Tag: Raffles Hotel

“THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD – Singapore Day 5“

Today Raffles is synonymous with Singapore. Sir Stamford Raffles secured control over the strategically located Singapore from local rulers in 1819 to secure British access along the Strait of Singapore and the nearby seas in the region, particularly the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. The Anglo–Dutch Treaty of 1824 established their respective spheres of influence, with the Dutch relinquishing their claims to Singapore. A transshipment port was subsequently established in Singapore for maritime trade between Europe and Asia.

While Raffles was largely credited for the founding of contemporary Singapore, the early running of day-to-day operations was mostly done by William Farquhar, who served as the first Resident of Singapore from 1819 to 1823. Raffles returned to England in 1824, where he died on his birthday in 1826 at the age of 45. His legacy remains significant in Singapore, most notably the Raffles’s Landing Site, as well as his name being a common sight in numerous entities and institutions throughout the country.

Raffles Singapore began as a private beach house in the 1830s, leased by the Sarkies Brothers in 1887 and reopened as a grand hotel named after Sir Stamford Raffles, quickly becoming a legendary landmark for wealthy travelers with its colonial elegance. It expanded significantly through the early 1900s, hosted famous guests like Rudyard Kipling, faced challenges including bankruptcy and Japanese occupation, was declared a National Monument in 1987, and underwent major restorations to preserve its historic grandeur for modern luxury, reopening in 1991. It was impeccably presented and continues to provide grandure and luxury to its guests. There is a hall that has been turned into a hall of fame with pictures of all the wealthy and important people who have stayed in the hotel. There is a roof top pool, dining spaces, bars and other luxurious retail spaces. It has a shopping arcade with 40 speciality boutiques including the high end brands of course. We made a visit to the Long Bar and the gift shop but took a look at everything else. One thing the hotel does not have is a simple cafe serving coffee but outside in the arcade across the road we discovered just that, a simple cafe. The arcade wall had been decorated with street art of the life style of Singapore. Two of the paintings are pictured below.

The historic Long Bar is where the Singapore Sling, widely regarded as the national drink, was first mixed in 1915. Today the rich, earthy decor of the two-storey bar is inspired by Malayan life in the 1920s, in keeping with the relaxed atmosphere, guests are invited to brush peanut shells off the bar and onto the floor – quite possibly the only place in Singapore where littering is encouraged. This unique custom dates back to the 1900s, when rubber and plantation owners from Malaya would often gather at the bar on weekends. As peanuts were offered to them, they would casually brush the shells onto the ground and over time, this casual habit evolved into a beloved tradition that continues to this day. We tried the Singapore Sling which is based on gin and snacked on the peanuts that are liberally spread across all tables and the Long Bar. Kerry was not a Sling drinker so I held up my end by drinking both and we left our peanut shells behind. See our pictures below.

After the fiasco concerning the limo drive to the airport, we decided to visit the Botanic Gardens and in particular the National Orchid Garden. Again the temperature was equatorial and humid so our walk of 1 klm to the orchid gardens was draining. At the 800m mark we found a coffee shop and took a break. The fellow traveller sitting in front of us had brought her greyhound who also looked hot and bothered like us. After a recovery coffee we battled on arriving at the entrance with its clock. After paying the entrance fee we stepped into a wonderland of colour.

With over 1,500 species and 3,000 hybrids on display, the splendour of these gorgeous blooms is absolutely a sight to behold. The gardens include a bromeliad collection and the occassional carnivorous plants. I have collected my pictures below but suggest a visit to https://www.nparks.gov.sg/sbg/our-gardens/tyersall-entrance/national-orchid-garden . It was well worth the effort.

It was 1 klm to walk in and the same going out. We took some excursions from the main path and discovered a memorial to Frédéric Chopin (1810 – 1849). Made of bronze, the sculpture weighs a hefty half a tonne. It overlooks the Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage, where orchestras play regularly for public audiences. The last frame is the monitor lizard that passed us by as he headed in for a look at the glorious blooms.

