SINGAPORE - MORE THAN A VISA RUN
For the long time Jakarta resident, neighbouring Singapore has been an often irritating necessity, a place that must be traveled to at least once a year, for visa runs, in between visa runs or to report to head office. For affluent Indonesians it has always been a place to go shopping and have expensive medical check ups. Hence the fact that Singaporean taxi drivers, perhaps not totally incorrectly, assume that all Indonesians are either fantastically rich, since they can afford the luxury medical treatment, hotels and shopping malls that most Singaporeans can’t, or desperately poor, considering the horrific stories of abuse that regularly befall the droves of hapless Indonesian village girls arriving via the port of Batam to become domestic slaves in the city. Once dubbed “Sin” apore by merchant seamen who would count down the days before they docked in the lion city and blow their wages on its array of vices, Singapore has been for years now, the ultra modern air conditioned metropolis of ruthlessly enforced cleanliness and boring shopping malls, run by a government that prides itself on its modernity and progressiveness and yet carries out brutal hangings with an unconditional lack of mercy for drug offences and an education system that has over time emphasized the importance of making computer chips over encouraging its citizens to think. In the past, political opponents to the ruling People’s action party (PAP) have been destroyed financially and politically in a manner that would make the world’s most hard line dictators and totalitarian regimes take their hats off to Lee Kwan Yew and his authoritarian, dynastical government and its successors for the way in which they have eradicated all political opposition and “subversive” elements of society. The perception among many visitors today, is that Singapore is a place to go in and out off as soon as possible, and stay on no longer than is necessary in order to obtain an Indonesian visa or to conclude a business trip. Since the 1960’s the Singaporean government has strived to build Asia’s busiest port city, and transform it from a place of fascinating history and a multitude of cultures into a Californian style city on the South East Asian equator. There have been some incredible achievements here; tropical diseases have been curtailed, crime is almost non existent and apparently, you can drink the water straight from the tap. All this has been good for business and the corporate traveler but makes a fairly boring and expensive experience for independent travelers and tourists. Recently, however, the government has become increasingly aware of this and they have been trying to re find and even rebuild the city that once was the ethnic and cultural melting pot of South East Asia in order to attract some tourist dollars and move away from its unappealing image as a city of draconian rules and regulations. Today, for the interested and interesting traveler there are many sights, buys and tastes in the city state to keep you occupied should you need or want to spend a couple of days and discover the city that is the legacy of Stamford Raffles, the visionary Englishman who chose this one time Malayan swamp to be a base for the mighty British East India shipping company back in the early 19th century.
Before the arrival of QB and Kinokunya books in Jakarta, shopping for books was, and still is, a good reason to head in to Singapore. Borders books at Wheelock Place off Orchard Road has the most complete stock of all the latest best sellers and buying books is still a far cheaper option than in the heavily import taxed Jakarta. Similarly the crowded Kinokunya books in Nge Ann City on Orchard Road has a larger and more comprehensive selection than its Jakarta branches. Perhaps Singapore’s most unique bookstore is Select books in the Tanglin Shopping Center on Tanglin Road, again off Orchard Road which specializes exclusively in Asian books and is an excellent place to browse and to locate titles on any topic relating to Asia and Asian studies. Check out www.selectbooks.com.sg for further information of what’s available. For second hand books, especially educational, a good selection of bargains can be found at the many book sellers in the Bras Basah Complex on Bras Basah Road. The only other reason for shopping in Singapore is for electronics and Funan – The IT mall on North Bridge Road is the pace to go. With the recent boom in new shopping malls and foreign franchises in Jakarta, today Singapore doesn’t quite have the status that it once had of being a shopping Mecca compared to its grubby neighbour.
