Singapore set to lure holiday tourists with mega-project

By Nancy Chng

SINGAPORE (JP): Many people have recently asked me about things to do or places to see in Singapore.

At the risk of offending my esteemed friends at the Singapore embassy, I must say I sometimes wonder why anyone would choose to spend their vacation in Singapore. Unless you have family or friends there, or have to see a doctor, or take care of a visa requirements, Singapore doesn't immediately convey itself as a tourist destination.

Recently it has even begun to lose its allure as a shopping haven, thanks to a strong Singapore dollar and high rents and overheads. Besides, new malls and improved availability of goods in Jakarta have obviated the need for anyone to make frequent shopping forays to the island republic.

But there will always be a large number of restless Jakartans lured by the lights of Orchard Road or driven by some primordial urge to fight the crowds at the shopping malls in Singapore during Christmas. What joy there is in waiting in long, usually wet, lines for taxis, I cannot fathom. To each their own.

And perhaps even the tackiest commercialization of Christmas -- blinking colored lights in shop-windows -- offers some cheer and a reminder of the season.

Here are a few suggestions (not in any particular order) of places to go and things to see for those who insist on going to Singapore.

Sentosa

My past experience with Sentosa hasn't been particularly impressive or memorable. No matter what attractions are built on the island, they seem to be singularly lacking in character. On my visit last year, hordes of us suffered an hour's wait for the train. No one had the courtesy to inform the sweltering crowds it had broken down.

The main attraction, Undersea World, already has a counterpart at Jakarta's Ancol. The two luxury hotels on the island appear overpriced for what they have to offer -- a view of oil refineries.

However, the folks at the Sentosa Development Corporation seem to be working extra hard on new ideas to draw the crowds. The latest attraction is Fantasy Island, a water theme park which opens this week at a cost of S$ 52 million. For that price, it had better be good. Features include water slides and restaurants.

Some time in the new year, a $20 million theme park called Volcanoland is scheduled to open, with promises to transport you into ancient Mayan civilization.

The park will also have slides, although I can't remember any history books describing the Mayans whooping their way down water slides.

Still, what is a theme park without a slide?

You can get to Santosa by ferry, cable car and by bus. Now that they have built a bridge, the island mystique -- whatever little there was -- has disappeared. The cable car ride is fun, and offers a commanding, although not spectacular, view of the harbor.

Take the cable car from Mount Faber (a hill of 100 meters), it is a longer ride than from the Ferry Terminal.

Singapore Zoo

An all-time hit with kids - check the feeding times of the various animals before you go. Adults may get a kick having breakfast with Ah Meng, but children will love the play area. I suspect the zoo has the best playground in Southeast Asia. A pleasant train ride that loops around and stops at the petting zoo is a highlight. Kids can't get enough of the giant netted trampoline nearby.

Night Safari

Located next to the zoo, it exhibits 1,000 nocturnal animals. It has been open almost a year and visiting hours are from 7:30 p.m. to midnight. It is said to be worth a visit and a change from the usual night life - if that is what one is looking for.

Jurong Bird Park

Entertaining performances by friends of the feathered variety. There is a separate "bird of prey" show; check with the bird park for times. Visitors usually enjoy starting off with the monorail ride, ending off with a cooling stop at the air-conditioned penguin enclosure. If you haven't seen the Bird Park yet, it's worth a visit. Kids love the bird shows, which are not yet available in Indonesia.

Haw Par Villa

If your idea of thrills include viewing grotesque statues depicting the suffering of sinners at different levels of hell, then this place is a must.

First opened in 1937, it underwent an extensive remodeling in 1991. One visit to this garish garden may be sufficient to last a lifetime.

I understand there was an attempt made to make it some sort of theme park (there is a water slide ride as well), but I have no idea what the theme might be -- perhaps eternal damnation. You won't miss a thing if you give this one a pass.

Science Center

It's no Chicago Museum of Science and Technology, but it may have limited appeal to students and others of the ilk. December features "Discoveries and Inventions."

