Re: Singapore is 25th Best City on Lonely Planet's list!

Hi folks, as promised, the final leg of my Singapore tour. This is going to be my entry for the whole of next week, as I'm going to be busy.

Cheers!







ESCAPE FROM THE CITY

Singapore is also known as the Garden City. Even though the old kampung (village with houses on wooden stilts and attap leaves for a roof) had made way for an industrialised nation, you'll see a tree practically everywhere you turn (thanks to the urban planners). But there are some places you can go to escape the bustling city life.

CHANGI VILLAGE (not far from the airport)

1) Retreat: Rent a bungalow chalet by the beach (a friend had a marquee wedding here, it was gorgeous!). Or Meridien Changi Hotel, which has a wonderful spa that lives up to its name, The Retreat.

2) Activities: You can stroll or cycle along the beach. Not nice enough to swim. Once, my uncle rented a boat and took me fishing, but I got motion sickness. Think there are other sports you can do here.

3) Food: Nasi lemak* here is famous. Many stalls sell it.
*Malay cuisine: coconut rice eaten with sambal (chilli paste) and fried fish, anchovies, nuts,egg, chicken wings, otak-otak (fish cake), and sliced cucumber.

4) Sight: Just fyi - the tranvestites-hookers come out to play here (interesting
choice of spot)

SENTOSA ISLAND (an island off Singapore, which belongs to us)

1) Cable car ride: you can take it there and even enjoy a romantic gourmet dinner on it.

2) Attractions: Buttefly and Insect Kingdom and former military/war time Fort Siloso, among others.

3) Rasa Sentosa Resort or The Sentosa Resort & Spa: The former is pure luxury living. The latter has the most lushful spa in Singapore.

3) Party central: There used to be foam parties but now the hotspot is KM8 pub, where there's a pool for people to lounge and sip a cocktail under the stars.
FOND MEMORY: Met my ex-French bf at a dawn-till-dusk party. First lip-lock here...darn the French!

EAST COAST PARK

1) Beach: not as fantastic as Sentosa's but hot with locals. They pitch up tents (you no longer require a government permit), do a barbecue, cycle, roller blade, surf (in spite of the weak waves) and so on.
FOND MEMORY: Welcomed the millenium with ex-Indian bf here. Played with sparklers as the ships shot their flares into the sky.

2) Residential estate: It's hot with the locals because it's near the Marine Parade estate (under the charge of our former prime minister). You can see the different types of housing, the sky-rise public blocks, the private condominiums and landed houses.
FOND MEMORY: Fell in love with ex-Malay bf while watching the sunrise at his apartment on the 19th floor.

3) Parkway Parade: I love this cluster of shopping centres. You can also go bowling, play pool, arcade games, visit the library or get books from the rent and sell bookstore, drop by the pet shop and of course eat till you go dizzy at the mega hawker centre.

MACRITCHIE RESERVOIR

1) A nature escape from the bustling city - you can take the tree-top walk (built by HSBC bank), simply trek through the rainforest (monkeys are friendly until you feed them and they go gaga) or traispe on the specially constructed board-walk or even canoe here. Mornings are the best time to go.

There are, of course, the popular tourist spots like the Bird Park (a friend once held a wedding here with hundreds of flamingoes for a view) and Singapore Zoo (while on the night safari tram, saw lions making out, oops).



NOCTURNAL SPOTS

The spots I'm recommending are relatively sugar, spice and rather nice. There are seedier places (which some might find interesting) but not my kind of scene.

ORCHARD ROAD

1) Bar None - housed in basement of Marriott Hotel. Has stood the test of time. Was once home to S'pore premiere rock band (who enjoyed a hit on US Billboard Top 100 back in the '80s). Now resided by Jive Talking, one of the top Top 40s band around.

2) Devil's Bar - a homage to the Red Devils aka Manchester United (half of S'pore's fans are partial to this English football club). Dear Dennis Foo, the very hospitable owner, is a big fan and blows tens of thousands of dollars on soccer betting in one night. His place has got a house music room, live band room, pool-playing room and a patio, where they serve coffee.

3) Others worth a mention: Hard Rock Cafe - salsa nights are on Thurs (tell you more about my affection for dancing another time) and Thumper at Goodwood Park Hotel, the celebrity haunt du jour.

4) Peranakan Place: another stretch on Orchard Road. Lined with pubs like No. 5, Ice Cold Beer and Que Pasa. Great spots for chilling out, knocking back a couple of drinks and nibbling on finger foods.

CLARKE QUAY

Note: Boat Quay, the lesser cousin (some might disagree with me), is a 10min stroll away. Linked by Singapore River, so you can shuttle by boat.

1) Ministry of Sound: The UK franchise has done up its place nicely. Different rooms for different music tastes: Studio 54 (disco), Smoove (R&B) and so on... But I can't say much for the service. My girlfriend once quarrelled with a rude doorman.

2) Crazy Horse: Artistic nude cabaret shows. My question is: why isn't there a male version?

3) 1 Nite Stand Comedy Club: as its name suggests, it features stand-up comedians (am so waiting for Russell Peters (he's Canadian, isn't he?). Also has a live Top 40s band. A colourful place (have spotted hookers) but you can go crazy here and nobody gives two hoots.

4) Others that might be worth a mention: Crazy Elephant (which also stood the test of time, has got a live rock/blues band, populated with expatriates and tourists) , Hooters (no busty girls, but lots of cellulite-free bums in short shorts, surprisingly, food's not bad) and Attica, where the models go.

MOHAMED SULTAN (a stone's throw away from Clarke Quay)

1) Coyote Ugly - first pub to go big on bar-top dancing girls after it was made legal. Enough said.

2) Dbl O - big place, good variety of patrons, plays R&B, house, '80s retro and Top 40.

JIAK KIM STREET

1) Finally, the long-standing, award-winning cluster of clubs - Zouk, Phuture and Velvet Underground (all under the same management). They've got international visiting deejays spinning regularly like Paul Van Dyk, Sasha, Carl Cox, John Digweed, Basement Jaxx, Underworld and so on.

So, when are you coming ;P