Designed and crafted by Mr. Lim Nang Seng, it was officially installed in
the year 1972, by Prime Minister, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew. The Merlion is a popular
tourist attraction and the promontory it's situated on offers excellent views
and photo opportunities of the Marina Bay and the silhouette of the city's
skyline, including One Fullerton and the Esplanade.
To get there, you can…
Take the MRT to Raffles Place Station, then walk. It's near the Fullerton
Hotel.
Raffles Statue.
The statue of Singapore's founder, Sir Stamford Raffles, is situated at the
spot where he was believed to have first come ashore. The site offers excellent
views of the Boat Quay and Raffles Place.
To get there, you can…
Take the MRT to Raffles Place Station, then walk, it's near the North Boat
Quay
The War Memorial.
A tribute to the people who died during the Second World War, this memorial
stands near the City Hall MRT station. The Japanese occupied Singapore for
three years from 1942 to 1945 and during this time, many civilians died in
the brutal occupation by the Japanese Imperial Army. The memorial is comprised
of four white columns and reaches some 230 feet into the sky.
To get there, you can…
Take the MRT to City Hall station, it's a short walk away from there.
The Esplanade.
The current performing arts center for Singapore, the Esplanade was opened
in the year 2002 and contains a 1600 seat concert hall, a 2000 seat theater,
outdoor performing spaces and a 3 level mall. Traditionally, the area it's
situated in; the Esplanade had always been associated with leisure and relaxation,
the brand new arts center is therefore a cultural focus for modern times.
To get there, you can…
Take the MRT to the nearest station, City Hall. And after that, you're on
your own.
Address:60 Raffles Venue, Singapore 039800
Tel: 6332-0774
Fax: 6337-3633
Website: www.esplanade.com.sg
Sri Mariamman Temple.
Singapore's oldest Hindu temple is always a popular destination for visitors
to Singapore. A traditional Hindu design complete with a myriad of ornate
and colourful statues and statuettes as well as the striking and beautifully
decorated pagoda shaped "gopurams" signifying the gates of heaven.
It is a focus of the Hindu religion. Like most places of worship, visitors
are advised to be respectful and polite while visiting, it's also mandatory
to remove your shoes before entering.
To get there, you can…
Take the MRT to City Hall, and then take a bus, 61, 103, 166 or 197 from
the nearby North Bridge Road, easier to just grab a taxi though…
Address: 244, South Bridge Road, Singapore 058793
Tel: 6223-4064
Thian Hock Keng Temple
The oldest Hokkien temple in Singapore, the design of the temple is a stunning
example of Chinese architecture with intricately designed and illustrated
columns, reliefs and friezes. The temple has it's roots back in the early
19th century and contain priceless relics from mainland China reputed to be
several hundred years old. Note that the temple building itself was constructed
without the use of any nails.
To get there, you can…
Take the MRT to Tanjong Pagar Station and walk from there.
Address: 158 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 048613
Tel: 6423-4616
Sultan Mosque
Built in 1928, the design of this mosque is heavily influenced by Moorish
architecture, with its distinctive minarets and domes. A spectacularly designed
building, the mosque offers excellent photo opportunities from within and
without. The Muslim faith highly values modesty, so dress appropriately on
the grounds and even more so within the mosque itself.
To get there, you can…
Take the MRT to Bugis MRT Station, the Mosque is close to the nearby North
Bridge Road.
Address: 3, Muscat Street, 198833 Singapore
Tel: 6293-4405
St. Andrews Cathedral
Built in 1856 by a Colonel Ronald Macpherson, a beautiful, very "traditional"
looking building, St Andrews Cathedral was built on the site of another demolished
church. Guided tours are available as well as a video presentation of the
Church's history. A Visitors Center on site offers a display of old artifacts.
To get there, you can…
Take the MRT to City Hall Station, the cathedral is right above it.
