Wednesday, October 16, 2013

The world’s largest aquarium of S.E.A Aquarium Singapore

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S.E.A Aquarium, the world’s largest aquarium accredited by GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™. It contains a total of 45,000,000 liters of water for more than 100,000 marine animals of over 800 species. The aquarium comprises 10 zones with 49 habitats. The centerpiece of the Aquarium is the Open Ocean tank with more than 18,000,000 and 50,000 animals. It has the world's largest viewing panel, 36-metre wide and 8.3-metre tall, which is intended to give visitors the feeling of being on the ocean floor.

colorful fishes and corals
The S.E.A Aquarium has a collection of manta rays, including the only giant oceanic manta ray in captivity. It also houses scalloped hammerhead sharks, Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, the Japanese spider crab, including the guitarfish, the chambered nautilus, enormous goliath grouper, napoleon wrasse, and other gentle giants of the sea

You can find over 200 sharks and uncover the of myths about these ocean predators. Sneak a peek at a moray eel in a rocky crevice or tour an underwater reef community. Discover and unfold the endless wonders of our blue planet at S.E.A. Aquarium.

Here some thematic aquarium you can find out when walking trough it.

Strait of Karimata & Java Sea
You can endeavor through the fascinating world beneath the Strait of Karimata that located on the lower-eastern side of Sumatra. It is astounded by a shipwreck with a splintered hull that has evolved into a marine habitat.

Here, you can see how squadrons of pompano, threadfin trevally and batfish and other marine animals such as goliath grouper and Napoleon wrasse seek refuge within and near the shipwreck as they cruise through the waters of the Java Sea.

From once carrying treasures across the ocean, to now harbouring the ocean’s marine life treasures, shipwrecks continue to shape the world beneath the oceans and seas.

Strait of Malacca & Andaman Sea
You can continue walking across a floor of glass to underwater journey through the Strait of Malacca and the Andaman and watch the predators and other ocean denizens swim right beneath your feet.

a floor of glass

Further ahead, you can explore the waters of Singapore and sea-grass habitats of Malacca, home to lively leopard and blue flasher wrasses.

Here, your children will find an interactive learning experience about  sea cucumber,  the knobbly sea star, pencil sea urchin and more at Discovery Touch Pool.

Bay of Bengal & Laccadive Sea
Walk further, you will discover the mysteries of the Sundarbans Mangrove, home to a myriad of endangered plants and animals found along the coast of the Bay of Bengal.  You will see mangrove inhabitants such as spotted scats, mudskippers, silver batfish and archerfish that use the mangrove tree roots as nesting and nursery areas.

Around the corner, note on curious spotted garden eels popping in and out of their sand burrows and “find Nemo” as well as white-rayed antenna gobies, long-nose hawkfish,  reef lobsters  and other jewels of the Coral Reef.

coral reef and colorful fishes
Further along, there are the Patch Reef of Brain Corals and majestic Staghorn Corals, leading to a reef drop similar to those found in the Laccadive Sea, crawling with unique fish species such as yellowface angelfish,  the queen angelfish and others.

Ocean Journey
As you make your way further, you will see indo-pacific bottlenose dolphins. You can learn the surprising facts about these speedy swimmers as they enthrall you with their underwater grace and prowess.


bottlenose dolphin at sea aquarium

You can find out too the cool marine life in the Cold Water habitats such as chambered nautilus, giant spider crab and other unique species.  There are the electrifying pulsating dances of the translucent sea jelly species too such as long-tentacled lion’s mane sea jelly, neon blue sea jelly and the larger-than-life moon sea jelly.



 sea jelly
Open Ocean
It calls open ocean since there are diverse collections of marine life here.  This magical realm is home to gentle giants of the sea including the leopard shark, goliath grouper, saw fish, mahi mahi and a squadron of magnificent manta rays.

 goliath grouper

More Tips
  • Better to purchase the entrance tickets online to avoid the long queue. 
  • Try to plan your trip at weekdays. This would prevent long Queue at the entrance
  • If you buy tickets there, show your passport  and you will receive a tourist discount
  • There is a food court in the main entrance, but there are not a lot of choices.  As you walk through the resort of Santosa, there are plenty of local and well known food outlets before reaching the Aquarium. 

sources:
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Sunday, October 13, 2013

Visit The Coins and Notes Museum while shopping at Chinatown Singapore

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The Singapore Coins and Notes Museum is located at 40 Pagoda Street, Singapore.  While shopping at Chinatown, you can also visit it as a one of your destinations in your itinerary.  It is the Singapore only museum dedicated to displaying currency. Through their exhibits, you will have a journey through a world of coins and notes from the earliest objects used for barter trade to the latest cutting-edge polymer notes.


