No trip to Singapore
is complete without a visit to Marina Bay. As the entrance to the Singapore
River, it was once an all-important trade route for fishermen and traders who
were the life-blood of the island. Now it’s one of Singapore’s premier tourist attractions.
Instead of taking the
train to Marina Bay MRT station, get off at Raffles Place and head east towards
the Fullerton Bay Hotel. From here you should head north along the water
towards the Merlion.
The Merlion is the
mascot and national symbol of Singapore. Its fish body represents Singapore’s
origin as a fishing village and the lion head represents Singapore’s original
name, Singapura, meaning Lion City. The Merlion statue sits near the mouth of
the Singapore River. At 8.6 metres tall and with a jet
of water rushing out of his mouth, the Merlion is a must see to make any visit
to Singapore complete.
From there you can catch a bumboat straight
across the bay towards Marina Bay Sands. Opened in 2010, the $8 billion Marina
Bay Sands is the most expensive stand-alone hotel casino ever built. Your first
stop at this epic complex should be the ArtScience museum. Shaped like a lotus
flower, this unique building does not fail to impress. With an always changing
roster of international exhibitions, the ArtScience museum is just as
impressive on the inside.
From there it’s into the mall. Officially
called The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, this mega-mall really lives up to its
name. At almost 93,000 square metres, it truly is a shopper’s paradise. If
you’re one of the many people that doesn’t like shopping but once again have
found yourself dragged to a shopping centre, perhaps you could take a gondola
ride on the canal that runs through the mall. Or maybe sit and have a coffee
beside the indoor waterfall, made up of collected rainwater. Plus there’s
always the ice skating rink to keep you busy. Of course if something a bit more
grown up is to your liking, then just pop into the casino. As the world’s
largest atrium casino, with 500 tables and 1,600 slot machines, it will be very
easy to match any shopper in terms of time and money spent.
With shopping bags filled and chips cashed,
it’s time to make a trip up to the SkyPark, 191 metres above ground. Make sure
you bring swimwear as the SkyPark hosts the world’s longest infinity pool. Swimming
to the edge and peering over to take in the view of the city from almost 200
metres high, while floating in 376,500 gallons of water is a genuinely
breath-taking experience. After your swim you can have a meal in one of the
world class restaurants that sit in the SkyPark. After dinner make sure you
take a stroll through the hundreds of trees that make this rooftop paradise a
true park. Your walk should take you to the north end of the park where the
platform overhangs by 67 metres, giving unmatched views of Singapore.
It’s not over yet. To end the day why don’t
you catch a show in one of the two 1,680-seat theatres located in the mall down
below? And if you really want to keep the night going afterwards, party the
rest of the night away at the “floating nightclub” on Marina Bay.
From national icons and traditional water
transport all the way to the future of shopping and leisure, a day at Marina
Bay is a must for anyone visiting Singapore.
No comments:
Post a Comment