Singapore, the financial hub of South East Asia impressed me from very long time and it was always in my travel list. Recently I had a chance to explore this country with my dad. There are four official languages in Singapore: Malay, English, Tamil and Mandarin. After being liberated from Malaysia in 1965, Singapore saw tremendous economic growth in late 60’s and 70’s which attracted many skilled workers from different parts of Asia thereby making the strong financial hub in South East Asia. If you are from India especially from Tamil Nadu, Singapore is definitely a heaven. With south Indian restaurants everywhere, Tamil written all around and close proximity to Chennai by Air makes even more ideal location for many expatriates from Tamil Nadu.
First we went to Zoo which had wide variety of animals from different parts of the world followed by Night Safari which included many shows. Next day we went to Universal Studios which had many wonderful rides and animation shows. Dad even though being 60 was interested in all the fancy rides. The frustrating part was the main roller coaster which was not working because of some maintenance issues. The public transportation in Singapore is simply awesome which gives easy access to important destinations but still there is heavy traffic on the roads.
Another thing which is worth mentioning is the weather where sun shine is guaranteed throughout the year, no regular monsoon season and April May being the hottest months. Singapore is undoubtedly secure which is not common in many Asian countries. The Singapore flyer gives a good panoramic view of the city of Singapore and the Skyscrapers. Thanks to Seshadhri, my college friend working in Singapore accompanied us for the whole day. Special thanks to Shen, my MBA classmate from China also took her time to meet us for an Indian dinner. Sentosa Island offers wide variety of attractions with all sophisticated modern shows, theatres, sporting activities etc. We had a chance to take the cable car one way which was simply breathtaking. Underwater world was indeed a great experience for appa to see the big fishes from the glass door.
Songs of the sea near Sentosa beach station is a memorable experience with colorful musical laser water shows. Jurong Bird Park offers wide variety of shows with different kinds of birds and the highlight was Parrot singing happy birthday song. The flamingo lake, eagle show, penguin parade are worth seeing in Bird Park. The Science Centre in Jurong East is an eye opener for many school students who wants to take Scientific path in their life. The fire show in Science Centre was simply one of the best demonstrations there. The Snow Centre near Science Centre is a good experience for people who haven’t seen snow in their life. The sliding from top of the hill to the bottom is worth trying.
The new attraction in Singapore is Gardens by the Bay. The Cloud Forest and Flower Doom are the two important attractions in Gardens by the Bay. All in all, it was a memorable experience with my dad in Singapore because of the fact I hardly get a chance to spend time with him in a year. I can strongly recommend Singapore as touristic destination and also for people in Banking sector to give it a try to work in Singapore, the pearl of South East Asia.
Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S