Coins and Notes Museum at night

The museum has 2 floors. At first one you can find ancient currencies, the history of currency used in Singapore, and the coins & medallions of today, whilst the other features the different cultural usage of coins as well as a video presentation on the minting of coins. They also offer a minting service whereby visitors can obtain their own souvenir coin for some prices.

The museum also showcases the earliest coins used in Singapore, which were foreign in origin and brought here through trade. These came from as far such Holland, and remained in use even after indigenous coins surfaced in the region. Some consider the Spanish dollar, widely used in the East Indies and other parts of the world during the 19th century, was the first truly global currency.

showcase of Coins and Notes Museum Singapore

The museum also exhibits more recent currencies such as that produced in 1938 by the Board of Commissioners of Currencies of Malaya. Following the onset of the Japanese Occupation in 1942, this production was stopped abruptly.

The highlight of the exhibition, however, are the uniquely designed Singapore coins and notes that have been produced for circulation since Singapore’s independence in 1965.

The Board of Commissioners of Currency was set up in 1967, for there was great urgency to produce Singapore’s own currency at the time. Since its inception, two series of coins and of notes have thus far been issued for national circulation.


level 1 - Coins and Notes Museum Singapore


The smallest coin in the museum is a Majapahit gold coin-like piece with a stamped design.
It is suspected to have originated from as far back as 800 years ago, a product of the Majapahit empire centred in Java, Indonesia, from the 13th to 16th centuries. Until today, ‘coins’ like this are still being uncovered throughout Southeast Asia, proof of the empire’s bygone influence.


Coins and Notes Museum Singapore

Spare some time for the museum’s shop, as it is literally a treasure trove. There you can purchase commemorative coins and medallions, currency memorabilia and other souvenirs.


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The beautiful Garden By the Bay - Singapore

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Garden by the Bay is a park on a reclaimed land in central Singapore, adjacent to the Marin a Reservoir. It is a favorite place in Singapore today and It's a 'must.' even if you only have a few hours in Singapore. It is a great sight and it is very close to the Marina Bay Sands hotel at Shoppes at Marina Bay.

the supertrees at night
It is a Singapore's premier urban outdoor recreation space and a national icon too. The park consists of three waterfront gardens: Bay South Garden, Bay East Garden and Bay Central Garden. There is a fee to enter the domes but you can walk around the gardens for free.

The park has proven popular for event planners, with demand so high that the park has to limit the number of events to three per week.

bridge from Marina Bay to The Garden

Flower Dome
It is the lower but larger of the two, at 1.2 hectares  and it is 38 meters high. It maintains a temperature between 23°C and 25°C. It replicates a mild, dry climate and features plants found in the Mediterranean and other semi-arid tropical regions (e.g. parts of Australia, South America, South Africa).

The Flower Dome features 7 different "gardens" as well as an olive grove with a bistro and a central changing display field has also been incorporated to enable flower shows and displays to be held within the conservatory.

Cloud Forest
It is higher but slightly smaller at 0.8 hectares. It replicates the cool moist conditions found in tropical mountain regions between 1,000 meters and 3,000 meters above sea level, found in South-East Asia, Middle- and South America. It features a 42-meter "Cloud Mountain", accessible by an elevator, and visitors will be able to descend the mountain via a circular path where a 35-metre (115 ft) waterfall provides visitors with refreshing cool air.

The "cloud mountain" itself is an intricate structure completely clad in epiphytes such as orchids, ferns, peacock ferns, spike- and clubmosses, bromeliads and anthuriums. It consists of a number of levels, each with a different theme.

The Supertrees
These are tree-like structures that dominate the Gardens' landscape with heights that range between 25 meters and 50 metres. They are vertical gardens that perform a multitude of functions, which include planting, shading and working as environmental engines for the gardens.