A good place to start a visit to Singapore is at the Esplanade – theaters on the bay, locally known as “dat durian building” where you can get your snap shops of the harbor and skyline with the old Fullerton hotel and the merlion in the background. While you’re in the touristy mode, don’t bother having a Singapore sling in the Raffles hotel with the hordes of other porky, package tourists, the bar in the outside quad is far nicer and the small museum in the hotel is well worth a quick look for those with an interest in Singapore’s colonial past. For more colonial history, the Singapore Art museum is a fine old building, with some very impressive pieces on show. Fort Canning Hill, once the chosen home of Stafford Raffles and a former British defense post, is a pleasant and peaceful place for a stroll, and very popular with joggers, offering fine views of the city and an old 19th century graveyard for those loyal servants of the British empire who ended their days in this Far East outpost, some while still very young, in an era when thousands of dollars spent in the Gleneagles hospital for treatment was not available. Another interesting old hotel to enjoy a drink or an afternoon tea as an alternative to the clichéd Raffles is the Goodwood Park Hotel on Scotts Road which still manages to maintain a dusty, old colonial feel to it and hasn’t changed much since it was built. The architecturally impressive Fullerton hotel although beyond the budget of most expense account less travelers was once the old General post office and has one of the most popular bars in Singapore. Nearby, Lau Pa Sat at Raffles Quay was once old Victorian cast iron filigree built in the 1890’s and now houses a vast selection of hawker canteens that have been driven off the streets into the building by the government’s modernization drive. It is now one of Singapore’s most popular hawker centers where you can try roti prata, laksa, char kway teow, nasi lemak, friend hokkien mee and all the other foods on the endless list of Singaporean/Malaysian cuisine.
The Chinatown Heritage Center on Pagoda Street is one of Singapore’s most interesting museums, charting the arrival of the Chinese to the island, the early days of gambling and opium dens in Chinatown’s 1950’s heyday, with historical accounts of the immigrants eking out a living as coolies and hawkers, and the appalling conditions that many of the immigrants had to live in. The museum is a testament to a remarkable race of people and how far they have come to reach relative prosperity and economic dominance in the region. According to the museum, the Chinese have always faced four evils and temptations that have plagued their culture and caused the downfall of many young migrants; opium smoking, prostitution, gambling and secret societies. Laziness and a lack of entrepreneurship, however, have never been a problem for the Chinese. The museum costs S$8.00 to get in.
Emerald Hill Road off Orchard Road, offers some interesting, century old Chinese Perenakan (straits Chinese) town houses many of which now house some good bars and restaurants, providing a pleasant environment to escape the heat after some sweaty shopping and to gulp down a few cold beers for revival.
Singapore’s best museum is probably the Changi Prison Museum and Chapel, located near the airport, which houses a fascinating selection of photographs, documents and letters from the brutal Japanese occupation of Singapore during World War II. The museum documents the disappointment and disbelief that Singaporeans felt at the the failiure of the their “undefeatable” colonial masters, the British, to save them from invasion, as well as the absurd arrogance of the British themseves who simply couldn’t believe that they could be defeated by a race of small people. For a day of physical exercise and to see and breathe some greenery take a boat to Pulau Ubin where you can hire a bike and travel around the island and its small Malay kampongs.
The Sungei Buloh wetland reserve in the north west of the island is another excellent place to stretch the legs and enjoy the natural peace away from the city. The only reminder of urban proximity is the call to prayer from the mosques in Johor Baru across the bay in neighboring Malaysia. The reserve, long harvested by prawn and fish farmers, is fantastic for bird watchering and flora enthusiasts, set in 130 acres of mangroves, mudflats, ponds and secondary forest with viewing posts set up for bird watchers and is apparently the home to several estuarine crocodiles that swim up from Malaysia. The reserve has several walking trails, ranging from 500meters (30 minutes walk) to 7 km (4-5 hour walk) depending on your time and energy. The place is popular with school trips.
Taking the cable car from Mount Faber to Sentosa Island and visiting the excellent Fort Suliso is another interesting trip. Suliso was originally built by the British as a prized 19th century fortress, and finally came into practical use as a defense post in 1942 when the Japanese invaded. After their victory the Japanese used it as a prisoner of war camp for military and civilian personnel. The fort has some interesting exhibits from the early days of British rule and of the soldiers’ way of life as well as a range of vast guns on show, that were used to defend the island. It’s also haunted.
Hotels in Singapore are considered another hefty expense and compared to Jakarta prices this is certainly true. The Hotel 1929 on Keong Saik Road (SGD 130 +++) in Chinatown is an interesting option. The Madras Hotel on Madras Street (60 SGD+++) in Little India is a popular and reasonably cheap option, and the surrounding area is now the center for backpacker accommodation in Singapore. The best located budget hotel is the Hotel Supreme on Kramat Road (SGD 70+++), located just off Orchard Road and the more expensive Hotel Grand Central (150SGD+++) on Cavenagh Street next door, comes with a swimming pool and better rooms. The best rated hotel in the city is the Ritz Carlton (SGD 465++), with super comfortable rooms, white fluffy bathrobes, magnificent views and a phenomenal buffet breakfast and all that you would expect from a world class five star hotel.
