The growing beauty of Singapore(Conclusion)

In this city-state, the size is not the limit.

Just about the size of Metro Manila, and with one half its population, Singapore now boasts the world’s largest aquarium (validated by Guinness World Records). It also has built a garden by the bay with two glass-encased conservatories, one of which is 16 stories high, and 18 man-made “Supertrees” on 101 hectares of reclaimed land. And the first to fly the Airbus A380, the biggest commercial aircraft in the world, is Singapore Airlines.

Singapore is home to the region’s first-and-only Universal Studios theme park at Resorts World Sentosa, on an island that was once just accessible by boat or cable car.

There are thousands of restaurants in Singapore for just over five million people (including expats and tourists), from Michelin-rated to holes-in-the-wall that sell steaming hot bah kuh teh. You can have savory Hainanese Chicken in a food court or in a five-star hotel and both will be just as heavenly — perhaps the tablecloth will be the only difference.

And throughout all the concrete-glass and steel additions to the Lion City, you will find centuries-old shop houses lining narrow alleys that retain their colonial charm and unhurried pace of life, like those on Ann Siang Hill.

You will find old Army barracks, like the Gillman Barracks, converted into art galleries, just 10 minutes away from the Central Business District.

And the shopping! From Orchard Road’s hundreds of outlets and malls, to the many shopping centers housed in hotels and entertainment complexes, is something that can fill up your entire visit. You can also find great bargains at Jimmy Choo (selling 60 percent off for some items at Marina Bay Sands) or at the stalls in Little India and Chinatown. The Great Singapore Sale ends this month, so hurry!

In many ways, size matters in Singapore. Small can be big-time, and big can be record-breaking.

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We were in Singapore recently upon the invitation of Singapore Airlines, which recently unveiled its latest cabin products.

SIA is investing nearly US$150 million to introduce the new products on an initial eight Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Customers travelling on select flights between Singapore and London will be the first to experience the new cabin products starting September, in First, Business and Economy classes. The new seats and KrisWorld in-flight entertainment system will be progressively rolled out to other routes as additional new aircraft enter service.

After the presentation of the new products, we were hosted by the Singapore Tourism Board, with Hamim as our able guide. We were billeted at the five-star Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa, Singapore, the only beachfront resort in this metropolitan city-state.

The allure of this Shangri-La is, according to Filipino expat Ogie Manuel, its regional director for sales and marketing for resorts, you can cross over to city life from the leisurely life along the beach in just 10 minutes. No passports needed.

The buffet breakfast at the Silver Shell Café of the Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa is one of the most extensive I’ve ever relished, with several stations serving just breakfast fare. (Don’t come in past 9 a.m. on a weekend, though, or you will find yourself standing in line for a table). The outlet is part of Dine on 3’s cluster of restaurants and bars, which serve up a variety of dining experiences and cuisines. Try their 8 Noodles Asian restaurant for lunch, and the Barnacles Restaurant for dinner. At Barnacles, panoramic views of the resort’s lush tropical gardens and the caress of the gentle sea breeze complement your al fresco dinner of tantalizing seafood and grills.

Another new dining place I discovered during this trip is nestled in “The Jewel Box.”  The Jewel Box is the new name of the cable car terminal on Mt. Faber, which is 106 meters above sea level, and is Singapore’s second highest hill. The Jewel Box resembles a musical jewel box, and is like the star on top of a Christmas tree — all aglow amid lush greens. There are three dining outlets on The Jewel Box — and a toilet that was once voted the most beautiful in the world.

Dinner was at Black Opal, one of the three restaurants in The Jewel Box. You can see Sentosa Island from here, and the cable cars that traverse the line from Mt. Faber to the Island. (The cable cars to Sentosa were inaugurated in 1974, and they were the first to span a harbor.) You can make arrangements to have your dinner in one of the cable cars, all newly refurbished. Each car has a 360-degree view of the city, which at night looks like velvet jewel box strewn with diamonds. Soon to make its first trip from Mt. Faber to Sentosa is a cable car with a roof of Swarovski glass panels. Yes, marriage proposals usually accompany dessert.

After dinner at the Black Opal, we caught The Addams Family musical, a bizarre but delightful comedy, at the Resorts World Sentosa’s Theater. It boasted of crisp, impeccable acting from the characters of Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday and Pugsley Addams. It was the last night of our three-day visit and I was exhausted but the fast pace and the wit of the musical was more invigorating than an espresso. I was simply alert, wide-eyed and chuckling throughout most of the musical.

Another new stop for me on this visit was the S.E.A. Aquarium at Sentosa, a magical marine world seen through the planet’s “largest window to the ocean.” With more than 800 species of marine animals, the aquarium is home to over 200 sharks, majestic manta rays, enormous goliath grouper, napoleon wrasse and other gentle giants of the sea. It’s like you’re swimming through a new world, except that you’re dry and breathing still through your nose at the end of the tour of the world’s biggest aquarium.

Didn’t I just say that size is not the limit in Singapore? Its beauty just grows and grows.

(You may e-mail me at [email protected].)