Sentosa Island
Went there in '99, but not during this trip. Now, what did we do in Sentosa? Oh, right, there was that cable car ride. Which may have been good if I hadn't been fighting the urge to jump off (does this happen to anyone else?) And that underwater aquarium- which looks like plastic, and no, not half so pretty as in the pictures. Actually I'd have even settled for quarter as pretty, but no. Then that dancing fountain- now you seriously don't want to see another dancing fountain, do you?
Christmas Lights on Orchard Road
We went to see the famed Orchard Road Christmas Light-up almost as soon as we got off the flight. So big disappointment. First indoctrination into the Way of the Singapore Goverment: Hype. It wasn't all bad, though. I espied Borders and also the Apple Centre- useful for future reference. Besides, our guide on the open top 'Hippo Tour' bus was quite funny, and tried to get everyone to play 'Hippo Idol'. The winner, he announced, would get a 'limited edition' duck.
Night Safari
Most synthetic, orchestrated, fake tourist attraction you could ever hope to visit. Even in Singapore. The whole place is designed to look like an African jungle lodge. Contributing to the atmosphere were wire-gauze-and-serial-light beasts of the jungle, and attendants in lungis. Oh, also Haagen Dazs. So, here's what happens. You pays an extortionate S$ 28 for a night safari by train through (how exciting) Himalayan terrain, marshland, Malayan jungle, etc. You may or may not get to see what you've come to see: animals. Whatever animals we saw looked drugged (Now we know what S'pore does with all the narcotics it seizes). A couple of vultures looked stuffed. And the tigers there have been adopted by (you'll never guess) Tiger Balm! As a bonus, you get to see a show called 'Creatures of the night', where said Creatures of the night-Otters, *insert here creature with unpronounceable Malay name* and a python (they're nocturnal, really?).
Singapore Metal and Gems Factory
The moment you see row upon row of tourist buses, you know it's time to do an about turn and flee as quickly as possible. They sell here anything semi-precious stone. Lapis-la-zuli globes, ugly 'paitings' of birds, (some of these have lights which glow when you go near them and clap. They also make twittering noises.) chess sets, jade sculptures, jewellery etc. Our fellow Indian tourists are mightily impressed. Everyone's busy taking photographs. My mother overheard one Bengali tourist remark that buying just one item from the place would give her jeebon mukti. We manage to choose the least ugly piece available and run.
Boat Ride on the Singapore River
More like a canal really. Go, if you want a very scratchy and disembodied voice point out to you the landmarks of Singapore such as the Merlion (that ugly thing that spouts water from its mouth we've all seen in pictures- only its uglier in the flesh) and S'pore's only suspension bridge (barely 100m across). You also get to see a different view of the skyscrapers you've already seen from the road. Don't gag.
Takashimaya
You wont be able to buy anything, unless you're super-duper rich. But do go to Kinokuniya bookstore, and the food court in the basement. More on that later.
HMV Megastore
I went expecting great things- utterly, utterly disappinted. Even Landmark here would have a better movie collection. But I did find some CD box set at an unbelievable price of 5 for Rs.500. So, not entirely wasted, I suppose.
Komala Vilas
Yes, yes it's a legend and all that. But sadly, standards have fallen- the food tastes awful. It's the South Indian version of McD, and a none too clean one at that. For good South Indian food, go to Raj Cafe down the road from Mustafa. Clean, affordable and friendly service too!
Jurong Bird Park
The flamingoes were pretty, but otherwise can't think of anything nice to say about it.
Don't try the new Godiva Chocolate drink. It's a complete waste of Godiva chocolate.
Don't go at all- unless you want to shop. In the end, it's all about the shopping. Not the sightseeing.
So what to do in Singapore, apart from shopping, you ask? Next post.
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22 comments:
As usual, your post is extra-ordinary by posting what not to see in singapore. Keep it up Nina, and btw thanks a million ton for linking to my blog, your rock.
P.S Do you have MSN?
Aww come on .. u r being very mean to the poor city :)) It's not that bad either!
I went to Singapore in 1999, my first trip abroad, and I saw very little but I think I did see the dancing fountain. I exactly have the same question: What do you do there?
Chrono: thanks, and you're welcome :) no, i don't have msn for this id, sorry. You can email me if you like.
Shruthi: It IS that bad- the place doesn't seem to have any character of its own.
