Take me under the sea - world's largest aquarium, Singapore

Today is cold and windy outside far removed from the warm sultry humid conditions of our recent trip to Singapore. So rather than show you pictures from around my cold wintry Western Australia, I decided to warm up by taking you back for a visit to another of our favourite Singapore attractions.  If you missed my last two posts about Singapore, please scroll down to the bottom to find the links.

The S.E.A Aquarium at Sentosa Island, opened in November 2012, is the world's largest acquarium, home to over 1000,000 marine animals.  But first we have to get there. 

There are several options, but we decided to take the Cable Car from Mount Faber (a taxi from your hotel might be the easiest option to get to Mount Faber). The cable car deposits you in the heart of Sentosa, and gives you spectacular views of Singapore and an overall view of what is install for you at Sentosa.  There is so much to see and do at Sentosa you could easily spend several days here - or stay in one of the hotels on Sentosa and be only a short stroll or bus or tram or monorail ride away from the many attractions.

But one attraction you must visit is the S.E.A. Aquarium -  home to 100,000 marine animals of over 800 species in 45 million litres of water. Comprising 10 different zones with 49 habitats, the aquarium takes you on an underwater voyage beginning in Southeast Asia,  through the Arabian Gulf and the Open Ocean. 

 But first up we went through the Maritime Museum where you can learn about the history of sea exploration and trade in Asia.

The entrance to the Aquarium is through a dome tunnel - we chose to go on a week day to try and avoid some of the crowds, but found out later it was a pupil free day in Singapore so there were lots of people! I loved the huge central round tank you can see in the second picture here.

 The various exhibits were amazing!  There is even a shipwreck and a dolphin tank !I And I couldn't help wonder what it was like for a dolphin living in a tank, even though he had some mates to play with. He kept zooming around and coming up to the glass to look at us. Were "we" a curiosity?

I was fascinated by this exhibit showing below and above the water - it represents the Sundarbans Mangrove, home to a myriad of endangered plants and animals found along the coast of the Bay of Bengal.

You wouldn't want to get tangled up with this elegant but stingy creature - the Japanese Sea Nettle.

S.E.A. Aquarium Senior Curator Grant Willis said: “S.E.A. Aquarium offers not only a stunning display of habitats, but also education and conservation programmes in which families and guests can participate.Younger guests will be thrilled to know that we have specially designed exhibits such as the Discovery Touch Pool, the Lens Aquarium and Floor Aquarium, to provide them up close

encounters with our marine residents.”

 Our grandsons were certainly enthralled with the underwater world only inches from them - 

 The centerpiece of the Aquarium is the Open Ocean Gallery seen through the world’s largest viewing panel - 36 metres wide by 8.3 metres tall. (how much water pressure must be pushing against that panel !)  The viewing area is tiered and there was soft "underwater" music playing in the background - you could just sit here being mesmerised by the amazing under water world. I can see now why my husband and son love scuba diving.(but I am not sure I am ready to take it up - too many "bities" for me!)

This manta ray was gliding up and down, turning over and over in a bubble stream. I must say I did feel a little sorry for him trapped in this aquarium, even though the aquarium is huge. He reminded me a bit of a big cat prowling back and forth in front of a wire fence at a zoo. 

If you are going to Singapore I encourage you to add Sentosa's Aquarium to your "must do" list, but plan to go to Sentosa for the whole day and make sure you allow a few hours to enjoy the Aquarium properly.  Of course, on the way out, you can always buy a souvenir of your visit. 

Afterwards you might like to relax on Siloso Beach, participate in some Fish Reflexology , snorkel with the fish, or enjoy the Adventure Cove Waterpark or Universal Studios (but Universal would take another whole day!) - just a few of the activities on offer at Sentosa. Don't worry there are lots of food outlets to keep your energy levels up! 

To find out more, please go to - SEA Aquarium and Sentosa

Thankyou for stopping by to visit - I hope you have enjoyed this little look under the sea. I look forward to hearing from you. Have a wonderful week.

