Singapore is like that obnoxious student that everybody hated back in high school, the one that aced every exam and destroyed every grading curve. The city state’s politicians and bureaucrats have all the right answers (and some of the highest paid government jobs in the world), do everything by the book, and project an air of corruption-free competency seldom seen in the major cities of their neighbors. The usual complaint is that these righteous civil servants have created a sterile metropolis where whatever they deem unsightly or immoral – historic buildings, the poor and unwanted, the night trades the city was once famous for – is destroyed, redeveloped, prettified and rebranded.
Still, if anyone returns from a visa shuffle bemoaning boredom and the lack of anything interesting to do, then clearly his or her imagination could expand no further than the usual shopping runs to Funan Centre or Mustafa’s for electronic goods, Borders and Kinokuniya for reading material and Cold Storage for affordable wines and cheeses. Singapore, if one knows where to look, is chockablock with things to do, and a lot of them can be done at a price that won’t break the bank. Here are a perfect seven that can each be done in the space of a few hours, a day at the most, and which are perfect for killing time while waiting for a visa to be processed:
• MRT & the ‘Heartland’ neighborhoods – In a city where above ground can be uncomfortably hot and humid, underground is the place to be, planners have decided, and Singapore has been expanding its network of subways and underground shopping malls. Some of these are just cavernous, such as the station at Dhoby Ghaut, now a three-line interchange for the North East Line, the North South Line and the new Circle Line (just opened this year). If you like trains or exploring modern engineering marvels, spend some time getting to know the MRT system, both the above and below ground parts. There are several light rail links connected to the network that make this the ideal way to see how Singapore’s “heartlanders” live when they are not at work, and some of their housing estates such as Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Batok, Pasir Ris and Woodlands, are marvels of well-thought-out urban living. If nothing else, be sure to check out the Dhoby Ghaut interchange, the largest and second deepest station, which can give one the feeling of living inside an M.C. Escher drawing.
• Speaker’s Corner – I couldn’t tell if any of the old-timers loitering at Hong Lim Park were government agents keeping an eye out for anyone who might stir up trouble at Speaker’s Corner, but it’s nice to think they could have been. They didn’t have anything to worry about one recent Tuesday morning, because the park was empty except for a few park benches and stragglers passing through on their way to work. This is the only place where Singaporeans can speak (almost) without restrictions, although they still have to register their intent on the National Parks Board Web site at www.nparks.gov.sg. The space was created in the year 2000 modeled on the original in Hyde Park, London, but with a few more regulations, some of which have been relaxed in the years since. Currently, for Singapore citizens, only registration is required (and not police permits), with the main proviso being that speakers don’t touch on potentially divisive religious or racial issues. From the looks of a schedule kept at letsgotospeakerscorner.blogspot.com, not many people are taking up the offer. It is still a nice park, conveniently located right next to the Clarke Quay MRT station.
• Parks & Greenbelts – And that brings me round to raving about Singapore’s parks, with or without some token condonation of free speech. The island nation wants to be a world class destination for the world’s well-heeled; hence it tries to make itself in the image of an enlightened city that allows for all of its citizens’ physical, spiritual, aesthetic and intellectual needs. Viewed objectively, it really does succeed to a large degree, although it can’t quite rid itself of some Big Brother-ish overtones (creepily coming through in an MRT mobile advertisement admonishing riders to be on the lookout for suspicious persons). The parks are well-landscaped and maintained, with bike and walking trails and on-site exercise equipment at many. In the east there is a 47-kilometer biking and walking trail that links up as many as six parks, and other greenbelts or park connectors cut through areas in the north, south and west. This kind of city planning is textbook civil engineering. It’s not nature at its wildest, but it is more than is offered in Bangkok, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur put together. To see more civic space devoted to parks you’d have to fly a few hours further south to Perth, Australia. For more information see www.nparks.gov.sg.
