Top places in Singapore for visiting

In Singapore you can enjoy numerous activities from the beauty of land to the fabulous underwater experience. The travel packages are customized keeping in mind the convenience of the travellers.

1 – Marina Bay Sands (Skypark)

The magnificent Marina Bay Sands is an integrated resort fronting Marina Bay that offers a luxury 2,561-room hotel, an art convention and exhibition center, the Shoppes Mall, an Art & Science museum, two Sands Theatres, seven “celebrity chef” restaurants, two floating pavilions and a casino with 500 tables and 1,600

2 – Marina Bay Sands Infinity Pool

The Marina Bay Sands Infinity Pool rests on the 56th floor of Marina Bay Sands. This incredible infinity edged pool is the longest elevated swimming pool in the world with 150 metres (478 ft.) wide, which stands 191 meters from the ground. But do not get too excited, the pool is for exclusive use of the luxury hotel guests. Non-hotel guests can only see part

3 – Merlion Statue – Merlion Park

Merlion Park is located near Marina Bay, Singapore. This park is home to an 8.6 meter-tall and 40 ton-weight, water-spouting Merlion. The Singapore’s tourism icon is a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish. Its name combines “mer” meaning the sea and “lion”. The “Singa” or lion head represents Singapore

4 – Fountain of Wealth – Suntec City

The Fountain of Wealth is recognized since 1998 by the Guinness Book Of World Records as the largest fountain in the world. It is located in the hub of one of Singapore’s largest shopping malls, the Suntec City. The fountain is made of silicon bronze, and consists of a circular ring with a circumference of 66 meters supported 

5 – Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum

The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum is a four-storey Buddhist temple and museum complex that rises up at the heart of the Chinatown district in Singapore. The temple is based on the Tang dynasty architectural style and built to house the tooth relic of the historical Buddha, which is claimed that was found in 1980

6 – Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay is a surreal green oasis in the heart of Singapore. It brings plants to life in a way you’ve never seen before. There you are surrounded by nature whilst feeling like you have stepped into the Avatar movie. This huge, colourful, futuristic park is famous for its high-tech Supertree Grove – a collection of magical giant trees – as well as Cloud Forest and Flower Dome – the world’s largest climate-controlled greenhouses 

7 – Henderson Waves Bridge

Standing at 36m above Henderson Road, Henderson Waves is Singapore’s highest pedestrian bridge, connecting Mount Faber Park to Telok Blangah Hill Park. It is a 274 meter-long part of the Southern Ridges, a beautiful 9km (5.6 mi) trail in a lush open space that connects the hills of Mount Faber Park, Telok Blangah

8 – Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay is a stunning waterside building located on six hectares of waterfront land alongside Marina Bay near the mouth of the Singapore River. Officcialy opened in 2002, this architectural icon with its distinctive twin shells is the center of performing arts in Singapore. Surrounded by

9 – ArtScience Museum

One of the attractions at Marina Bay Sands, the ArtScience Museum is the world’s first ArtScience museum, opened on 17 February 2011. This unique building is shaped like a lotus flower in bloom, and is anchored by a round base in the middle, with ten extensions referred to as “fingers”, designed to be a symbolic

10 – Green Roof at Nanyang Technological University

The School of Art, Design and Media at Nanyang Technological University, has an amazing curving green roof structure, with an organic, vegetated form that blends nature and high-tech and symbolizes the creativity it houses. The open roofs serve as informal gathering spaces; insulate the building

11 – Singapore Flyer

Singapore Flyer is the world’s tallest Ferris wheel, described by its operators as an observation wheel. Standing at a stunning 165m (541 ft.) from the ground, near the shore of Marina Bay, it is 5 m (16 ft.) taller than the Star of Nanchang, in China and 30 m (98 ft.) taller than the London Eye, in England. It is built over

12 – Thian Hock Keng Temple

Thian Hock Keng Temple (Temple of Heavenly Happiness) is one of the oldest and most important Hokkien temple in Singapore, located in Chinatown. The construction of Thian Hock Keng was completed in 1842, more than 100 years ago, when it was a beachfront temple. The local was the first stop for grateful

