Trail #2: City Hall (Part II)

Introduction
Continuing from Part I of the City Hall Trail, this trail will highlight a trail where you can catch some great views of Singapore's city skyline at night while still being able to see some iconic attractions.

City Hall Trail

View Larger Map

A. City Hall MRT Station
Start from City Hall MRT Station. You may want to have dinner at Raffles City Shopping Centre before starting your trail, or to have a late dinner at Lau Pa Sat Market.

B. War Memorial Park 
Known as the "Chopsticks" memorial, the four pillars symbolise the four main races of people living in Singapore. It serves as a memorial to civilians who died in Singapore during World War Two. It's a peaceful place where you can take a stroll at night.

If you are interested in some shopping or eating, you can get over to Suntec City opposite this monument.

C. The Esplanade 
Honestly, from the map, I can't really tell the route taken. But from the War Memorial, you should be able to find an underground somewhere and this leads to the Esplanade.

On your way, you will find some exhibits. These exhibits change all the time and the day we were there, the exhibition was Mix: Re/Tape by Neo Kim Seng. A mixtape is played by snipping segments from selected casettes, resulting in a mish mash of songs.

Okay I cheated with this shot. I took this photo last year during National Day. You can see Esplanade, the two "durians", somewhat in the centre of this shot. At Esplanade, you can catch free performances at night at the Concourse, attend a concert, shop for musical instruments or scores, have a quick bite, go up to the roof terrace for a nice view etc.

D. Merlion
From Esplanade, you will need to cross a bridge to get to the Merlion. You will not regret crossing the bridge because there are things to look at, on both sides of the bridge. On the right hand side, you will see the Fullerton Hotel which was originally known as The Fullerton Building and the General Post Office Building. You will also see the major office buildings in the CBD area. On the left hand side, you will see the Marina Bay Sands, the Esplanade etc.

Find your way around a little more and you will find the Merlion, which has the head of a lion and the body of a fish. There are many eating places in the area and the place is very vibrant and happening, even on weekday nights.

E. Lau Pa Sat Festival Market 
After a long walk, it's time to reward your tummy! You can head down to the Lau Pa Sat Festival Market and order some local food!

F. Marina Bay Sands
Time permitting, you may also get to the Marina Bay Sands, whether it is to gamble, to shop (high end stuff) or to catch the laser show (8pm/930pm).

The duration of this trail will vary quite a bit, depending on the activities you ultimately choose to take part in at the location. One night isn't enough to get all the beautiful pictures of the city skyline. Time permitting, I might post another part to the trail which will involve the Singapore Flyer and the Helix Bridge. 

Read More

Trail #2: City Hall (Part I)

Introduction
City Hall has lots of interesting things to see and quite a bit of shopping to do. Therefore, the City Hall Trail will be separated into several parts so that it's more manageable. 

City Hall Trail 
I did a City Hall Trail yesterday and here, I've marked the places on Google Map. If you are interested in retracing my footsteps, all you need to do is to print out the map and to follow it accordingly. Why I did this was because sometimes when I was travelling, I was often bothered by which sequence I should take in order to maximise my sightseeing.

View Larger Map

A. City Hall MRT Station
Start from City Hall MRT Station. If you haven't shopped in days and have an urge to shop, you may want to go to Raffles City Shopping Centre via the escalator located in the MRT Station. A mix of mid priced and high end goods. Lots of eateries there.

As you proceed, you will see the Capitol Building on your right at the junction of North Bridge Road and Stamford Road. This building was completed in 1933 and was one of the very few air-conditioned theatres when it was built. Walk further and you will see the St Andrew's Cathedral on your left. It is the largest cathedral in Singapore.

B. Peninsula Plaza 
I seldom go to Peninsula Plaza. But I was surprised to know that there were so many Myanmar shops in the shopping centre! If you are craving some Myanmar food but don't want to take a plane there, this should be your best bet.

C. Civil Defence Heritage Gallery
Click here to read the post about this gallery. Admission is free. If you are interested in gadgets, you might want to cross the road to go to Funan Digitallife Mall although many people go to Sim Lim Square at Bugis for cheap deals.

D. Armenian Church
The Armenian Church is the oldest Christian church in Singapore. The building was completed in 1835 and modelled after St Gregory's Church in Echmiadzin, the mother church in northern Armenia. You can take a walk in the gardens and admire the architecture. Famous Armenians in Singapore include the Sarkies brothers who built and managed the Raffles Hotel and Agnes Joaquim who hybridised Singapore's national flower.

If you look across the road, you will see an interesting oriental structure which has a blend of both Chinese and Western architectural styles. That is the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

E. Singapore Philatelic Museum
Click here to read more about the Museum.

Next to it is the Masonic Hall which is undergoing what looks like some conservation process. I thought the window panels were quite interesting. Completed in 1886, the locals once called the building rumah hantu (haunted house) because few knew what happened in this exclusive clubhouse. 

If you are feeling in a mood for a walk amongst lush greeneries, you can proceed to the Fort Canning Park instead of going to the Peranakan Museum. Just continue walking down the stretch and follow the signs. Or, if you are in a mood to get married, you may proceed to the Registries of Marriages too! 

F. Peranakan Museum 
Click here for the review.

This walk took me about 3 hours, including all the time spent in the galleries. From here, you can either venture into the Bras Basah/Dhoby Ghaut area where more shopping and eating awaits (or the National Museum of Singapore if you haven't had enough of museums) or you can take the route shown in this trail to get back to City Hall MRT Station to embark on the second part of the trail which will allow you to see the beautiful skyline of Singapore at night. 

Read More