Food lovers looking for authentic local grub need look no further than the Muslim neighborhood of Kampong Gelam which has been thriving since the early 19th century. Home to Zam Zam on North Bridge Road, a Singapore institution, which has apparently been open for business since 1908 and specializes in the Malay Indian murtabak, which is a kind of pancake stuffed with various meats and/or cheeses and served with curry. No beer here in this popular no frills and hectic eatery but they do a great mug of hot sweet tea and condensed milk (teh tarik) which is the only other thing besides beer that you can drink with curry anyway. On Kandahar Street, a block or two away, is the istana kampong gelam and Malay heritage centre and a selection of restaurants serving delicious Indonesian/Malay food, Nasi Padang and Briyani dishes making it one of the most popular dining streets in the city. In particular Sabar Menanti serves up excellent chicken or beef rendeng and a delicious Nasi Padang meal can be had for around three dollars. Just expect the usual “Be careful, it’s very hot” and “can you eat chili and rendeng?” from the concerned staff and other diners who assume that, as a mat saleh, you’ve never eaten anything more adventurous than boiled potatoes before. Khandar Street restaurants get packed after Friday lunchtime prayers when it’s hard to find a table.
Kampung Glam, Singapore's Muslim centre and the golden-domed Sultan Mosque
For more up market dining, Lei Garden in Chjimes, the great old gothic church compound, serves great Cantonese food, and is a popular place for families and business folk, the delicious Peking duck is considered the best in Singapore. They also do good jellyfish! Race Course Road is home to many Indian restaurants particularly those that specialize in the fish head curry which Singapore is famous for and apparently originated when impoverished Indians arriving in Singapore would scavenge through the garbage bins looking for leftovers from the fish markets and would then curry the unsellable fish heads that were thrown away. Basic Singaporean Chinese hawker food is basically Char Siew (barbequed pork) or Sio Bak (roasted pork) or roasted duck, served on a bed of rice or noodles accompanied by soup and a large bottle or two of Tiger beer. Walking along Syed Alwi Road, I came across a place called Fu Ji Shao La Shi Pin, or something like that, which apparently is much celebrated by locals for its pork and duck specialities and while the grotty street tables and the toothless, wizened folk that frequent and serve in the place hardly provided that special dining ambience, the food wasn’t bad. My Humble House in the Esplanade offers excellent food and set menus, in a great environment and is a popular place to enjoy a good dinner. Bencoloon Street is another place to try the numerable dishes and hawker centers that Singapore has to offer.
Singapore is also home to some good bars and cafes. Serving, albeit expensive, draught Guinness, Molly Malone’s behind Boat Quay is a popular exapt pub as is the friendly Bisous bar on the very pleasant Pekin street, off Far East square, which has many other bars and cafes as well. The newly developed Boat Quay; is packed with bars, cafes and restaurants. Holland Village is the home to many of Singapore’s expatriate community and the area around the Holland Village shopping centre is thriving with cafes and restaurants. The Holland village shopping centre itself is a good place to shop for cheap fabric, toys, second hand books and the like. In particular the terrace of Fosters Café & Restaurant on Holland Avenue is a comfortable place to enjoy western home cooking and afternoon tea.
So if you find yourself having to spend a few days in Singapore and are looking for good food or things to see and do, some shopping or just to relax you should find more than enough to keep you occupied.
Before the arrival of QB and Kinokunya books in Jakarta, shopping for books was, and still is, a good reason to head in to Singapore. Borders books at Wheelock Place off Orchard Road has the most complete stock of all the latest best sellers and buying books is still a far cheaper option than in the heavily import taxed Jakarta. Similarly the crowded Kinokunya books in Nge Ann City on Orchard Road has a larger and more comprehensive selection than its Jakarta branches. Perhaps Singapore’s most unique bookstore is Select books in the Tanglin Shopping Center on Tanglin Road, again off Orchard Road which specializes exclusively in Asian books and is an excellent place to browse and to locate titles on any topic relating to Asia and Asian studies. Check out www.selectbooks.com.sg for further information of what’s available. For second hand books, especially educational, a good selection of bargains can be found at the many book sellers in the Bras Basah Complex on Bras Basah Road. The only other reason for shopping in Singapore is for electronics and Funan – The IT mall on North Bridge Road is the pace to go. With the recent boom in new shopping malls and foreign franchises in Jakarta, today Singapore doesn’t quite have the status that it once had of being a shopping Mecca compared to its grubby neighbour.
