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Singapore sightseeing If you are planning a trip around Singapore and its surroundings, the Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore hotel offers a number of sight seeing tours which are detailed below. For further details please speak to the concierge in the main hotel lobby area on arrival. Asian Civilisations Museum Empress Place, Singapore 179555 The Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) is the first museum in the region to present a broad yet integrated perspective of pan-Asian cultures and civilisations. As one of the National Museums of Singapore under the National Heritage Board, it seeks to promote a better appreciation of the rich cultures that make up Singapore's multi-ethnic society. While Singapore's forefathers came to settle in Singapore from many parts of Asia within the last 200 years, the cultures brought to Singapore by these different people are far more ancient. This aspect of Singapore's history is the focus of the ACM. The Museum's collection therefore centers on the material cultures of the different groups originating from China, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. Occupying over 14,000 square meters at the newly-restored Empress Place Building, it houses 11 galleries which showcase over 1,300 artifacts from the Museum's growing collections on the civilizations of China, Southeast Asia, South Asia and West Asia/ Islamic. These collections include recent acquisitions as well as artifacts inherited from the historic Southeast Asian ethnographic collection of the former Raffles Museum. Visitors can enjoy a programme of changing special exhibitions throughout the year. ACM Empress Place houses a café and a restaurant, a museum shop, fully-equipped auditorium and a function room with a spectacular view of the Singapore River. Opening hours 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. (Monday) Entrance fee Adult SGD 8 (Admission charges may vary during special exhibitions) Chinatown Heritage Centre 48 Pagoda Street, Singapore 059207 Chinatown, traditionally known as Niu Che Shui or Bullock Carts’ Water for its reliance on bullock carts for water, was allocated to the Chinese by Sir Stamford Raffles in his 1828 Town Plan. It quickly grew into a vibrant hub for the Chinese community, with streets filled with stalls hawking a wide variety of food and wares, and colorful inhabitants like craftsmen, hawkers, and street performers. To learn about the lives of the ethnic Chinese in early Singapore, make a trip to the Chinatown Heritage Centre, which occupies three newly restored shop houses in Chinatown. Each level of the Centre showcases a different time in the history of Chinatown and traces the lives of its early occupants, reflecting both the hardships and joys they experienced. The Centre, together with its exhibits and displays, was re-created based on recollections of former residents, which gives visitors an authentic and personal account of life in Chinatown. Guided tours of the Gallery are conducted hourly. Opening hours 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. (Daily; Last admission is at 7:00 p.m.) Entrance fee (admission only) Adult SGD 9.80 City Amphibious Trail Pick-up point: The Singapore Flyer, Tourist & Transit Hub, 30 Raffles Avenue #01-05, Singapore 039803 Board the FunVee DUKW Authentic Revamped WW II Amphibious Vehicle from Singapore Flyer before heading for a splashing ride down Kallang River. Prepare to snap pictures of The Merlion or admire the Benjamin Sheares Bridge, the longest bridge in Singapore that is named after the second President of Singapore, Dr. Benjamin Henry Sheares. Next, enjoy a city exploration, driving through city landmarks like the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Padang, Supreme Court, City Hall, and the War Memorial reliving the war times on the amphibious craft which is equally competent on land. Opening hours 9:45 a.m. - 5:45 p.m. (Daily)/Subject to tours availability. Fees Adult SGD 30 Jurong Bird Park Park 2 Jurong Hill, Singapore 628925 Jurong Bird Park, with a collection of more than 9,000 birds from 600 species, is among the largest in the world. The Park specializes in birds from Southeast Asia, and exhibits and aviaries are specially designed to closely resemble the natural habitats of the birds. The Park has four aviaries, and features attractions such as, the world’s largest walk-in aviary with the tallest man-made waterfall, where visitors get to enjoy a close-up view of free-flying birds from Africa and South America, and, bird shows staged at the Pool Amphitheatre and Fuji Hawk Walk. Opening hours 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (Daily; Last ticket sale at 5:30 p.m.) Entrance fee (admission only) Adult SGD 18 Little India Little India is the focal point of Singapore's Indian community. Its spice-scented streets beckon you to a cornucopia of ethnic jewelry, jasmine garlands and silk saris. From the large Tekka Centre and Little India Arcade to the small provision shops, Little India is packed with interesting things to discover. Colorful temples co-exist side by side with churches and mosques, parrot fortune tellers stationed by the five-foot way and tantalizing scents of spices drifting out from restaurants. Don’t leave Little India without trying Teh Tarik, a hand pulled cup of tea, or visiting two of the area's key institutions -- the Tekka Centre and Mustafa Centre. The Tekka Centre on Buffalo Road, known as KK Market to the locals, is a bustling wet market full of fresh vegetables, fish, meat, spices, and flowers. For small souvenir items, check out the brassware shops or one of the other small shops. At the other end of Serangoon Road in Serangoon Plaza is Mustafa Centre, a 24-hour emporium-cum-department-store-cum Aladdin's cave. Shoppers will find every conceivable item here at some of the lowest fixed prices in Singapore. Getting there By Train: Take the MRT’s north east line to NE7, Little India station By Bus: Take SBS bus number 65 from Orchard Road, and alight at Tekka Market along Serangoon Road Lush Spa Singapore Polo Club Quietness and lush greenery surround the 1,550 sq. ft. spa, with some rooms enjoying the occasional view of handsome horses trotting by. It's definitely a nice change from the hotel or shopping mall-sited spa. While the spa is small, its six suites are of a decent size and each has its own steam