Singapore 360 - Day 31: Wave House Sentosa

Surfing isn't among the list of sports that is popular in Singapore. Also, while the country is surrounded by sea, it's fair to say that Singapore isn't much of a beach destination.

Well, those reasons shouldn't stop anyone from trying out something that resembles the sport right in Singapore's most popular tourist destination. With the opening of Wave House in Sentosa late last year, the lack of ginormous surfing waves seems to have been addressed.

Their solution is, of course, technology-driven, with good results — surfer-to-die-for waves artificially generated over and over again. Judging from the big smiles on the faces of those who have tried the wave simulator, it looks like a lot of fun.

I've always thought of myself as a beach lover. But I find that statement ironic given the fact that I have never tried surfing. Although I'm quite sure my case is hardly unique, I feel my claim as a beach lover doesn't hold much water (pun intended) until this hurdle is surpassed. Well, here's my chance, you might say.

Looking back, my love for the beach was brought about by those yearly summer trips to the beach my family would make. As a young boy, the beach was always the one thing that defined my summer. I always looked forward to the gentle kiss of the sea breeze on my face, the taste of salty water on my lips, the ticklish feel of sand at my feet, the hypnotic splashing of the waves against my torso and even the painful sunburns all over my body afterwards.

I guess it's time to plan for striking one item off that long list.

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Singapore 360 - Day 21: The Mother, The Child And The Snake At Sentosa

There are a many brave souls who pay $5 to be able to take photos with one or two snakes wrapped around their necks in Sentosa. Among the bravest of them all is this mother, who trusts her instincts, the owner of the snake and the snake itself enough to take an innocuous pose with her cute baby boy. The father, perhaps as brave, takes the once-in-a-lifetime pictures using his digital camera.

The boy does not appear to flinch. He even touches the reptile for a second or two to try what it feels like — a moment I regret not being able to capture and now lost forever except in my memory.

The mother gets braver and allows the snake to be wrapped around her baby's neck along with hers. After a while the expression on the boy's face changes. I will never be able to tell if it was one of fear, discomfort or mere indifference.

One thing's for sure, he's such an adorable baby.

May he be brave enough not to fear snakes but wise enough to stay away from them when he grows up. =)

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Singapore 360 - Day 10: Underwater World

Part of the package we got when we last went to Sentosa was a visit to the Underwater World. Though I've been there several times before, I still find myself in awe looking at the underwater creatures.

This is a giant octopus. Looks like this guy came from another planet.

Crab. We had chili crab in Jumbo, Riverwalk and black pepper crab in No Signboard East Coast. I wonder what this guy feels about that if he knew.

Mermaid, er, Dugong. Apparently often mistaken for a mermaid, the dugong is the only strictly-marine herbivorous mammal.

The Sea Angel. It looked to me like it resembled a different kind of angel because of the red color and the projections, the horn-like structures.

Plant or animal? It's the dragon fish. Looks like it came out of lab experiment.

The Nautilus. I'm always reminded of the movie, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen every time I see this.

I thought I couldn't eat seafood for a few days after having gone here. Well, that's what I thought. We went to No Signboard Seafood for dinner the day after that.

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Singapore 360 - Day 9: Songs Of The Sea

When friends visit Singapore, I encourage them to watch Songs of the Sea. Most of time however, I don't have to do that because they find their own way there. Sentosa is usually on their list of places to visit.





The number of times I've watched the Songs of the Sea can still be counted on one hand, I think. It was only during the last time that I managed to take a few good shots, at least a lot better than the ones I took before. My worst visit would have to be the one before that, where the rain almost ruined it for us and we had to contend with inconsiderate people who wouldn't bring down their umbrellas as close to their heads as possible but were very good in asking the people in front of them not to block their view.





I was fortunate to catch the original Musical Fountain when I first came to visit Singapore in 2004. I kinda miss the part where the music was synchronized to the spraying of the water, like that of the stereo equalizer. What's better with the Songs of the Sea is that there's more interactivity with the audience. Of course, it's a grander show too, with the fireworks, lasers and the balls of fire.





I couldn't help but notice that night that the star of the show wasn't as convincing as the previous one(s). He didn't look like he had enough energy at all. In fact, he looked a bit lethargic to me. It was still a good show, so no complaints really.



As a side note, I was surprised that a taxi driver didn't know how to get to the area near Songs of the Sea. One of our friends was trying to find her way to us and took a cab to save time and chose the first one that came along. He didn't even know where Beach Station was. Good thing he knew where Siloso Beach was — quite far but near enough. I guess it's too much for me to expect taxi drivers to know the places in Sentosa when they only get to go there once every several years.



I'm sure we'll be back again soon.

A Rasa Sentosa Singapore Weekend Getaway

A few weeks ago we decided to go on a quick weekend getaway. We didn't want to spend so much time traveling, so going out of Singapore was not an option. There are numerous hotels to choose from but we wanted a feeling of seclusion, of being away from the frenetic activities of a normal Singapore day. What could be better than staying at a hotel by the beach?

Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa it was. The fact that a bridge needed crossing to get to the island resort somewhat gives it the feeling of isolation. Knowing that Sentosa means peace and tranquility in Malay is also a bit comforting. On the other hand, Rasa means taste, feeling or sensation in Malay as a noun. A few minutes in Rasa Sentosa was enough for me to conclude that we made right the choice and that the name of the hotel was justified.

If there was any doubt that we were in a five-star establishment in the hotel we went to early this year, there was no such feeling this time around. The rooms were in great condition, the surroundings were exceptionally clean, the facilities were well maintained and the people were very hospitable. To top it off was a panoramic view of the nice pool, the blue sea and the white sand.

Staying in the room just watching TV, reading a book, appreciating the view or simply sleeping would have been good enough. But we opted to do some experiencing and not just viewing.


At daybreak, we walked along the shoreline. It was impossible to miss the people sleeping on the sand. Some managed to pitch tents. Here and there were a few litters, but the shore was rubbish-free by the time the sun was fully out.


We did go around Sentosa but we spent a lot of time by the beach. Besides, there are too many things to mention about Sentosa that would make this post to lengthy to include.


Swimming, playing volleyball, flying Frisbees, kayaking, sunbathing, what else do people do at the beach but have fun while basking in the sun? What about throwing-in-the-water time? Boys will be boys.

We never did get to the flying trapeze in Siloso beach in action. We did get to sample Trapizza's pizza and pasta though. The food was great.


One other thing we didn't get to try was riding the Segway. Oh well, I'm sure there will be some other time for that.


We did have good food for dinner at Coastes by the beach. The fireworks from the Songs of the Sea could be seen and heard from where we were. Not to forget where we had lunch, which was in Shutters at the Amara Resort. The food was pleasant although the place was almost empty.

It was a very good weekend getaway if I may say. I can only wish every weekend was like that.

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