The Supertrees are home to enclaves of unique and exotic ferns, vines, orchids and also a vast collection of bromeliads such as Tillandsia, amongst other plants. They are fitted with environmental technologies that mimic the ecological function of trees – photovoltaic cells that harness solar energy which can be used for some of the functions of the Supertrees, such as lighting, just like how trees photosynthesize; and collection of rainwater for use in irrigation and fountain displays, exactly like how trees absorb rainwater for growth. The Supertrees also serve air intake and exhaust functions as part of the conservatories' cooling systems.

the supertress view from bridge

There is an elevated walkway, the OCBC Skyway, between two of the larger Supertrees for visitors to enjoy a breathtaking aerial view of the Gardens. A food and beverage outlet is planned atop the 50-metre (160 ft) Supertree. At night, the Supertrees come alive with a light and music show called the OCBC Garden Rhapsody

This place is very different day and night! Visit the dome in the day time, they have exhibitions sometimes. They had an exhibition in the Flower Dome sometimes.  You will love the exhibition and walk around the Cloud Forest, so paying to get into both Domes were totally worth it. Visit the Supertreea Grove at night, you will love the light against the night.
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Monday, February 4, 2013

Get wet at Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure

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Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure is a raft water ride located in The Lost World zone at Universal Studios Singapore in Resorts World Sentosa, Sentosa Island, Singapore. It is based off the concept of Jurassic Park: The Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure

It features a white water raft system where riders on circular rafts are tossed along waterways within the Jurassic Park compound, which is home to several animatronic dinosaurs, the ride finishes with riders plunging down from the Hydroelectric Generator compound.

The Ride
The raft first passes Stegosaurus Springs, where a Stegosaurus and its young are grazing on the shore and then passes Parasaurolophus lagoon, where a visible Parasaurolophus and a hidden Parasaurolophus that pops out of the water, shooting water at the riders. The rafting journey was full of surprises and some of the track becomes totally dark.  The most hysterical moment when the raft ascends and stops. A Tyrannosaurus pokes its head through the ceiling and snaps at riders. The vehicle then falls down a slope from a height of 40 feet, drenching the riders.

Tips: 
  • At the journey, there will be water shooting at you. You will get wet but not soak, but you can buy rain coat at this park. 
  • Wrap your camera on with plastic bag and put at your bag. 
  • If you get wet and you have an extra change, then after this ride, continue to waterworld show, plan your schedule accordingly. 
  • Guests must be least 107cm in height to ride. Children 107cm to 122cm must be accompanied by a supervising companion




resource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jurassic_Park_Rapids_Adventure_(Universal_Studios_Singapore)



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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

VivoCity - The gateway to Sentosa Island

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VivoCity is the gateway to Sentosa Island, where you can enjoy the universal studios or watch Song of the Sea or go to Fort Siloso or play at beach and various attractions there.

sentosa island from Vivocity

From VivoCity you can take the Sentosa Express monorail which is on level 3, next to the Food Republic food court. (known as Sentosa Station).
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Friday, January 18, 2013

Cruising the Singapore River

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This is a great way to get away from the heat of the city and enjoy the relative cool air of the river as you sail along the historic Singapore River. Whenever you travel along with kids, It is a joyful riding for children to explore the river by boat. This boat will bring us to explore the malls, attractions and museums along the river banks during the day and revisit the river in the night for a different feel.

The boat goes slowly enough to enjoy the many sights of the city of Singapore. A feature modern-and silent- electric boat is powered by batteries and therefore had no smelly exhaust . There is a live commentary on board that we can learn about the colonial times of Singapore and also present-day Singapore. The information provided is light, easily digestible and interesting, but don't expect to get a deep dive into the history of the river.

River Cruise
The boat itself will cruise on every 25 minutes. It take the 60 minute round-trip cruise, you can hop-on and off River Cruise and explore the various sections along the river as it doubles as a transportation system that allows you to back track and revisit some of the favorite sites and malls.

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Saturday, January 12, 2013

An after midnight Shopping at Mustafa Center, Singapore

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Mustafa Centre is one of Singaporean's 24-hour shopping malls which is located on Syed Alwi Road in Little India. Located at a walking distance from Farrer Park on the North East Line, Mustafa Centre is a retail hub which caters mainly to the budget market.

