Nature, heritage among star attractions
Nature, heritage among star attractions
Sudibyo M. Wiradji, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
With towering skyscrapers, apartments, condominiums and malls decorating the country, Singapore has been frequently associated with modernization.
But if you take a visit to Singapore's Ubin Island, you will find that the country is concerned about preserving more traditional living that is at one with nature. The island is home to Singapore's last villages, or "kampongs", where only a hundred villagers live.
Ubin Island is off the North-East coast of Singapore. It takes about 15 minutes by ferry from the mainland to reach the island.
Upon arrival at the boat jetty next to Ubin Village, you will feel that you have stepped back fifty years. Ramshackle two-story shop houses, a couple of simple restaurants, a colorful Chinese temple and an empty stage for Wayang (Chinese Opera) performance completes the scene.
"The island is far from the modern sterilized city," said an American who joined Singapore Tourism Board's (STB) educational familiarization program recently
"Everything is different here. Natural and rustic," he added before starting a bicycle mangrove tour.
A group of 11 Americans recently joined a familiarization trip organized by the STB. The group represented incentive travel houses from the east coast of the US. They had the opportunity to feel the tranquility while observing different kinds of tropical plants, trees, insects and birds.
Guided by a botanist, the group divided into several smaller groups, tried to discover the secret of tropical plants through a team-building program called 'Quest of the Senses'.
Along the natural trails on the island, the visitors found that bananas, durians, star fruits, coconuts and many more exotic fruits indigenous to the region can be found in abundance.
"Many of the fruit-bearing plants have grown in these areas naturally without any human intervention," said the botanist.
While looking at particular kinds of trees, like the large durian tree, they were sometimes amazed by the appearance of birds perching on branches, or squirrels running from one trunk to another.
The visitors can also explore a natural farm grown by volunteers that is filled with fruits, vegetables and spices, allowing them to experience the smells and colors.
With tranquility and natural surroundings, Ubin Island provides business travelers an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life in Singapore.
Ubin Island is only one of the many nature-themed attractions that Singapore offers.
Other nature-themed appeals in Singapore include Underwater World Singapore in the Sentosa Island resort, the Singapore Zoo, the Night Safari and the Jurong Bird Park.
"These venues cater to groups of business travelers, with facilities available for cocktails or dinners," said STB's business travel and MICE division manager Magdalen Chua Wen Xian.
Apart from nature-themed attractions, Singapore also has other unique places of interest, ethnic districts, museums and performing arts centers.
The following are just a few of the popular places of interest to business travelers:
Chinatown
Chinatown is the original site where Chinese immigrants lived, worked and played. At the site, you can see the oldest Hokkien temple, Thian Hock Keng and the Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore's oldest Indian temple.
You will see how housewives haggle for the best fresh products. Here, you can also learn about the rich cultural history of old Chinatown at the Chinatown Heritage Center (CHC). Housed in three restored shop houses, the CHC is a showcase of the rich heritage of Chinatown - the lifestyles, traditions and rituals of the early immigrants who lived and work there. Encapsulated in a series of carefully designed galleries, the memories, sights, sounds and smells are presented to help visitors appreciate the diverse heritage of Chinatown and its people.
Little India
Little India is one of the most authentic districts in Singapore. The color and cheerfulness of this district derived from its being a shopping area. Little India is located on Serangoon Road from Rochor Canal to Levender Street
Here, the heartland of the Indian community is a cacophony of colors, sounds and scents. You can find an array of Indian silks, brassware and bangles that will fascinate you. Or simply find out what goes on behind temple doors.
You can follow your nose to the excellent restaurants in Little India serving North and South Indian cuisine. Or you can witness living tradition when you visit one of the last-known Indian spice grinders and itinerant yogurt-sellers.
On Sundays Little India can become rather crowded when all the Indian foreign workers go there to shop, eat or simply catch up with friends.
The Asian Civilizations Museums at Empress Palace
For business travelers who have a passion for cultural heritage, there is also the Asian Civilizations Museums at Empress Palace. The first museum in the region presents a broad yet integrated perspective of pan-Asian cultures and civilizations. The museum is located along the Singapore River.
Opened in March 2003, this flagship museum brings together 5,000 years of Asian art and history.
The Esplanade
Opened in 2002, The Esplanade - Theater on the Bay sits on six hectares of prime waterfront land at Marina Bay. The Esplanade's twin domes clad in glass and metallic sunshades have earned the center the nickname 'The Durian', after a pungent, spiky popular tropical fruit.
One of its outstanding facilities is the concert hall. "Its acoustic canopy and curtain enable the hall to effortlessly adapt to different music styles and to provide optimum music quality," explained The Esplanade's corporate communications and public affairs assistant manager Fiona Soh.