A good place to start a visit to Singapore is at the Esplanade – theaters on the bay, locally known as “dat durian building” where you can get your snap shops of the harbor and skyline with the old Fullerton hotel and the merlion in the background. While you’re in the touristy mode, don’t bother having a Singapore sling in the Raffles hotel with the hordes of other porky, package tourists, the bar in the outside quad is far nicer and the small museum in the hotel is well worth a quick look for those with an interest in Singapore’s colonial past. For more colonial history, the Singapore Art museum is a fine old building, with some very impressive pieces on show. Fort Canning Hill, once the chosen home of Stafford Raffles and a former British defense post, is a pleasant and peaceful place for a stroll, and very popular with joggers, offering fine views of the city and an old 19th century graveyard for those loyal servants of the British empire who ended their days in this Far East outpost, some while still very young, in an era when thousands of dollars spent in the Gleneagles hospital for treatment was not available. Another interesting old hotel to enjoy a drink or an afternoon tea as an alternative to the clichéd Raffles is the Goodwood Park Hotel on Scotts Road which still manages to maintain a dusty, old colonial feel to it and hasn’t changed much since it was built. The architecturally impressive Fullerton hotel although beyond the budget of most expense account less travelers was once the old General post office and has one of the most popular bars in Singapore. Nearby, Lau Pa Sat at Raffles Quay was once old Victorian cast iron filigree built in the 1890’s and now houses a vast selection of hawker canteens that have been driven off the streets into the building by the government’s modernization drive. It is now one of Singapore’s most popular hawker centers where you can try roti prata, laksa, char kway teow, nasi lemak, friend hokkien mee and all the other foods on the endless list of Singaporean/Malaysian cuisine.
The Chinatown Heritage Center on Pagoda Street is one of Singapore’s most interesting museums, charting the arrival of the Chinese to the island, the early days of gambling and opium dens in Chinatown’s 1950’s heyday, with historical accounts of the immigrants eking out a living as coolies and hawkers, and the appalling conditions that many of the immigrants had to live in. The museum is a testament to a remarkable race of people and how far they have come to reach relative prosperity and economic dominance in the region. According to the museum, the Chinese have always faced four evils and temptations that have plagued their culture and caused the downfall of many young migrants; opium smoking, prostitution, gambling and secret societies. Laziness and a lack of entrepreneurship, however, have never been a problem for the Chinese. The museum costs S$8.00 to get in.
Emerald Hill Road off Orchard Road, offers some interesting, century old Chinese Perenakan (straits Chinese) town houses many of which now house some good bars and restaurants, providing a pleasant environment to escape the heat after some sweaty shopping and to gulp down a few cold beers for revival.
Singapore’s best museum is probably the Changi Prison Museum and Chapel, located near the airport, which houses a fascinating selection of photographs, documents and letters from the brutal Japanese occupation of Singapore during World War II. The museum documents the disappointment and disbelief that Singaporeans felt at the the failiure of the their “undefeatable” colonial masters, the British, to save them from invasion, as well as the absurd arrogance of the British themseves who simply couldn’t believe that they could be defeated by a race of small people. For a day of physical exercise and to see and breathe some greenery take a boat to Pulau Ubin where you can hire a bike and travel around the island and its small Malay kampongs.
The Sungei Buloh wetland reserve in the north west of the island is another excellent place to stretch the legs and enjoy the natural peace away from the city. The only reminder of urban proximity is the call to prayer from the mosques in Johor Baru across the bay in neighboring Malaysia. The reserve, long harvested by prawn and fish farmers, is fantastic for bird watchering and flora enthusiasts, set in 130 acres of mangroves, mudflats, ponds and secondary forest with viewing posts set up for bird watchers and is apparently the home to several estuarine crocodiles that swim up from Malaysia. The reserve has several walking trails, ranging from 500meters (30 minutes walk) to 7 km (4-5 hour walk) depending on your time and energy. The place is popular with school trips.
Taking the cable car from Mount Faber to Sentosa Island and visiting the excellent Fort Suliso is another interesting trip. Suliso was originally built by the British as a prized 19th century fortress, and finally came into practical use as a defense post in 1942 when the Japanese invaded. After their victory the Japanese used it as a prisoner of war camp for military and civilian personnel. The fort has some interesting exhibits from the early days of British rule and of the soldiers’ way of life as well as a range of vast guns on show, that were used to defend the island. It’s also haunted.
