The Singapore Guide - 2

Welcome to Singapore! Now don’t spit, jaywalk, eat on the train, smoke, pee, or even think about chewing gum! While this may be a bad market for Wrigleys Chewing Gum, the government’s authoritarian policies work in making this the cleanest, most crime-free place to live.  

Singapore is popularly called the “Fine City” for the heavy fines you will have to pay if you indulge in the above “crimes,” and the “Lion City” for the half-lion-half-fish statue that is synonymous with the land. The sidewalks gleam, the traffic flows in silence and everything works like clockwork in this eerie Utopia. For an Indian used to chaos and noise, this is harmony at its best!

If you have just a couple of days in the “Fine City” you need to check out my last blog post on what to do and where to go. If you have more time, yaaaay! Here’s what you can look forward to:

VISIT LOCAL MARKETS – Singapore has multicultural people living side by side in perfect… I’m going to use the word again… harmony! If you feel a little homesick and need to hear some familiar dialect, or have a strict vegetarian or Jain food preference, head over to Little India. Tiny restaurants sell Thosai (Dosa), thalis and biryanis. The famous Mustafa Market, which is a mall selling literally everything you can dream of, is a typical chaotic Indian bazaar building and makes one feel at home!

China Town is another busy market to spend half the day in. Low rise buildings, fantastic heritage architecture, Chinese quarters and lines of shops and stalls sell everything from silk shawls to lucky cats. Visit the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Thian Hock Keng Temple the Red Dot Museum and indulge in the some dims sum and crispy duck. You will also find nasty looking items on the menu, like the blurry picture below!

Yet another interesting cultural experience is walking along Arab Street to observe conservatively dressed Muslims, the call to prayer, robe clad men and smell air that has the scent of sheesha. Shop for perfume, textile and relish middle eastern cuisine. The Sultan Mosque and Kampong Glam Palaces are nice to see.

CLARKE QUAY - This historic quay is famous for waterside restaurants and exciting collection of bars and clubs. It also has so much more to offer – like delicious street food by the picturesque river, museums and the G Max River Bungee, which is a landmark in itself. This giant bungy structure is for those seeking adrenaline. Strap in and get launched 60 feet in the air at a speed of 200mh and back like a giant yo-yo. Although it’s better to ride it during the day, for those who want to keep their feet firmly on the ground, it looks much better when illuminated at night. Food lovers, two words – eat crabs!

RAFFLES PLACE – Named after Stanford Raffles, the founder of Modern Singapore, this used to be a centre for trade in the past but is now a financial and business hub. Admire the façade of the beautiful Clifford Pier or attend a concert at the Victoria Theatre. Boat Quay, a hotspot for night life is located down the river.

SINGAPORE FLYER – Asia’s largest observation wheel offers a 360 degree view of the city… a view that can stretch to Malaysia and Indonesia on a sunny day. Located at Marina Bay, this 30 minute ride in an air conditioned glass capsule will have you marveling at stunning day and night scenes.

BOTANICAL GARDEN – Whether you’re a nature lover or not, spend some time among Tai Chi practitioners, joggers with dogs and, 1000 orchard species and over 2000 hybrids. When you’re done, have a traditional breakfast of eggs, coffee, toast and coconut jam at Tanglin Gate.

WATCH FREE SHOWS – The Green Rhapsody show is like stepping into a fairy tale, or rather, a sci-fi movie It’s one of those places where you simply stand, awestruck. Futuristic trees are lit up in different ways, along with music creates a magical atmosphere. The shows are at 7:45 and 8:45 everyday for around 10 minutes. Go early to take the coolest spot. Another free show is the fountain show at Marina Bay Sands. Musical fountains and light projectors make it uber cool!

SINGAPORE ZOO – I’m not really a fan of zoos, and this one was closed the day I went. But if you have kids, I hear it’s pretty amazing. It is divided into 11 zones, each with a unique walking experience and a lot of animal shows for even more entertainment.

One last thing, do visit the Cloud Forest, it’s like a whole new world inside the dome that replicates the climate and vegetation on a tropical mountain. It houses the world’s largest indoor waterfall, fern skyways, stalactites, stalagmites and hollow crystal. 

That comes to the end of my very long blog post on this amazing country!

Have I missed any cool places here? All I need is a reason to go back, so let me know!

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Markets and Markets!

If you look up ‘Things to do in Ottawa,’ the Byward Market always comes up on top! People do love their food, and with such a variety of multi cultural food choices, they don’t have to look for long to find something delicious! Unique eclectic shops and boutiques make a day of aimless wandering so very interesting.


Byward Market, at the corner of St. George Street and Byward Street, is a great place for one-stop shopping. Vendors cluster around an old maroon brick building selling fresh produce, flowers, seafood, baked goodies and souvenirs.

One of the things you MUST try here are the Beaver Tails. Gooey dough that’s deep fried till crispy, with a range of topping choices like marshmallows, Gems, Maple Syrup and Cinnamon Sugar. I had the Nutella and Banana   one (obviously, it’s the most sinful of the lot) and it was the food highlight of my trip.

Obama once stopped at this very outlet for a beaver tail on his way to the Parliament, so that’s probably why the entire place is full of pictures of him. There are stores that even have cookies named after him. That’s the dream!


I read some negative reviews of Byward Market having a lot of pushy panhandlers and pickpockets, but I can honestly say I didn’t see a single one.

Getting There – You will probably have to drive to get there, but there’s tons of on-street parking spots.

I thought Byward market was eclectic. That was before I stepped into Kensington Market. It has a strange, unique charm– in the mismatched clothing stores, the roadside grocery carts, the graffiti laden cafes, and people selling hippie jewelry like you find in Anjuna Market. One of the jewelry vendors was actually planning to rent a stall at the Anjuna Flee market and wouldn’t let us go until we gave him a fair bit of info on house rentals and food cost in Goa.

So, Kensington is located just to the west of downtown Toronto, bordered by Spadina Avenue, Dundas Street, Bathhurst street and College Street. This is one place that must be experienced to be fully understood.

Even if you don’t plan on shopping, I would suggest going and checking out this hipster-ish neighborhood. There are so many things that you don't need but end up buying just because they're hilarious. What do you think about these? Perfect gag gifts!

A wonderful thing about the street is that people from all walks of life come here – rich, poor, young and old, every ethnicity and nationality. Everyone bumps into each other on the narrow sidewalks and one way streets. There’s no parking and it’s a complete obstacle course. I love it!!

Literally just one street away, all the “flower child” vibe disappears to make way for dragons, lanterns and overcrowded sign boards in Chinese. Maybe it’s the Canadian Version of China Town because it was so clean and lacked the grit and bustle of touristy China Towns in other cities. Take time to walk around here, buy some knick-knacks, cheap T-shirts and memorabilia.

Bubble Tea is supposedly good here, but we were in a hurry and didn't try some. I'm still curious to know what it is, though.

Getting around is pretty easy, if you're prepared to walk. There are street cars that take you to downtown Toronto. It's a good idea to get a day pass that is valid for all kinds of public transport.

Although it's called China Town, there are all kinds of south Asian cuisine available with the menus given in Chinese (or so it looked.) We stopped at a little Vietnamese Restaurant and ordered Pho – a broth containing slivers of beef, glass noodles and herbs. It tasted much better than it looked! 

TGG Tips:

1) Bring a camera
2) If you need to buy souvenirs, do it in China Town. Great stuff, good deals and really cheap.
3) Go hungry and try EVERYTHING!

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