From tea to Supertree

Emerging from the Aquarium, we only just made it back to Vivo City before the heavens opened.  Not wishing to ruin our appetites for high tea this afternoon, we only granted ourselves a light snack at lunchtime before heading back to the hotel to smarten up.

At 4pm we walked into the spectacular lobby of the Shangri-La Hotel and made our way upstairs to the Rose Veranda.  The tea menu was overwhelming with 164 different varieties to choose from but we eventually decided, and then it was time to tackle the buffet.  Although not as extensive as the teas on offer, there was still a wide selection of food from sushi to finger sandwiches, dim sum to salads, hot meals, and of course desserts.  I sampled some nonya sweets and revisited my childhood with a delicious scoop of yam ice cream.  

High tea at the Shangri-La

Bundling our bulging stomachs out of our chairs after tea, we caught a taxi to the Marina Bay Sands Hotel thinking we might kill some time by drifting around its neighbourhood shops.  The gleaming mall featured wall to wall luxury brands and big name labels of every description known to man.  It held very little interest for us though so we ascended a dizzying array of escalators to the very top of the mall and strolled across the rooftop walkway to Gardens by the Bay.  Fortunately the rain had stopped and the sky cleared to deliver a very pleasant evening.

The architecturally unique Marina Bay Sands Hotel

Back in the Supertree Grove below the OCBC Skyway

Having missed out on the Skyway a few days ago, we joined the queue to access the bridge suspended 22m above the ground.  Dusk was falling and the supertrees and city lights combined to create a surreal fantasy world.

The Supertrees turn on the lights

Cityscape viewed from the Skywalk

Atop the Skywalk

The time crept closer to 7:45pm but we were kept moving along the Skywalk and so had to return to ground level before the start of the Garden Rhapsody light show.  

Crowds gather in the Supertree Grove for the light show

And a spectacular show it was too with lights and music illuminating the Supertrees in all sorts of crazy colours.  Benign substrate for epiphytes during the day but at night, the Supertrees come alive.

Shades of Supertree

Returning to the hotel after what was a very long day, we bumped into the butler as we approached our room.  Having not seen him since our arrival, Ross set him the task of sourcing a mango for our fruit basket.  

And I guess that's the Raffles difference.  Not only was the mango quickly delivered to our room but it was all nicely diced and served up ready to eat!

The Raffles difference

Fishy zen

How wonderful to just sit in front of one of the many aquariums and get lost in the underwater world of fish and coral.  I suspect it was quieter on their side of the glass than on ours due to the continuous hum of humanity but that is where video editing can be so wonderful.

So here it is.  Sit back, relax and enjoy one glorious minute of fishy zen (with thanks to Beethoven for providing the soundtrack).

Not to be outdone, Saint-Saens composed the ever so appropriate Aquarium which is the perfect accompaniment to contemplating the Ocean Gallery.

Underwater elegance

Heeding some sage advice, we headed for Sentosa Island early to try and beat the crowds.  The morning air was again heavy with humidity but the sunshine held out as we walked across the boardwalk linking Vivo City to Sentosa.  Not that we needed to worry because with typical Singaporean consideration, the entire walkway was covered anyway and there were travellators to ease the 500m journey.  It was good advice to pre-purchase our tickets online to the SEA Aquarium as the queue looked a bit scary.

The first part of the visit took in the maritime museum which included a specially constructed dhow delicately balanced on pillars so that it floated in space as if berthed at a pier.

Inside the maritime museum

Perhaps the name, 'Typhoon Theatre' should have given it away but we still weren't quite prepared to be sprayed with water and blasted with cold air in the short immersive cinematic prologue prior to entering the aquarium.  The film set the scene for our first glimpse of the magical underwater world: that of a shipwreck.

Shipwreck

Shuffling along with fellow tourists and throngs of school kids, we were treated to so many different aquariums covering different species and underwater habitats.  No wonder really that the SEA Aquarium holds the title for being the world's largest - it purportedly houses 80,000 animals from over 800 species in 42.8 million litres of water.