We made it back to the hotel and collected our bags and arranged a cab to the airport (if we wanted a limo like yesterday it was Singaporean $145.00. The cab was less than Singaporean $40.) From the time of dropping off the luggage we felt we could breath again and sit down and relax. The trip was painless and home was there to welcome us. I don’t know when we will do it all again or where it will be. Wherever it be we will find something off the beaten track. See you again perhaps!

“THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD – Singapore Day 3 and 4“

We awoke early this morning as we had decided to visit Sentosa Island with plans to ride the cable cars. Of course we had to work out the underground to travel to the island. Once we reach the Terminus for the train we were hopeful of catching the cable car across to the island. But the cable car was being serviced that week, so we travelled on the monorail.

Interestingly the underground train and the monorail both reminded me of Beijing and Hong Kong – struggling against the tide of people trying to get into the rail car. Despite the throng when we arrived the place looked deserted. There were 5 to 6 stops on the monorail and maybe they all got off at earlier stations than the terminus. On arriving the directional signs took us to the beach where the only other people there was a family under a red umbrella. No waves to be found but the bay was cluttered with ships at anchor. Not much excitement there so we followed the signs to the ski lifts – yes we are on the equator and they are using ski lifts. The reason is that under the ski lift there is a raceway so you can hire the car to ride down the hill and you dragged your car up the hill by dragging it from your lift. I could not work out if the nets were to catch falling passengers or falling cars.

We weren’t ready for the race so we left the ski lift at the top station and walked around to the cable car which we thought was not operating. Yes it was operating but not the connections to the mainland. Still we thought we ought to catch the cable car to see more of the island. The cable car terminated at the treetop walk. Now the temperature was bloody warm, my disposition was cranky due to my various ailments and there was no lift to take us to the treetop climb. We stayed aboard and went back to the ski lift as we had spotted an air conditioned ice cream shop with tables and chairs.

We made our way back to the hotel to get ready to transfer across to Raffles the following day.

Day 4 and we start preparing to check out Park Royal Collection Hotel and make the move across to Raffles Singapore. We caught a cab even though the hotel was nearby. We did not feel like dragging our luggage in the heat of the day. Arriving at Raffles we were met by the traditional Sikh Doorman at the front door of the hotel and shown inside to the reception office. Our room was not ready so we decided to check out our home for the next 2 nights.

The entrance was grand with a huge chandelier and flower bouquet. Beyond the back staircase is the reception room – guests only no visitors allowed. Leading off the entrance foyer was a dining area and the “High Tea” service area. Kerry had this itch and desire for a high tea and as high teas go it was expensive but exquisite. After our high tea we moved to the relaxing lounges on the floor above .

Finally our room was available and we were guided to the room (formerly part of the stables of the original hotel) where we met our butler who guided us through the use of the tablet to operate the room. I will mention an incident that happened on the 2nd day of our stay. Kerry was certain we had to catch our flight so rather than check we packed and got ready to go by limo to the airport. We said good bye to the hotel and I have included her picture with the Doorman. We drove to the airport only to be told our flight was the following day so we cabbed it back to the hotel and asked for our keys back for 1 more night. They assured us we were not the first to make that mistake.

So my next blog will deal with some of the facilities at the hotel and a visit we made to the Orchid Gardens which is part of the Botanic Gardens of Singapore. Get ready for “THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD – Singapore Day 5“

“THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD – Heathrow overnight and arrived in Singapore“

The trip from Dover was to prove a disaster. The American couple behind us shared their germs with the whole bus. They hacked and coughed the whole journey. We thought we may have avoided any of the contagion but this proved to be mistaken.

Our plan had always been to overnight at Heathrow so that the trip to singapore did not feel so rushed. Our hotel had a convenient roof top bar with views over the runway and a direct connection with the Terminal for our departure. We took advantage of the rooftop bar but I was oblivious to the signs that camers were not permitted until too late when the steward brought it to my attention in a most public way. Anyway I got some good photos which are below. Yes it does look like Concorde!

The flight to Singapore took about 8 hours and we arrived in Singapore in the late afternoon. One of the objectives was to stay in Raffles Hotel but a 6 day stay was absurdly expensive. We opted for the Park Royal Collection in Pickering near to Chinatown. We thought we would be smart and take a two day package at Raffles which included a chaufeur driven limo to or from the airport and stay the rest of the time at the Park Royal – which is not a shabby hotel by any means but a third of the cost.

