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Author - graham

Late Traveller and facilitator looking forward to sharing my travel journey as I backpack around South East Asia and maybe the world.

Clarke Quay

September 29, 20181 min read

Clarke Quay

Ask any local in Singapore, and they will likely mention Clarke Quay. This vibrant area is known for its numerous bars, restaurants, and occasional clubs, creating a lively atmosphere filled with colour, music, enticing food aromas, and a unique energy.

However, if you’re on a budget, keep in mind it can be quite expensive to visit. While the food is exceptional and world-class, it can also strain your finances. Even if you can’t splurge, taking a stroll around the bars to soak up the atmosphere and watching the river cruises go by is well worth the trip.

Plenty of activities are available, and further down past the bars, you can find green spaces where you can relax and observe the world. If you enjoy people-watching, find a cosy corner in one of the many bars, grab a coffee, and watch as day turns into night.

You’ll see locals and tourists alike, some stopping for a quick drink as the evening sets in, while others may be jogging past the crowd of visitors and workers along the riverside.

oppo_0

Fort Canning

September 29, 20181 min read

Part of the 19th-century fortifications to protect Singapore, Fort Canning was built on top of a hill overseeing the coastal port and was home to both European and Indian soldiers.

It is a wonderful place to visit, as the gardens provide shade from the city heat. I went there around lunchtime, and except for a few people taking breaks from work to enjoy the greenery and some tourists like myself, it was quite deserted. This allowed me to stroll around slowly and appreciate the peaceful surroundings. Additionally, there is a battle box, an underground military site that was used during World War II.

It is situated in the heart of the city, with the famous shopping area of Orchard Road on one side and the river-lined bars of Clarke Quay down the other side.

Chinatown Heritage Centre

September 29, 20182 min read

Chinatown

Holidays are about visiting new and exciting places, some local to us, others far away. If you are like me, then visiting faraway places intrigues me because of their culture, beliefs and customs, as well as their History.

History

Being English comes with its own set of challenges when visiting other countries; whether it is the recent history of our place in the region or from a long time ago, we have certainly left our mark on the landscape virtually everywhere.
So, whatever your views on the subject, learning about the history of the place you visit is always a good point of interest, and none other than what I found in Chinatown in Singapore.
Nestled in between the many shops and market stalls as you walk down Pagoda St is a 3-story building that houses possibly the best historical treasures in the world!

(okay that is my opinion, but it is definitely a place to visit)

For S$15 about £8.50 you can lose yourself for a couple of hours (yes, really, almost 2 hours) by visiting the history of SG. From its origins as a colony of the East India Shipping Company to the present day, it charts the progress Singapore has made, the people that made it what it is today and how they all came to be integrated into a part of the world that at first seemed so far removed from their homelands.

Learn about the trials and tribulations of many types of residents that came to settle in SG and how they lived, worked and prospered. How they overcame many barriers and found themselves in a new world, where dreaming of returning home rich and prosperous quickly turned to despair for many. Yet they survived and helped build the foundations of what we see in Singapore today.

All of this is accompanied by your very own smart device where you can listen as you go around to the narration of each part of the dwelling and the history of Chinatown.

TIP OF THE POST


Take your camera, as they allow you to take photos- just not flash or video- but it is well worth it.

Marina Bay Sands

September 28, 20182 min read

I’m on a budget, which unfortunately means I can’t afford to stay here, as room rates start at around S$500 per night. However, for about S$23 (approximately £13), you can enjoy the view and at least dream of experiencing the luxury of staying at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. You can book your tickets at the lower-level reception.

It does get busy so pick the right time to go, although they are in no rush to get you to leave, so enjoy the surroundings and you can get a drink for the little counter on the viewing area as well as access to toilets, and if you are lucky (although they say you cannot) you may be asked if you want to get a drink at the bar.

This is apparently only for people who pay to sit there ( book from the main reception) which you pay to redeem against the bar drinks, however when we went my cousin was asked if we wanted to sit in the bar, I assume it will depend on space, so if you really want to experience the seated bar area, you will have to pay the extra to guarantee a place.

Coke float available from the viewing 

TIP OF THE POST

“If you are like me and just want to see the view, then go for the cheaper option and stand around the viewing area. still worth it for the view, which is better if you are not afraid of heights and can get close to the edge to get a good photo :)”

September, 2018

Singapore F1 Grand Prix- Day 2

September 28, 20181 min read

Full of excitement from yesterday, Saturday promised to be even more amazing, and it didn’t disappoint.

From an extra practice session where Ferrari took a commanding lead to qualifying, which put Mercedes and Louis Hamilton on Pole for the main race, to then watching Liam Gallagher Live and the headlining act, The Killers!

Remarkable, and such an atmosphere, with what seemed like the whole of Singapore getting into the spirit and music playing till late into the night at the Padang Stage.

Raffles Hotel- The Long Bar

September 23, 20182 min read

Not surprisingly, very busy and although depending on the time you visit, you may have to wait.

I would say its definitely worth it.

No cost to enter and I think it’s worth paying the £15-17 for a Singapore Sling.

Just to have your photo taken in the Long bar and experience the surroundings.

The staff are very friendly and there is no rush to get you out, just sit back and relax and enjoy your drink and the ambiance.

Picture the scene in colonial Singapore around 1819 and named after the founder of modern Singapore Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, as a British colony.

The hotel has a famous Long Bar, where the Singapore Sling was invented and is still served today.

We tried the 1915 gin sling and the original and loved both.

Also feel free to drop litter (the only place in Singapore when you can) the shells from the monkey nuts litter the floor where people sit, making it an unusual but funny sight.

Currently, the Hotel itself is closed and is due to open the early part of the next year 2019.

So a visit over the next few months will mean you can only visit the long bar and not the actual hotel, but I am sure the finished result will be worth the current disruption.

Directions below

Take the East-West Line GREEN colour line on the MRT two stops to Tanah Merah, then change trains staying on the East-West line for approx 9 stops till you reach City Hall.

From there it is about a 10-minute walk to Beach Road and Raffles Hotel and Long Bar

Tickets and information
SMRT – 1800 336 8900