Think relaxation is overrated? Are you always burning the candle at both ends? Then Clark Quay is for you. After dinner at Boat Quay, well-heeled party goers stroll towards Clarke Quay. Night live here will keep anyone charged till dawn. Latin, Jazz, and Disco bars give head-spinning options. So, most people choose to go bar hopping here.
This epicenter of nightlife has many themed bars and clubs. Clinic Bar features a hospital ambience complete with hospital wheel chairs, white linen room dividers, and operating room lights. The drinks are served from the dripping intravenous (IV) tube that is attached to a blood bag on a pole. The famous London based Ministry of Sound dance club is located here as well.
New Bridge Road
From Clarke Quay, New Bridge Road leads to Chinatown. Scenes of traditional old Singapore are preserved here. Old colonial small houses dominate the architecture of Chinatown center while large multi story malls occupy the edges.
What’s interesting about this Chinatown, distinguishing itself from other Chinatowns in the world, is the fact that it not only has Buddhist and Confucian places of worship, but also Mosques and Hindu temples. The 1823 Thian Hock Keng temple on Telok Ayer Street is the oldest Chinese template in the country. Gilded and lacquer decorated beams and panels, painted doors, and granite dragon sculptures adorn this south Chinese temple architecture. A few block away from the temple, on South Bridge Road, is the colorful and highly intricate high tower of 1843 Sri Mariamman Hindu temple. If you look closely on its intricate carvings, you will find 72 deities.
At sundown, Smith Street is closed and hawker stalls spring to life. Tables and chairs are setup in the middle of the road. Food vendors are greeting passerby with menus and chanting their specials. This is the best place to find local flavors in a historic ambience.
Sentosa Island
Traffic is getting busy as the day is advancing. We enter Sentosa Island in our navigation system and start driving towards the southern tip of the main island. We also choose the route that includes some highway driving.While other city planners discuss and design how many parks to build in their cities, Singapore’s city planners design and build working and living spaces in the Garden. This is how Singapore got its Garden city status. The highways around the city are lined on both sides with trees with far reaching branches that create continues canopy. The natural canopy protects the people on the road from the scorching heat during the hottest and humid days.
When we arrive at Sentosa Island we are surprised by the massive development effort just as we enter the gateway. Large container and cement trucks are traveling in a formation. We stray off of the navigation map because the road is detoured due to the massive Universal Studio construction After passing the construction site, the serenity of Sentosa Island finally greets us. The lush vegetation makes us feel we are in a tropical forest. With all the windows down and the roof open, we hear hundreds of birds chirping. This 2 by 0.6-mile island offers a variety of activities. Families enjoy the Underwater World’s acrylic tunnel where colorful marine lives swim within touching distance. On weekend nights, young adults party at the bars and dance clubs along the beaches. Couples looking for a quiet and romantic time check into five-star hotels and spas on this island.
We park our car and sit at a café with a view of the ocean. Here, we soak in the relaxing ambience with fresh coconut juice.
Full story: DV-Singapore
More Pictures: Gallery DV-Singapore
Multimedia Map trip
-Andreas. D
Driving Vacation
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