Mridula: In S'pore you shop, and you eat. And avoid tourist traps.
U came to S'pore hoping to do something other than shopping? places like Malaysia and Thailand have so much more to offer (at much better prices) for the tourists. Agree that S'pore is a lot of hype. Further, S'pore is a strict no-no for somebody who has already been there once.
Guess the musical fountain underwent a makeover after 99. Haven't even heard of the metal factory till now. Hv hardly seena anybody using the open top hippo tours...they started this recently after seeing the popularity of the ones in NY and London. were u conned by somebody into taking the open top tour?
I guess u are referring to Komalas and not Komalas Vilas. The food may not be yummy, but you atleast have the option of getting good South Indian & veg food. Even I complain about Komalas, but after travelling to other global cities, I have come to realize that S'pore offer much better options for desis (especially vegetarians).
Raj is just Ok but not all that great. Happened to taste some Uthapam's there and realized that they were using coconut oil instead of the regular oil used by other Southie restaurants.
Do come back when the casino opens :-)
Kaps: Even I'm not sure why we came to Singapore. And it was the fourth time for my parents :) Shopping wasn't very high on the agenda, but that's all we ended up doing. Had hoped to explore S'pore a bit- walk around, take the MRT...but that didn't happen.
You haven't heard of the gems factory because you aren't a tourist, as simple as that :) And the hippo tours- we'd heard great things about the lights on Orchard road.
I thought the food at Raj was quite good. Better than Komalas & Saravana Bhavan, and I didn't find any coconut oil in their food.
I understand your frustration as a tourist, but in a one city country, what more did you expect, especially considering you'd seen the place before?! the place aint that bad .. shopping and the expensive malls r a bit out of reach agreed, but thr's some fun stuff to do if u really wanna get out of the usual touristy stuff.
and I believe Raj restaurant on s'goon road has a rather low rating (for cleanliness and hygiene) .. FYI..
Anon: Agreed, can't really expect much. Why is Raj getting so much flak. I distinctly remember seeing a rating of 'A' at Raj- isn't that the highest the govt. gives? It was a B for Komalas and Saravana didn't display theirs.
I'm sure there's fun stuff to do, except it's so hard to find out what.
Nina,
The grading is given for the cleanliness and hygience and it has nothing to do with the taste. Raj and Saravana Bhavan should definitely be A. Komalas Fast Food should be an A, but am not too sure about the rating for the old Komalas.
Did u try the reverse bungee jump?
Kaps: Yes, I know the ratings are for hygiene. Tried reverse bungee- it was cool. Got over too soon, I thought :)
One of the best posts i ve come across!
Undoubtedly, the best thing about singapore is its proximity to better tourist attractions like M'sia, Ind'sia and thailand. Nothing to do here, really. Sorry to hear that u fell for the marketing campaigns..
Apparently the beach sand n Sentosa was imported frm Australia..Do appreciate it the next time u come!
CC: thanks, am not coming back, not for a long time :)
I went to Singapore in 2001, my first trip abroad, on my way to the US. I was there for 4-5 days and check out probably all the places which feature in the list!! But that was enough for me and I really don't have any inclination to go back. I don't hate the place but i'm not particularly fond of it either.
Singapore to me is like an amusement park, too much glitz and glam and nothing on the character quotient. It's a little too clean and orderly. Kills the bounce and the buzz of the country.
However, the city state does serve as a good jump off point to other countries in SEAsia.
Hi Nina,
I think there is a grave mistake done on posting wrong information.
Komala's is different from Komala Vilas. Komala Vilas is on Serangoon Road and is a legend by itself feeding the millions who have visited since the beginning back in 1947.
Koamla's is the new baby but already 10 and has 5 outlets and is having it's brand franchised outside Singapore. The grade given is for cleanliness and hygiene standards and is "A" at all outlets. Hope it clears the facts.
You've bungee-jumped! My life's ambition is to go bungee-jumping once at least. They had it at B'lore once, but it didn't look high enough for a first go. I keep fantasizing of golden-gate-type bridges and steep temple-of-doom-type valleys to jump offa. Hope...
But shit, Singapore sounds horrible. Will avoid.
Dear Nina
There's a saying that goes "Be a traveller, not a tourist". Your post really makes me laugh. Do you know why? Because like most other people, you walk right into a tourist trap.