The department store at Mustafa Centre consists of two shopping centres: one retailing jewellery and household appliances, and has a supermarket in it; and the other selling books, CDs and DVDs, watches, electronic goods, footwear and clothing.  The business concept of offering other services such as Foreign Exchange, VISA Processing, Travels Booking, Gold Mart,  GST refund counter and all kinds of shopping item available under one roof.

photo credit: http://www.yoursingapore.com/content/traveller/en/browse/shopping/shopping-malls/mustafa-centre.html

The place is huge and you need a couple of hours to cover all the departments, It is not the most sophisticated and classy place to shop in Singapore but it surely sells almost everything at a reasonable price and also open 24hours, thus making Mustafa a popular shopping place for tourists.

You can get almost anything from over 300,000 items displayed on four levels covering an area of 400,000 Sq.ft within the six story building along Syed Alwi Road. It has a wide variety of goods from souvenirs, food, spice to electronics. Just selecting carefully and patiently cause sometimes if you're lucky you will find the same things with lower price or better quality, like t shirt (Singapore-is-a-fine-country T-shirt), souvenir, etc. But remember, most of those items can be purchased from other places in Singapore, like Chinatown or Bugis Street market, even at Orchard Road with better quality and price.

If you have limited time for shopping around but wanted to buy some souvenirs before leaving for airport, Mustafa might be your best choice.  You can go there even after midnight, do your shopping and if you do not have enough space in your luggage, you can always buy extra luggage in Mustafa too, but make sure you refund your GST if you can. There are lots of Indian restaurant around Mustafa so don’t worry about getting hungry.



Getting Here
Take MRT of the North East Line (purple) - Punggol to Harbour Front and alight at Farrer Park station, do not alight at Little India station. Services operate from about 5:30 am and usually end before 1 a.m. daily with intervals of approximately three to eight minutes. For after midnight shopping, use the taxi services.

Some tips for shopping at Mustafa
  • If you don’t mind the crowds, come by on a Saturday or Sunday evening, but if you want to do your shopping leisurely then go after midnight. 
  • Before you buy the perishable products, please check the packaging and the expiry date. 
  • Don’t rush, takes your time to look through every shelf through out the mall, some items might not be displayed at the same area, be sure to browse first unless you already know what you want to buy. 
  • Don't feel bad about pushing your way through the crowd 
  • Watch out your valuables. Beware of pickpocket 
  • Ask your shopping bags to be locked with cable ties before entering the store. Sometimes the security guards may request for your personal bag (non-handbags) to be cable-tied as well. 
  • There's a storage counter if you are carrying big bags. It's better to put it at their temporary storage because the passage ways are narrow, you won't want to knock things down. 


reference: http://www.mustafa.com.sg/aboutus.html



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Wednesday, January 9, 2013

A crate adventure of Madagascar - Universal Studio Singapore

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A crate adventure of Madagascar based on  a famous scene from the first movie Madagascar. After entering the queue, we are confronted with television screens featuring a national television reporter informing guests that Central Park Zoo favourites Alex, Marty, Gloria and Melman have gone missing whilst being shipped to Kenya. They are told the ship carrying the animals went missing near the shores of The Cape of Good Hope. Guests board rafts which have signs on the back of them reading "BEWARE OF FOOSA!". 


At the ride, we will see crates each containing Alex, Marty, Gloria and Melman. The raft makes a turn allowing the guests to see a silhouette of the Captain on board, by then the penguins have escaped plotting their plan. Rico knocks out the captain and he becomes unconscious. Skipper gives instructions as the penguins later take over the ship. The alarm goes off and the raft makes a quick turn to a scene where a stack of crates are about to topple over the guests. The animals' crates can be seen thrown off the ship, making their way to Madagascar. The raft later enters Madagascar where everyone is shocked that they are lost, except for Marty who is seen slurping salt water. The raft makes another turn where guests find the penguins. Skipper then asks Kowalski where they are
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Tuesday, January 8, 2013

A real shoppers' paradise mall at Orchard Road Singapore

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Orchard Road is flanked by pedestrian malls where you can find numerous up level shops, restaurants, coffee chains, cafés, nightclubs and hotels. Most of the big international brands are located on the best stretch of Orchard Road. There are excellent restaurants to be found as well.  All of these are in one walking distance from each other.  A real shoppers' paradise mall for a shop till you drop . 

It is a must see to all visitors who come to Singapore. It is always busy, always full of people, always full of live.This place is well maintained of cleanness, lights are on everywhere, makes a nice scenery at night. Especially during Christmas time, the street would be decorated with colorful lightings so you can feel the festive atmosphere. When all the lights were up in the night, it was a quite amazing sight, worth to take a picture or two to be sent home.