and shower facilities, so customers enjoy more privacy without the need to move from room to room for different treatments. The menu is refreshingly uncomplicated - there are only six types of massages (one of which is a foot massage) and one type of scrub and wrap each - so guests can focus on getting what they want to experience, rather than fret over which exotic treatment to have. Lush is probably the only spa here to offer an equestrian deep-tissue massage, which is popular with sporty folks, to deal with the ache in the back, butt, thighs, calves and heels that riders face. In addition to massages and nail services, Lush offers facial treatments using aroma skin care brand Decleor, which cost SGD 130 to SGD 150 for 90 minutes. National Museum of Singapore 93 Stamford Road, Singapore 178897 At 119 years old, the National Museum of Singapore is Singapore's biggest and oldest museum with the youngest and most innovative soul. Designed to be the people's museum, the Museum prides itself on introducing cutting edge and varied ways of presenting history to redefine conventional museum experience. More than just a space for exhibitions and artifacts, the Museum will also distinguish itself through its challenging and vibrant festivals and events that will unleash new creative possibilities in culture and heritage. This programming will be supported by a wide range of facilities and services including Food and Beverage, retail, Resource Center, Gallery Theatre and the Public Sculpture Garden, among others. With a rich history dating back to 1887, the National Museum of Singapore has been closed since April 2003 for redevelopment and will officially open in December 2006. From now till then, a series of Preview Season events have been lined up to entice visitors to take a peek of this prestigious cultural and heritage centre in Singapore. Opening hours Singapore History Gallery: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (Daily) Entrance fees Free admission to the Museum building. Peranakan Museum 39 Armenian Street, Singapore 179941 The Peranakan Museum, which houses the world’s finest and most comprehensive collection of Peranakan artifacts, is the latest addition to the National Heritage Board’s family of museums. Presenting a Southeast Asian-wide view of Peranakan culture, the museum employs state-of-the-art display technology to showcase the culture’s rich material legacy and heritage. There are also educational activities designed to engage young visitors. The main themes of Peranakan life are explored in ten permanent galleries. These include the elaborate 12-day Peranakan wedding, the role of the Nonyas, prominent Peranakans in Singapore’s history, as well as one of the favorite past times of Singaporeans – food and feasting. Visitors will also see how modern-day Peranakans have evolved with their culture. Opening hours 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. (Monday) Entrance fees Adult SGD 6 (Admission charges may vary during special exhibitions) Sentosa Tel: 1800-SENTOSA (736-8672) Sentosa, Singapore’s island resort, is a fun-seeker’s paradise where guests can indulge in a host of leisure activities along its stretch of golden beaches or find their slice of heaven among the many themed attractions, spa retreats, nature trails, cultural museums, historical enclaves, world class yachting marina, luxury residences and championship golf courses. Just 15 minutes from the city, Sentosa is a highly accessible destination, thanks to the Sentosa Express, a light rail system that links Sentosa Island to Singapore's public Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network, and brings visitors directly into the island's major public zones in less than four minutes. Visitors can also reach Sentosa by taking a cable car from The Jewel Box Station at Mount Faber. It’s the first cableway in the world to span a harbor, and offers a fantastic view of Singapore, Sentosa and passing ships. Tickets for cable car rides are available from SGD 12.90 (Adult)/SGD 7.50 (Child) and the prices include admission to Sentosa. Entrance fees Admission fees are from SGD 2 onwards depending on the mode of entry Singapore Night Safari 80 Mandai Lake Road, Singapore 729826 The world's first wildlife park built for visits at night, the Night Safari is not like any ordinary zoo illuminated by the night or a modern version of nocturnal houses found in many zoos around the globe. Nestled in 40 hectares of lush secondary forest, the Night Safari offers guests the unique experience of exploring wildlife in a tropical jungle at night. Through the use of subtle lighting technique, guests are able to view over 1,000 nocturnal animals of 100 species in vast naturalistic habitats. The birth of the Night Safari is a result of a combination of factors. The overwhelming response to night tours conducted at the Zoo in the late 1980s indicated a demand for wholesome night entertainment. Displaying tropical animals at night seemed ideal since 90 percent of them are nocturnal and, therefore, most active after dusk. Moreover, Singapore is blessed with sunset taking place punctually at 7:30 p.m., dependably cool nights and little rainfall. These operational advantages make this outdoor night attraction perfect. Opening hours 07:30 a.m. – 12:00 a.m. midnight daily (Last admission is at 11:00 p.m.) Entrance fees (admission only) Adult SGD 22 Singapore Zoo 80 Mandai Lake Road, Singapore 729826 The Singapore Zoo is a model of the open zoo concept. Animals are kept in spacious, landscaped enclosures, separated from the visitors by dry or wet moats concealed with vegetation or dropped below the line of vision. In the case of dangerous animals such as leopards and jaguars which can climb very well, moat barriers are not used. Instead, these animals are housed in beautifully landscaped glass-fronted enclosures. Oppressive cages which typify old zoos are absent. The end result is a feeling of openness. Open 365 days a year, the Singapore Zoo is a must-see destination on every visitor's attractions list. Opening hours 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (Daily) Entrance fee (admission only): Adult SGD 16.50 Park Hoppers special (admissions only): Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari and Singapore Zoo are launching a three-in-one Park Hopper that will allow visitors to visit all three parks at a special price of SGD 40 (adult) and SGD 20 (child). Note: |
