Destinations, Travel tips, Festivals and Public Holidays
Places Of Worship
Holiday Destinations & Tourist Attractions in Singapore
Jul 20th
Where to go in Singapore? What are the popular destinations? What are the places of interest in Singapore?
We got asked these questions quite frequently.
Singapore is one of the most amazing places in the world to go on a vacation with incredible tourist attractions, great nightlife, awesome cuisines and wonderful spa retreats.
A lot of people like to go on a Singapore holiday in order to make the best of their vacations and have a great time with their friends and family. It is a shockingly modern city and a fantastic place to visit during the holidays. It has a great deal of almost everything to offer to its visitors. The major tourist attractions will leave you bewitched with its charm.
So to give you a bit of overview, here we compile a list of Popular Holiday Destinations & Tourist Attractions in Singapore
Sentosa Island
Sentosa island is the undisputed No 1 most popular holiday destination of Singapore. In brief, it is a whole island converted into an attraction park. It is big and will probably take you 1-2 whole days to explore everything. Sentosa Island is the answer of Singapore to Disneyland, and will be even more so with the opening of Universal Studio with the Integrated Resort (IR) next year.
Beach lovers can enjoy exciting games and sea sports along the 3.2-km long sandy beaches stretching across Siloso, Palawan and Tanjong.
Fort Siloso is the Singapore’s only preserved coastal fort stands as an important window to our colonial past and a poignant reminder of the war years.
What else to do ? Ride a movie (Cinemania) / Join the army (Fort Siloso) / Spot sharks without getting wet (Underwater World) / Admire butterflies / Erupt yourself (VolcanoLand) / Splash yourself (Fantasy Island) / Fall for dolphins (Dolphin Lagoon) / Climb the Merlion for a panoramic view / Walk on a dragon / Have a look at other countries (Asian Village) / Relax on spotless artificial beaches / Rollerblade on the alleys or rent a bike / Spot skeleton on a nature walk / Have a photo with a snake / Watch monkeys getting coconuts / Walk a suspended bridge / Admire a collection of shells / Cool off by one of the numerous fountains or manicured gardens (orchid, scented, spices,…) / Bike on water / Dream at the musical fountain / Stand on the southernmost point of the Asia continent / Ride the monorail around for free / Dance on the beach in swim suit at the two beach bars (regular foam parties as well) / Swim in the laguna
Orchard Road
From the world famous city, comes the world famous shopping destination – the Orchard Road Singapore. There are over 30 malls and shopping centers located in the stretch or road, closely connected to each other by pavements and underground pass. Here, you’ll find everything like the stylish Louis Vuitton, the exquisite Bergdorf Goodman, the elegant Tiffany & Co., the ever popular Prada, the immaculate Versace, Cartier, Fortunoff, Dior, Fendi, and Chanel. And the list goes on and on…
Ethnic quarters
As a multiracial country, Singapore host a number of unique destinations which celebrates the cultural diversity of the different races. Here are some places where you can experience the culture, customs and traditional festivals.
1. Geylang Serai
It was earlier known as the Geylang Kelapa; Geylang Serai was an abode to many of the Malay Kampongs. It is famous for the exquisite quality of lemongrass that grows here in abundance. There are traditionally made Malay-Kalimpong houses and a cultural museum as well.
2. China Town
China Town was historically the home to Chinese population who lived here. The place can be best explored on foot and can be marveled at the various interesting areas of Chinese worship. The main places of worship include the Thian Hock Keng temple, Sri Marimman temple and the Buddha Tooth Relic temple. The China Town market is very popular for its cheap bargains where you can buy a lot of stuff like the textile, medicinal herb and Chinese handicraft.
3. Little India
Little India is a district endowed with Indian culture’s ethnic elements. The most attractive features of here are Sri Veeramakaliamman temple and Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple. The latter is known more for its massive Buddha statue. Exquisite Indian silk, brassware, gold jewelry and trinkets can be bought from the exotic market. Little India’s cuisine and henna are also very popular.
4. Arab Street/ Kampong Glam
The colorful district of Kampong Glam got its name from a local tree, Gelam. It has a Malay Heritage Centre and Sultan Mosque. Also known as the Masjid Sultan, the mosque excels in architectural splendor. The textiles, fabrics and the baskets made of cane, straw and rattan of the market, trinkets, and perfumes are very famous here.
Nightlife
As for a taste of Singapore nightlife, some popular night spots highly recommended are Chijmes Singapore , Singapore Boat Quay, Mohammed Sultan Road, Singapore Robertson Quay and Holland Village Singapore. Arguably, some of the most popular party destinations currently are Zouk, St James Power Station (coal-fired power station turned into large entertainment complex), and MoS (Ministry of Sound)
Food
As a metropolitan where most of the population dines out, Singapore naturally has huge array of gastronomical offers. From posh five-star restaurants to economical food hawker centers, you can find and enjoy international as well as local food almost everywhere in Singapore.
Other destinations
You will never go wrong with the well-known Singapore tourist attractions such as the Singapore Zoo, Singapore Night Safari (Night Zoo), Jurong Bird Park and the Singapore Flyer etc.
Looking for best deals on anything and everything in Singapore? Check out The Great Singapore Sale !
