Singapore day 2

We are on a mission! We have two full days in Singapore and we want to see as much of this vibrant and attractive city as possible. We are a short walk from the Mass Transit station which is clean, modern and efficient and makes the London tube look very second-rate. All tickets are issued as robust plasic cards for which S$1 is charged as a deposit which can be redeemed when inserted into one of the ticket machines on arriving at your destination. It’s possible to purchase a Singpore Visitors day pass at selected stations – not very convenient because it means paying for your first journey at the single ticket price – for $8 per day plus a S$10 refundable deposit which works out cheaper on 5 or more journeys. So we opt for one of these and our first stop is Orchard Road.

Orchard Road is the main shopping district and here there is shopping mall after shopping mall. In fact in Singapore there are at least 75 major shopping malls so if you have the money, can afford the prices this is shop-til-you-drop heaven. The swankiest malls are on Orchard Road and this area is super modern, high rise – this is the prosperous, westernised face of south-east Asia and unlike Beijing, there people shopping in these designer malls.

Next stop is Little India, and a stroll down Serangoon Road with its shops selling handicrafts, jsmine garlands, colourful silk saris, Indian jewellery and henna tatoos. This couldn’t be more different with its colourful, two-story shop houses of reminiscent of Penang but without it’s vivacity. In fact it seems relatively quiet in this historic quarter. We find an Indian cafe and and have a blow-out meal – great food but a very different experience from the one in Penang; this is more sophisticated and we have cutlery! But the food is good. After a stroll around the streets we make our way to Clarke Quay on the Singapore river to indulge in a Singapore Sling. Clarke Quay is Singapores equivalent of Covent Garden and St Katherine’s Dock rolled into one. This used to be the hub of a once busy port, now re-invented as the place to go for a night out. This intimate river-side setting is lined with bars and restaurants, housed in original wharf buildings and humming with a mix of locals, expats and tourists. We stop at a bar for our Singapore Sling and then take a stroll along the attractive riverside walk, passing an almost never-ending string of smart eateries and watering holes.

This is a surprisingly attractive city – an beguiling mix of the ultra-modern high-rise, the colonial past and the cultural heritage borne of ethnic diversity. Indian, Chinese, Malay, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhism, Christian all meld together here to create a intriguing fusion of cultures. The people are a delight, so polite and helpful and the ambience is laid back and there is an unhurried pace of life.