Body Mind Spirit

If you can just set aside for a moment your urge to shop or to spend the evening in a fine dining restaurant, you can enjoy some of the other sensations Singapore has to offer.

The Singapore Flyer (Giant Wheel) on Raffles Avenue is the latest new way to appreciate Singapore. It will take you into a unique experience, rotating 360 degrees to observe the greatest entertainment in Asia, from sunrise to sunset, exploring the panorama of Singapore from a great height: beautiful Marina Bay, the varied architecture of the skyscrapers, lush tropical greenery, and the sparkling city lights.

Since it was opened in early 2008 after two years of construction, this structure has become Singapore’s instant new landmark. Inspired by the Eiffel Tower and the London Eye, it was designed by Dr. Kisho Kurokawa from Japan in partnership with DP Architects.

Rising 165 meters into the sky, equivalent to a 42-story building and 30 meters higher than the London Eye, the Singapore Flyer comprises 28 capsules, each 4×7 meters with a 28 square meter interior, which can hold 30 passengers each. The capsules are made of ultraviolet-proof glass and will carry you in air-conditioned comfort for the 30-minute rotation.

The Singapore Flyer operates every day from 8.30 AM to 10.30 PM. Tickets are S$30 per entry for adults. So what can you do inside one of these capsules? Whatever you want, because whatever you do inside will be an extraordinary, new sensation.

Entertain guests at the top of the world? Why not? The exclusive corporate-themed capsule offering elegant dishes and even wine is the best way to treat your VIP guests.

The Singapore Flyer is also ready to be part of your romantic experience. Take your sweetie up to the heights and tell him or her something special between the enchanting heavens and the entrancing panorama of Marina Bay.

Once you’ve caught your breath, you will find a delightful atmosphere in the area: a shopping centre full of lifestyle-concept shops, local specialties at well-known restaurants, the lively ambience of the Greek Theatre, which offers live performances right on the bay, and pamper your senses at Terminal Retail, sheltered in a dense Asian rainforest with cool waterfalls.

For an unforgettable evening, Singapore offers a huge range of options. Get your adrenaline pumping and leave behind your pointless modernity; go visit a house full of 1200 animals of over 110 exotic species, on the Night Safari.

You will have the rare chance to see tropical animals that laze about in the daytime but are very active at night. Before you go around seeing what the animals are doing, take the time to watch the fire-eating show, an exciting start.

When you get on the tram, after a queue that is often long but usually quick, listen for the repeated announcement “no flash for photography for your safety and comfort”. It’s true; flashes could startle the animals and drive them into a rage.

The trams start running at 19.30 and will take you around for 45 minutes, a satisfactory time to watch the park’s residents do what they do at night. You’ll pass through several different landscapes with subtle lighting changes and other dramatic effects. The lively announcers will help you appreciate what you are seeing.

Look, there’s a group of hippos right before your eyes, while your ears capture the cries of a pack of hyenas. But you don’t need to get out of the tram; you’ll be safe as long as nobody uses a camera flash. The tram will continue through the forest along its dedicated trail, passing by nodding giraffes.

When you arrive at the Himalayan Foothills, bharal and Himalaya tahr (both are types of wild goats) and vultures will be waiting to greet you. At the Indian subcontinent, you will see rows of hyenas, lions, and lazy bears. And so on, into different zones where you will see animals you may never even have heard of. The Night Safari simulates geographical zones including Southeast Asian tropical forest, African savanna, a Nepalese river valley, the South American pampas, and a Burmese forest, all of which are fascinating.

At certain points, you can leave the tram and go trekking along the Forest Giant Trail, which invites you to explore pockets of a natural Singapore forest. You can also explore the Fishing Cat Trail and the Leopard Trail, or take the tram back to see what many Night Safari visitors think is the peak part of the experience, the “Creatures of the Night” Show.

You’ll have to queue again if you want to get a good seat. Once again, you’re reminded not to take flash photographs. This message is so important that it is repeated in several languages: English, Hindi, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Tagalog, and even Indonesian.

The stars of the show include bearcats, otters, civet cats, owls, wolves, hyenas, and a snake that hides behind a row of seats to give the audience a bit of a fright. You can also be a bit player in the show if you want; if you take up the offer, it will be an unforgettable experience.

And that’s still not all the sensations that await you in Singapore. Near the Esplanade Theatre, along the riverbank leading to the city’s iconic Merlion statue, right next to the Singapore Flyer, they’re building a casino; when it’s finished, what else will it offer but more sensation?