Ending with a smile and a wave goodbye

Overall, the trips to these different places in Singapore, which incorporates fun, excitement and pleasure, has indeed been very rewarding. Other than the delight it brought us as we toured the places, these experiences also increased our insights and knowledge towards Singapore, the place that is so well known for being a little red dot. So small and yet so fascinating, it never fails to promote the leisure sectors in the tourism industry. Singapore has many entertainment sectors as mentioned such as the Night Safari, Sentosa, and the upcoming Integrated Resorts. Other than these, she has many other places that tourists will never regret visiting. There is also the Singapore Flyer that stands at an elevated height. Visitors can enjoy the scenic view of Singapore from the top, experiencing tranquilty and peace. These memories do not last forever but it will always remain in each one of our hearts, changing the way we perceive Singapore forever. The tiny island indeed has much more to show off than it's petite size!

Zoo and Night Safari

Finally, we visited the Singapore Zoological Gardens and Night Safari! Both tourist attractions are conveniently located just side by side each other. The former opens in the morning and afternoon while the latter opens at night only. The Night Safari located at Mandai Lake Road is the first night zoo ever established in the world, making it one of the most unique tourist attractions in Singapore and even South East Asia.

First, we made our way to the Singapore Zoological Gardens. Other than taking a cab to the place, we took a bus from Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange. The bus ride was convenient, efficient and affordable. Upon reaching the destination, we bought our tickets at the ticketing counter which was decorated in safari-like fashion. There were many food outlets located just outside the entrance of the zoo. Some of them are fast food outlets like KFC, Pizza hut, Ben & Jerry’s and Ah Meng Café, which was specially set up in memory of the late Ah Meng. Ah Meng (18 June 1960 – 8 February 2008) was a female Sumatran Orangutan and a tourism icon of the zoo. She was smuggled from Indonesia and kept illegally as a domestic pet before being recovered by a veterinarian in 1971. She was then eleven years old and was given a home at the Singapore Zoo.





The zoo is a model of the 'open zoo' concept. The animals are kept in spacious, landscaped enclosures, separated from the visitors by either dry or wet moats. The moats are concealed with vegetation or dropped below the line of vision. In the case of dangerous animals which can climb very well, moat barriers are not used. Instead, these animals are housed in landscaped glass-fronted enclosures. There are about 315 species of animal in the zoo, of which some 16% are considered threatened species. To visit the animals, we travelled around in a tram that provided free rides throughout the day.







Next, before visiting the zoo, we went to Kenko foot reflexology for a 10 minutes fish spa. It was a refreshing experience. The first 5 minutes was extremely tickling. When the fish fed on our feet’s dead skin, it tickled a lot. It took a few of us the first few minutes to get used to it. The next few minutes were uplifting and a whole new experience for every one of us. There were 2 different sizes of fish to choose from. We chose the smaller fishes, as it was less ticklish and not painful unlike the big fishes which brings mior pain to our feets. One of us was bold enough to go try the bigger fish. Her comments after the experience were, “It is more painful and all the fishes rushes to the feet the moment my feet touched the water. It is a totally different sensation from the smaller fish.” The fish spa is known to have many benefits, such as natural exfoliation of dead skin, releasing of stress and tension, and lightening of minor scars. Therefore, we encourage you to give it a try. It is definitely worth the try!









Thereafter, we went to the Night Safari which was just a few steps away from the zoo. The Night Safari, opened in 1994, is the world’s first nocturnal zoo. The Night Safari currently houses a total of 1,040 animals of 120 species, of which 29% are threatened species.



Unlike traditional nocturnal houses, which reverse the day-night cycle of animals so they will be active by day, the Night Safari is an entire open-air zoo set in a humid tropical forest that is only open at night. It is divided into eight geographical zones, which can be explored either on foot via three walking trails, or by tram.



