There's more to Singapore than Sentosa
Sense and sterility
So over-exposed is Singapore that you are acquainted with the city as soon as you land.
Wave to the familiar Merlion, purging water from the marina, there is the recognisable skyline, each building wrestling for postcard space; kerbs cleaned by a punctilious government, each leaf painted the perfect tropical green by a card soldier.
Rising on the other side of the marina, are three towers crowned by a ship — the Marina Bay Sands hotel. If your travel plans are dictated by little humans who need periodic feeding and entertainment, this is the place to lock yourself up.
Set aside a few hours for the Van Gogh Live and Salvador Dali exhibitions at the ArtsScience museum. Even if you have no academic interest in art, the museum's child-friendly interactive exhibits make it a gentle engagement. Sit in the panelled room that projects Van Gogh's works on the walls and ceilings, immersing you in his post-impressionist world. It moves even the most number-hardened chartered accountant to tears. Your benevolent dictators can make giant sunflowers, press ancient Chinese motifs on paper, or make an e-card with Dali's moustache and Gogh's swirls on the interactive screen. Be seduced into Dali's world with ceiling installations and pull out human ribcages.
In the evening, catch the Lion King Musical, after you've tired yourself out at the casino and shops.
The last village
As real is the Singapore of Orchard Street, Clarke Quay and Little China, so is the Singapore of the Pulau Ubin — the last village of the country.
Just don't expect everyone to know where it is, least of all a cab driver. Urbanisation and fervent shopping has nudged Ubin out of the country's consciousness, allotting it a ferry ride off Changi Jetty on an irregular schedule.
The boomerang-shaped granite island has metres of trekking roads and campable beaches. It's here that the national bird, Oriental Pied Hornbill, lives in its natural habitat, as does the wild boar.
If order and urbanity makes you nervous, Ubin will cater you an adventure. Only if you are stoically foolish enough to follow these instructions:
- Arrive at dusk to Changi Jetty so that you have no co-passenger on the bumboat and have to hire it. Instead of SD 2.5, you now pay SD 30 for the ride.
- Forget to withdraw money on the mainland, so that every thought of making it to the morning is presided by the lightness of your wallet.
- Plan your trip in the rains which makes camping impossible, especially since you carry no gear in your prissy little stroller luggage.
- Wait till it is dark to realise that you a) cannot spend the night in the huts punctuating the roads (a roof on four pillars) and hence b) will have to head to the only resort on the island, an SD 18 cab drive away. Your wet, crouching figure is the object of concern for the schoolgirl here on a class trip.
- As the island's only resort, it charges SD 180 per day. Refuse to spend this much for a night's shelter.
- Eat at the resort's restaurant with the Malayasian TV crew that's shooting for Malay version of American Idol. Learn that they struck upon this idea before USA infected the rest of us.
- Note that the jetty looks habitable and is conveniently placed in the shadow. Nap fitfully till it starts to rain and notice the moored boat on your left.
- Heave onboard; the cabin is ideal. Succumb to childish joy at finding a secret hide-out. They'll never find you here.
- Sleep until the storm wakes you. Metal trembles underneath at every thunder and the reflective surface between the bow and the stern is accumulated water. Still water breeds mosquitoes, snakes and dread of malevolent spirits.
- SD 118 is small price to save yourself from a unsavoury supernatural experience. Head to the office, but it's closed and no amount of hammering helps.
- There's an emergency number taped to the door. Pound on the guest room that still has a light on and explain your predicament. The number is wrong and though friendly, the guests don't have a bed to spare for you.
- The communal shower room is the only shelter. Retrieve luggage from boat. Only now notice the board that says, 'Danger. Do not climb aboard'.
- The fear of being discovered is greater in the shower rooms, but the gate is closer. Not for trespassers the luxury of sleep. Bolt at dawn.
- At the first 'hut', get out your shawl and go to sleep on the parapet. Don't mind the twittering cyclists. They slept in a warm, dry bed.
- The walk back takes you around the island and to the little town where most of the 100 inhabitants of the island live. You can rent a cycle for SD8, but miserliness is the theme for the trip. Get a Coke and stake a seat on the next boat out.
You've had enough of the curated wilderness and enough of the curated urbanity. Solace is the airport.
How to cope in Ubin
- Changi Village has ATMs, food courts and provision stores. You can camp and fish here.
- Try the sugarcane juice with plum; also, the pickled plums from Chinese convinience stores.