 I am linking up to Mosaic Monday, Travel Photos Monday, Our World Tuesday, Tuesday Around the World, Travel Photo Thursday, Oh the Places I've Been, and the "What's It Wednesday" party going on over at "Ivy and Elephants". Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

Mosaic Monday
Travel Photo Mondays
Our World Tuesday
Tuesday Around the World  
What's It Wednesday
Travel Photo Thursday
 Oh The Places I've Been

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The breaktaking world of Gardens by The Bay, Singapore 
High Life at the Raffles 

The breathtaking world of "Gardens by the Bay", Singapore

Last week I showed a little of our recent visit to Singapore - High Life at the Raffles. 
No I didn't stay at the Raffles - I wish! If you missed it click here - High Life at the Raffles

 This week I take you to Gardens on the Bay - only a few MRT stops from the Raffles.

I don’t think any words I conjure up can adequately describe the beauty and magic of “Gardens by the Bay” in Singapore.  Opened in June 2012 what they have achieved here is nothing short of Outstanding! Stunning! Amazing! Spectacular!

The gardens are a brilliant kaleidoscope of exotic plants from around the world that whisks you away from the hustle and bustle that is Singapore.  It is certainly a wonderful place to go if you need some time out from your busy holiday in Singapore.   

Located in the Marina Bay area (behind the Marina Bay Sands Hotel - the one with the boat on top!), the gardens can be enjoyed all day until 2am in the morning. Access to the Outdoor Gardens and the night light show is free. You could easily spend a whole day here.   The gardens can be experienced in several dfferent ways - 

The main gardens which include Dragonfly and Kingfisher Lakes and the Heritage Gardens can be strolled around at your leisue at no cost. The Heritage Gardens are a collection of four themed gardens that take you through the history and culture of Sinapore's three main ethnic groups and colonial past. You can see the Supertrees in this mosaic - more about them later.  

The two massive conservatories can be visited at a very reasonable coast as can the sky walk and a tour bus around the gardens with commentary.  The Cloud Forest Dome geatures an amazing 35-metre tall central "mountain covered in lush vegetation 

and the world's tallest indoor waterfall (10 stories high).  

The Cloud Forest Dome showecases plant life from tropical highlands up to 2,000-metres above sea level. You can go up to the top via a lift and then walk down along the aerial walkways. 

 The orchids were simply stunning!   

Can you see the bird? 

I love the elegant simplicity of these plants - I wish I had found out their name...though I don't suppose I would be able to grow them in Australia.  
ps - Noel from Hawaii and Travel Photo Mondays tells me they are - anthuriums. Thanks Noel! What a brilliant place blogging is! 

Gardens By the Bay tries to educate as well as enthrall. In Earth Check and +5 Degrees you are given a visual sobering insight into the radical changes that Climate Change is bringing about and the problems we are likely to face due to climate change and habitat loss and the effect of temperature increases around Earth. We desperately need everyone to do what they can to look after our planet before it is too late. If we don't the amazing life as we know it today, plants and animals, and even mankind, will be lost forever.    

The Flower Dome replicates the cool-dry climate of Mediterranean regions like South Africa, Australia, California, Chile and parts of Spain and Italy. Home to a collection of plants from deserts all over the word, it showcases the adaptions of plants to arid environments. We even saw Australian boab trees. Colourful changing displays of flowers in the Flower Field reflect different seasons, festivals and themes.   There is even a restautrant. You can see it in the top left hand picture - the blue area under the bottle trees. Unfortunately we arrived at the Flower Dome in the early evening, so I wasn't able to take a lot of photos.   

Our boys were mesmerized by the floor kaleidoscopes. I thought they were pretty cool too.   

The unique trees" in the Supertree Grove soar up to 16-storeys hight. You can stroll freely amongst the trees or for a small price walk along the OCBC Skyway, a 128-metre long walkway 22-metres about the ground that connects two Supertrees, and take in the panoramic views of the Gardens and Marina Bay area.   Unfortunately we arrived too late to do everything....so it will be on my list for next time.   

Over 162,900 plants comprising more than 200 species and varieties of bromeliads, orchids, ferns and tropical flowering climbers are planted on the trunks of the Supertrees, which have panels that harvest solar energy.  In the evening the Supertrees come alive with a dazzling display of changing lights which left me completely in awe - I felt like I was walking through the gardens in the movie "Avatar".   

