Singapore, Singapore--A Photo Essay
On our first day in Singapore, we explored the neighborhoods of Singapore--Chinese, Indian, Kampong Glam, and Colonial--as we got a feel for this fascinating city.
We had a late sailing into Singapore, arriving there at 3 PM. But since departure isn’t until tomorrow at 6 PM, we should have enough time to get a feel for the city.
We took a 4-hour, Regent-included excursion, Iconic Singapore. An early evening departure time caused some issues—we were unable to enter the Chinese temple or visit the mosque due to our late arrival time. Still, we enjoyed touring the Kamplong Glam area on foot and seeing the Colonial area.
The first highlight of the tour was the evening Singapore River Bumboat Cruise. We enjoyed close-up views of many of Singapore’s iconic buildings.
This proved to be an excellent way to see some of Singapore’s novel and intricately designed architecture.
The Merlion is the official mascot of Singapore. It’s a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish.
The second highlight of the evening was a visit to the Long Bar at the famous Raffles Hotel. We indulged in Singapore Slings, the iconic drink created by Raffles’ bartender, Ngiam Tong Boon, in 1915. Since women were discouraged from drinking in public, he concocted an alcoholic version of the hotel’s popular fruit drink for the ladies who preferred a little kick to their punch. No one was the wiser, or so the story goes.
Not content with just drinking the “ladies’ drink,” Sherpa and William also ordered Singapore’s legendary beer, Tiger Beer.
Tiger Beer is brewed by Asia Pacific Brewery. 5.0% ABV.
Sherpa’s Take: “Claims to be a Pilsner-style Lager, but it’s not a European-style Pilsner. Pleasant lager. Medium gold color, moderately carbonated with a refreshing and smooth mouth feel. Malty with a soft aftertaste. Must drink cold. Beach Beer category, or Hot Day in Singapore Category.” 6/10
Tomorrow: Day 2 in Singapore.
Oh my goodness- I have to admit: this challenged my idea of what Singapore might look like. Grateful to be exposed and taught through your posts! Looks like fun was at the Raffles- I’m planning to research it and get to reading more about that soon!