Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
123
yet delicate, featuring intricate embroidery and beading. It's a great insight into a culture
that appeared and flourished for a brief period of time in a tiny par t of the world. The
collection is nicely laid out in a lo vely building that was the former Tao Nan School,
which dates from 1910.
39 Armenian St.
&
65/6332-7591.
www.peranakanmuseum.sg. Adults S$6 (US$4/£2.70), children and
seniors S$3 (US$2/£1.35); fr ee F ri 7-9pm. M on 1-7pm; Tues-Sun 9:30am-7pm (ex tended hours F ri
9:30am-9pm). 15-min. walk from City Hall MRT.
Raffles Hotel
Built in 1887 to accommodate the incr easing upper-class trade,
Raffles Hotel was originally only a couple of bungalows with 10 rooms, but, oh, the view
of the sea was per fection. The owners, Armenian brothers named Sarkies, already had a
couple of prosperous hotels in Southeast Asia (the Eastern & Oriental in Penang and the
Strand in Rangoon) and were well versed in the business. It wasn't long before they added
a pair of wings and completed the main building—and r eading rooms, verandas, dining
rooms, a grand lobby, the Bar and Billiards Room, a ballroom, and a string of shops. By
1899, electricity was turning the cooling fans and pr oviding the pleasing glo w of com-
fort.
As it made its madcap dash thr ough the 1920s, the hotel was the place to see and be
seen. Vacancies w ere unhear d of . Hungry S ingaporeans and guests fr om other hotels,
eager for a glimpse of the fabulous dining r oom, were turned away for lack of r eserva-
tions. The crowded ballroom was jumping ev ery night of the w eek. During this time
Raffles's guest book included famous authors like Somerset Maugham, Rudyard Kipling,
Joseph Conrad, and N oël Co ward. These w ere indeed the glor y y ears, but the lo vely
glimmer from the chandeliers soon faded with the star k arrival of the Great Depression.
Raffles managed to limp through that dark time—and, darker still, through the Japanese
Occupation—and later pull back fr om the brink of bankr uptcy to undergo moderniza-
tion in the '50s. But fresher, brighter, more opulent hotels were taking root on Orchard
Road, pushing the “grand old lady” to the back seat.
In the 1990s, Raffles was br ought back to its former glor y, restored and sensitiv ely
expanded over the course of a 3-year, multimillion-dollar project. History-minded reno-
vators selected 1915 as a benchmar k and, with a fe w changes her e and ther e, faithfully
restored the hotel to that era 's magnificence and splendor . Today the hotel 's restaurants
and nightlife draw thousands of visitors daily to its open lobby, its theater playhouse, the
Raffles Hotel Museum, and exclusive boutiques. Its 15 restaurants and bars—especially
the Tiffin Room, Raffles Grill, and Doc Cheng's—are a wonder, as is its famous Bar and
Billiards Room and Long Bar. If you're arriving by taxi, ask the driver to take you to the
front door of the hotel, wher e you'll be met by Raffles's fabulous sikh doormen.
1 Beach Rd.
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65/6337-1886.
City Hall MRT.
Raffles Landing Site
The polymarble statue at this site was unveiled in 1972. It was
made from plaster casts of the original 1887 figur e located in front of the Victoria The-
atre and Concert Hall (see below) and stands on what is believed to be the site where Sir
Stamford Raffles landed on January 29, 1819.
North Boat Quay. Free admission. 15-min. walk from City Hall MRT.
St. Andrew's Cathedral
Designed by George Coleman; erected on a site selected by
Sir Stamford Raffles himself; named for the patr on saint of Scotland, S t. Andrew; and
primarily funded by Singapore's Scottish community, the first St. Andrew's was the colo-
nials' Anglican Church. Completed toward the end of the 1830s, its tower and spire were
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