• The Substation – Many visitors don’t see beyond the glitz and glamour of Singapore’s shopping malls, but there is a deep intellectual and cultural trend if you dig for it, and the Substation on Armenian St. is a good place to start uncovering it. From theatre and drama to modern dance, performance art, music and exhibitions, this is the place where Singapore’s alternative and independent artists get their first notices. In the café out back in the garden, Timbre@Substation, there is live music most nights. Book reservations (www.timbre.com.sg) for evening visits, although they say they keep a quarter of the venue open for walk-in customers. Even if you don’t have the time to catch a performance, the Substation is a good place to walk into of an afternoon to see what’s going on; most of the time, something is. The nearest MRT stations are City Hall and Bras Basah (on the Circle Line).
• Museums – Right next door to the Substation is Singapore’s Peranakan Museum, formerly the Asian Civilisations Museum (now housed at the Empress Place Building along the Singapore River). Both have permanent and temporary exhibition space, with recent or upcoming exhibitions featuring treasures of the Mughals of Indian and the golden artifacts of the early kingdoms of Sumatra. Other museums worth the visit are the Singapore Art Museum, which often has traveling exhibits from some of the best museums of the U.S. and Europe, and the National Museum of Singapore. In addition there are a whole raft of private and institutional museums and heritage centers. All are reasonably priced at S$10 or less and usually have child-focused activities that can keep the kids busy while the parents try to beat the Singapore heat. See the Web site for the National Heritage Board at www.nhb.gov.sg for a list of institutions and events.
• Walking Tours – If you like to combine your history with a bit of physical exertion, try one of the walking tours listed on the Web site at www.journeys.com.sg/singaporewalks. Whether you are traipsing through the colonial districts, Little India, Chinatown or Changi, there’s not much better way to get your history than outdoors looking at the places and buildings where it was made, with knowledgeable guides-cum-historians leading the way. Tours are affordable at S$28 for adults, S$45 if transportation is involved, and there is at least one a day Monday through Saturday. Lonely Planet says: “If you just do one tour in Singapore, make it one of these.”
• Other Islands – Then what’s better when going to one island than going to another smaller, littler island? There are approximately 60 islands in the waters surrounding Singapore, and while some have been set aside for military training and others for industrial use, a few are available for camping, diving and other activities. Sentosa is probably the best known, but skip that duded up beach, casino and golf resort and head to Pulau Ubin in the east (www.wildsingapore.com/ubin) or Kusu and St. John’s islands in the south (www.islandcruise.com.sg). Bumboat ferries leave from the Changi Village ferry terminal in the east to Ubin, and daily ferries run from the Marina South Pier to Kusu and St. John’s. See a different side of Singapore than one usually gets on the “mainland,” and on the boat ride out and back, take the opportunity to view its famous shipping lanes. Cycling and overnight camping are available on Pulau Ubin (cheap overnighter!); Kusu has both Chinese Buddhist and Malay Muslim holy sites; and St. John’s has a history as a leper quarantine station and a penal settlement. Only Pulau Ubin has places where you can be guaranteed to get food and drink; you’ll need to carry food, water and everything else for your needs on visits to other islands. See www.wildsingapore.com/places for more information and for other outdoor experiences available in Singapore, both on and off-island.
If these suggestions don’t spark some ideas, check out the events calendar at the new Web site, www.insing.com (in Beta testing and a bit quirky), one of the most comprehensive events listings of what’s on in Singapore. Another place to get ideas is www.esplanade.com, with listings for more mainstream arts, music and drama performances than you would see at the Substation (www.substation.org); on the Esplanade site also keep an eye out for the free outdoor concerts that are offered most weekends. Other general listings can be seen on www.singapore.angloinfo.com, www.timeoutsingapore.com and the Singapore pages on www.whatsonwhen.com.
In Singapore, even if you are on a tight budget, there should never be an excuse for sitting on your hands in your hotel room pining for Bali. It may not be a jungle out there, but there is still plenty to do and plenty to see if you’ll only venture into the island’s urban wilds.
