Photo from Top News
For many years, the word "Singapore" shows up in local newspapers mainly when there are comparisons with Hong Kong, such as port ranking, living standard ranking, happiness ranking, GDP ranking, most-livable-place-on-world ranking.
Now, because of the incidents in Bangkok, a top-ranked Hong Kong traveller-cum-shoppers' hotspot, travel agencies are changing strategy to promote Singapore and other countries like Taiwan to make up for their loss.
Just type the word "Singapore" into the search engine in theStandard.com.hk and I found many news regarding travel. I have put a few below under resources, read up if you are interested.
Now, why would you be interested in Singapore? Many of my students told me that they found Singapore excruciatingly dull. Well, of course!!! Because if you want shopping malls, Hong Kong has. If you want variety of products and goods, Hong Kong has. If you want magnificent sea-views, mountain views or village views, Hong Kong has. If you want international food, Hong Kong has it all! Then why Singapore?
To answer why, first answer what -- what do you want to see in Singapore?
In this article, I will only talk about the places I personally remember well, so if you are looking for the new Universal Studio and casino on Sentosa Island, I'm sorry, you won't find them here.
Ready? Here we go!
From SMRT
Locky's Top 10 Photo Shooting Places in Singapore
Photo from FoodStalker
- Merlion@ Merlion Park near Marina Bay (South of Singapore) Harbour view? Checked! Huge statue? Checked! Good lighting? Checked! Symbolic enough to prove you have visited Singapore? Checked! A very nice little place to hang out with friends and definitely cool place to take pictures day and night.
- The Esplanade -- Theatres on the Bay@Marina Bay (South of Singapore) From the Merlion Park, you can easily spot a durian-like looking structure, definitely symbolizes Singaporean's fondness of the King of Fruit. Locals call it "the Durian" or "the Big Durian" too! Great architecture and memory-storage killer both in and out.
- Raffles Place@Raffles Place (South of Singapore) Named after the modern founder of Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles, located in the heart of the Central Area, it is a place to see how modern architecture, history and art are brilliantly orchestrated. Air-spaces are maximized to provide constant flow of very fresh and clean air. Little space is wasted. Traffic is never too far away but noise is blocked off by skyscrapers, leaving the area peaceful and comfortable. Its wonderful city-planning is something that Hong Kong should really learn from.
- Lau Pa Sat@ near Raffles Place (South of Singapore) Not far away from the Central Area, you find Telok Ayer Market, or most commonly known as Lau Pa Sat, a food court that was once a market, a jetty and a wooden building. Now, it has become a symbol of food court culture in Singapore. If you haven't visited this place, you can't say you know Singapore. The food there wasn't great when I was studying in Singapore, but what I really like, is the interior design of this place, absolutely Victorian! Just look at the design of those poles in the above picture! So detailed! So elegant! I love the dome part the most, look at how all those steel bars forms the shape of the roof! Looks like a wicker hat, doesn't it?
- Suntec City Mall@City Hall (South of Singapore) Well, we have lots of shopping mall in Hong Kong too, but it is the fountain that makes this one special -- The Fountain of Wealth. You can definitely get some great pictures here!
- Bugis Junction@Bugis (South of Singapore) Oooh! This is my favourite street in Singapore. You know how hot it is there, but this fully air-conditioned glass covered shopping street is smoke-free and environmental friendly, as it makes use of the natural sunlight. And the best part is, it has combined culture and shopping together! Conservation and business co-exist!!! Hong Kong, have you learnt anything?
- Clarke Quay@ Clarke Quay (South of Singapore) Now if you think Bugis Junction is the only place that Singaporean government shows her thoughts, Clarke Quay has to be the best example of huge success in turning stone into gold. Conservations make money! Yeah, a whole lot! This riverside quay is not only packed with history, but also pubs and bistros, visitors come pouring in every single day and it is already great just to watch these people dine. Unbelievable atmosphere! You call it romantic, it is romantic. You call it warm and friendly, you got it! I have never dined there, because of the price, but my friends loved a pub called "Hooters" there, or maybe they just love those girls there.
- East Coast Park@Changi to Tanjong Rhu (East of Singapore) A quiet side of Singapore is the East side, a 20km long beach with no particularly smooth sand, but lots of freedom and lots of fun. I like this place because you can see blue sky, green coconut trees (be very careful), the sea, the skaters, the secondary students building team-spirits and the kids running and dashing in and out of the water. What I don't like is the sight of cargo ships almost everywhere you look. Well... you can't have the cake and eat it, right? There are lots of seafood restaurants too. Never tried any though.
- Little India@Little Indian (South of Singapore) Okay, you might not like the smell, but like I always say, we smell too, so do not discriminate. What's better than visiting "two countries" when you only pay a ticket to go to one? Little India is definitely a place to get a feeling of Indian culture and grab souvenirs for your friends. Singapore isn't always about crispy pork, you know?
- Sentosa@Sentosa (South of Singapore) Well, coming last on the top 10, is usually a place that comes first in another person's list. Why do I put it last? Because I didn't enjoy it there much. You won't if you do not stay in the hotel on this island. Why not? Because you will be afraid to get sand into your shoes, and to run around and get all sweaty and have to wait till you get back to the hotel to shower. I used many "and"s, so you can feel how frustrated I am with this place. Still, it is a place you must visit, fame or not fame. I guess time has changed now. You get a lot play and gamble to do here. So, before I visit Sentosa again, it
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Photo from thedora.com
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Photo from newworldeconomics
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Photo from Living Together Blog
Photo from Earth Documentary
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Photo from About.com
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Photo from Gee!Bee@flickr
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Photo from Keropokman's Singapore Daily Photo
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Photo from Asia in Asia
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Photo from telegraph.co.uk
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Photo from Virtual Tourist
Other places you might consider: Orchard Road, Jurong Bird Park, Chinese Garden, Chinatown.
Next Entry:
Locky's Top 10 Food in Singapore
Vocabulary:
excruciatingly -- (adv) extremely boring or embarrassing, extremely painful
orchestrate -- (vb) [T often passive] to arrange or write a piece of music so that it can be played by an orchestra, used as a metaphors here.
jetty -- (n) [C] a wooden or stone structure which is built in the water at the edge of a sea or lake and is used by people getting on and off boats
dome -- (n) [C] a rounded roof on a building or a room, or a building with such a roof
bistro -- (n) [C] a small informal restaurant or bar, especially in France or in a French style
hooters -- (plural n) US Slang a woman's breasts. This sense is considered offensive.
Resources:
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=36&art_id=96991&sid=27749672&con_type=1&d_str=20100416&sear_year=2010
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=97136&sid=27788272&con_type=1&d_str=20100420&sear_year=2010
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=36&art_id=97293&sid=27832933&con_type=1&d_str=20100423&sear_year=2010
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merlion_Park
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esplanade_-_Theatres_on_the_Bay
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raffles_place
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lau_Pa_Sat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suntec_City_Mall
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountain_of_Wealth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugis_Junction
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarke_Quay
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentosa
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2009/03/proverb-you-cant-have-your-cake-and-eat.html
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/excruciating
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/orchestrate_1#orchestrate_1__3
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/dome
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/bistro#bistro__3
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/hooter_3#hooter_3__3
