Queenstown in Singapore

15 December 2022 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  12 minutes

Ghim Moh, a district of Queenstown © Chen Siyuan/cc-by-sa-4.0

Ghim Moh, a district of Queenstown © Chen Siyuan/cc-by-sa-4.0

Queenstown is a planning area and satellite residential town situated on the south-westernmost fringe of the Central Region of Singapore. It borders Bukit Timah to the north, Tanglin to the northeast, Bukit Merah to the east and southeast, as well as Clementi to the northwest and west. Its southern and southwesternmost limits are bounded by the Pandan Strait. Developed by the Singapore Improvement Trust in the 1950s and subsequently by the Housing and Development Board in the 1960s, Queenstown was the first satellite town to be built in the country. Most apartments within the township consists of simple one, two, or three-room flats, typically in low-rise, walk-up blocks. Major development work was carried out during the first Five-Year Building Programme between 1960 and 1965. A total of 19,372 dwelling units were constructed between 1952 and 1968. The headquarters of Grab, Razer and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) are located in Queenstown.   read more…

Keong Saik Road in Singapore

23 May 2022 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

© Jacklee/cc-by-sa-4.0

© Jacklee/cc-by-sa-4.0

Keong Saik Road is a one-way road located in Chinatown within the Outram Planning Area in Singapore. The road links New Bridge Road to Neil Road, and is intersected by Kreta Ayer Road. Keong Saik Road was named in 1926 after the Malacca-born Chinese businessman, Tan Keong Saik, in remembrance to his contribution to the Chinese community.   read more…

Sentosa Island in Singapore

26 October 2021 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

© Chensiyuan/cc-by-sa-4.0

© Chensiyuan/cc-by-sa-4.0

Sentosa Island, known mononymously as Sentosa, is an island located off the southern coast of Singapore‘s main island. The island is separated from the main island of Singapore by a channel of water, the Keppel Harbour, and is adjacent to Pulau Brani, a smaller island wedged between Sentosa and the main island.   read more…

Orchard Road in Singapore

6 August 2021 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Palaces, Castles, Manors, Parks, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  9 minutes

ION Orchard Shopping Mall © flickr.com - Erwin Soo/cc-by-2.0

ION Orchard Shopping Mall © flickr.com – Erwin Soo/cc-by-2.0

Orchard Road, often known colloquially as Orchard, is a major 2.5 km (1.6 mi)–long road in the Central Area of Singapore. A famous tourist attraction, it is an upscale shopping area of Singapore, with numerous internationally renowned department stores, restaurants and coffeehouses located in its vicinity. Orchard Road got its name from the nutmeg, pepper and fruit orchards or the plantations that the road once led to. Such plantations were common in the area in the 19th century. The Orchard Planning Area is a planning area as specified by the Urban Redevelopment Authority. It is part of the Central Area located within the Central Region. Orchard is bordered by Newton in the east and north, Tanglin in the west, River Valley in the south and Museum to the southeast.   read more…

Merlion in Singapore

25 May 2021 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

© Unwicked/cc-by-sa-4.0

© Unwicked/cc-by-sa-4.0

The Merlion is the official mascot of Singapore, depicted as a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish. Being of prominent symbolic nature to Singapore and Singaporeans in general, it is widely used to represent both the city state and its people in sports teams, advertising, branding, tourism and as a national personification.   read more…

Theme Week Singapore – Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

3 August 2020 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  9 minutes

© flickr.com - William Cho/cc-by-sa-2.0

© flickr.com – William Cho/cc-by-sa-2.0

Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay (also known as the Esplanade Theatres or simply The Esplanade) is a performing arts centre located in Downtown Core near the mouth of the Singapore River. Named after the nearby Esplanade Park, it consists of a concert hall which seats about 1,600 and a theatre with a capacity of about 2,000 for the performing arts. Other than performing venues, the Esplanade also contains meeting venues, as well as other lifestyle and arts related services. The concert hall and theatre are connected to the main concourse via a foyer, while the Esplanade Mall is accessible through an entry point located between these 2 halls.   read more…

Theme Week Singapore – Marina Bay

15 July 2020 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  10 minutes

© chensiyuan/cc-by-sa-4.0

© chensiyuan/cc-by-sa-4.0

Marina Bay is a bay located in the Central Area of Singapore surrounded by the perimeter of four other planning areas, the Downtown Core, Marina East, Marina South and Straits View. The area surrounding the bay itself, also called Marina Bay, is a 360 hectare extension to the adjacent Central Business District. It is also the new downtown of Singapore built on reclaimed land. Famous landmark iconic buildings include the Marina Bay Sands, Marina Bay Financial Centre, Asia Square, The Sail@Marina Bay and Marina One integrated mixed-use developments. It is one of the key focus areas by the Urban Redevelopment Authority. Marina Bay is envisioned by the URA as a work-live-play vibrant 24 hour CBD. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) Master Plan for Marina Bay aims to encourage a mix of uses for this area, including commercial, residential, hotel and entertainment.   read more…

The Fullerton Hotel Singapore

20 May 2020 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Hotels Reading Time:  13 minutes

© Sengkang

© Sengkang

The Fullerton Hotel Singapore is a five-star luxury hotel located near the mouth of the Singapore River, in the Downtown Core of the Central Area, Singapore. It was originally known as the Fullerton Building, and also as the General Post Office Building. The address is 1 Fullerton Square. The Fullerton Building was named after Robert Fullerton, the first Governor of the Straits Settlements (1826–1829). Commissioned in 1924 as part of the British colony‘s centennial celebrations, the building was designed as an office building by Major P.H. Keys of Keys & Dowdeswell, a Shanghai firm of architects, which won the project through an architectural design competition. The architectural firm also designed the Capitol Theatre, its adjoined Capitol Building and the Singapore General Hospital.   read more…

Theme Week Singapore – Raffles Hotel

8 April 2020 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Hotels Reading Time:  9 minutes

© Huaiwei/cc-by-sa-2.5

© Huaiwei/cc-by-sa-2.5

Raffles Hotel is a colonial-style luxury hotel in Singapore. It was established by Armenian hoteliers, the Sarkies Brothers, in 1887. The hotel was named after British statesman Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the British coloniser of Singapore. It is the flagship property of Raffles Hotels & Resorts, and is managed by AccorHotels after Accor acquired FRHI Hotels & Resorts. The hotel is owned by Qatar-based, government-owned Katara Hospitality. The hotel commenced Phase 3 of a three-phase restoration programme on 13 December 2017. The Raffles Hotel reopened in August 2019 following the completion of the renovation.   read more…

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