13 – Helix Bridge

The Helix Bridge is a pedestrian bridge, considered to be the world’s first curved bridge, which links Marina Centre with Marina South in the Marina Bay area. Together with Promenade, a walkway along marina bay, it forms a 3.5-kilometer pedestrian loop around the whole bay

14 – Masjid Sultan (Sultan Mosque)

Located in Kampong Glam area in the vicinity of Arab Street, the Masjid Sultan is considered one of the most important mosques in Singapore. The area was allocated by Stamford Raffles for Sultan Hussein of Singapore, where the first Sultan’s Mosque was built about 1824

15 – Tiger Sky Tower

The Tiger Sky Tower is Singapore’s highest observation tower located at Sentosa. It has a height of 110 meters above ground, about 36 floors high, and 131 meters above sea level and offers day and night panoramic views of the Singapore’s skyline and the island

16 – Clarke Quay

Clarke Quay is a refurbished riverside development of old warehouses consisting of a colorful labyrinth of restaurants, theme bars, retail stores and recreation outlets. Transformed into a vibrant and attractive destination, it is certainly a great nightlife location for anyone who loves to hangout and have a drink at night

17 – Sentosa Beaches

Sentosa has a stretch of sheltered beach of more than two kilometres in length on its southern coast, framed with palm trees, with wide beachfronts and soft sands, divided into three portions: Palawan Beach, Siloso Beach, and Tanjong Beach. These beaches are artificial, reclaimed using sand bought from Indonesia and Malaysia 
  

18 – Marina Barrage

The Marina Barrage is a dam located across the 350-metre wide Marina Channel built to create Singapore’s first freshwater urban reservoir. It now acts as a water source, flood control and a new lifestyle attraction. The view of downtown Singapore from the bridge holding the dam offers a great photo opportunity

19 – Chinatown – Singapore

Singapore’s Chinatown is an ethnic neighborhood featuring Chinese culture and history. As the largest ethnic group in Singapore is Chinese, Chinatown is considerably less of an enclave than it once was. Recently Singapore’s Chinatown passed through a renovation process

20 – National Museum of Singapore

The National Museum of Singapore is the largest and oldest museum in Singapore dating back to 1849. Focused on the history and culture of Singapore, the museum immerses the visitor in a multi-sensory experience of Singapore’s past, innovating with interactive elements, including touch screen displays

21 – Singapore Botanic Garden

The Singapore Botanic Garden occupies a land area of 52 hectares and some of the attractions include the National Orchid Garden, the Ginger Garden, and the Evolution Garden. It is the only botanic garden in the world that opens from 5 a.m. to 12 midnight every single day of the year

22 – Chijmes

Chijmes is a beautifully structured historic building complex that once housed a Catholic convent school known as the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ) and their convent quarters known as Caldwell House. This complex of convent buildings has a Gothic-style chapel with beautiful
 

See more

 

 

 

 

A Lotus Shaped Temple – Bahá’í House of Worship New Delhi

Popularly known as the Lotus Temple due to its flower like shape, the Bahá’í House of Worship in New Delhi, India is a place that welcomes all religions and people of all castes, colours and cultures to worship in a spirit of unity.

There is no clergy in the temple, no idols, no pictures, no sermons, no rituals. Only the holy scriptures of the Bahá’í Faith and other religions can be read or chanted inside in any language. No musical instruments can be played inside, however, choirs can set the readings and prayers to music. 

Inaugurated to public in 1986, this monument in marble is one of the most frequented architectural landmarks in the world. By the end of year 2002, it was said being more frequented than the Eiffel Tower and Taj Mahal. It receives four million visitors each year (about 13,000 every day or 9 every minute).

The Lotus Temple is one of the eight Bahá’í House of Worship facilities in the world. Designed by Iranian architect Fariborz Sahba, it has won numerous architectural awards and is indeed one of the marvels of India’s modern architecture and one of the most complicated constructions in the world.
 

