Rather than run through all the usual places Lonely Planet and a thousand other websites can tell you about (zoo, Arab Street, Gardens by the Bay) here are a few less known options to consider if you have a day or three to spare here.
– Haw Par Villa, scary theme park. Well, scary to our small children. This 1930’s era, Chinese Mythology theme park is quite a cultural experienceGet there by train, bus or bike.
– The Pinnacle. Instead of paying something like 25 bucks to see the swimming pool atop Singapore’s homage to ostentatiousness, Marina Bay Hotel, pay five dollars and see a 50-storey-high view of the city very few other get to see. You will need to pay for your ticket with an EZlink card (bus, train, etc) at the discretely place, ground floor vending machine. This is a public housing building that gives access to a limited number of tourists each day, I think there is a max of 200 permitted per day so don’t leave it late.
– An alternative grand view is the 56th floor of the Ion Shopping Mall. This one is free but you have to do battle on the busy shopping district, Orchard Road, to get there. A good option if the weather isn’t to your liking. it is indoors with binoculars and an “official cloud spotting area.
– Take a ferry from Marina South Pier to St. John Island or one of three others nearby right in the middle of the world’s busiest shipping lane. Take a lunch with you and your camera. As a rule there are no services on the islands which are poplar with picnickers, fishermen and ship spotters.
– If $36 to visit the themed water park on Sentosa Island is a bit much for you then be like the locals and visit a local swimming complex and if you want water slides, a wave pool and children’s water playgrounds then take a train or ride to Jurong East Swimming Complex which costs $2.
– Annalakshmi is a vegetarian Indian restaurant located in the center of town near Chinatown. Most patrons select the eat as much as you like buffet option. At the end of your meal you can choose to pay what ever you like. The artistic and cultural organization which runs the restaurant (and adjoining school) trusts patrons to be fair and pay what they can for what is a very nice meal.
cycletoursg 