continuation from:
........... Marina Bay ~ lies the signature skyline of Singapore (Part 1)
It is an integrated resort considered as the ‘world’s most expensive stand alone casino property at a staggering SGD 8 billion’ Whew!!! What can you say about that huh? It’s a one-stop destination for business, leisure and entertainment that offers world class luxury casino and hotel complete with 5-star restaurant, a museum, expo and convention facilities, glamorous shopping mall, two state-of-the-art theaters, sensational nightlife, and of course the stunning ‘Skypark’ that capped the three 55-storey towers.
Signage information explains that the Esplanade or colloquially known to locals as ‘The Big Durian’, officially opened on the 12th of October, 2002. It was developed at a cost of about 600 Million Singapore Dollars which is equivalent to a staggering P19.8 Billion or USD 460 Million! Whew! I may not be able to have that amount throughout my existence but just the experience of being in here is more than enough I guess (ahahaha!)
The park is situated at the mouth of Singapore River that connects with Marina Bay. From 'The Shoppe' of Marina Bay Sands, no need for you to hire a taxi or ride a bus as this spot is situated just opposite of the bay that can be travelled ‘on foot’ merely around 10 - 15 minutes. The Merlion figure may be dwarfed from afar but this is a must-stop and not to be missed site for all visitors. This is the proud symbol of Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
Prices ranges from SGD 3 to 15 depends on what you order of course. Comparing to other ‘hawker center’,
prices is a bit expensive
because of its location. There are so many stalls to choose from that
offers, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Javanese and local dishes that you
will truly enjoy. Ooopppsss they have Filipino cuisine too it’s just
that am fed up with Pinoy foods already, thus better
explore local flare (hehehe ~ mwaaa Philippines!). Just the smell of the food outside is so enticing. If you have a date afterwards, this is a
'no no' place as you will be engulfed with smoke pretty sure (ahahaha!).
........... Marina Bay ~ lies the signature skyline of Singapore (Part 1)
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| The conspicuous design of Marina Bay Sands from Singapore Flyer. |
6)
Marina Bay Sands and Parks ~ is the focal point of
Marina Bay.
Just the impressive architectural design of this superb structure has a
story in itself. It’s like a building holding a huge luxury ship which
is about to sail in the horizon (ahahaha!). Hey hey hey please don't get me wrong that is only how i see the building (hehehe!). Since it is one of
the famous landmarks,
we told ourselves that no matter what happen we need to witness
firsthand the grandeur of this iconic hotel and finally…… here we are (hehehe!).
It is an integrated resort considered as the ‘world’s most expensive stand alone casino property at a staggering SGD 8 billion’ Whew!!! What can you say about that huh? It’s a one-stop destination for business, leisure and entertainment that offers world class luxury casino and hotel complete with 5-star restaurant, a museum, expo and convention facilities, glamorous shopping mall, two state-of-the-art theaters, sensational nightlife, and of course the stunning ‘Skypark’ that capped the three 55-storey towers.
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| Balong inside 'The Shoppe' of MBS. |
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| Looks like the river in Venice, ayt? (hehehe!). Actually, the boat is called Sampan, they used it before for fishing. |
7)
The Shoppe @ Marina Bay Sands ~ MBS is not just mainly about casinos and hotel as this is also called the place for everything that you fancy with.
That's why, we spent much of our time roaming around ‘The Shoppe’ and feed ourselves with luxury items that are only reachable in our dreams (ahahaha!). Even we can’t afford to buy one at least we experienced it personally (ahahaha!).