The Park Royal Collection at Pickering is designed to minimise environmental pollution and they have achieved this in many ways included bedecking the hotel with trees and plants. When the cab from the airport arrived at the hotel we were taken back by the green environment encasing the concrete hotel. We were not disappointed by the hotel. The foyer and reception was modern with the general dining area just off the reception. To get to our room involved passing through some of the gardens and water features where we were actually outside the hotel 6 stories above ground. The room was very comfortable with large windows allowing excellent views across the local area. The bathroom and shower was particularly exposed to receive the views and I wondered how many people may be viewing us.

We were also surprised at how well located the hotel proved to be. The Hop on Hop off bus stop was across the road at Hong Lim Park in Pickering St and the 3rd last stop before the terminus. This meant the first bus came to the stop at 9.40am – very suitable for getting a sleep in then breakfast. And so it was that we caught the bus paying a 1 day fare. The bus drove down to Old Customs House on Marina Bay around the corner to the MBS Convention Centre which is across the road from the iconic Marina Bay Sands hotel, famous for its massive ship-like structure, the Sands SkyPark, perched on top of three towering hotel buildings, featuring an infinity pool, observation deck, restaurants, and bars with stunning city views. From there we went onto the Suntec City Mall and the terminus. Only then did I pick up my camera as we journeyed through Little India, passed the Raffles Hospital, the Parkroyal on Beach Rd, round into the Muslim enclave of mosques and heritage centre, past the retail shops of Raffles Hotel, down past the boat quay into Chinatown and then back to the MBS Convention Centre where we got off the bus to explore further.

The convention centre can best be seen from the otherside of Marina Bay. In my photo below you will see the lotus shaped Art Science Museum. Behind is the convention centre and behind that the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. The convention centre includes a shopping mall easily the size of Indooripilly Shopping Centre here in Brisbane and three stories high. Exploring this area was amazing. The design and shape very rich and speaking of wealth. It had an indoor canal system emulating Venice, outstanding orchid displays, inteeresting shop fittings and a massive curved ceiling of glass to let in the light. From the outside of the Art Science Museum I was able to get a clear photo of the Sands Sky Park and the Lionheaded serpent; the symbol of Singapore.

The Sands Skypark offers (for a fee) a trip to the top of the hotel to look around the sights of Singapore so we made our way across the road scrambled through the mall under the Marina Sands Hotel towers and around to the elevators transporting us 56 levels above ground to view Singapore, and the exclusive areas enjoyed by hotel guests.

I took the next photo to show the ships at anchor.

And another panoramic photo this time of the CBD.

Behind the hotel is Gardens by the Bay an enormous botanic garden. Its website describes it as “Gardens by the Bay is a showpiece of horticulture and garden artistry that presents the plant kingdom in a whole new way, entertaining while educating visitors with plants seldom seen in this part of the world, ranging from species in cool, temperate climates to tropical forests and habitats.” It is so big that golf cart type transport is available and in the climate of Singapore and being on top of the Equator, they are necessary but not free. The bar was not open and we could see the residents were enjoying themselves so we decided to go and see the gardens.

We returned to the ground to make our way through the crowd back to the exit to the gardens. We walked through the shopping mall again. At the reception to the hotel we came across a magnificent bouquet of flowers pictured below and there after my photos take you on the journey we followed just to find our way around the gardens.

Although we did not get to see a great deal of the gardens, we were both tired and happy to return to the hotel and rest. We caught the bus back to the hotel planning to rest then walk to the bay for dinner and the light show. All went well and we were back at the old Customs House seated in a harbourside restaurant called Superloco to await the light show which we had been told would start around 7.30pm. After dinner we moved around into the adjoining park. My photos show our restaurant and the light show. When walking to the hotel we came across and illumination of a tree but it certainly was not yet Christmas.

Back in the hotel we rested till the following day. Catch up with Day 2 in Singapore when I post “THE RETIREES GO AROUND THE WORLD – Singapore Day 2“