Σελίδες

Παρασκευή 23 Σεπτεμβρίου 2011

SINGAPORE


SINGAPORE
THE CITY OF THE LION

THIS COSMOPOLITAN ISLAND, CALLED “TEMASEK” IN THE 14TH CENTURY, WAS ALWAYS A BUSTLING TRADING PLACE FOR MANY NATIONALITIES, INCLUDING THE ARABS, CHINESE, EUROPEANS, INDIANS AND MALAYS. LATER ITS NAME CHANGED TO “SINGA PURA” MEANING “THE LION CITY”. THE STORY HAS IT, THAT A PRINCE WHO ARRIVED IN TEMASEK TO SET UP HIS KINGDOM, SAW A LION AND GAVE THE ISLAND A NEW NAME.  IN 1819 SIR STAMFORD RAFFLES LANDED BY THE SINGAPORE RIVER AND ESTABLISHED A TRADING POST.
TODAY, SINGAPORE IS A CONFLUENCE OF RACES AND CULTURES, OF TRADITIONS AND INNOVATIONS, OF ASIAN AND WESTERN VALUES AND LIFESTYLES ALL BLENDING COMFORTABLE TOGETHER.
DISCOVER THIS BEAUTIFUL ISLAND FOR YOURSELF AND YOU’LL FIND OUT THAT IS MORE THAN JUST A “SHOPPERS PARADISE”, WHICH IT IS, AS THE PRICES OF ALL THINGS, ESPECIALLY ELECTRONICS ARE VERY LOW AND OF THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY!

ENJOY…

THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SINGAPORE: THE MUSEUM CONSISTS OF TWO GALLERIES. THE SINGAPORE HISTORY GALLERY EXHIBITS ART DATING BACK TO THE 14TH CENTURY AND THE SINGAPORE LIVING GALLERY, WHICH EXHIBITS FASHION, FOOD, FILM AND PHOTOGRAPHY. NEAREST METRO STATION: DHOBY GHAUT.
AT EMPRESS PLACE YOU’LL FIND THE ASIAN CIVILISATION MUSEUM.  
NEAREST METRO STATION: RAFFLES PLACE.
SINGAPORE ART MUSEUM: THE MUSEUM EXHIBITS CONTEMPORARY PIECES. NEAREST METRO: CITY HALL OR DHOBY GHAUT.

ETHNIC CORNERS:
BUGIS:  IS THE ARAB DISTRICT. VISIT THE SULTAN MOSQUE, ONE OF THE BEST EXAMPLES OF MUSLIM ARCHITECTURE IN THE CITY. THE MALAY HERITAGE CENTRE WILL GIVE YOU A GLIMPSE INTO THE AREA’S PAST. 
NEAREST METRO STATIONS: BUGIS.          
CHINATOWN: VISIT THE CHINATOWN HERITAGE CENTRE TO LEARN ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE EARLY CHINESE SETTLERS. THIAN HOCK KENG IS THE OLDEST HOKKIEN TEMPLE.  THE CHINATOWN FOOD STREET AND THE NIGHT MARKET MAKES THE VISIT TO THIS AREA UNIQUE.                                                                                       
NEAREST METRO STATION : CHINATOWN OR OUTRAM PARK.
LITTLE INDIA: SERANGOON ROAD IS THE MAIN ROAD OF THE DISTRICT WITH MANY TEMPLES SUCH AS THE NATIONAL MONUMENT ABDUL GAFOOR MOSQUE.           NEAREST METRO STATION: LITTLE INDIA.  
CITY HALL AND PADANG: THE PADANG (MALAY TERM FOR A FLAT FIELD) IS THE GREEN FIELD IN FRONT OF THE CITY HALL AND IS THE CITY’S OLDEST UNTOUCHED PLOT OF LAND SINCE THE 1830s. IT WAS HERE WHERE THE JAPANESE SURRENDED TO THE BRITISH FORCES IN 1945. IT WAS ALSO HERE THAT IN AUGUST 9 1965 SINGAPORE DECLARED INDEPENDENT.                                                                   
NEAREST METRO STATION: CITY HALL.
ORCHARD ROAD: THIS IS THE PLACE FOR SHOPAHOLICS. IS THE MOST FAMOUS SHOPPING STREET OF THE COUNTRY. YOU CAN FIND ANYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF AMONG THE MANY SHOPS AND SHOPPING MALLS OF ORCHARD ROAD!
THE FULLERTON HOTEL: IS A UNIQUE FIVE STAR LUXURY HOTEL BY THE RIVER SIDE IN BOAT QUAY AREA. VERY IMPRESSIVE! 