Hotels in Singapore are considered another hefty expense and compared to Jakarta prices this is certainly true. The Hotel 1929 on Keong Saik Road (SGD 130 +++) in Chinatown is an interesting option. The Madras Hotel on Madras Street (60 SGD+++) in Little India is a popular and reasonably cheap option, and the surrounding area is now the center for backpacker accommodation in Singapore. The best located budget hotel is the Hotel Supreme on Kramat Road (SGD 70+++), located just off Orchard Road and the more expensive Hotel Grand Central (150SGD+++) on Cavenagh Street next door, comes with a swimming pool and better rooms. The best rated hotel in the city is the Ritz Carlton (SGD 465++), with super comfortable rooms, white fluffy bathrobes, magnificent views and a phenomenal buffet breakfast and all that you would expect from a world class five star hotel.
Food lovers looking for authentic local grub need look no further than the Muslim neighborhood of Kampong Gelam which has been thriving since the early 19th century. Home to Zam Zam on North Bridge Road, a Singapore institution, which has apparently been open for business since 1908 and specializes in the Malay Indian murtabak, which is a kind of pancake stuffed with various meats and/or cheeses and served with curry. No beer here in this popular no frills and hectic eatery but they do a great mug of hot sweet tea and condensed milk (teh tarik) which is the only other thing besides beer that you can drink with curry anyway. On Kandahar Street, a block or two away, is the istana kampong gelam and Malay heritage centre and a selection of restaurants serving delicious Indonesian/Malay food, Nasi Padang and Briyani dishes making it one of the most popular dining streets in the city. In particular Sabar Menanti serves up excellent chicken or beef rendeng and a delicious Nasi Padang meal can be had for around three dollars. Just expect the usual “Be careful, it’s very hot” and “can you eat chili and rendeng?” from the concerned staff and other diners who assume that, as a mat saleh, you’ve never eaten anything more adventurous than boiled potatoes before. Khandar Street restaurants get packed after Friday lunchtime prayers when it’s hard to find a table.
Kampung Glam, Singapore's Muslim centre and the golden-domed Sultan Mosque
For more up market dining, Lei Garden in Chjimes, the great old gothic church compound, serves great Cantonese food, and is a popular place for families and business folk, the delicious Peking duck is considered the best in Singapore. They also do good jellyfish! Race Course Road is home to many Indian restaurants particularly those that specialize in the fish head curry which Singapore is famous for and apparently originated when impoverished Indians arriving in Singapore would scavenge through the garbage bins looking for leftovers from the fish markets and would then curry the unsellable fish heads that were thrown away. Basic Singaporean Chinese hawker food is basically Char Siew (barbequed pork) or Sio Bak (roasted pork) or roasted duck, served on a bed of rice or noodles accompanied by soup and a large bottle or two of Tiger beer. Walking along Syed Alwi Road, I came across a place called Fu Ji Shao La Shi Pin, or something like that, which apparently is much celebrated by locals for its pork and duck specialities and while the grotty street tables and the toothless, wizened folk that frequent and serve in the place hardly provided that special dining ambience, the food wasn’t bad. My Humble House in the Esplanade offers excellent food and set menus, in a great environment and is a popular place to enjoy a good dinner. Bencoloon Street is another place to try the numerable dishes and hawker centers that Singapore has to offer.
Singapore is also home to some good bars and cafes. Serving, albeit expensive, draught Guinness, Molly Malone’s behind Boat Quay is a popular exapt pub as is the friendly Bisous bar on the very pleasant Pekin street, off Far East square, which has many other bars and cafes as well. The newly developed Boat Quay; is packed with bars, cafes and restaurants. Holland Village is the home to many of Singapore’s expatriate community and the area around the Holland Village shopping centre is thriving with cafes and restaurants. The Holland village shopping centre itself is a good place to shop for cheap fabric, toys, second hand books and the like. In particular the terrace of Fosters Café & Restaurant on Holland Avenue is a comfortable place to enjoy western home cooking and afternoon tea.
So if you find yourself having to spend a few days in Singapore and are looking for good food or things to see and do, some shopping or just to relax you should find more than enough to keep you occupied.
Labels: Travel
posted by THE PENTONARC | 11:34 pm
2 Comments:
An excellent 'review' of Singapore, thanks. I needed inspiration for my next visit, the idea of Singapore 'again' just fills me with dread. I'll take your comments with me!
Great work.
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