The temple symbols a half-open lotus flower afloat, surrounded by its leaves, and gives a sense of love, peace and purity. A sacred flower for the Indians, the lotus is the emblem of divine birth.

Light and water are used to ornament the building as its two fundamental elements, in contrast to the statues and carvings found in other temples.

The building is composed of 27 free standing marble clad “petals” arranged in clusters of three to form nine sides. The nine doors of the Lotus Temple open onto a central hall slightly more than 40 meters tall, that is capable of holding up to 2,500 people. The inner leaves do not meet at the tip of the worship space and are capped with a dramatic glass and steel skylight.

Nine reflecting pools surround the building on the outside, creating an image of a lotus floating in water, as well as cooling the temperature in the temple.

It is surrounded by ponds, green vegetation, beautiful curved balustrades, bridges and stairs, occupying a total of 26.6 acres (105,000 m²; 10.5 ha).

In the evening, the site looks breathtakingly beautiful when the entire complex is lit up.

The temple’s construction has been funded through voluntary contributions made only by Bahá’ís throughout the world with a large sum having been provided by the believers in India.

Lotus Temple Opening Hours:

From Tuesday to Sunday: Winter: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm Summer: 9:00 am to 7:00 pm. See more

Must-See Temples in Bagan

Bagan is home to the largest and densest concentration of Buddhist temples, pagodas, stupas and ruins in the world. Over 10,000 Buddhist temples were constructed in the Bagan plains during the 11th and 13th centuries. Covering a verdant area of 16 square miles (41 km²), more than 2,000 monuments of different sizes and shapes still survive to the present day. Most are superbly preserved, and many contain frescoes, carvings and statues of Buddha.
Old Bagan area also offers amazing opportunities to witness the Buddhism way of life, such as the morning meditation and the cutest little monks collecting their daily food donations from the community.

The most spectacular time to see Bagan’s temples is during dawn and dusk, when the sunlight creates a mystical atmosphere. There are a number of temples you can climb up to watch sunrise and sunset. They make perfect viewpoints to watch the sun over the vast temple-dotted plains of Bagan. Another spectacular way to see the temples is to head to the sky for a hot air balloon trip. 
Nobody would be expected to visit all the 2,000 existing structures in Bagan. But there are some sites that should not be missed. So here is a list of the Top Must-See Places in Bagan to inspire you:

1 – Gawdawpalin Temple

Built in the 11th century, the Gawdawpalin Pahto is one of the largest temples and, the second tallest temple in Bagan. In fact, it looks like a slightly smaller version of Thatbyinnyu, the tallest temple. 

---

2 – Pahtothamya Temple

The Pahtothamya Temple (also spelt Pathothamya) is a small, single-storey temple located to the west of Thatbyinnyu and Nathlaung Kyaung temples. One of the oldest temples in Bagan, its interior is dimly lit, typical of the early type of Pyu-influenced temples with their small, perforated stone windows.

3 – Nat Taung Kyaung Monastery

The Nat Taung Kyaung Monastery (also known as Myoe Daung) is a quite recent building. It is a wooden monastery built in the 18th century, known by its detailed and beautiful wood carvings.

---

4 – Thatbyinnyu Temple

With a design very close to the Htilominlo and Sulamani temples, the Thatbyinnyu differs from those and many other structures in Bagan because of its white and grey façade.

5 – Sulamani Temple

The Sulamani is a beautiful temple where the sun’s rays shine through the outer arches onto the central core, creating a beautiful and warming glow. It was also known as crowing jewel and it is one of the most notorious temples in Bagan. 

---

6 – Shwesandaw Pagoda

Among Bagan’s temples, Shwesandaw Pagoda is one of the highest, and that makes it one of the most famous viewpoints of the region. This imposing Buddhist structure is visible from far away rising from the plains of Bagan.

7 – Shwezigon Pagoda

The Shwezigon (or Shwezigon Paya) is a 11th century pagoda and one of Bagan’s top destinations. Sitting on the top of the three terraces there is a beautiful bell shape structure (or stupa) which became a model to be followed in the later religious structures in Myanmar. 