RAFFLES HOTEL: SINGAPORE’S OLDEST HOTEL HAS PLAYED HOST TO MANY CELEBRITIES. VISIT IT’S BEAUTIFUL GARDENS AND SHOPS. ALSO HERE YOU WILL FIND A GOOD RESTAURANT AND A BAR TO TRY THE VERY WELL KNOWN DRINK ‘SINGAPORE SLING’. RESERVATION IS NEEDED FOR THE RESTAURANT.  NEAREST METRO STATION: CITY HALL.
RAFFLES LANDING SITE: A WHITE MARBLE STATUE OF SINGAPORE’S FOUNDER, SIR STAMFORD RAFFLES, STANDS ON THE SAME SPOT WHERE HE HAD FIRST SET FOOT IN SINGAPORE.  NEAREST METRO STATION:  RAFFLES PLACE OR CLARKE QUAY.   
MERLION PARK: IS WHERE YOU’LL FIND A BIG LION STATUE STANDING BY THE RIVER SIDE. NEAREST METRO STATION:  RAFFLES PLACE OR CLARKE QUAY.
SINGAPORE RIVER: THE SINGAPORE RIVER HAS BEEN AN ECONOMIC ARTERY FOR THE ISLAND SINCE THE FIRST DAYS OF FOREIGN SETTLING. THE BUSINESS CORNER IS NOW KNOWN AS THE BOAT QUAY.  A BUMBOAT RIDE ON A CRUISE IS A MUST, TO DISCOVER THE RIVER’S RICH HISTORY. NEAREST METRO STATION:  RAFFLES PLACE OR CLARKE QUAY.

CLARKE QUAY: IS A BEAUTIFUL AREA WITH MANY RESTAURANTS AND STREET EVENTS BY THE RIVER SIDE. VERY BEAUTIFUL IN NIGHT-TIME AS WELL.                   
NEAREST METRO STATION: CRARKE QUAY.
ESPLANADE: IS A HUGE AREA OF THEATRES, RETAIL, MALLS  AND OUTLETS ON THE BAY. NEAREST METRO STATION:  RAFFLES PLACE OR CLARKE QUAY.
SINGAPORE BOTANICAL GARDENS: THE 147 YEARS OLD GARDENS HAVE A SPECTACULAR TROPICAL FLORAL COLLECTION OF MORE THAN 10,000 TYPES OF PLANTS, INCLUDING THE COUNTRY’S MOST SIGNIFICANT COLLECTION OF ORCHIDS. NEAREST METRO STATION: ORCHARD.
SENTOSA ISLAND: ENJOY THE MAGNIFICENT VIEW OF SENTOSA ISLAND ON THE CABLE CAR, WHICH WILL BRING YOU TO THE ISLAND. SENTOSA HAS THREE OF SINGAPORE’S FINEST BEACHFRONTS: TANJONG, SILOSO AND PALAWAN. A DAY MAY NOT BE ENOUGH TO THIS LITTLE GETAWAY ISLAND. THERE’S THE SKY TOWER, A 360 DEGREE VIEWING DECK. AT THE MERLION YOU WILL FIND THE MOUTH GALLERY VIEWING DECK FOR A BETTER VIEW. IN FORT SILOSO YOU WILL FIND THE WORLD WAR II UNDERGROUND PASSAGES AND CANNONS. THE FORT WAS BUILT IN 1880 AND IT BECAME A CONCENTRATION CAMP DURING THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION. THE UNDERWATER WORLD IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST OCEANARIUMS IN ASIA. IN THE DOLPHIN LAGOON YOU’LL ENJOY THE DOLPHINS. THERE’S ALSO THE BUTTERFLY PARK FULL OF BUTTERFLIES! 
NEAREST METRO STATION: HARBOR FRONT.

THE BEST WAY TO GET AROUND SINGAPORE IS A COMBINATION OF THE METRO AND OF WALKING. THE METRO IS VERY EASY AND INEXPENSIVE. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS FROM MACHINES, AS WELL AS FROM TICKET OFFICES, AND YOU CAN GET A REFUND EVERY TIME YOU REFUND A USED TICKET ON SPECIAL MACHINES THAT CAN BE FOUND IN MOST METRO STATIONS! GOOD WAY NOT TO SPEND A LOT TRAVELING AROUND THE CITY, ISN’T IT!
DON’T FORGET YOUR UMBRELLA. IT’S A TROPICAL ISLAND YOU’RE VISITING…RAIN COMES OUT OF THE BLUE!...AND IT CAN GET VERYYYYYYYYYY HUMID…BUT DON’T GET ALARMED. A VERY HIGH AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM IS IN EVERY INDOOR BUILDING WAITING TO COOL YOU DOWN! 

THANK GOD FOR AIRCONDITIONING!!!!!




                                  
                                       
ALL THE PHOTOS TAKEN BY DESPINA ARE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT. PICTURES CAN ONLY BE USED WITH PRIOR CONSENT OF DESPINA AND THEY HAVE TO BE LINKED BACK TO THIS BLOG. IT IS FORBIDDEN TO USE THE PICTURES FOR COMMERCIAL REASONS.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DESPINA.
                                     


Δεν υπάρχουν σχόλια:

Δημοσίευση σχολίου