Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
156
pick-up points fr om the M erlion (Fullerton), Boat Q uay, Clarke Quay, and R obertson
Quay.
The
Imperial Cheng H o,
operated b y
Watertours
(
&
65/6533-9811;
www.water
tours.com.sg), is a huge boat modeled after the sort of Chinese junk that Admiral Cheng
Ho might hav e sailed when he explor ed this r egion in the 15th centur y. A 2
1
/
2
-hour
cruise takes y ou from Marina South Pier past the S ingapore skyline, the mouth of the
Singapore River, then out past S entosa, with a stop on K usu Island. I r ecommend the
Morning Glory Cruise at 10:30am (adults S$27/US$18/£12, childr en S$14/US$9.40/
£6.30). There's also a High Tea Cruise at 3pm (adults S$32/US$21/£14, children S$16/
US$11/£7.20) and a dinner cr uise at 6:30pm (adults S$55/US$37/£25, childr en S$29/
US$19/£13). Watertours can arrange hotel transfer with y our booking.
TRISHAW TOUR
These cy cle rickshaws w ere once a staple form of public transpor tation. N ow they 're
permitted on busy streets only with special permits, and only for guided tours.
Singapore
Explorer
(
&
65/6339-6833;
www.singaporeexplorer.com.sg) coor dinates r egular out-
ings through Chinatown from 10am to 7pm daily . You can either call ahead to book a
ride or just show up at the corner of Sago and Terrenganu streets; you'll see the collection
of trishaws under cover. The half-hour trip takes you through Chinatown's quaint streets
for a charge of S$39 (US$26/£18), childr en S$20 (US$13/£9) per person. S ingapore
Explorer can arrange pickup from anywhere if you book in advance.
7
9
THE SURROUNDING ISLANDS
Sixty smaller islands surr ound Singapore, some of which ar e open for full- or half-day
trips. The ferry rides are cool and breezy, and they provide interesting up-close views of
some of the larger ships docked in the harbor . The islands themselves are small and, for
the most par t, don't have a lot going on. The locals basically see them as little escapes
from the everyday grind—peaceful respites for the family.
KUSU & ST. JOHN'S ISLANDS
Kusu Island and St. John's Island are both located to the south of Singapore proper, about
a 15- to 20-minute ferr y ride to Kusu, 25 to 30 minutes to S t. John's.
Its name meaning “Tortoise Island” in Chinese, many popular legends exist about how
Kusu I sland
came to be. The most popular ones inv olve ship wrecked people, either
fishermen or monks, who w ere rescued when a tor toise turned himself into an island.
Kusu I sland was originally two small islands and a r eef, but in 1975, r eclaimed land
turned it into a (v ery) small getaway island. There are two places of worship: a Chinese
temple and a Malay shrine. The Chinese temple becomes a zoo during “Kusu Season” in
October, when thousands of Chinese dev otees flock here to pray for health, pr osperity,
and luck. There are two swimming lagoons (the one to the nor th has a pr etty view of
Singapore Island), picnic tables, toilets, and public telephones.
Historically speaking,
St. John's Island
is an unlikely place for a day trip . As far back
as 1874, this place was a quarantine for Chinese immigrants sick with cholera; in the
1950s, it became a deportation holding center for Chinese Mafia thugs; and later it was
a r ehab center for opium addicts. Today y ou'll find a mosque, holiday camps, thr ee
lagoons, bungalows, a cafeteria, a huge playing field, and basketball. t's much larger than
