SATURDAY |JANUARY 6, 2007 | PHILIPPINES

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Singapore, fine city, drops inhibitions


Singapore, the fine city, now swings and is slowly dropping its inhibitions.

It is no longer the staid city of a decade ago, when nothing happens after eight o’clock. Now the young have a slew of bars and pubs they can patronize.

First, the Crazy Horse revue was allowed to operate. Then the casinos are coming.

Aside from the ongoing development in the Harborside by the Las Vegas Sands, Genting recently won the right to build a casino at Sentosa island.

But don’t get this author wrong, the city remains as upright as Lee Kwan Yew wanted it to be. The streets are clean, the traffic, manageable, storekeepers are largely honest and the city keeps on progressing.

And Singapore architecture is amazing. Coming from a city where buildings generally look like giant boxes, the buildings in Singapore are amazing since they are designed to be viewed on all sides.

There are so many avant-garde architecture, one can spend one’s visit simply admiring the buildingscape.

And yes Singaporeans don’t tear down their old buildings and turn them into parking lots.

It is also a far friendlier city than Hong Kong, of which it used to be a poor cousin.

The Singapore Tourism Board and the Cebu Pacific Airways of JG Summit, recently invited a dozen business journalists from Manila to take a second..third..fourth look at the city.

What the journalists saw, proved that planning, motivation and investing heavily on tourism works.

Most of the developments in the city cater to visitors, from the exhibition and convention complex to Sentosa island, the resort island.

There’s the cable car, the quirky rides, the 4D theaters, and the underwater world.

The city is always worth a visit specially now that Cebu Pacific is offering discounted fares.

Visit Sentosa, ride the DHL hot air balloon, watch the Crazy Horse revue. Eat at My Dining Room and try the buffet spread in any hotel, they don’t scrimpt on oysters.

There are also other shopping areas than Lucky Department Store and Bugis Street.

And oh yes the "pashmina" shawls can be had for as low as three for S$10. On our last day we saw at Chinatown, offers of 4 for S$10. Don’t pay more than $10 for the monochromatic and embroidered shawls.

Try the more upscale stores, it is worth seeing the latest trends, not that Manila is behind. Greenhills has more to offer than Bugis. —RTG

 
 


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