Tourism in Singapore
From Freepedia
Tourism in Singapore is a major industry and attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists each year. A lot of its cultural attraction can be attributed to its cultural diversity that reflects its colonial history and Malay, Chinese, Arab and Indian ethnicities. It is also environmentally friendly, and maintains natural and heritage conservation programs. As English is one of its numerous official languages, it is generally easier for tourists to understand when speaking to the local population of the country, for example, when shopping. Transport in Singapore exhaustively covers most, if not all public venues in Singapore, which increases convenience for tourists. This includes the well-known Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system.
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Shopping
Singapore seeks to be the business hub of Southeast Asia and has an expansive shopping precinct located in the Orchard Road district. Many multistorey shopping centres are located at Orchard Road; the area also has many hotels, and is is the main tourism centre of Singapore, other than the Downtown Core. The local populace also use Orchard Road for shopping extensively.
Resorts
Sentosa is a relatively large island of Singapore located to its south. Along with a beachfront resort, the island's tourist attractions include Fort Siloso, its historical museum, the Underwater World aquarium and the Carlsberg Sky Tower. Singapore will also be building two integrated resorts (IRs), one on Marina Bay and one on Sentosa. The proposal of building casinos in these resorts has been controversial.
Botanical Garden
Singapore has a botanic garden open to the public that is 52 hectares large, and includes the National Orchid collection with over 3000 types of orchids growing.
National Parks
Singapore has a variety of parks and projects which often feature its natural tropical environment.
The Singapore Zoological Gardens and its Night Safari, allows people to explore Asian, African and South American habitats at night, without any visible barriers between guests and the wild animals.
Recently the government has also been promoting the Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve as a quiet getaway from the stress of modern life.
The Bukit Timah Nature Reserve is an extensive nature reserve which covers much of the Bukit Timah mountain, and is the only remaining place where primary rainforest still exists on the island. The Jurong BirdPark, includes extensive specimens of exotic bird life from around the world, including a flock of one thousand flamingos.
Food in Singapore
- Main article: Cuisine of Singapore
The cuisine of Singapore is often viewed by her population as a prime example of the ethnic diversity of the culture of Singapore. In Singapore's hawker centres - a technical misnomer, to be precise - for example, traditionally Malay hawker stalls selling halal food may serve halal versions of traditionally Tamil or Chinese food. Chinese stalls may introduce Malay or Indian ingredients, cooking techniques or entire dishes into their range of catering. Some dishes introduce elements from all three cultures, while others incorporate influences from the rest of Asia and the West.
This phenomenon makes the cuisine of Singapore significantly rich and a cultural attraction. Most of the prepared food that is bought outside are eaten in the hawker centres or food courts rather than actual restaurants, an example of which is Lau Pa Sat, these centres are relatively abundant which often leads to low prices, and encourages a large consumer base.
Food in itself has been heavily promoted as an attraction for tourists, and is usually promoted by various initiatives undertaken by the Singapore Tourism Board or the associations it deals with as one of Singapore's best attractions alongside shopping. The government organises the Singapore Food Festival in July annually to celebrate Singapore's cuisine. The multiculturalism of local food, the ready availability of international cuisine, and their wide range in prices to fit all budgets at all times of the day and year helps create a "food paradise" to rival other contenders claiming the same moniker. The availability of variety of food is often aided by the fact Singapore's port lies along strategic routes.
There is also a proliferation of fast-food chains, such as McDonald's, Pizza Hut, KFC, and Burger King, without first mentioning a huge array of restaurants that run the cultural gamut.
Boat Quay
- Main article: Boat Quay
Boat Quay is a historical quay in Singapore which is situated upstream from the mouth of the Singapore River. Shophouses on it have been carefully conserved and now house various bars, pubs and restaurants.
Clarke Quay
- Main article: Clarke Quay
Clarke Quay is a historical riverside quay in Singapore, and is situated even further upstream from the mouth of the Singapore River than Boat Quay is. Presently, five blocks of restored warehouses house various restaurants and shops such as antique shops. There are also moored Chinese junks (tongkangs) that have been refurbished into floating pubs and restaurants.
Image:Singapore - Merlion Park-Esplanade-Marina Square.jpg
