth it but a little too commerical for my liking. You can reach Sentosa in a matter of minutes from the Harbour MRT stop via bus, monorail (S$3 / euro 1.50) or cable car.

Some other highlights over the last few days have included having dinner and browsing the markets in Chinatown at night-time (really pretty - meal & beer averages around $S12 / EUR 6).

Durian Fruit we sampled from locals
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Browsing the plush shops on Orchard Road and the market stalls at Bugis street market (more my budget being a backpacker ;) are also worth a look.

A trip to the Night Safari Zoo is also worth it if you have time. I also took in a bungboat ride from Boat Quay which gave a nice view of the city at night.

I also went to the Jurong Bird Park one afternoon. Not being over enthusiastic about birds I didn't get over excited here. However I was impressed with the Eagle Hawk show which was held in an outdoor auditorium. When the main guy asked for a volunteer and some 100 odd people shot there hand up including me, I was surprised when I was chosen. Needless to say I was crapping myself when I got down to him and he proceeded to put a glove on my hand & put a piece of meat in it. Next thing an eagle flew down and landed on my hand - ok so it was a small one but it still counts..check out my pics to see the terrified look on my face!

Water houses locals live in
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Little India, which is the area I have been staying in can get pretty chaotic in the evening with lots of locals loitering on the sides of the street - the noise is incredible at times! Needless to say great curry can be sampled here and it was here I found a great pub called the Prince of Wales - lots of like minded backpackers hang out there.

The Arab Quarter, which we stumbled upon by accident yesterday is beautiful. Be sure to visit a shop called Grandfathers Collections if you are there - it is such a random shop! The streets in the Arab Quarter are very pretty and it is a nice place to sit out and relax with a beer - which we done :)

Durian Fruit
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I also took in two museums - Changi Prison Museum and the Asian Civilisation Museum. I wouldn't really recommend either unless you are into your history.

So as you can see it has been an action packed time here in Singapore with lots of long days and not so many late nights! The craziest we got was last Saturday night when we ended up in a place famously known as "Four Floors of Whores"! We made it as far as the first floor where we figured we were safe to have some beers &  a dance but didn't make it any further...maybe next time!

Singapore Slings at Raffles Hotel
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For those that are interested there are more photos of my time here on my flickr page.

We are taking a bus later this afternoon to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia which will take 5hrs & I am glad to be finally leaving. We plan on spending a night or two there before heading over to Langkawi for some serious sun-bathing....it's a tough life but someone has to do it ;)