November Break Series: Exploring Singapore

• Gardens By the Bay / Marina Bay Sands Hotel – If you’ve done any research on Singapore at all, these are the two attractions you’ll probably have already heard of, and for good reason. Gardens By the Bay, a relatively large park area comprised of many different exhibits, is essentially a beautifully curated and immersive plant museum experience. When I was doing my own research, I saw someone describe it as “very Singapore,” which I think is quite apt given that the large arrays of plants are enclosed in gorgeous glass buildings and other modern materials are used to mimic naturally occurring phenomena. I’d recommend seeing the Cloud Forest, Flower Dome, Floral Fantasy, and Supertree Grove. The Marina Bay Sands that is right nearby (and which you may know of from the film Crazy Rich Asians) is also a must: the architectural construction of the hotel is just unbelievable, and there’s a nice mall and waterfront area a few steps away. You can explore the lobby of the hotel, the mall, and even go to the top of the tall building for a view of the city’s skyline.

• Chinatown / Little India / Kampong Glam (Muslim Quarter) – As I mentioned earlier, Singapore has some really wonderful international districts. I was easily able to see all three in a few hours, even though I made multiple stops within each neighborhood. These districts are very sizeable and full of expats and traditional goods and buildings, so you will be able to get a real taste of each of these different cultures. Check out the People’s Park Complex, Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Ann Siang Hill, and Thian Hock Keng Temple when in Chinatown, Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple in Little India, and Sultan Mosque and Haji Lane (but not the overrated Arab Street) in Kampong Glam.

• Singapore Botanic Gardens – The Singapore Botanic Gardens were the nation’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site and are an incredibly beautiful, sprawling park with many areas offering different flora to explore. They are very different from Gardens by the Bay because they are a more natural garden that does not have that artificial feel of the bayside exhibits. My time here was unfortunately limited so I walked through to get to the National Orchid Garden at a faster pace than I would have liked, but the number of other gardens I encountered and enjoyed along the way makes it clear that you could spend an entire day at the attraction and not get bored. The orchid area (which, notably, is the largest display of orchids in the world and the reason why I wanted to visit) boasts the prettiest examples of the plant family I’ve ever seen, with many unique hybrids bred at the gardens that cannot be found anywhere else.

• Sentosa Island – After hopping on a short cable car ride, you’ll arrive at the resort island of Sentosa, which is chock full of fun and history in being home to attractions such as Universal Studios and Madame Tussauds Singapore, multiple beaches, the awesome S.E.A. Aquarium, and several educational WWII-era military forts. There is much to see here, so I’d suggest you do some research about the island and choose attractions according to your own interests. I personally really enjoyed the aquarium and Fort Siloso.

Honorable mentions go to Singapore’s National Gallery, where you can learn about Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries through looking at some great art from the 19^th century through today, the indie Shrub 0128 shop in the Golden Mile Complex where you can study local youth culture by leafing through piles of zines and posters, and certainly the Maxwell and Newton Food Centers, where you can get a taste of Singaporean cuisine. Stay tuned for my next post on Ho Chi Minh City!