View From Marina Bay Sands Singapore Observation Deck : Sony a99 Carl Zeiss 16-35mm

These days when thinking of Singapore, one of the first images that enters your mind is sure to be the three towers of the Marina Bay Sands and of course the sky pool/observation deck. The SkyPark (that big long thing on top of the hotel) is divided into two zones, the pool area which takes up about 75% of the space, and a smaller observation deck area. The pool area is reserved for hotel guests only, while the observation deck can be visited by anyone, for a price. If you are not staying at the hotel you will have to buy a ticket, which cost $20. You can also visit the pool area if you take the guided tour, although this will also cost you extra.

So is it worth a visit? I would say that while it is not a must, if you have time and it happens to be a nice sunny day, walking around high up in the sky taking in the spectacular view of Singapore's skyline is definitely worth it. I wouldn't bother taking the guided tour to see the pool though. I was lucky enough to be staying at the Marina Bay Sands but I must say that I was quite disappointed with the swimming pool area. Even though the pool is 150 meters long, it is not very wide and somehow feels really small, the main problem though is that it is always so crowded. You might find it hard to actually "swim" in the swimming pool without hitting someone every few meters, the best you can hope for is to find enough clear water to bathe in...reminds me more of the kind of pool you find on a budget holiday than a five star hotel.

The observation deck on the other hand is much less crowded for some reason, not sure if it was just for the day I was there, but there was harly a soul there and I had all the amazing views to myself.

The two domes you see above are the Gardens by the Bay, another new landmark created during the recent boom in construction projects transforming the bay area in Singapore. Visiting the Gardens I feel is a must, and I will be sharing photos of my visit in a future post (you can see the photos of the Gardens by the Bay here).

The Singapore Flyer, sadly I didn't have time to go for a ride...maybe next time.

Singapore Love Bronze Statues

Bronze Statues in front of the Civil Defence Heritage Gallery Singapore

Just walking around Singapore for a couple of days during my brief stay, one thing that became apparent was how many bronze statues there were installed everywhere. These sculptures come in all shape, sizes and styles, from the classical to the modern and abstract. Above for example, is one situated in front of the Civil Defence Heritage Gallery, a kind of museum for the history of fire fighting in Singapore.

Bronze Statue on the waterfront Singapore

There are also others that are just installed in random places for the pleasure of the public, like one of a boy fishing on the bank on the waterfront. Not sure what others will make of it but I really like them, they are thoughtfully done and really improve the atmosphere. I wish I could show you more but due to my very limited skill with the camera I only got a few good shots, and showing the bad ones just wouldn't being doing them justice.

Singapore Chinese Chamber Of Commerce Sony a99 Carl Zeiss 16-35mm

It's quite clear from the architecture that this building must be associated  with the Chinese culture somehow, only later that I found that it was the Singapore Chinese Chamber Of Commerce. Not surprising really considering that a large portion of people living in Singapore are of Chinese Ethnicity, as well as lots of business people coming over from China.