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Excitement in the Lion
city
I was aboard
an overnight flight to Singapore with my family when my eyes fell on the
brightly illuminated cargo ships below me which seemed like little stars
shining in the darkness of the night. There must have been hundreds of vessels
waiting patiently in queue trying to gain entry into Singapore port apparently
to offload, reload or even refuel before continuing on their long journey. I
had no idea whatsoever about the fate of those ships but I could tell without
doubt that our destination was near. Only moments later, the plane accelerated
its rate of descent and eventually touched down at Changi Airport which is not
very far away from the city centre. By the time we completed our immigration formalities
and stepped out into the open, it was no longer dark and we could feel the cool
early morning breeze carrying with it a hint of moisture, reminding us that we
had just landed on an Island. We wasted no time in boarding a cab which took us
towards the heart of the city. As Singapore was yet to wake up, we found no
rush on the roads and saw few people on the sidewalks, making our ride smooth
and fast.
The
loquacious lady driving the cab was in no mood to let us doze off and kept us
alive with her interesting stories of moving to Singapore and how she has come
to love the city and its people. She also told us about the best places to see
in and around the city. It turned out that the very popular Gardens by the Bay
was her favourite place. She definitely helped us in prioritizing our itinerary
so that we could make the best use of the limited time we had.
Singapore is
a city, a state, an Island and a country, all rolled into one beautiful place
to live in. The public transport is
state of the art and inexpensive at the same time. When commuting within the
city, one could always ride in buses and inter-city trains to get around than
board a cab and pay a hefty fare.
After a
thorough discussion among ourselves and some exhaustive research on the net, we
zeroed in on some of the must visit places like the wildlife reserves including
Night Safari, Zoo, River Safari and Bird Park, the award winning Gardens by the
Bay, Botanic Gardens, Merlion Park, Sentosa Island, China Town and Orchard
Road.
I love
watching exotic wildlife and what better way of witnessing the rarest of the
rare species than visiting the well maintained wildlife reserves of the city.
The Bird Park besides having a rich collection of various species of birds also
conducts various shows and performances with colourful flyers in the lead and
their trainers playing a supporting role. Singapore Zoo consists of all kinds
of land animals one can think of. Night Safari provides the visitor with once
in a lifetime opportunity to spot wild animals in the creepiness of the night
as they prowl in different terrains ranging from the Himalayan foothills to the
African Grasslands to the Australian Outback. Moonlight has been aesthetically
simulated in every exhibit which helps the visitor to see each animal clearly.
River Safari is complete with various exhibits depicting major rivers of the
world and the spectacular aquatic life that inhabits them. To explore the vast sea
life in different oceans and seas, we also visited the S.E.A Aquarium (credited
to be the biggest in the world) located at Sentosa Island which is well
connected to the island of Singapore by cable cars, road and even trains .
Another
great place for amusement and fun is the Universal Studios also located at
Sentosa. The thrilling rides based on famous Hollywood movies like Jurassic
Park, Shrek, Madagascar, Transformers etc, virtual reality roller coasters, 4D
animated movies and the vivacious ambience of the place brought out the
impatient fun seeking kid in all of us. The lively atmosphere coupled with the
sight of so many happy and carefree faces enchanted us so much that we didn’t
feel like going back even after having spent some twelve hours in the amusement
park.
After
stretching ourselves to the very limit of adventure and exertion, it was time
for some peace and introspection at the quaint environs of the very pristine
and ancient Botanic Gardens. It is so big that one would need two full days to
experience it entirely and so old (more than 150 years old) that it has now
become a heritage site in itself. Gardens by the Bay is another worth visiting
site which is in no way similar to its historical counterpart. The concept is
novel given that a considerable effort has been put in bringing together exotic
flora and trees from various parts of the world under one roof with the aid of
magnificent design and technology. The two beautiful glass conservatories
namely the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest transport the visitor to a surreal
world full of vivid colours and natural fragrances. In the outdoor gardens, we
watched in awe the incredibly tall and handsome Super Trees which were linked
to each other via formidable Sky Bridges. When the entire Super Tree Grove lit
up at night, it was truly a mesmerizing sight to behold and I just kept on
looking at the many illuminated trees around me. It felt like being in a
different world, a world where trees grow giant in size and emit light of
magnificent hues.
We had
resisted it for so long but it was now time to empty our pockets as we embarked
on an intensive shopping spree. 2014 being the Year of the Horse, the market in
China Town was buzzing with excitement and the entire stretch of road that cuts
through the market was lined up with life-like models of giant galloping
horses. Shops were replete with beautiful statues of the Buddha, the Fortune
God and some really colourful horses. Shopping at China Town was an experience
in itself but then we flocked to a more modern shopping destination- a string
of glitzy malls at Orchard Road. Since the New Year was just round the corner,
the road was nicely decorated and brightly lit up. Shopping malls adorn the
road from both sides and are full of designer brands, world class retail
outlets, award winning restaurants and lip smacking bakeries- a place where you
just can’t resist splurging.
Last but not
the least, we also visited the Merlion Park where the national icon of the city
(a mermaid with head of a lion, hence Merlion) proudly sits above the sea
gurgling water from its mouth. Another place which I would like to count as a
tourist destination is the Departure Terminal of Changi Airport from where we
boarded our flight back to Delhi. We managed to reach before our scheduled
flight so that we could also spend the little money that was somehow left in
our pockets. Spending some time at the terminal was like going back to one of
those fabulous malls of Orchard Road and much more than that. I enjoyed taking
a quiet walk in the Butterfly Garden and delighted my visual senses in the
beautifully manicured Orchid Garden. Just when I was thinking of exploring one
more place at the terminal, there was an announcement instructing us to reach
the boarding gates and I knew that my vacation was over. I didn’t feel like
saying good bye to the city that had been a truly warm host and to its people
who had been so lovely and generous. In hope of returning some day in the
future, I bid adieu to the Lion City for the time being.
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