Exploring the world one bite at a time

Day: April 1, 2015 (Page 1 of 2)

The Southern Ridges: “Nature at its best”

The Sourthern Ridges are a must see when in Singapore. The nature is stunning and the walkways are easy and accessible for all. Highlights for me were the Canopy walk, the Forest Walk and the stunningly beautiful architecture of the Henderson Waves. We started out at Mount Faber and ended our journey at the Canopy walk. In distance not so far, but it took us some time, because we stopped many times to take pictures and take in the beautiful landscape.

The Southern Ridges, Alexandra Road Mount Faber Park; Telok Blangah Hill Park; or Kent Ridge Park, Singapore 099203, Singapore
https://www.nparks.gov.sg/gardens-parks-and-nature/parks-and-nature-reserves/the-southern-ridges
+65 6471 5601

Visited March 2015. You can find my review about The Southern Ridges also on TripAdvisor.

Singapore Botanic Gardens: “Gorgeous green park”

This place is a must see when you visit Singapore. Such beautiful gardens. The park is very well kept and breathtakingly beautiful. The impressive orchid garden with all its different colors and shapes of orchid was my absolute favorite.

Singapore Botanic Gardens, 1 Cluny Road, Singapore 259569, Singapore
https://www.sbg.org.sg/
+65 6471 7361

Visited October 2014. You can find my review about Singapore Botanic Gardens also on TripAdvisor.

Fort Canning Park: “Amazing green and historic place in the heart of the city center”

A beautiful spot right in the middle of the busy city center. Fort Canning Park is an ideal place for walking, enjoying nature and to catch a breath from the busy city life. This place has quite some historic value. First accounts of habitation date back to the 14th century. Lots of important people lived here (for example Raffles himself). There are remnants of fortifications and there even is a bunker dug out in the hill. You can also admire the old lighthouse that once guided ships into the harbor of Singapore or go on two different walks which offer some interesting background information about the history of this hill. Nature lovers will be pleased too, lots of gorgeous, beautiful trees and flowers. There is even a spice garden for those who love to cook.

When I visited Fort Canning Park, the Fort Canning Center was being renovated, but I’ll expect the renovation will be finished by summer for the celebrations of 50 years Singapore. Sadly I wasn’t possible to enter the bunker and corridors dug out in the hill at this time.

Fort Canning Park, Cox Terrace Fort Canning Cultural Centre, Singapore 179618, Singapore
https://www.nparks.gov.sg/gardens-parks-and-nature/parks-and-nature-reserves/fort-canning-park
+65 1800 471 7300

Visited March 2015. You can find my review about Fort Canning Park also on TripAdvisor.

Swissotel Merchant Court Singapore: “Top location! But renovation needed”

Nice hotel with very friendly and helpful staff. We booked the club formula and were happy with that. We enjoyed the happy hour at the club, although sometimes there wasn’t enough room for everyone and it could get rather crowded. The club had a nice selection of wine, spirits, beer and non-alcoholic beverages. The canapés weren’t that great and the food selection was limited (although I really enjoyed their cheese). No problem for me though, a great way to start off the evening with some nibbles and go out for dinner afterwards.

Breakfast at the club was great: a nice selection of food with all the classics combined: English breakfast, dim sum, bread and cheese, vegetables, yoghurt and fruit. A few times we were lucky to see the sunrise from our table by the window. Breakfast in the cub was never too crowded, so we could enjoy the start of the day in a relaxed manner.

We also tried the breakfast at the Ellenborough Market Café on the ground level: the breakfast buffet was abundant and very good: almost every Asian cuisine was represented. I loved trying all the different dishes and was very fond of the noodle soup which changed every day. Dim sum selection was also excellent. At the egg station the chef prepared your eggs any way you wanted. The Market Café is rather busy in the morning, but staff is efficient and we almost never had to queue for dishes.

I also had lunch at the Ellenborough Market Café and was really impressed by the excellent buffet: a nice selection of all the different flavors of Singapore. Really good and a great option if you (like me) like to try out new foods.