ION Orchard

The street is neat and it is quite fun just to walk aimlessly around or you can sit back at one of the cafes along the street with an Earl Grey tea or a nice iced coffee. You can also enjoy an ice cream with crackers with only 1 dollar at there.


walls ice cream stall at orchard road

Orchard Road is a 2.2 kilometer-long street that is the retail and entertainment hub of Singapore. It is a major tourist attraction, in addition to being the most popular shopping enclave in the city-state. Often, the surrounding area is known simply as Orchard, simply because the MRT station that serves the vicinity is named Orchard.

The street starts at the junction with Orange Grove Road which is the location of the Orchard Hotel. It then stretches southeast across the Scotts Road/Paterson Hill junction, Orchard MRT Station, Bideford Road, Somerset MRT Station, Central Expressway, Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station, and ends at the junction with Handy Road (just before Prinsep Street), where it becomes Bras Basah Road. It has an extensive underground infrastructure, including underground pedestrian walkways between the malls running underneath the street and other streets in the vicinity. The numbers begin at Handy Road and end at Orange Grove Road.

busy orchard road at night
Orchard Road got its name from the nutmeg, pepper and fruit orchards or the plantations that the road led to in the mid-1800s. Commercial development began in the twentieth century and took off in the 1970s. History said that at 1840s, graveyards began to appear along this road. By 1846, the Chinese had a large graveyard around what is now the Meritus Mandarin Hotel and Ngee Ann City, while the Sumatrans from Bencoolen had their burial ground where the current Grand Central Hotel stands. Later a Jewish cemetery was established; it was located where Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station is now and was demolished in 1984.

Parade of shopping centers
  • DFS Galleria — This duty-free shopping mall is on Scotts Road, and mainly sells luxury item such as Bottega Veneta, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, Hermès, Loewe and Bvlgari.
  • ION Orchard —houses six double-storey flagship stores of close to 9,000 square feet (840 m2) each, including Prada, Giorgio Armani, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Cartier and Patek Philippe.
  • Ngee Ann City —the largest shopping mall in the Orchard Road shopping belt. It houses branded boutiques such as Vacheron Constantin, Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Burberry, Loewe and Chanel as well as Japanese department store, Takashimaya, Books Kinokuniya.
  • Wisma Atria — There is a 900 seat food court on the 4th floor which is run by the BreadTalk Group. The mall is directly connected to Orchard station..
  • Plaza Singapura — Located next to the Istana, currently houses a Golden Village cineplex, Carrefour and other shops.
  • Lucky Plaza — A shopping mall that somehow became the main focal point for domestic Filipino workers to meet their friends during their off days. The place is known to be very crowded on Sundays with many shops selling products from the Philippines.
  • Far East Plaza — Popular with students due to its cheap fashion items as well as inexpensive food, the plaza is also known for its cheap food outlets.
  • Mandarin Gallery — Located inside Meritus Mandarin Singapore housing international high-end brands like Y-3, Bape and Hugo Boss.
  • Orchard Towers — a mall consisting of twin blocks with small shops and night clubs as well as a reputation for promiscuous activity after-hours.
  • The Paragon — a high-end shopping mall selling branded items such as Gucci (whose flagship store operates here), as well as Miu Miu, Prada, Coach, and Burberry with a Metro department store and a Marks & Spencer store as well. The place has a Toys 'R' Us and a number of restaurants.
paragon mall at orchard road
  • The Centrepoint — The mall has Robinsons and Marks and Spencer as its anchor tenants.
  • The Heeren Shops — This mall targets young, working age shoppers. It is currently home to one of two T.G.I. Friday's on the island.
  • Forum The Shopping Mall — it sells mainly branded children's clothes and accessories with a Toys "R" Us on the third floor. It also has a number of branded boutiques such as Emporio Armani and Dolce and Gabbana.
  • Shaw House and Centre — Shaw House is home to the Isetan department store, and on the fifth and sixth floors the one of the largest cinema halls in Singapore, Lido 8 Cineplex, resides. This mall is also home to a number of shops such as Fendi, Loewe and Celine.
  • Tang Plaza — where the homegrown department store, Tangs, is located.
tangs at orchard road
  • Hilton Singapore — Located inside the hotel itself, the Hilton Shopping Gallery houses branded boutiques such as Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Bulgari, Lanvin, Donna Karan, Balenciaga and Dolce & Gabbana. It also includes Club21, a high-end Singapore based company that sell luxury items such as Mulberry, Comme des Garçons and Dries van Noten.
  • Palais Renaissance — houses upmarket branded boutiques such brand like Donna Karen and Valentino.
  • Liat Towers — International names such as Audemars Piguet, Massimo Dutti, Hermès and Zara are housed in the building.
  • 313@Somerset — somerset is directly linked to the Somerset MRT station and features a concentration of mid-range retail and dining outlets. Retail options are made of a mix of local and global fashion labels including Zara, Uniqlo, New Look, Esprit and a Forever 21 flagship store that spans four floors. There are also a food court, "Food Republic" situated on the 5th Floor.
  • Wheelock Place —has a large Marks and Spencer outlet
Wheelock Place at orchard road

