Awesome Views

Sentosa Skyride

Today I took a ride on the Sentosa Skyride. It is alot like a ski lift except this one was built to run north to south over the island of Sentosa. It passes over Impiah Point, the highest location in Sentosa. When you take off you are immediately sitting above the tropical landscape and looking …

Siloso Beach

Sentosa Island

Today I moved from Singapore city proper to an island retreat known as Sentosa. Sentosa is on the South China Sea and has three beaches. In addition, there is a butterfly garden, an underwater aquarium, Universal Studios, a casion and four lush, private, resorts with spas. I am staying at the Sentosa Resort. It is …

Singapore Flyer

Flyin’ in Singapore

Today I visited the famous Singapore Flyer.  At a height of 542 feet, Singapore Flyer is the world’s largest giant observation wheel.  On board Singapore Flyer, you can see up to 27 miles away.  From the Flyer, you can see Changi Airport, Sentosa Island, and even parts of Malaysia and Indonesia. The flyer is capable …

Raffles Hotel

Day of Traditions

Today I participated in some of the most popular Singapore traditions. First, we went to for Chilli Crab.  Chili crab is a seafood dish originating from Singapore.  It was created in 1950 by Singapore chef, Cher Yam Tian with her husband, Lim Choon Ngee.   Mud crabs are most commonly used and are stir-fried in …

Dim Sum for Lunch

Cantonese Dim Sum

For lunch today we had a large selection of some of Singapore’s best Dim Sum at Maxwell’s Restaurant.  Dim sum consists of a variety of dumplings, steamed dishes and other goodies. They are similar to hors d’oeuvres, the hot and cold delicacies served at French restaurants.  Dim Sum means “to touch your heart” and is …

Chinatown Street Scenes

Chinatown

Of all the ethic quarters visited in Singapore my favorite would have to be Chinatown.  Singapore’s Chinatown is the traditional Chinese quarters of town, and while the entire city is largely Chinese (about 72%) the area does retain some of its own charm. The area is also known as Niu Che Shui in Chinese and …

The "main" buddah in the temple

Tour of Temples

Today I had a very unique opportunity to explore the temples of 3 very distinct religions.  I was in the great company my travel guide, Anna Ong.  A native of Singapore she has a very deep understanding of the cultures and religions that dominate the country. Buddhism Our day began with a visit to the …

Artist uses a canting tool to apply the hot wax

The Ancient Art of Batik

Batik is an ancient process of decorating cloth by covering part of it with a coat of wax and then dyeing the cloth. In fact, the literal translation of the work Batik is “wax written”. The waxed area keeps its original color and when the wax is removed the contrast between the dyed and undyed …

Singapore Bum Boat

Bum Boat Ride

The Singapore River plays an important role in connecting the city of Singapore economically and socially. A bum boat cruise is a great, inexpensive way to spend 1 hour of your time when visiting Singapore. The cruise starts at the Raffles landing site (this is where Sir Stamford Raffles, founder of Singapore was thought to …

Malaysian Popiah

Asian Cuisine

Today I sampled many different asian foods.  It started with a trip to the “Wet Market” in Chinatown.  This is the area where locals go to buy fresh fish, meats, vegetables, fruits, dumplings, noodles, etc.  My first introductions included 3 Asian fruits:  Dragon’s Eye, Rambutan and Dragon Fruit.  The Eye of the Dragon was my …