Touring the night zoo by tram was the route we took on our visit. It was an interesting trip as we got the chance to be near to the animals as the tram can travel within the restricted region that is not allowed during normal visits to zoo. This is an exclusive chance in Night Safari. However, cameras with flash are not allowed. People who “on” their flashes are constantly reminded to “off them”. This is to prevent the disturbance of animals as they are very sensitive to light. There may be danger as well if we alarmed or shocked dangerous animals like lions and tigers. The thought of this pushed the excitement even further as we ventured into the darkness and mysteries of animals’ kingdom quietly, up so close for the first time. The Night Safari has been the first to embrace this stimulating activity. At one point, we got off the tram to take a detour into a part where we need to go by foot. Our group decided to take a daring move to visit areas such as the homes of bats and flying squirrels, tigers, deers and some other animals. We entered into an enclosed area for bats. As the bats are allowed to fly freely, we walked through the trail with much caution. It was dark and shadowy from the trees towering filling the place with suspense, causing thrill-lovers to enjoy every moment of the walk. We also managed to see the leopards as near as only a few centimeters away from us as they were sleeping near the glass door. This certainly enhances the worth of visiting Night Safari. There is also an educational region where we get to see the fossils and skin specimens of some reptiles, increasing our knowledge towards these species. After the walk, we continued our way back to the tram which carries on with the other half of the journey. Through the trail that the tram took, we explored other animals, such as hippopotamus, bears, elephants and giraffes and anteaters. We caught them eating, sleeping, walking. Although some of the animals seemed to sense our presence but they continued with their own activities.





Though we did not manage to capture clear photos as cameras with flash are restricted, the trip is definitely worthwhile as the whole experience is very fulfilling. This place is hence highly recommended especially if you are an animal lover or a thrill seeker.

http://www.zoo.com.sg/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Zoo
http://www.nightsafari.com.sg/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Safari

Clarke Quay.

The Singapore River is a romantic place for couples to hang out, especially at night. There are many restaurants nearby for couples to dine at before they go for a stroll along the singapore river.

The Singapore River is especially popular among couples during festive occasions such as Valentines' Day, as it is a romantic place to hang out with your soul mate and to enjoy the moonlight and breeze together. The river cruise is also available to let couples enjoy the scenery along the singapore river and also to spend some quality time with each other.

As Valentines' Day coincides with the Chinese New Year festivities, it is believed that on the 15th day of the event, unmarried women wishing to find their soul mates gather near the Singapore River in the night to throw Mandarin oranges to the river, with the belief to find a good life partner. The shopping malls, elegant hotels and spa resorts also make efforts to make this occasion more eventful by announcing attractive holiday packages for young couples desiring to spend an intimate romantic weekend. With such a simple yet attracting place to go, it is definitely a place many choose to hang out at with their soul mates for a romantic night!

Clarke Quay has a wide variety of food that caters to many people with different taste buds.

Many restaurants lined the streets of Clarke Quay with those selling western cuisines to Asian cuisines, offered by Coriander leaf and King Satay. King Satay is one that provides local food for tourists to enjoy and experience our Singapore tastes. It also serves as a clubbing hotspot for any party-goers.

Fusion cuisines like Casa-Z also allow tourists to enjoy chic French dining by the riverside. Indian, Indonesian and Japanese cuisines are also available here.

Other than these famous and well known cuisines in Singapore that hold up our cosmopolitan culture and the recognition of “food heaven” with different kinds of food catering to the different races, there are also dessert cuisines offered; an example is the crossroad bar that is Simply Chocolate! This is a lounge that people can unwind over fine teas, coffees, wines and cocktails and alcoholic beverages. Not to leave out, there is also a mouth-watering array of chocolate treats. In addition, the chocolate buffet is next to the bar.

Other than the many restaurants mentioned above, alternatives like cafes can also be considered if a rest and a sweet treat is all you want. The food provided in Clarke Quay is definitely worth a while for people to visit the place.

When visiting Clarke Quay, tourists are definitely spoilt for choice by the abundance and diversity of the food provided by this famous spot.

After the dinner, there is plenty of room to relax and talk. For groups of friends, places like the timbre, can be found along the shop-houses. Not only that, there are jazz bars, small pubs and even clubs near the areas. Some of the more famous ones are Zirca Mega Club and Club One Seven. CPubs are used for a small degree of bonding. There are many varieties of drinks, ranging from Jack Daniel’s, Martels, to others like Tequila. Tourists can also try out the famous Singapore Sling, a cocktail invented by Ngiam Tong Boon, who was a bartender at the Long Bar in Raffles Hotel Singapore. The surroundings were rather lively, being mostly more crowded on Fridays and weekends. There are live bands in the house, and the music was soothing for these pub joints, and with the beautiful scenery as a plus point. Hence, visitors can get out of their usual routines and experience a part of Singapore's night life.

Last but not least the group ends off with a picture to depict the scene of the leisure outing itself.