Singapore is a city, and going there to find nature and stuff is just laughable. Everything is man-made in Singapore. And what do you expect of a city the size of a tiny dot? The Ganges? The Nile?
What I suggest doing in Singapore: -
1. See the Singaporean lifestyle by going into the heartlands, where Singaporeans live. This is where you will see the 'real' Singapore.
And I bet you it is definitely different than in India. The shopping's cheaper too.
2. Eat not at Komala's. Venture into the 24 hour eating places doting around the island and you will get the 'real' food. Yes, even South Indian ones. Try the hawker centres in the heartlands.
3. Indulge in the 3 major cultures - Chinese, Malay and Indian. I know your are from India, but Indians in Singapore are, I think, distinctively different.
4. The Botanical Gardens for the Orchids. This is a speciality as Singapore is a major breeding centre for Orchids. Some you might not even see elsewhere.
5. Trekking at McRitchie Reservoir or Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. McRitchie has a suspension bridge above the treetops at the end of the trek.
A tip: If you don't see a Singaporean doing it, you shouldn't be doing it! Nuff said.
for your info, at Raj we use on Sunflower oil to prepare all our food and not coconut oil. Secondly we have a "'A" grade for cleanliness, which we pride ourselves on. owner
check
http://visitesingapur.blogspot.com
agreed that its more of a hype.
but it isnt so bad to crib...
what they have done to attract toursists is simply gr8.
such a tiny country and they have done wonders. tho most of it is man-made.
nowhere in the world i have come across a zoo or a bird park like that in singapore!!
with so many tourists there is so much safety and cleanliness etc etc - any comments on that??
come jan 2009 and singapore would be taking another 10 steps into the future!!!
hats off to singapore. :)
Well, if it wern't for your title, it might seem as though you're trying to "slam" Singapore. If you think about it, Singapore has been independent for only about 42 years. Within that time frame, it has become one of the better nations around, ahead of other countries that had a lot more time to grow, esp in Asia.
This country is too young to have a rich history, and with our multi racial population living in harmony, it might be a bit hard to deciper what is going on sometimes as a foreigner. Although so, our local languange "singlish' encomprises of english, chinese dilects, malay, tamil, and some others. But don't forget, we were involved in World War 2 and was occupied by the Japanese. The merlion is part of Singapore's history. Nina shrugs it off as the ugly statue, while complaining that Singapore has NO character, very overeducated with a open mind i must say.
Quote:
"The lion head represents the lion spotted by Prince Sang Nila Utama when he re-discovered Singapura in 11 AD, as recorded in the "Malay Annals". The fish tail of the Merlion symbolises the ancient city of Temasek (meaning “sea” in Javanese) by which Singapore was known before the Prince named it “Singapura” (meaning “lion” (singa) “city” (pura) in Sanskrit), and represents Singapore’s humble beginnings as a fishing village."
There's some interesting stuff around as a result. Unless you're into clubbing, we have a fantastic nightlife. We have a zoo which is apparently one of the best in the world, which should not be missed. If the reader (that you) shares the same mindset as Nina, and wants everything to be all natrual, don't bother visiting Singapore's zoo, or any zoo at all. Make your way to a safari in Africa, or take a expedition hike though the rainforests of Brazil.
It's a fantastic crib, and the people are wealthy. A merc s350 / bmw 730 costs USD $180k. And you see them all over the roads, heck, the toyota vios costs a nice $35k USD. This is an indicator of how prosperous SG is. If you can't afford a car, well sorted out public transport system gets you to almost everywhere with ease.
It's not lousy, if u were expecting something more like a deep chinese culture, then sadly you were misinformed, and you didn't even bother doing any reasearch before booking the trip. It has always been well known that Singapore is a shop, eat, and relax country. A country where you don't have to worry about gettin mugged in the middle of the night. Gaurav, if you feel having the fear of being robbed and killed gives u a buzz, you should be in somalia. I'd rather stay alive and keep my posessions, thank you, and I'd believe most people has the same sentiment. Order is hard to achieve and maintain, so appreciate it. I've resided in the US and currently reside in Australia (Back in SG for holiday). Have traveled to some parts of europe, uk, and most of Asia. Maybe it's the fact that i grew up here, cause as the saying goes, "There's no place like home"
Refer to post dated: July 18, 2006 11:17 PM for tips for what to do.
LOL!
Hey guys, tell me about it! I've been studying here since the past 2 years and will be here another 5 years. :)
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