Singapore - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 672

9

ancient Chinese writing implements and
Southeast Asian textiles.
he smaller Peranakan Museum (daily
10am-7pm, Fri until 9pm; S$6;
W

THREE DAY MUSEUM PASS
The three-day museum pass ( W nhb
.gov.sg) costs S$20 and grants access to
the National Museum of Singapore,
Peranakan Museum, Singapore Art
Museum, Asian Civilisations Museum,
Singapore Philatelic Museum and several
lesser venues, guaranteeing you a saving
of at least S$19.

peranakanmuseum.org.sg), at 39
Armenian St, features a wonderful
collection of Peranakan art and objects,
including a gallery dedicated to
traditional wedding ceremonies.
he nearby Philatelic Museum (Mon
1-7pm, Tues-Sun 9.30am-7pm; S$6;
W spm.org.sg) at 23B Coleman Street
showcases a fascinating collection of
stamps tracing Singapore's history.

explores the boundary where art
and science meet through its
interactive exhibits and fantastic
temporary exhibitions.

The Esplanade
In a city obsessed with high-rises, the
spiky Esplanade Theatres ( W esplanade
.com), dubbed “the durians” by the locals
due to their resemblance in shape to the
stinking fruit, look like nothing else in
Asia and are a popular venue for plays
and classical music.
Across the river is the popular
Merlion Park , where the 8.6m-tall
Merlion - a lion's head atop a scaly
body with a fish tail - spews water
into the bay. On the eastern side of
the bay, an ambitious building
reminiscent of a lotus flower houses the
cutting-edge ArtScience Museum (daily
10am-10pm; S$25; W marinabaysands
.com/Singapore-Museum/), which

Ra es Hotel
he lofty halls, restaurants, bars and
peaceful gardens of the legendary Ra es
Hotel at 1 Beach Rd ( W ra es.com) all
conspire to evoke a sense of the bygone
colonial era. he hotel opened for
business on December 1, 1887, and
quickly began to attract some impressive
guests, including Joseph Conrad,
Rudyard Kipling and Hermann Hesse.
During World War II, the hotel became
Japanese o cers' quarters, then a transit
camp for liberated Allied prisoners.
Postwar deterioration ended with a
S$160-million facelift in 1991, which
retained much of the building's colonial
grace. A visit to the hotel's legendary

GETTING HIGH IN SINGAPORE
This is by no means an encouragement to partake in the consumption of illegal substances,
since Singapore carries some of the world's stiffest penalties; here are other ways to feel on top
of the world.
The Singapore Flyer 30 Ra es Avenue
(daily 8.30am-10.30pm; S$33). This
165m-high observation wheel offers
360-degree views of everything from the
bustling business district to the surrounding
Indonesian and Malaysian islands. The best
way to reserve a spot in one of the pods
is to book online ( W singaporeflyer.com);
the tourist o ce also offers discounted
attraction combos which include the Flyer
(see p.685).
G-max the Ultimate Bungee Jump &
GX-5 Xtreme Swing Clarke Quay (daily
2pm-late; S$50; W gmax.com.sg). Want to
see the lights of the big city while upside

down at a height of 60m, having left your
stomach somewhere below? Now you can.
Next to the bungee catapult is the
five-seater swing that catapults you above
the Singapore River.
1-Altitude 1 Ra es Place T 6438 0410,
W 1-altitude.com. Sip a cocktail in
Singapore's highest alfresco gastrobar while
enjoying fantastic views of the city.
Ku dé ta Marina Bay Sands, North Tower,
1 Bayfront Ave T 6688 7688, W kudeta.com
.sg. Perched at the top of the futuristic
Marina Bay Sands hotel, 200m above the
city, this rooftop bar and restaurant boasts
unparalleled 360-degree views of Singapore.