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| Famous international brands can be found inside 'The Shoppe'/ |
Most of the internationally known fashion brands have its own exclusives lavish boutiques in here such as
Prada, Cartier, Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Hermes, Gucci, Chopard, Vertu and a lot more that creates a modern shopping mecca that rivals the fashion capitals of the world. Why bother to go to
New York, Paris, or Milan if you can find luxury items that you wanted to have here, ayt? (hmmmmm I was just dreaming ok? ~ ahahaha)
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| Entrance to the Sands SkyPark. |
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| The 360 degree view at the top of the Skypark. |
8)
Sky Sands and Skypark ~ is another attraction with a price within
Marina Bay Sands (ahahaha!). Don’t get me wrong please as we only paid SGD 20 and that is equivalent to PHP 660 or USD 15 per person (ahahaha!). Actually, it is not supposed to be in our list to visit because we already been to
Singapore Flyer but if we missed this out pretty sure we feel gutted if we haven’t seen the best 360-degree panoramic view of whole
Singapore and beyond.
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| Balong is busy taking pics of the surroundings. |
Paying a visit to this man-made marvel should be in your to do list (believe me!) because this is an architectural masterpiece crowning the three
hotel towers of
MBS at 200 meters in the sky. It is also home to the ‘world’s largest public cantilever’
covering 1.2 hectare tropical oasis housing a public observatory deck.
Please note however, that guest
who only paid SGD 20 has no access to the famous infinity pool, but if
you wanted to stay for a night in the hotel then you’re free to go in.
Hmmmm to spend PHP 8,500 for a night in a room? Nah, better luck next time I guess (ahahaha!)
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| The famous crystal pavilion of Louis Vuitton, first in Southeast Asia. |
9)
Louis Vuitton Island Maison ~ After few hours of wandering around, we find our way out of
Marina Bay Sands and roamed around the exterior of the resort. We’ve seen two pavilions just adjacent to
MBS. The first one houses two internationally known nightclubs, the 'Avalon' and the 'Pangea' while the other one dwells the
'world’s largest boutique of Louis Vuitton Island Maison'. Both are situated amidst the
Marina Bay's breathtaking landscape. There is a floating bridge just in case you’re interested to visit both places. For party goers,
Avalon and Pangea are best for you; whereas, if you like to shop lavishly then visits the amazing crystal pavilion of
LV Maison. It is the 'first Louis Vuitton Maison in Southeast Asia' and was specially designed by internationally acclaimed award-winning architect
Peter Marino.
The welcoming hand of Singapore, the facade of Arts Science Museum.
10)
Arts Science Museum ~ Just nearby to the Maison is 'largest private museum in
Singapore'. I was particularly fascinated by the “existence”
of a museum near a casino because these two don’t seem to blend but here
it was (fascinating!!!
~ ahahaha!). There’s absolutely no need to do background reading or be an art enthusiast to “properly appreciate the arts” just the façade of this building will explain everything. The architecture is said to be a form reminiscent of a lotus
flower; however, locals and tourist referred this as ‘the welcoming hand of
Singapore’ to greet guests from across the globe. We supposed to
attend the Harry Potter exhibit, but unfortunately, the exhibition
starts two days after our flight back to
Manila. Well, since we won't be able to witness the
exhibit; thus, we just enjoy the interesting surroundings and took lots
of pictures as souvenirs.
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| The distinct design of Esplanade from the SkyPark. |
11)
Esplanade ~ is one of the interesting and architecturally unique that we witness while in
Marina Bay. Aside from MBS, its conspicuous and distinct architecture is very astounding too as its design is a precise replica of ‘durian’ cut into two. Do you happen know what durian looks like? Better google it then (ahahaha!).
Kidding aside, it is a well known Southeast Asian tropical fruit which is too common in the southern part of the
Philippines too. We have few trees at home and sigh! I missed the taste! (ahahaha!).
The 2 oblong shape of the structure is undeniably outstanding and the
roof is covered with thorn-like panel which is assembled scrupulously.
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| Balong at the edge of the cantilever, am afraid of heights but i have to do this as well just to have the souvenir pics. (ahahaha!) |
Signage information explains that the Esplanade or colloquially known to locals as ‘The Big Durian’, officially opened on the 12th of October, 2002. It was developed at a cost of about 600 Million Singapore Dollars which is equivalent to a staggering P19.8 Billion or USD 460 Million! Whew! I may not be able to have that amount throughout my existence but just the experience of being in here is more than enough I guess (ahahaha!)
