It was out of character, but I did touristy things in Singapore
I've said in previous posts that I don't like to visit places like a typical tourist. I'm not that interested in going to the typical tourist destinations and seeing what everyone else has seen. I'm more interested in seeing the neighborhoods people live in, the shops they go to, and the rhythms of their day to day lives. That's what I love most about traveling.
All that said, I'm not going to miss some spectacular sights just because everyone who has come before me has seen them. I'm not that much of a travel snob.
Singapore has plenty of places I think everyone should see. The first place is the Marina Bay Sands hotel. I saw it from across the city and knew immediately that I had to go there.
The MBS, as most of the local call it, is one of the most famous buildings in Singapore. It's not hard to see why. It's an ultra-luxury hotel that sits right on the waterfront, in the middle of neighborhood full of high end shopping and museums.
The boat on the top is called the Skypark, and it's roughly 56 stories above ground. If you're not staying at the hotel you can buy a ticket to get there for around $30US. You'll get a nearly 360 degree view of the city along with access to the lounge bar there. It's quite spectacular, and I'm glad I went. I got a chance to put my telephoto lens to good use, as you can see in this picture:
Singapore has a beautiful skyline with plenty of unique buildings. I called these ones the fraternal twins.
Just northwest of the hotel was this Ferris wheel. I briefly considered trying to get there and ride it, but I get seriously anxious on rides like that and didn't want to spoil the good time I was having.
I saw this striking building from across the bay. It's just south of the MBS. It's an art and science museum that was unfortunately closed the day I was here. I'm certainly going to come back and visit it some day.
Due North of the hotel you see one reason why Singapore is as important as it is. A huge amount of trade and shipping goes through its waters. One of the staff told me that this was one of the less crowded days on the water.
I think this picture is looking roughly southwest but I could be mistaken. You can see how hazy the air is. The air quality was not great while I was there. It's hot and humid and there are a lot of cars on the road and boats in the water. It's a combination that makes for plenty of smoggy days.
The other very touristy thing I did while I was here was recommended to me by a good friend. He told me that I needed to have a Singapore Sling at the Raffles Bar, where it was invented. I hadn't ever had one before and it felt like the right place to be for my first one.
There was a line about ten people deep waiting to get in, but I got lucky. Everyone ahead of me was in a group of four to six people, waiting for a table. When the hostess found out I was by myself she offered me a seat at the bar. I got dirty looks from about a dozen people as she walked me past them to my seat. I'm not going to lie, I enjoyed it.
The Raffles Bar has a lot of history that I won't get into here. One of the more unique things about it is that each table has a canvas sack of complimentary peanuts in their shells, and you're expected to just drop the shells on the floor when you're done with them. It's shockingly out of place for the city, which is one of the cleanest places I've been and has hefty penalties for littering.
So how was the Singapore Sling?
It was very tasty, if a little sweet for my tastes. That didn't stop me from ordering two plus a beer to chase it with.
It was also very expensive, but there's always a premium to pay when you're in a tourist trap. I'm glad I went regardless of whether or not I paid too much.
So there you go. I don't always go to touristy places, but when I do I make sure they're worth seeing.
All that said, I'm not going to miss some spectacular sights just because everyone who has come before me has seen them. I'm not that much of a travel snob.
Singapore has plenty of places I think everyone should see. The first place is the Marina Bay Sands hotel. I saw it from across the city and knew immediately that I had to go there.
 |
| Yes, that's a faux boat stretched across three hotel buildings. It's the most over the top thing I think I've seen in architecture. |
The MBS, as most of the local call it, is one of the most famous buildings in Singapore. It's not hard to see why. It's an ultra-luxury hotel that sits right on the waterfront, in the middle of neighborhood full of high end shopping and museums.
The boat on the top is called the Skypark, and it's roughly 56 stories above ground. If you're not staying at the hotel you can buy a ticket to get there for around $30US. You'll get a nearly 360 degree view of the city along with access to the lounge bar there. It's quite spectacular, and I'm glad I went. I got a chance to put my telephoto lens to good use, as you can see in this picture:
 |
| I took this at the maximum zoom, 145mm. I can't tell you exactly how far away the boat was, but I'd guess at least 300 meters. |
Singapore has a beautiful skyline with plenty of unique buildings. I called these ones the fraternal twins.
Just northwest of the hotel was this Ferris wheel. I briefly considered trying to get there and ride it, but I get seriously anxious on rides like that and didn't want to spoil the good time I was having.
 |
| In the upper right hand corner you can see the national stadium. It's used for sporting events, musicians, and theatrical performances. |
I saw this striking building from across the bay. It's just south of the MBS. It's an art and science museum that was unfortunately closed the day I was here. I'm certainly going to come back and visit it some day.
Due North of the hotel you see one reason why Singapore is as important as it is. A huge amount of trade and shipping goes through its waters. One of the staff told me that this was one of the less crowded days on the water.
I think this picture is looking roughly southwest but I could be mistaken. You can see how hazy the air is. The air quality was not great while I was there. It's hot and humid and there are a lot of cars on the road and boats in the water. It's a combination that makes for plenty of smoggy days.
 |
| The building in the middle might be taller than the MBS. It stood out even among all the skyscrapers in the city. |
These next few shots I include here just to give you a sense of the overall skyline. I wish I could have come back here at night to take some pictures. I imagine that they would have been spectacular. There's always next time, I suppose.
The other very touristy thing I did while I was here was recommended to me by a good friend. He told me that I needed to have a Singapore Sling at the Raffles Bar, where it was invented. I hadn't ever had one before and it felt like the right place to be for my first one.
There was a line about ten people deep waiting to get in, but I got lucky. Everyone ahead of me was in a group of four to six people, waiting for a table. When the hostess found out I was by myself she offered me a seat at the bar. I got dirty looks from about a dozen people as she walked me past them to my seat. I'm not going to lie, I enjoyed it.
The Raffles Bar has a lot of history that I won't get into here. One of the more unique things about it is that each table has a canvas sack of complimentary peanuts in their shells, and you're expected to just drop the shells on the floor when you're done with them. It's shockingly out of place for the city, which is one of the cleanest places I've been and has hefty penalties for littering.
So how was the Singapore Sling?
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| The lighting in the bar was overly yellowish, making for a weird cast to the picture. |
It was also very expensive, but there's always a premium to pay when you're in a tourist trap. I'm glad I went regardless of whether or not I paid too much.
So there you go. I don't always go to touristy places, but when I do I make sure they're worth seeing.
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