Haw Par Villa
One really cool and kind of weird attraction in Singapore is the creepy and run down Haw Par Villa. Formerly known as "Tiger Balm Garden", it's an amusement park (without any rides or shows) which mainly features strange statues from Chinese mythology. The park was designed and built decades ago to encourage Chinese culture in Singapore.
Today it's free and open to the public. Although it has an abandoned feel, the place was swarming with tourists, even as it got dark and rain started to drizzle from the steely grey sky. Although I really had no idea what the majority of the displays represented, it was a bizare and really memorable attraction which even has its own metro stop!
Sentosa Island
Sentosa Island is called "Asia's Playground." This island is home to Singapore's Universal Studios, lots of big tourist attractions, resorts, and some artificial (but very nice) beaches. I didn't have the money nor the time to spend too long on Sentosa (which is easily reached by a boardwalk, a ferry, or a monorail), but I spent one afternoon looking around. This is the part of Singapore in which my students spend their time on their Singapore holidays.
Although the island is very touristy and commercialized, you can see some really interesting things, like the remains of some old British gun turrets which were constructed for the failed defense of Singapore.
Marina Bay
I spent my last evening in Marina Bay. I took a leisurely walk along the bay and watched the sun set.
That night I watched the light show one last time. The next day was a blur, with an early morning flight, a rush downtown to pick up my new suit, and an evening wedding to attend. Singapore is a busy little city! It wasn't a restful vacation, as I kept very busy to pack as much as I could into a week. I had a great time exploring three new countries on my holiday, and Singapore is one of my top cities now. Farewell, Singapore!
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