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| The enduring icon of Singapore ~ The Merlion! |
12)
Merlion Park ~ Man, man, man….. the enduring icon of Singapore (hehehe!). If we talked about
Singapore, pretty sure first thing that comes to mind is of course the infamous statue of ‘merlion’.
Well, you never been here if you haven’t seen for real this proud
figure that’s well-known as a tourist trademark of this lion city.
Lion’s probably never lived here unless you go to their pristinely
maintained animal sanctuary in Mandai Lake where
Singapore Zoological Garden and Night Safari
is located. The zoo is homed to white tigers, one of the most popular
attractions they have because of their rarity and exceptional beauty.
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| The view of the Merlion from the Double Helix Bridge. |
The park is situated at the mouth of Singapore River that connects with Marina Bay. From 'The Shoppe' of Marina Bay Sands, no need for you to hire a taxi or ride a bus as this spot is situated just opposite of the bay that can be travelled ‘on foot’ merely around 10 - 15 minutes. The Merlion figure may be dwarfed from afar but this is a must-stop and not to be missed site for all visitors. This is the proud symbol of Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
13)
Makansutra, Gluttons Bay ~ is the best place for dinner as per suggestions of BFF Lemwuel. Well, we are new here; thus, his advise really matters (ahahaha!).
Makansutra is located in the premises of Esplanade. There are so many stalls in here selling typical
Singaporean dishes. Better bring your families and
friends and pamper them to experience the unique and exclusive street
food dining experience in a spectacular setting of the magnificent
skyline view.
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| The fantastic view of Marina Bay Sands from Makansutra vicinity. |
14) Clarke Quay ~ is the place where all the party begins (hehehe!).
I can’t imagine how do this beautifully transformed
Clarke Quay be a busy commercial hub plied by stevedores,
traders, fisherman and other’s in the past. The transformation is really
amazing as these 5 blocks of restored multihued shophouses, warehouse
and godowns turns out to be a lively lifestyle
and entertainment center of restaurant, wine bars, entertainment spots,
retails shops and lot more!
The distinct features that you can find along
Clarke Quay is their winding lanes which are all covered
by umbrella-like canopies. Each stand has its own climate controlled
unit to battle the humid weather and shield shoppers and pub goers from
seasonal tropical rains. It’s interesting to
watch as every minute the color change into purple, yellow, red and
blue creating a modern and cosmopolitan ambiance amidst the traditions
and history.
15)
Central Business District (CBD) ~ If you like architecture then you're in for a treat! This is the main highlight when you’re in
Marina Bay as this area is packed with all sorts of phenomenal architecture. For years,
Central Business District (CBD) was simply a place where people went to work as it comprise the core of
Singapore’s financial activities but now it is surrounded
with lots of endless entertainment packages for every tourist to enjoy.
We even get lost in here many times because there are so many buildings
blockings our way (ahahaha!).
The
CBD are known for its signature skyline that lined up the horizon and
oh yeah! prepare yourself to be AWED!!!!Just witnessing the lined up of buildings is an architectural marvel to take pleasure in…. (Whew!!!) It is where you can see
Singapore’s uber-modern side, where malls and MRT station
can be found underground connected via interlinked with wide arrays of
retails and dining options for tourist with time and money to burn.
Actually, there are still so many attraction within
Marina Bay that we never been to like the Gardens By The Bay, the
Marina Barrage, the Asian Civilization Museum, and the notorious
F1 race every September. However, if given a chance to go back to
Singapore again, we will not missed to visit these.
So there you go, need to pause now guys (hehehe!). Hmmmm
what a litany ~ my apology! (ahahaha!).
Have a great day and night everyone.
Cheerssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!
Enan signing off.
SMILE!!!
.