Getting here
There are three major MRT stations in the Orchard Road vicinity: Orchard, Somerset and Dhoby Ghaut. These stations are important hubs for commuters, locals, students and tourists who travel to the Orchard Road shopping and business district. Since the opening of the ION Orchard, the entrance of the Orchard entrance has been moved underground below the upcoming mall.



reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchard_Road
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Monday, January 7, 2013

Lets go to the Singapore zoo

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Singapore Zoo, from the beginning, followed the modern trend of displaying animals in naturalistic, 'open' exhibits with hidden barriers, moats, and glass between the animals and visitors. 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. Dangerous animals that can climb well are housed in landscaped glass-fronted enclosures.

 

The Singapore Zoo (Chinese: 新加坡动物园; pinyin: Xīnjiāpō Dòngwùyuán; Malay: 'Taman Haiwan Singapura'; Tamil: சிங்கப்பூர் விலங்குக் காட்சிச்சாலை), formerly known as the Singapore Zoological Gardens and commonly known locally as the Mandai Zoo, occupies 28 hectares (69 acres) on the margins of Upper Seletar Reservoir within Singapore's heavily forested central catchment area.
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Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Revenge of the Mummy - Universal Studio - Singapore

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Revenge of the Mummy is a roller coaster that is nearly identical to the version at Universal Studios Florida. However, the Singapore version includes new sounds and effects, as well as a new ending featuring Imhotep being sealed inside his tomb.

Entering the game, we should not bring bag or camera because it can fall or be lost while flying roller coaster. They provide lockers next to this place. Sizable locker to store personal items and use a password for security.


 As the ride begins the mine cars move deeper into the tomb. The words "Find the Book" are scrawled over the walls. As the mine car turns, riders see Evelyn's supervisor being trapped on a table and warns the riders: "Find the Book of the Living and kill Imhotep! It's your only hope!". Standing next to him is Imhotep, who then turns towards riders and sucks out the supervisor's soul. He is holding onto the Book of the Dead.
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Saturday, December 29, 2012

Tourist spots at Chinatown - Singapore

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Singapore's Chinatown is the traditional Chinese quarters of town, and while the entire city is largely Chinese these days the area does retain some of its own charm. The area is also known as Niu Che Shui (牛车水) in Chinese and Kreta Ayer in Malay, both names meaning "bullock cart water", a reference to the carts that used to haul in drinking water.

tourists shop singapore souvenires

The area between Pagoda Street and Smith Street has been tarted up considerably for tourists, but workaday Chinatown continues south and east, merging seamlessly into the Central Business District.Tanjong Pagar is the unofficial home of Singapore's gay community, with many watering holes in restored shophouses, while Club Street caters more to the expat and yuppie crowd with small, intimate eateries offering excellent (if pricy) Western fare.

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Singapore: Universal Studio - Battlestar Galactica: Human vs. Cylon roller coaster

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Battlestar Galactica: Human vs. Cylon is a pair of steel, dueling roller coasters at Universal Studios Singapore. One half of the ride features an inverted roller coaster track in blue, and the other half features the traditional seated roller coaster track design in red. It is the tallest dueling coaster in the world; tipping at 42.5 metres (139 ft). The roller coaster trains are launched from their stations at high speed instead of the traditional chain lift. Linear Synchronous Motors (LSM) are used for high-acceleration speed during launching. In a similar style to the Dragon Challenge at Universal's Islands of Adventure, these coasters will feature several near collisions mere inches apart. Additionally, part of the ride takes place over the park's central lagoon. The coasters are the first Vekoma coasters that aren't the Flying Dutchman model to feature four-abreast seating, similar to the coasters by Bolliger & Mabillard and Premier Rides.