Address: Coleman Street, Singapore 179802
Tel: 6337-6104
Other famous landmarks is Singapore include the historic and architecturally
spectacular Raffles and Fullerton Hotels, the Convent of The Holy Infant Jesus,
The Merlion Park and the Singapore River Tour.
Popular Attractions
Singapore Botanical Gardens
Strikingly beautiful to experience with a combination of "wild"
primary forests, and gardens dedicated to specific flowers and plants, the
Botanical Gardens spans an area of some 52 hectares, that's a lot of ground
to cover, but surrounded by such natural magnificence, you'll probably hardly
notice it. The highlight is probably the National Orchid Garden where some
20,000 orchid specimens from around the world are displayed, beside the orchids
there are virtually thousands of other plant and flower species on display.
To get there, you can…
Take the MRT to Orchard Station, then from there take the 7, 105, 106, 123
or 174 bus
Address: Cluny Road, Singapore 259569
Tel: 1-800-6-471-7300
Fax: 6475-4295
Website: www.sbg.org.sg
The Zoological Gardens
Spread out over an area of some 70 acres, the Singapore Zoological Gardens
has its roots in the 1960's withdrawal of the British garrison stationed at
Singapore, leaving behind their pets. The modern day Zoo however was officially
opened in 1973 and is currently home to some 3000 "residents". The
tram services and tours make it easy and educational for the visitor to experience
the sights and sounds of the Zoo, this is complemented by the entertainment
provided by the various animal shows on offer.
Night Safari (Zoological Gardens)
For those that want to see animals at night. The night safari takes an average
of about 3 hours to complete, and 8 different geographical zones are represented.
The zones include; the African Savannah, the South-East Asian Rainforest,
Nepalese River Valley and the South American Pampas. There are over 1200 animals
on display from some 110 species. Visitors board a tram and tour the zoo under
simulated natural moonlight.
To get there, you can…
Take the MRT to Choa Chu Kang Station, when you get there, take the number:
927, alternatively go to Ang Mo Kio Station instead and take bus number 138.
Address: 80, Mandai Lake Road, Singapore 729826
Tel: 6269-3411
Fax: 6367-2974
Website www.zoo.com.sg
Haw Par Villa
Was built by a traditional medicine and newspaper magnate, by the name of
Aw Boon Haw, Mr. Haw's flagship product was a soothing (but very, err…
aromatic) balm, called Tiger Balm. Hence Haw Par Villa's other name "Tiger
Balm Garden". The Garden houses a large, fascinating and very striking
collection of statues and dioramas depicting the various stories, tales and
legends of Chinese folklore, intended to impress upon the overseas Chinese
the richness of their parent heritage. Mr. Aw was said to have taken a very
personal interest in the meticulous rendering of the statues making sure it
would have the desired effect.
To get there, you can…
Take the MRT to Buona Vista Station and take the number 200 bus, alternatively
take the number 10,30 or 188 from World Trade Center, 143 from Orchard Road
or 51 from Chinatown.
Address: 262, Pasir Panjang Road, Singapore 118628
Tel: 6872-2780
Fax: 6872-2694
Email: orientmgt@pacific.net.sg
Jurong Birdpark
A vast collection of 8,000 birds await the nature lover at this park, constructed
to simulate the natural habitats of the avians, the park, which measures some
20.2 hectares, has separate enclosures and separate "themes", where
birds from different regions of the world are housed in their specific enclosures.
Highlights include the "Fuji World of Hawks" show and the bird shows
at the Pools Amphitheatre. Visitors can opt to go for comfort and convenience
by boarding the park-wide "Panorail" system or rough it and walk.
To get there, you can…
Take the MRT to Boon Lay Station, then take the number 194 or 251 buses there.
Address: 2, Jurong Hill, Singapore 628925
Tel: 6265-0022
Fax: 6261-1869
Website: www.birdpark.com.sg
OK, besides these, there's a plethora of other places to go and things to
do… For a comprehensive and very detailed write ups of these and many
other attractions in Singapore go to the Singapore Tourism site here: http://us.visitsingapore.com/frameset.asp