---

8 – Shinbinthalyaung Temple

The Shinbinthalyaung is a long, low, rectangular brick structure that houses the biggest reclining image of the Buddha in Bagan, a colossal 18-meter-long (60 feet) image of the 11th century. This temple is very unusual because it is barely wide enough to house the statue, leaving only a fairly narrow passageway around the Buddha. 

---

9 – Nanpaya Temple

Probably not the most beautiful temple in Bagan, and clearly not the biggest, but the Nanpaya Temple is full of beautiful stone carvings with some history under the hood. 

---

10 – Mingalazedi Pagoda

Mingalazedi Pagoda (also known as Mingalar Zed) is a Buddhist bell-shaped stupa built in 1274 by king Narathihapati at the end of the First Burmese Empire. It still preserves the beautiful glazed terracotta tiles with the Jataka legends around the terraces. See more

Son Doong – The Largest Cave in the World

Son Doong Cave, is located in Son Trach, Bo Trach District, Quang Binh province, Vietnam. It is situated below another cave in Phong Nha-Ke Bang. “Mountain River cave” in Vietnamese, is the actual largest cave in the world. In 2011 we post a page about the Cueva del Fantasma which, in addition to it’s cool name (It means “The Cave of the Ghost” in Spanish) it’s also huge. But it’s small, or at least short, compared to Son Doong Cave. Now, how large is this cave? Let’s find out.

This cave is so big that it has not one, but two forests and even clouds inside it! In fact, it is so big that even a 747 could fly through its largest cavern. For example, take a look on this beautiful photo below.

The cave was discovered by a local man named Hồ-Khanh in 1991 but, due to the steep descent, no one there wanted to explore it further, and this place was left unnoticed to the world. It was just another cave until a group of scientists from the British Cave Research Association, led by Howard Limbert, conducted a survey in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng in April 2009 and made the cave internationally known.

The biggest chamber of Son Doong is about 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) long, 200 meters (660 feet) high and 150 meters (490 feet) wide.

The entire cave runs for approximately 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) and is punctuated by 2 large dolines, which are areas where the ceiling of the cave has collapsed. These areas allow sunlight to enter sections of the cave and has resulted in the growth of trees as well as other vegetation.

 

In 2009, after exploring more than 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) inside the cave, a 61 meters (200 feet) wall of muddy calcite stopped the first expedition. A year later, the British Cave Research Association cavers, scientists and other partners returned, more prepared and decided to go to the end of the cave.
Watch out for dinosaurs was spoken by Mark Jenkins to a carver while he was getting ready for exploration. With an atmosphere and a view that takes us to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel The Lost World, this probably is something that could come up to mind. And, not surprisingly, the advice “watch out for dinosaurs” end up stuck with the team members.
In his testimony, the National Geographic writer Mark Jenkins, describes in a good and pleasant way how was his experience. From the beginning, telling in details how was this expedition, to the end, when they finally leave the cave.

Many people don’t believe a hole on the ground can offer excellent shots. With two entrances, Son Doong cave gives you great opportunities in using sunbeam light which, in addition to the cave’s atmosphere, adds a big portion of ethereality to your photos.

Some photographers like Ryan Deboodt, John Spies and obviously, Carsten Peter, went there and got some amazing shots. Each one with his own interpretation of the place and corresponds on most of the photos used in this article. You can check below their great shots, those that makes us thinking going there, pretending to live an Indiana Jones’ adventure, or just for the sake of the curiosity.

Expeditions take around 5 days / 4 nights. You can check in you preferred search engine for companies in Vietnam that provide this tour, or access the Vietnamese ministry of sports, culture, and tourism website here for more information.

A word of advice

As usual in places like that, permits are required to access the cave and are made available on a limited basis. As an additional information, only 500 permits were issued for the 2015 season, which runs from February to August. After August, heavy rains cause river levels to rise and make the cave largely inaccessible.

See more