Battlestar Galactica: Cylon is a suspended roller coaster and travels on an inverted blue track.

The Cylon coaster is a coaster designed like the Cylon Raider suspended from the track with legs free that performs intense maneuvers including several inversions in the form of a zero-g roll, a Cobra roll, corkscrews and vertical loops.
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The Merlion - a mascot of Singapore

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The Merlion (Malay: Singa-Laut) is a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish, used as a mascot and national personification of Singapore. Its name combines "mer" meaning the sea and "lion". The fish body represents Singapore's origin as a fishing village when it was called Temasek, which means "sea town" in Javanese. The lion head represents Singapore's original name — Singapura — meaning "lion city" or "kota singa".



The symbol was designed by Alec Fraser-Brunner, a member of the Souvenir Committee and curator of the Van Kleef Aquarium, for the logo of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in use from 26 March 1964 to 1997 and has been its trademarked symbol since 20 July 1966.
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White sand at Siloso Beach - Sentosa Island Singapore

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Sentosa has a stretch of sheltered beach of more than 2 km (1.2 mi) on its southern coast, divided into three portions: Palawan Beach, Siloso Beach, and Tanjong Beach. These beaches are artificial, reclaimed using sand bought from Indonesia and Malaysia. They are manned by the best beach patrol lifeguard team in Singapore. The lifeguards wear red and yellow uniforms and patrols the beaches of Sentosa.
 
Palawan Beach, lies in the centre of the southern coast of Sentosa. There is a suspension bridge that leads to a small islet off the coast which is said to be the Southernmost Point of Continental Asia, or Asia's closest point to the Equator.
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Transformers The Ride at Universal Studios - Singapore

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Transformers The Ride is 3D dark ride located at Universal Studios Singapore and Universal Studios Hollywood. The ride is based on the Transformers film franchise and is reported to have cost US$100 million.
tourists pose at Robot
The ride system used on Transformer is similar to that used by The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man at Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida, and later at Universal Studios Japan. The ride vehicles are mounted to a track-roaming platform that provides the forward motion to move the vehicle through each show scene.
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Light! Camera! Action! by Steven Spielberg at Universal Studios Singapore

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Lights! Camera! Action! Hosted by Steven Spielberg is a show attraction located in the New York zone of Universal Studios Singapore at Resorts World Sentosa.

The action was divided into 2 shows, pre-show which is Steven Spielberg, appearing on a video projection screen, gives a brief introduction to the use of sound stages and special effects in movies. After this short show, we will enter the main sound stage, which is modeled after the interior of a boathouse in New York City. Once the command to roll cameras has been given, the sky (a projection of the NYC skyline outside the boathouse windows) darkens, thunder and lightning fill the room, heavy rain pours through the ceiling.


The audience is immersed in various effects such as strong wind, intense fire, signboards crashing through the roof, the boathouse windows blowing away, movement of the platform they are standing on, and a huge cargo ship slamming through the boathouse entrance.
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Get wet at WaterWorld - Universal Studios - Singapore

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Based on the blockbuster film, "Waterworld", witness a tidal wave of death-defying stunts, along with thrills and spills from real explosions of fire and water at this sensational live water show

The seating is in three sections of arena seating. The front seats are the "Soak Zones", which are the target of splashes from the Jet-Skis and various wet special effects. If you do not want to get wet, even you take the rain coat, so sit at the back of row. It will be announced when the show will start. the crew will spry with water gun or even flush with a bucket of water.


Adapted by Ben Hurst. The attraction's story occurs after the events of the movie, beginning with Helen's return from "Dryland" to get her friends from the "Atoll", and includes the characters Helen, the Deacon, and the Mariner as well as several "Atollers" and "Smokers".
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Friday, December 28, 2012

Singapore: Marina Bay Sands

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Marina Bay Sands is an integrated resort fronting Marina Bay in Singapore. Developed by Las Vegas Sands, it is billed as the world's most expensive standalone casino property at S$8 billion, including cost of the prime land.