Other places worth a walk through:

Raffles Hotel and the Arcade: some visitors say the major renovations failed to capture the atmosphere of the old Raffles magic, but the old place was getting seedy and the re-done Raffles looks spiffy.

Locals say the staff is snobbish. I don't know, not having ventured through its haloed portals yet.

Clarke Quay shops: I rather enjoy the ambience of this river- side shopping and restaurant area converted from warehouses. Architectural critics bemoan the pretentiousness of the effort, saying that it wasn't a true restoration but rebuilt facades.

But at least it's another place to go. They kept the roof of the old public lavatory, which now acts as center stage for bands playing music for free.

There are some nice restaurants and pubs by the river and on the first floor of the shopping alleys.

For $7 you can take a boat ride (on a converted cargo-carrying "bumboat"), which is very pleasant in the late afternoons.

Boat Quay: a pleasant row of eating places and pubs converted from old shophouses; a few even offer decent food. Some are drawing in the Singaporean yuppie crowd, but foreign visitors should also find it charming.

It's Singapore's answer to San Antonio's River Walk -- which can be combined with a Clarke Quay walk.

Telok Ayer market: in the old days, this bustling center offered a great variety of "hawker food," the cheap, tasty authentic Singaporean version of fast food. However, the government tendered it out to the private sector for redevelopment, and now you have "higher class" restaurants serving inflated-priced food. Still, it has a nice atmosphere and beats eating in a hotel.

Holland Village -- more well-known to residents than a tourist attraction -- but this area has quite a number of pleasant browsing- type shops and goods restaurants.

At least three Indian restaurants are here, one Mexican and an Italian, and a Nyonya (spicy Straits Chinese food) place the last time I looked.

A corner "coffee shop" serves excellent ipoh ho-fun, a chicken rice-noodle dish.

Tanjong Pagar/Maxwell Road area has many "restored" chophouses turned into newer shops or restaurants. Visit a Chinese teahouse (sorry, this is a straight tea-serving and drinking exercise), where a gu-zheng, a type of Chinese string instrument, master may be playing.

Little India at Serangoon Road is a place to buy Indian spices, food and clothes. Several good Indian vegetarian restaurants are located here.

East Coast Park: the seafood restaurants located along this stretch of seafront have a bustling ambience, which is not unpleasant; the food is mostly very good. Meals are better than at Newton Circus.

Entertainment

A friend asked if there were shows of the "strip-tease" variety in Singapore. Sorry, skimpily-clad performers doing the cancan at the Tropicana nightclub or the old Neptune theater are long gone.

There is more chance of catching those shows at the Hailai in Jakarta's Ancol. As far as I know, the Tropicana is history, and the Neptune has a new life as a Cantonese theater.

If you're into classical music, check out performances of the Singapore Symphony at the Victoria Theater.

Jazz and blues lovers will have more luck with the myriad pubs and clubs that have sprung up like wild mushrooms. Top Ten and Saxophone have been mentioned as worth a visit.

People ask me what I do when I go home. Aside from hanging around family and friends and eating good food, I always try to make the rounds of bookshops and music stores. I also catch a few good movies.

At present, Forrest Gump is showing. This movie is not only entertaining, it's exhilarating.

Also, Eat Drink Man Woman is playing. It is a Taiwanese movie directed by a Chinese American who directed Joy Luck Club and is a about a chef who tries to establish a meaningful paternal relationship with his three daughters through his cooking.

Last time I looked, Lion King was still playing too. Chalk one up for the kids, even if they've seen it before. True Lies should still be playing, if you missed it in Jakarta before it was axed. Miracle on 34th Street is supposed to be good.

And for the Christmas-New Year period, there are many seasonal performances, which should be listed in the local papers. There is a Holiday Circus on Ice Show on until Jan. 1.

Having started with the premise that no one in their right mind would want to holiday in Singapore, I guess I may have to eat my own words about the city not having anything to offer.

Time to pack the bags and head for Changi. Happy Holidays in Singapore.