15 offbeat excuses to (re)visit Singapore - The little red dot is packed with surprises. Discover secret beaches, password-protected bars and hidden forests to kayak through So you have bummed around at Sentosa, fed the fauna at the zoo, and got your fix of fun on the Singapore Flyer. What now is left to do when you return to Singapore? Plenty, apparently. Here’s a pick of the countrys top offbeat experiences: 1. Laze at a secret beach Sentosa’s beaches, with their reclaimed land and imported sands, are for first-timers. Find the real thing at Lazarus Island, an undeveloped stretch of coast on Singapore’s outlier islands. The few who’ve been there swear it could rival some of Southeast Asia’s best beaches. Expect soft, white sands and gentle azure waters sans the regular beach paraphernalia or crowds. There’s no direct way to get there: take a boat from the Marina South Pier to St John’s Island, walk across the causeway, follow the tarmac path, cross the pavilion, and voilà, you won’t believe you’re still in Singapore! Lazarus Island is one of Singapore’s Southern Islands, accessible via St John’s Island from the Marina South Pier. 2. Eat at a “nomadic” restaurant If you’re a traveller at heart, you probably know what it’s like to wake up without a plan, not knowing where the road might lead you. Now imagine a restaurant that feels, nay does, the same. Welcome to Andsoforth, Singapore’s secret pop-up restaurant: you make reservations online, and on the D-day, look out for clues on your phone to get you to the unrevealed location. You are promised more than a restaurant if you manage to decode the directions. In the midst of an extravagant gastronomic escapade, you will be part of “The Experiment”, designed to thrill your senses and rekindle your sense of adventure! Shh… don’t ask, don’t tell more. Go experience it yourself. Capacity is limited at Andsoforth. 3.Go to hell In 1937, two Burmese-Chinese brothers brought to life Chinese folk tales in what has been called the most bizarre museum in Singapore—the Haw Par Villa. Though the original villa was occupied by the Japanese and destroyed during World War II, a most unusual collection of figurines—some just heads and limbs—remains. Walk through the Ten Courts of Hell to see strange, even disturbing, depictions of morality, punishment and hell, and get a close peek into Chinese mythology. Haw Par Villa was renovated and reopened in March 2014. It is located at Pasir Panjang Road and can be accessed via the Haw Par Villa MRT Station. 4. Watch (and bet on) a horse On weekends and holidays, the high rollers of Singapore gather at the Singapore Turf Club for a night of drinking and betting. Large glass windows at the exclusive Gold Card Room offer panoramic views of the world-class racecourse as you sip your wine. Live screens let you track your stallion, as private betting counters weigh the odds based on past races. For a more heady experience, join race enthusiasts from the neighbourhood at the public grandstand next to the racetrack, chugging cheap beer, swapping tips and cheering the horses to the finish line. You must be at least 18 years old to enter the racecourse on race days. Singapore Turf Club is located in Kranji. Admission fee for the public grandstand is S$6 (Rs286). 5. Kayak through a mangrove forest The Mandai Mangroves on the Singapore’s northern edge have survived the city’s rapid development, leaving in their midst a secret treat for nature lovers. You can admire the unique ecosystem of these mature mangroves as you kayak along the Sungei Mandai Besar and Sungei Mandai Kechil rivers. As you float past kampongs (villages with traditional wooden huts) abandoned from a time when Singapore was a sleepy coastal hamlet, you can soak in a peace and pace that is rare in the city today. You share this oasis with horseshoe crabs, and don’t be surprised if a Brahminy Kite or White-Bellied Sea Eagle swoops along to greet the rare visitor. The Nature Society of Singapore organises guided kayaking trips along the Mandai Mangroves for beginners. The meeting point is at Kranji MRT station. 6. Dine in the night sky You know that ‘top of the world’ feeling? Experience it on the Singapore Cable Car, with the wilderness of Mount Faber Park and the shiny lights of Universal Studios dazzling below your feet. The cable car is best known for its aerial commute from mainland Singapore to the island of Sentosa, but dining on board is an experience unto itself. For 90 minutes, you gently glide across the night sky in your private gondola, digging into a gourmet meal of your choice, the South China Sea and the Singapore harbour shimmering in the moonlight. If you’re lucky, you might even spot a dolphin or two swimming 300 feet below as you sip your cocktail. The Singapore Cable Car station is located at HarbourFront. Early bird rates for sky dining start at S$256++ (Rs12,200++) per couple. 7. Go scuba diving! Singapore neither has Thailand’s stunning blue coast, nor does it have Indonesia’s underwater wonders. It’s natural then that it is not considered a diving destination. Yet, the country has a host of dive shops, a great alternative for first-time divers, given the country’s reputation of safety. Pulau Hantu (literally: Ghost Island), amid Singapore’s southern islands, is the most popular diving site, home to 250 species of hard corals, cuttlefish, seahorses, sea turtles, starfish, nurse sharks, a shipwreck that dates back to World War II, and low to medium currents that make it apt for first-timers. The best part? You can do it as a day trip from Singapore, avoid the fuss of a backpacker-filled diving resort, and be back in time to for a round of shopping at Orchard Road! Diving in Pulau Hantu is possible all year round, but visibility is sometimes low, so it’s best to discuss the conditions with your dive shop beforehand. 8. Cycle back in time Before Singapore embarked on its rapid development phase, it was a little coastal hamlet: think palm trees fringing the coast, locals fishing on wooden canoes, and trucks (not very different from Indian ones) plying the dirt roads. Take a ride down memory lane on Pulau Ubin, the last surviving island of Singapore’s sleepy past that time literally forgot. Its development was stalled after granite quarrying was banned (Pulau Ubin means granite island) and plans to bring it up to pace with the rest of the country never quite materialised. Far from the swanky malls and fancy attractions of mainland Singapore, Pulau Ubin is home to a few indigenous kampongs, a unique wetland ecosystem with intricate mangroves and sandy beaches called Chek Jawa, and a well-marked biking trail that has earned it the reputation of ‘Bicycle Island’. Pulau Ubin can be reached on a bumboat from Changi Point Ferry Terminal, and several small shops on the island rent out bicycles. 