Marina Bay Sands features three 55-story hotel towers. The three towers are connected by a 1 hectare sky terrace on the roof, named Sands SkyPark. In front of the three towers include a Theatre Block, a Convention and Exhibition Facilities Block, as well as the Casino Block, which have up to 1000 gaming tables and 1400 slot machines.

The ArtScience Museum is constructed next to the three blocks and has the shape of a lotus. Its roof will be retractable, providing a waterfall through the roof of collected rainwater when closed in the day and with laser shows when opened at night. In front of the Event Plaza is the Wonder Full show, a light and water spectacular that is the largest in Southeast Asia.

The SkyPark is home to the world's longest elevated swimming pool, with a 146-metre (478 ft) vanishing edge, perched 191 metres above the ground. The pools are made up of 422,000 pounds of stainless steel and can hold 376,500 gallons (1424 cubic metres) of water. The SkyPark also boasts rooftop restaurants such as The Sky on 57 (by Justin Quek), nightclubs such as KU DÉ TA, lush gardens, hundreds of trees and plants, and a public observatory deck on the cantilever with 360-degree views of the Singapore skyline.


The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands also boasts close to 1,000,000 square feet (93,000 m2) of retail space with over 300 stores and F&B outlets, including numerous luxury duplexes for boutiques such as Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Cartier and Prada. Other luxury stores include Gucci, Hermès, Emporio Armani, Chopard, REDValentino, Dior, Dunhill, Vertu, Miu Miu, Yves Saint Laurent, Salvatore Ferragamo, Montblanc, Blancpain, an Hermès Watch Boutique, and Herve Leger.

A canal runs through the length of the Shoppes, in the same style as the Venetian in Las Vegas. Sampan rides on the canal are available for guests and shoppers at the shopping mall, similar to the gondola rides available in the Venetian. Also housed within the Shoppes are the five of the six Celebrity Chef Restaurants - Cut (by Wolfgang Puck), Waku Ghin (by Tetsuya Wakuda), Pizzeria and Osteria Mozza (by Mario Batali), Guy Savoy (by Guy Savoy), DB Bistro Moderne (by Daniel Boulud).

Two notable attractions of the resort are the two Crystal Pavilions. - Avalon and Pangaea.The second Pavilion houses the world's largest Louis Vuitton boutique, in addition to being on a floating island, at 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2), which is connected to the portion of the boutique in the Shoppes via an underwater tunnel.

The Sands Theatre and Grand Theatre seat 1,680 people and 2,155 people respectively, with The Lion King showing, and international acts, such as Cirque Éloize and A. R. Rahman's Jai Ho, located in the latter during their world tours. The Broadway smash musical, Wicked, is set to run for a limited season. Next to the theatres is a skating rink (synthetic ice) measuring 6,500 square feet (600 m2), rivaling that at the Rockefeller Center, New York.

Also Dragonfire Boxing is another of Marina Bay Sands regular events to be hosted. Bringing the spectacle of World Title Competition Boxing Events, being embraced and represented by the whole of Asia. Being televised throughout the world!. On May 5, 2012 being the first event of its kind featuring multiple Undefeated Boxing World Champion Chris John with fellow World Champion Daud Yordan

Moshe Safdie designed an Art Path within the resort, incorporating seven installations by five artists including Zheng Chongbin, Antony Gormley, and Sol LeWitt. The pieces are meant to play on environmental influences including light, water and wind, integrating art with architecture.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_Bay_Sands
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Thursday, December 27, 2012

Singapore: Bugis Street

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Bugis Street  houses about 800 shops, which makes Bugis Street the Largest Street Shopping Location in Singapore. You will find affordable items here, it range from Tshirt to work wear, sneakers, boots, posters calendar, Mobile Accessories, Bags & Accessories, and anything related to fashion.

bugis street market at night
Bugis Street is located opposite Bugis Junction & conveniently features an MRT station (Bugis).  You can easily find it or you can browse The Bugis Street website to find a maps & direction to get there.

one corner of bugis street market 
If you dont have time to buy Singapore Souvenirs, there are lots of them here from 10 for $10.  Tired from shopping and get hungry, there are lots of snacks to munch on.

snack stall at Bugis Street Market
Tips:
  • The merchandises at Bugis street are more vary and more fashioned than at Chinatown. Try to compare the prices before you buy. if you have a lot of time.
  • Bugis street with 3 floors with aircon and it is open from 11.30am to 10.00pm daily 

one of shops at Bugis Street
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