Walking through the underwater tunnel 

Coral reef pillar

And if all that wasn't impressive enough, we were treated to one more wonder - that of the Ocean Gallery. Boasting the largest acrylic panel in the world, it measures 36m long by 8.3m tall.  It was a shame there was no information about the thickness of the panel as it must have been formidable to hold back that weight of water.  Needless to say it was utterly captivating to watch the elegant rays flap past, sharks emerge from the gloom, and so many different fish dance along in their schools. 

The blue wall

Colonial charm

It is day three and we are now old hands in the Tiffin Room.  Ross has his daily Raffles omelette and I continue to explore the breakfast buffet.  I discovered chocolate dipped strawberries this morning, who knew.  

After breakfast we took a detour up the grand wooden staircase in the main hotel, passing the meeting rooms and suites on our way to the top floor landing.

Raffles Hotel - top floor seating area 

Raffles Hotel - top floor

The diffuse light coming in through the windows and warm glow of the chandeliers show off the dark furnishings so well.  The building oozes colonial charm.  

View from the top - looking down to the Raffles Hotel lobby

We also found the swimming pool tucked away at the top of the building next to the Raffles Spa.

Raffles Hotel swimming pool

Adventure over we descended back to the lobby and set out on our next quest... to Sentosa.

Impressive floral display in the lobby with new creations daily

A garden stroll

"In the garden I tend to drop my thoughts here and there. To the flowers I whisper the secrets I keep and the hopes I breathe. I know they are there to eavesdrop for the angels."

Dodinsky - In the Garden of Thoughts

Singapore does the whole tourist experience so well so it was no great surprise that Gardens by the Bay would be utterly spectacular.  The morning air was heavy and the skies were threatening rain as we walked the short distance from the MRT station to the Gardens.  All around was evidence of preparations for the upcoming Singapore Garden Festival - shame it starts the day after we leave.

Crossing the bridge to Gardens by the Bay

The rain started soon after so we made the conservatories our first stop.  It was quite surreal being dry (and cold!) inside the Cloud Forest while water streamed down the outside of the glass.

Now that's what you call a green wall

The conservatory seemed impossibly huge - what an incredible feat of engineering to house a waterfall and a green wall several storeys high.  And everywhere, a mind boggling array of plants and flowers from different mountain habitats.

Cloud Forest - looking down from the top

Forest atop the waterfall

The conservatory next door was equally cold but this one housed plants from semi-arid and Mediterranean environments.

Inside the Flower Dome

The bizarre world of pebble plants (can you see them?)

Among the weird and wonderful plants, there were some familiar floral friends from Western Australia.  However no need to include photos of grass trees or Kangaroo Paw here!

And here's a familiar Western Australia flower - Ross next to an orchid display

Singapore is perhaps best known for its orchids and there was a spectacular variety on show.

Magnificent orchids

Outside the rain was still coming down steadily and because of the slip hazard, the Skyway suspended between the Supertrees was closed.  We decided to call it quits but resolved to return some other time for the evening light show and another crack at the Skyway.

Supertrees under a leaden sky

Ross grabbed some lunch on the way back to the hotel but I went on another mission to the Raffles City foodhall... success!  I found some char siew bau and took my precious cargo back to the hotel where I could leisurely savour my steamed pillows of heavenly softness wrapped around tender BBQ pork:)

What better way to spend a rainy afternoon than to settle in a plush armchair with a good book.  

A welcome rest

Or indeed the parlour...

Ross relaxing in the parlour

The evening saw us walk the network of interconnected malls to Marina Square for a catch up with some good Uni friends of mine.  Lil and Alvin treated us to some fine Asian cuisine at Putien and we certainly enjoyed the stir-fried yam, braised tofu and lor mee.  We were even treated to some small samples of mooncake and not just the run of the mill lotus paste variety available at home.  It seems every hotel and bakery in Singapore is offering their own take on the traditional Mid Autumn Festival delicacy with loads of different fillings to choose from.  If it wasn't near impossible to bring food home I'd probably be stockpiling mooncakes right now...