9. Sneak into a password-protected bar Think you’ve experienced Singapore’s nightlife with a visit to Clarke Quay? The real secret is hidden away in the ethnic precinct of Chinatown. Actually, The Library is a secret within a secret. Its secret location—inside a tiny but posh tailor shop in a traditional Chinese shop house, past a secret door that is a one-way glass mirror—is the easy part. The challenging part is finding the password to get in. It changes weekly and is hinted at subtly on Facebook. On the inside, The Library is a cozy, trendy, dimly lit cocktail bar, with a maximum capacity of only 50 people at a time—an ultra-exclusive venue for Singapore’s ‘in’ crowd. The Library is located at 47 Keong Saik Road. 10. Catch a movie under the stars A holiday in Singapore is too short to spend inside an air-conditioned mall! Make the most of tropical living with Movie Mob, a drive-in cinema that changes locations and movies every weekend. You could catch a Wall Street thriller in the stunning backdrop of Singapore’s impressive skyline or waltz to a romantic comedy by the Singapore River, munching popcorn and spotting stars in the city’s night sky. The only thing better than the option of voting for your favourite movie online is the fact that the screenings are free! Movies are screened every weekend. 11. Hike through (and over) 9km of wilderness Most guidebooks in Singapore skip past its hiking trails. If you want to get away from the concrete jungle, hike the Southern Ridges trail, which connects four parks (from Kent Ridge Park to Mount Faber) in Singapore’s west and takes you through quiet neighborhoods, on canopy trails and suspended walkways over well-preserved forests. In pre-colonial days, tigers walked this terrain, but you can only see monkeys and birds now. The highlight of the trail is the award-winning architectural wonder Henderson Waves, a bridge shaped like waves, sculpted entirely from wood and steel. The bridge offers stellar views of the jungle and the horizon beyond. It is lit up after dark and is quite the photographer’s delight. Panoramic views of the city’s shimmering skyline, the South China Sea and the islands beyond are the only reminders that you’re still in Singapore. The Southern Ridges trail is accessible via Kent Ridge MRT station and is wheelchair-friendly. Admission is free. 12. Snorkel off the Southern Islands In the heart of the city, it is easy to forget that Singapore is actually a cluster of over 60 islands! Earlier this year, the country announced its first marine park, off the islands of Pulau Tekukor and St John’s. The region is home to a rich reef of hard and soft corals, an unexpected diversity of underwater life, and offers gentle currents for a good snorkelling experience. It is also possible to snorkel off the Big Sister Island, where tempting yourself to leave the sunny beach will be your biggest challenge (besides the fact that there are no direct ferries to the mainland). Catch a public ferry to St John’s Island from the Marina South Pier, or charter a fast boat to the Sister Islands. Admission to both islands is free, but you need to carry your own snorkeling gear (or rent it in mainland Singapore). 13. Escape to the countryside at an organic farm It takes a long cab ride (or the MRT + bus) all the way to Singapore’s Kranji district, but Singapore’s countryside does exist! In the heart of this farming region is Bollywood Veggies, a 10-acre organic farm co-created by Ivy Singh Lim, a celebrated activist warrior. The India connect comes through Lim’s roots, which wind back to a Rajput clan in eastern Uttar Pradesh! It’s easy to forget you are in Singapore as you fill your lungs with fresh air, spot birds in the outback acres, feast on organically grown herbs and seasonal vegetables, take a cooking class, and learn about the food. Don’t forget to try their famous banana bread and Bolly Banana Curry at the Poison Ivy Bistro. Bollywood Veggies is located in Kranji and is open to visitors from Wednesday to Sunday. Reservation is recommended. 14. Party on a yacht! Singapore’s sizzling nightlife hardly needs an introduction. You’ve been there, partied all night long in Clarke Quay, and need something different to enthrall you. Leave the mainland behind, rent a yacht with your friends and set sail on the South China Sea, under the night sky, along the dazzling skyline of the little red dot. Discover a whole new degree of fun with ‘boom netting’ off St John’s Island. Only a wide net will separate you from the water, ushering you along on the ride of your life! Groove to the music under the open skies and feel like a sailor when you sip your hardy cocktail to the rhythm of the waves. This is indeed the high life. Many boat operators in Singapore rent yachts/party boats by the hour or for the entire day. Chances are, you’ll want to be on the water longer than you think, so work out a flexible arrangement. 15. Dine in the dark Singapore’s riveting food scene has a dark side to it, quite literally. The ‘dining in the dark’ trend has travelled from Europe to Asia, and Singapore is one of its first stops. You place your order in a dimly lit lounge before entering the dark room, guided and served by visually impaired individuals. With other senses heightened, your taste buds are then treated to distinctly flavoured gourmet creations. It is natural to feel uncomfortable at first, fumbling with your food in the dark, wondering what the tangy flavour on your tongue is. But, you soon get accustomed and let your other senses compensate for the lack of sight—an intriguing, mind-altering experience indeed. Located at Beach Road, NOX – Dine in the Dark is the only restaurant in Singapore that offers this experience.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Nov 2014 13:10:55 +0000
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