Hari Raya Puasa Holiday 2011
Jun 18th
Tuesday, 30 August 2011 is a Ministry of Manpower (MoM) public holiday in Singapore Calendar. The holiday is to celebrate the Muslim and Malay Hari Raya Aidilfitri Holiday. In Hijriah (Islamic Date) calendar, it falls on 1 Syawal 1431.
Hari Raya Aidilfitri (also known as Hari Raya Lebaran, Hari Raya Idul Fitri, and Hari Raya Puasa, literally “Celebration Day of Fasting”) is the Malay term for the Muslim festival of Eid ul-Fitr or Id-ul-Fitr.
It is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan 2011 / Ramadhan 2011, the Islamic holy month of “Puasa” (fasting). The holiday symbolizes the breaking of the fasting period. It is celebrated starting on the first day of the Islamic month of Shawwal / Syawal.
Muslims in Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia celebrate Eid like other Muslims throughout the world. The term “Hari Raya” literally means “Day of Celebration” — it is also occasionally used to refer to Eid ul-Adha in the form of “Hari Raya Aidiladha” or “Hari Raya Idul Adha”.
On this day, Muslims all over the world offer a special prayer in the morning and later visit their relatives and friends. The young will seek forgiveness from elders for their past misconduct.
In Singapore, the first day of the Hari Raya is celebrated as a public holiday, where civil servants and private sector workers alike are mostly not required to work.
In Indonesia and Malaysia, it is a long holiday period, with some companies are not working for as long as 2 weeks.
The main greeting used by Muslims in Singapore and Malaysia is “Selamat Hari Raya” which means “Happy Eid” in Malay. Another greeting is “Maaf Zahir dan Batin” which translates loosely to “I seek forgiveness (from you) physically and spiritually”, for Hari Raya is a time to reconcile and renew relationships with others.
In Indonesia, the more commonly used greetings are “selamat Hari Raya Idul Fitri”, “Selamat Lebaran”, and “Maaf Lahir dan Batin”.
During the Muslim month of Ramadan leading up to Hari Raya, it is mandatory for Muslims to fast from dawn to dusk. All Muslims except the young, old or infirm must fast. Many Muslims also abstain from pleasures such as smoking cigarettes and sexual activities during the daylight of the fasting month.
Widely, markets, or ‘Ramadan bazaars’ are held in many areas around the country, where all sorts of food and kuih — traditional Malay delicacies — are sold for breaking fast or buka puasa. Hotels and restaurants have also exploited this situation to offer exorbitant Ramadan buffets.
The main attraction place to observe the Hari Raya and the preparations prior to festival is best observed at Kampong Glam and Geylang Serai, a bustling outdoor market and the Hari Raya Light-Up, as well as various Mosque around Singapore.
Happy Hari Raya Puasa 2011
See also:
Hari Raya Puasa 2011
Hari Raya Puasa 2012
Buddhist Vesak Day
Jun 17th
Vesak day is celebrated by Buddhist around the world, and in different manners all over the world. Though some countries occasionally use different date for this festival, most would fall on this same day.
Vesak is an annual public holiday observed traditionally by practicing Buddhists in South Asian and South East Asian countries like Nepal, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Indonesia, Pakistan and India. Sometimes informally called “Buddha’s birthday,” it actually encompasses the birth, enlightenment Nirvana, and passing (Parinirvana) of Gautama Buddha.
The Vesak Day is an extremely important occasion observed in Buddhism. Huge crowds will usually assemble at various Buddhist temples around the city. Inside the Buddha temples the monks chant sacred hymns and a large number of devotees set caged-birds free. Setting the imprisoned birds free is considered as a graceful gesture which serves as a mark of respect to all living creatures in the world. On this day, the Buddhist youths organize blood donation camps and distribute gifts to the poor people. During the evenings, candlelit processions are found walking across the streets of the city and this is how the festival is ended.
Date Of Vesak Day
Vesak Day Year 2010 falls on Friday, 28 May 2010.
Vesak Day 2011 falls on Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Vesak Day in Singapore
The entry to observe the Vesak Day festival is free of cost as people can enter the temples free of cost. Some of the best points in the city for observing the festivities of Vesak Day in Singapore are the Buddhist Lodge at River Valley Road, The Thai Buddhist Temple at Jalan Bukit Merah and Lian Shan Shuang Lin Temple at Jalan Toa Payoh.
The Singapore Vesak Day is always celebrated in the month of May and is a yearly event.
Happy Vesak Day !
Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
Apr 7th
The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum is a living cultural monument in the heart of Chinatown housing what Buddhist leaders regard as the Sacred Buddha Tooth Relic in a magnificent Relic Stupa composed of 420kg of gold donated by devotees.
Getting There:
Take the MRT to Chinatown Station. Exit onto Pagoda Street. Turn right at the exit and BTRTM is a short 5 min walk away.
Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Temple
Apr 6th
Spread over a hillside, this complex of Buddhist temples is one of the largest places of worship in Singapore. The buildings feature fine examples of Chinese decorations, statues and shrines.
Getting There:
Take bus number 410 (white plate) from the Bishan Interchange or take a taxi from Bishan MRT Station (NS17).