The room in Swissotel was comfortable, although the view wasn’t anything special (our window looked directly at another building). Staff went to great deals to assure we were satisfied and came by at least twice a day to make sure we had everything we wanted. Everyday we got new water bottles and chocolates and fresh fruit was waiting for us on arrival. In the hallway were always green apples available to have a healthy snack. The bathroom could use a make-over though. Although it was clean, it was clearly worn out and I even spotted some mold in the corners of de bathroom sink. I’m also not a big fan of taking a shower in the bathtub.

I also used the spa facilities for an express pedicure, but I have to say, I have had better pedicures at home. The girl messed up the nail polish a little bit, but she was very nice overall. Very useful: laundry machines are available for washing and drying your sweaty clothes (not a luxury in the Singapore heat).

The location of the hotel is great, right next to Clarke Quay, every evening bustling with life. The hotel is located right next to an MRT station, really useful if you like to explore the city. I also really enjoyed the pool. Never to crowded, very well taken care of and with a beautiful garden. If you like, you can have a cocktail in the Blue Potato, situated right next to the pool. I found the staff at the Blue Potato not very helpful (didn’t dry the seats after a heavy rain shower).

My boyfriend and I really had a lovely stay in this hotel and felt very welcome. Only complaint is the bathroom, which really needed a make-over.

Swissotel Merchant Court Singapore, 20 Merchant Road, Singapore 058281, Singapore

Stayed March 2015. You can find my review about Swissotel Merchant Court Singapore also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 4/5, cleanliness 3/5, service 4/5.

Pulau Ubin: “Beautiful green island”

Such a nice island to take a break from the busy city life. It will take you some time to get there if you prefer traveling by public transport, so you might consider taking a cab to the ferry terminal. From there one small boats which can only hold 12 people will take you to the island.

This island gives you a feel of how Singapore must have been before all the sky scrapers started appearing. Nice and green, with lots of wild life. We saw monkeys, pigs, birds, butterflies,… So beautiful. The sensory walk offers explanation about the flora on the island, which is very diverse.

I really recommend renting a bike. The bikes are rather worn out, but the bike roads aren’t difficult whatsoever. If you like mountain biking: there is also a mountain biking trail, which really didn’t look that challenging.

I had some excellent black bean crab at Pulau Ubin, so no need to pack your lunch bag. Fresh seafood is abundant on this island. Also, try a coconut, really refreshing.

I highly recommend visiting this island.

Pulau Ubin, Pulau Ubin, Pulau Ubin 000701, Singapore
http://www.visitsingapore.com/see-do-singapore/nature-wildlife/singapore-islands/pulau-ubin.html
+65 6542 4108

Visited March 2015. You can find my review about Pulau Ubin also on TripAdvisor.

East Coast Park: “Great place for fun activities”

We spent a full day in East Coast Park enjoying some kayaking, biking and the excellent hawker center over there. If you love to do something active, East Coast Park is a great place. You can do lots of water sports (kayaking, kite surfing, fishing, sailing,…), you can go biking along the beautiful bike roads and you even can rent roller blades. This beautiful park stretches along the East Coast of Singapore and offers lots of opportunities to just relax and enjoy yourself.

East Coast Park, Along East Coast Parkway and East Coast Park Service Road (Bedok), Singapore 455486, Singapore
https://www.nparks.gov.sg/gardens-parks-and-nature/parks-and-nature-reserves/east-coast-park

Visited March 2015. You can find my review about East Coast Park also on TripAdvisor.

Kusu Island: “Nice little island”

A charming little artificial island worth visiting if you have some time to spare. The journey to and from the island is not that agreeable since you are trapped inside the ferry with no possibility to go outside and enjoy the ride. The cabin of the ferry is drenched by the stench of the fumes from the motor. But it is the only way to get to the island, so you’ll have the endure it.

Kusu Island itself is very beautiful. If you want to spend an afternoon on a quiet beach swimming and enjoying the sun, this place is perfect. There are two temples on the island: Tua Pek Kong Temple and Keramat Kusu. Both very different but well worth the visit, although you’ll have to climb more than 100 stairs to get to the second one. We got a yellow ribbon tied around our wrist at the second one and received a blessing for good health and luck.

