Singapore. The little Red Dot. A virtual tour around my Top Ten must sees plus a recipe for a taste of colonial Singapore from a Gin Sling made with Tanqueray London Dry.
Singapore. The little red dot. It refers to how the nation is depicted on many maps of the world, a little red dot at the southern tip of the Malay peninsula. It lies one degree north of the equator and has increased its total size by 23% via land reclamation. The dot is getting bigger. I visited for the first time in August 2015 when the city state was celebrating 50 years of independence and I fell hook, line and sinker in love with everything about it. Fast forward 18 months and I was back again for a second visit. Before I started researching in advance of my trip, Raffles and a Singapore Sling was pretty much all I knew about, so they were high on my to do list. However there is so much to see, do and discover in this country of sharp contrasts and multiple cultures. In no particular order here are my Top Ten must sees.
Built entirely on reclaimed land, Gardens By The Bay houses both the amazing Flower and Cloud Dome Conservatories and the high tech Supertrees. The whole concept cleverly combines design, innovation, botany and a huge wow factor. In addition to the spectacular, there's a lot of technology happening within the 18 metal trees which are adorned with plants, generate electricity and act as vents for the turbines which heat the conservatories. A trip up the 22m high OCBC Skyway is an absolute must for sweeping views. Both conservatories are amazing but particularly impressive is the Cloud Dome which recreates a tropical climate complete with 35m mountain and waterfall.
Museums
Hawker Food
Singaporeans live to eat. It's practically their national sport. The melting pot of cultures and the fact that the majority of people really don't cook at home and eat out all the time means that the food scene is vibrant, mouth watering and 24/7. If you want to eat at Michelin starred restaurants that is most certainly an option but the true taste of Singapore can be found in the numerous Hawker Centres (or more upmarket shopping centre food courts) Here you can feast on a dazzling selection of amazingly cheap food that is literally prepared in front of your very eyes in tiny booths. Cuisine covers Chinese, Indian, Malay, Indonesian, Peranakan and more. Hainanese Chicken Rice would potentially be the national dish jostling alongside a Toast Set with Kopi. Hawker centres are not for the faint hearted with their raucos vibe. Be prepared to queue, share tables and be adventurous! Maxwell Road, Lau Pa Sat (for arcitechture and satay), Tekka Centre and the Chinatown Complex would be my top tips.
Boat Trip
Departing from several points along the Singapore River a bumboat cruise provides a fantastic change of perspective on the city whether during the day or by night. In the evening it makes a great vantage point to view the light shows at Marina Bay Sands and Gardens on the Bay. An alternative quirky option is a
Ducktour on an amphibious ex military vehicle which traverses both land and water.
Shopping
Vying with eating for the top pastime is shopping. Orchard Road is the main shopping drag filled with dozens of interconnecting Mall's and department stores selling anything and everything you could ever wish for. Prices range from designer to discount. For quirky indie boutiques and gift shops head to Haji Lane in Kampong Glam.
If Zoo's are your thing, Singapore has one of the best with more than 2,800 animals representing over 300 species. Animals roam freely in open a natural habitats. One of the biggest exhibits is the Orangutan habitat but for me the Sloths and Lemurs in the Fragile Forest was the highlight along with the Koalas.
For further animal encounters there is also a Night Safari, River Safari and Jurong Bird Park.
Cookery Class
On my first trip to SG this was the first thing that I did on my very first day and was a fantastic introduction to both the city and it's food. You can read about
my adventures at Food Playground where I made Nyonya Laksa, Deep Fried Spring Rolls and Kueh Dadar. This time I headed to a home cooking class at
Cookery Magic where I made Char Kway Teow, Singapore Chilli Prawns and Onde Onde. Both very different experiences but highly recommended.
Walking Tours
Singapore has a wealth of fascinating neighborhoods such as Little India, Chinatown, Kampong Glam and the Colonial District. On both my trips I signed up for walking tours with local guides via
Original Singapore Walks and
Urban Adventures. A fantastic way to get a wee bit off the beaten path, discover temples, wet markets, traditional shops, hidden gems and get a glimpse into everyday life.
Singapore prides itself on its green spaces and Garden City status. The Botanic Gardens are a huge oasis of calm slap bang in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city. It is absolutely huge - I may have got a wee bit lost! Don't miss the amazing Orchid Garden.
Singapore Sling at Raffles
Last, but by no means least, we are back where we started with a Singapore Sling in the Long Bar at
Raffles Hotel. Thankfully I ticked this one off the list on my first trip as the Long Bar is currently closed as part of Raffles restoration programme (slated to reopen mid 2018) Here you can drink the world famous pink cocktail while tossing peanut shells onto the floor (the only place in Singapore where littering is permitted!) Rattan furniture and swaying fans complete the colonial look.
After all that travel chat it must surely be time for a Cocktail. The Singapore Sling was first created in 1915 at Raffles Singapore by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon. In colonial Singapore the Long Bar at Raffles was a popular gathering place and watering hole. Whilst the gentlemen sipped spirits, etiquette dictated that the ladies could not consume alcohol in public so had to stick to fruit juices and teas. Ngiam saw a gap in the market and created a cocktail that looked like a fruit juice, but was actually infused with gin and other liqueurs. Making it pink gave further social acceptability and the Singapore Sling was born. What exactly the original recipe was has been lost in the mists of time but here's my take on the Raffles classic using Tanqueray London Dry Gin as the base. For further sling-spiration head to thebar.com for their Singapore Sling and Perfect Singapore Sling Recipes.
Little Red Dot Singapore Sling
Makes one serving
25ml Tanqueray London Dry Gin
25ml Cherry Brandy
15ml Lime Juice
10ml Grenadine
120ml Pineapple Juice
Ice
Splash of Soda Water
Pineapple Slice & Maracchino Cherry to garnish
Add Tanqueray London Dry Gin, cherry brandy, lime juice, grenadine and pineapple juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes and shake until cold and frothy.
Strain into a tall glass filled with ice cubes and top up with soda water.
Garnish with a wedge of fresh pineapple and add a 'little red dot' with a maraschino cherry.
Disclosure: This is a commissioned recipe for thebar.com As always, all views expressed are my own.
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