If you’re like us when we only have a short time somewhere, you probably try to squeeze in as much of the place as you can. I know that we did that when we only had one day in Singapore.
We have found that the fastest and easiest way to get a basic overview of a city’s layout and see where the major highlights are located is to get a bird’s-eye view from the top of one of those touristy double-decker bus tours … you know, those open-top ones that allow you to get on and off whenever you want, all day, with one ticket?
Singapore is the most multicultural country we’ve ever been to. Ever.
So here we were, in Singapore for the first time, trying to see an entire city in one day from high above the street. It was a good choice. We learned a lot about the city that we’d not have learned otherwise and saw a lot, but as the bus reached the Clarke Quay stop we heard something that made us hop off.
When the guide mentioned that we could catch a Singapore River cruise boat at Clarke Quay, that was all we needed to hear.
Singapore River waterfront
Time for a change, we agreed; a river cruise of this world-class port would give us a totally different view. It would be fun to see Singapore from beneath for a change, instead of just from above.
And off we went to the waterfront, to find the ticket office.
Two companies offer boat tours: Duck & Hippo River Tours and Singapore River Cruise. We found the Hippo ticket office first, so that’s the one we ended up taking.
Tip: Although there are a few other differences, they both have the same route and both start from Clarke Quay. Boat tours depart every 20-30 minutes or so and there is no need to buy tickets in advance.
Clarke Quay
We had a little time to look around while we waited for the tour boat to return to dock. This was a really intriguing area, a five block-long, colorful collection of condos, shops and restaurants. Plenty of restaurants. Note to self: Must. Come. Back.
Shops at Clarke Quay
After we boarded we learned more about the quay, officially called Clarke Quay Festival Village. Only completed in 2006 it is Singapore’s largest reclamation project to date, a vast improvement over how it was 25 years ago when it was full of bumboats (cargo boats) jockeying for position in front of a dock full of warehouses.
Long story short, over the years Singapore River had become a polluted, smelly mess, which was obviously terrible for Singapore’s image, not to mention a health hazard. By 1977 they had had enough. They spent the ensuing years revamping the area with the goal of turning it into a flourishing commercial and entertainment zone.
Even with their plans, though, they still wanted to preserve the area’s historical character so they mandated that many of those warehouses should be preserved and repurposed. The old warehouses now house many of the businesses along the Quay, especially the larger restaurants and night clubs.
Boat Quay
After we departed we sailed upriver to Boat Quay, which at one time handled three-fourths of all the shipping businesses in the entire country. Nowadays it’s a center for nightlife and the preserved shophouses and offices are now pubs and restaurants with alfresco dining.
Directly behind Boat Quay are the cosmopolitan skyscrapers of the country’s world-class banking and financial sectors.
Boat Quay and the financial district
Fullerton Hotel
The Fullerton Hotel is a historic, five-star luxury hotel and is so grand it’s impossible to miss. It wasn’t always a hotel, though. When it opened in 1928, it housed the General Post Office building, an exclusive club, and some government offices. I guess that explains its size. *sigh* This is the type of hotel I’d like to become accustomed to staying in. Maybe someday.Bronze statues
If you walk along the Singapore River’s riverwalk, you’ll find occasional bronze sculptures that each depict a scene of days gone by. One of my favorite sights from the whole day was the one that was in front of the Fullerton Hotel, a sculpture of five naked boys in the middle of jumping into the water. The river was a popular swimming site until the city renovated its waterfront.
“First Generation,” a sculpture in front of the Fullerton Hotel
Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay
We had seen this building from our hotel the night before, alit with brilliant blue lights. It wasn’t until we got an up-close, daylight view that we realized that it is actually a glass building with aluminum shades. It looks pretty weird, I think, and Singaporeans must agree; it’s been called everything from the eyes of a fly to copulating aardvarks.
Not for us. We say it looks eerily like that love-it-or-hate it Asian fruit, the durian.
Marina Bay Sands
As we passed under a bridge we reached the mouth of the river and saw the Marina Bay Sands on the far shore of Marina Bay. There were a lot of complaints by Singaporeans when it was being built, but they are now proud of the iconic hotel and entertainment complex. Its facilities are constantly used and enjoyed by both Singaporeans and visitors.
Merlion and Merlion Park
The mythical Merlion is Singapore’s mascot and icon, so of course there’s a huge statue of one at the park (aptly called Merlion Park) where the river meets Marina Bay. A Merlion has the head of a lion and the body of a fish, which is very symbolic for two reasons: Singapore’s original name, Singapura, means “lion city” and it has always been a fishing village and port (“mer” means sea).
The captain paused the boat in Marina Bay, long enough for passengers to take plenty of photos, before turning around and returning to the dock. If we’d thought of it we might have taken selfies with the Merlion and Marina Bay Sands in the background.
Oh, well, maybe next time.
Do you enjoy river cruises?