Kusu Island means Turtle Island, so naturally there are lot of turtles on this island.

When you don’t plan on spending the day on the beach, two hours are enough for visiting this cute little island.

Kusu Island, Kusu Island, Singapore 000704, Singapore
http://www.visitsingapore.com/see-do-singapore/nature-wildlife/singapore-islands/kusu-island.html

Visited March 2015. You can find my review about Kusu Island also on TripAdvisor.

Jurong Bird Park: “Lovely Bird Park for young and old”

Jurong Bird Park is definitely worth a visit. The park in itself is beautiful with lots of luscious green trees and beautiful flowers. You can really enter the world of the birds and admiring them up close. I really liked the sections were you could wander between the birds and you could see them fly and play in their natural habitat.

My boyfriend and I really enjoyed feeding the lories. Those lories are kind of brutal though and if you’re not careful they’ll pull the little food container right out of your hands. For some reason they also enjoy sitting on people’s heads. An ideal photo opportunity!

We also enjoyed the High Flyers Show and the Kings of the Skies show. The trainers let the birds fly very close above the audience. Magnificent to see these birds in action. It was even possible to have our picture taken with our own camera by a troop of flamingo’s.

I wasn’t that fond of the cages with the large birds of prey though. I always feel sad seeing those magnificent birds being confined to such a small cage. I have to add though that Jurong Bird Park puts a lot of effort in conservation and making the public aware of the consequences their actions may have on bird life.

I recommend taking out a full day to enjoy everything this park has to offer.

Jurong Bird Park, 2 Jurong Hill Jurong Bird Park, Singapore 628925, Singapore
http://www.birdpark.com.sg/
+65 6265 0022

Visited March 2015. You can find my review about Jurong Bird Park also on TripAdvisor.

Genki Sushi: “Great kaiten sushi place”

To be honest this must have been one of the best kaiten sushi experiences I’ve had in my life, outside of Japan. We arrived at Genki Sushi sometime before six, so we managed to dodge the queue, but it wasn’t hard to understand why a short while thereafter we saw a huge queue of people waiting to be seated.

Every table has a tablet which provides an overview of all the different dishes. The interface of the tablet is very intuitive. You just click on the dish you want to order and minutes later a special sushi train brings your order to your table. This form of kaiten sushi guarantees your sushi is super fresh.

The sushi selection at Genki sushi is huge, so it was hard to choose from. But everything we had, was excellent. A real treat!

Genki Sushi, 181 Orchard Road #03-32 Orchard Central Orchard Central, Singapore, Singapore
http://www.genkisushi.com.sg/
+65 6238 0900

Visited March 2015. You can find my review about Genki Sushi also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 5/5, service 3/5, food 5/5.

Haw Par Villa: “Surreal place”

Haw Par Villa is a curious place indeed. There is no entrance fee, so no excuse to not go there for a short visit. The MRT brings you right to the entrance of the park.

The park of the former Haw Par Villa is full with colorful painted statues and dioramas. I found this place well worth the visit, but I can imagine it is not for everyone. Some parts of the park have been repainted and the statues look like new, in other parts the decay is very visible (the food corner was closed and you could clearly see parts of the roof came off). For me this was also part of the charm of Haw Par Villa, you can imagine it must have been quite something in the days the park was built by the owner of the Tiger Balsem company.

If you’re interested in Chinese folk tales, the dioramas will guide you through the most popular ones. And if you like horror movies, you’ll definitely enjoy the Ten Gates of Hell. Very gruesome indeed.

You need about three hours to visit Haw Par Villa and read the explanations provided by the sculptures.

Haw Par Villa, 262 Pasir Panjang Road Haw Par Villa, Singapore 118628, Singapore
http://www.visitsingapore.com/see-do-singapore/culture-heritage/heritage-discovery/haw-par-villa.html
(65) 774 0300

Visited March 2015. You can find my review about Haw Par Villa also on TripAdvisor.

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