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British Mensa Travel Special Interest Group |
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Singapore
in Three Days Arriving at Singapore is a pleasure. Changi airport is a modern and thoughtfully laid out airport designed with travellers in mind, which is not something that many airports can boast. From touchdown to being clear of all entry formalities and waiting for the airport shuttle to take us to our hotel took under 20 minutes. There are many ways to travel from the airport into the city centre, ranging from the excellent MRT public transport system to limousines. We opted for the airport shuttle, a shared taxi that drops off at different hotels, and this cost us S$7 each. We arrived at our hotel at around 8pm, and after a quick shower decided to explore Chinatown on foot. The Chinatown MRT station opened in May 2003, but after a 12 hour flight from London, we thought that a walk would be nice. Chinatown is an eclectic mix of interesting shops, fascinating sounds and enticing smells. We had dinner at an outdoor stall in Smith Street, which is packed with stalls selling food to cater for all preferences. The food we chose was both excellent and cheap, at around S$3 (£1) each for a main course, and we ate it whilst listening to the banging of bells and the clanging of gongs from a temple on one of the upper storeys overlooking the street. The following morning, we set off from the city centre to Jurong Bird Park. Public transportation in Singapore is excellent, with the interchanges clearly signposted and the staff all appearing to be very friendly to tourists unfamiliar with the layout of the city, offering unprompted assistance if they suspect someone is not a local. The MRT stations are all uniquely numbered as well as named. We took the MRT to Boon Lay (EW27) and then the SBS bus number 4 directly to the bird park. A combined entrance ticket costing S$30 (approximately £10) allows entrance to the Bird Park, Zoo and Night Safari. The only additional costs are for the Panorail (scenic Monorail) in the Bird Park, and for the tram at the zoo, both of which are recommended as a way of becoming familiar with the layout. The bird park claims to offer a home to over 8,000 birds from 600 species, and is a very enjoyable place to visit. The "Penguin Parade" is a fun way to see over 200 penguins of 5 species. Walking around the bird park I saw the largest flamingos I have ever seen. We travelled onward from the bird park to the zoo, a short and inexpensive taxi ride away. Having spent so long at the bird park, we didn't arrive at the zoo until early afternoon, which really didn't leave enough time before sunset (usually at 7.30pm in Singapore) to do it justice. Singapore Zoo is a model of the `open zoo' concept, with the animals kept in spacious, landscaped enclosures, separated from the visitors by dry or wet moats which are concealed with vegetation or dropped below the line of vision. This means that they do not appear at all intrusive - at least to visitors. The whole environment is one in which all the animals appear content in their surroundings, and is a pleasure to visit - I would go as far as to say that this is the nicest zoo I have ever been to. Getting around is very easy - particularly if you are short of time, as there is a tram which stops 3 times on a 2.2km route around the zoo. At dusk,
after an enjoyable brisk walk around the zoo, we walked the short distance
across the car park to the Night Safari. This is the world's first wildlife
park specifically built for visits at night, and offers guests the unique
experience of exploring wildlife in a tropical jungle at night. The night
safari boasts over 1,000 nocturnal animals of 100 species. Once again
this attraction offers a tram ride around the main part of the 40 hectare
site, with the option to get on and off at various points and walk along
individual trails. Highlights of the visit for me were walking through
a bat enclosure and coming within a few feet of an enormous bat hanging,
asleep, from a tree branch. Within a few minutes of this, a little further
along the trail, I turned a corner to come across a leopard apparently
walking towards me along the same path, its route blocked by a huge sheet
of glass. A late evening bus trip to the local MRT station and then a
train back to the hotel finished off an enjoyable though tiring day. Useful links: |