- Rent a geared bike at Ubin town and spend a day cycling around the abandoned granite quarries.
Wave to the familiar Merlion, purging water from the marina, there is the recognisable skyline, each building wrestling for postcard space; kerbs cleaned by a punctilious government, each leaf painted the perfect tropical green by a card soldier.
Rising on the other side of the marina, are three towers crowned by a ship — the Marina Bay Sands hotel. If your travel plans are dictated by little humans who need periodic feeding and entertainment, this is the place to lock yourself up.
Set aside a few hours for the Van Gogh Live and Salvador Dali exhibitions at the ArtsScience museum. Even if you have no academic interest in art, the museum's child-friendly interactive exhibits make it a gentle engagement. Sit in the panelled room that projects Van Gogh's works on the walls and ceilings, immersing you in his post-impressionist world. It moves even the most number-hardened chartered accountant to tears. Your benevolent dictators can make giant sunflowers, press ancient Chinese motifs on paper, or make an e-card with Dali's moustache and Gogh's swirls on the interactive screen. Be seduced into Dali's world with ceiling installations and pull out human ribcages.
In the evening, catch the Lion King Musical, after you've tired yourself out at the casino and shops.
The last village
As real is the Singapore of Orchard Street, Clarke Quay and Little China, so is the Singapore of the Pulau Ubin — the last village of the country.
Just don't expect everyone to know where it is, least of all a cab driver. Urbanisation and fervent shopping has nudged Ubin out of the country's consciousness, allotting it a ferry ride off Changi Jetty on an irregular schedule.
The boomerang-shaped granite island has metres of trekking roads and campable beaches. It's here that the national bird, Oriental Pied Hornbill, lives in its natural habitat, as does the wild boar.
If order and urbanity makes you nervous, Ubin will cater you an adventure. Only if you are stoically foolish enough to follow these instructions:
- Arrive at dusk to Changi Jetty so that you have no co-passenger on the bumboat and have to hire it. Instead of SD 2.5, you now pay SD 30 for the ride.
- Forget to withdraw money on the mainland, so that every thought of making it to the morning is presided by the lightness of your wallet.
- Plan your trip in the rains which makes camping impossible, especially since you carry no gear in your prissy little stroller luggage.
- Wait till it is dark to realise that you a) cannot spend the night in the huts punctuating the roads (a roof on four pillars) and hence b) will have to head to the only resort on the island, an SD 18 cab drive away. Your wet, crouching figure is the object of concern for the schoolgirl here on a class trip.
- As the island's only resort, it charges SD 180 per day. Refuse to spend this much for a night's shelter.
- Eat at the resort's restaurant with the Malayasian TV crew that's shooting for Malay version of American Idol. Learn that they struck upon this idea before USA infected the rest of us.
- Note that the jetty looks habitable and is conveniently placed in the shadow. Nap fitfully till it starts to rain and notice the moored boat on your left.
- Heave onboard; the cabin is ideal. Succumb to childish joy at finding a secret hide-out. They'll never find you here.
- Sleep until the storm wakes you. Metal trembles underneath at every thunder and the reflective surface between the bow and the stern is accumulated water. Still water breeds mosquitoes, snakes and dread of malevolent spirits.
- SD 118 is small price to save yourself from a unsavoury supernatural experience. Head to the office, but it's closed and no amount of hammering helps.
- There's an emergency number taped to the door. Pound on the guest room that still has a light on and explain your predicament. The number is wrong and though friendly, the guests don't have a bed to spare for you.
- The communal shower room is the only shelter. Retrieve luggage from boat. Only now notice the board that says, 'Danger. Do not climb aboard'.
- The fear of being discovered is greater in the shower rooms, but the gate is closer. Not for trespassers the luxury of sleep. Bolt at dawn.
- At the first 'hut', get out your shawl and go to sleep on the parapet. Don't mind the twittering cyclists. They slept in a warm, dry bed.
- The walk back takes you around the island and to the little town where most of the 100 inhabitants of the island live. You can rent a cycle for SD8, but miserliness is the theme for the trip. Get a Coke and stake a seat on the next boat out.
You've had enough of the curated wilderness and enough of the curated urbanity. Solace is the airport.
How to cope in Ubin
- Changi Village has ATMs, food courts and provision stores. You can camp and fish here.
- Try the sugarcane juice with plum; also, the pickled plums from Chinese convinience stores.
- Rent a geared bike at Ubin town and spend a day cycling around the abandoned granite quarries.
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