There are several dining options, but we chose Satay by the Bay for a typical SIngapore stay feast. The bottom right photo is acatually the open-air bathroom - I couldn't resist taking a photo.   

Located across the water from the Merlion, Gardens by the Bay is easy to get to via the MRT (alight at Bayfront MRT STation). Prices are very reasonable - check the website for how to get there and opening times and costs -
Plan your visit to Gardens by the Bay

I hope you enjoyed this little tour to Gardens By the Bay. I THOROUGHLY recommend you visit Gardens by the Bay if you ever go to Singapore. 
Click here to go to their website - Gardens by the Bay

Thanks for stopping by. I look forward to hearing from you.  Take care and have a wonderful week.

 I hope to be back again soon with some more pics.

Did I mention earlier there is a hotel with a "boat" on the top - you can see it in the background here - 

I am linking up to Mosaic Monday, Travel Photo Monday, Our World Tuesday, Travel Photo Thursday and Oh the Places I've Been. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

Mosaic Monday
Travel Photo Mondays
Our World Tuesday
Travel Photo Thursday
 Oh The Places I've Been

High life at the Raffles, Singapore

"While at Raffles, why not visit Singapore?"

or so says the Raffles Website -  Raffles Hotel, Singapore

"Probably the world's most famous hotel. ‘While at Raffles, why not visit Singapore?' Indeed. Not just a hotel, an icon; Raffles Singapore is an oasis of colonial style, calm and charm in the heart of modern Singapore - exclusive, historic, and one of a kind."

 Well we were in Singapore a week ago - this was our view from our hotel balcony -

 and we did visit the Raffles - it was next door - here are some pics - elegance at it's best - but of course with a price tag to match......

And a little history - 
you can read more by clicking here - Wikipedia-Raffles_Hotel

and the famous Long Bar - You need to go up to the first floor to go to the Long Bar. I have just read that this is not the colonial bar where the likes of Somerset Maugham and Rudyard Kipling put away gin and tonics while penning stories about the jungles of Malaya. The original Long Bar was located in the hotel lobby. However visiting the Long Bar at the Raffles is certainly a thing to do if you are close by. 

and the famous Singapore Sling? - expensive yes, but it is iconic.

Said to have been Invented by barman Ngiam Tong Boom in 1915, it's origins and original recipe seems clouded in history. Click here for a really interesting story about it - 
Worldfoodist-who-invented-the-singapore-sling?

Here are the proportions officially published by the hotel:
 
30 ml gin
15 ml Cherry Heering (brandy)
7.5 ml Dom Benedictine
7.5 ml Cointreau
120 ml Sarawak Pineapple juice
15 ml lime juice
10 ml Grenadine
a dash of Angostura bitters
Garnish with a slice of pineapple and a cherry


And where did we stay? - right across the road from The Raffles - at The Swissotel The Stamford - The Stamford, Singapore

We have stayed there before. Wonderful rooms, swimming pool, connected to a shopping complex, plenty of restaurants to cover all choices in the shopping complex, MRT adjacent, fantastic location.

It's not quite the Raffles, but it doesn't have the same price tag attached either. Ps - if you are going to go to the Raffles, check out their dress standards on their web page first, or you may be turned away.

Our view from our "harbour view" room - the pics in this panorama don't quite match up, but you get should get the idea - that is the Singapore Cricket Club in the lower RHS. You can't see the Raffles in this pic, if was way around to the left from here.

 I hope you have enjoyed this little tour of the Raffles. I will be back again soon with some more pics from Singapore. Here's a sneak look - Gardens on the Bay.....

And which camera did I take with me? My trusty little Canon G11 - a handy little camera which takes fabulous pics without the weight and the "she's a tourist with an expensive camera" label pointing to me!






A couple of links for you -  Raffles Hotel, Singapore
  Singapore Sling, Raffles

I am linking up to Mosaic Monday, Travel Photo Monday, Our World Tuesday, Travel Photo Thursday and Oh the Places I've Been. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

Mosaic Monday
Travel Photo Mondays
Our World Tuesday
Travel Photo Thursday
 Oh The Places I've Been


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