I just came from a meeting with the local office of the Singapore Tourism Board yesterday and boy did they do a great job of selling Singapore!!! I found myself getting brochures and maps right after Rocson Chang and Liza Gonzales showed us a video of the Marina Bay Sands and the Resorts World at Sentosa! At that moment, I felt like I was right there at the Changi Airport waiting for my Singapore adventure to begin, instead of the reception area of their office! Suffice it to say, I want to be there now!
Well ok, maybe not now now because the best time for all shopaholics to visit Singapore is between May 25 to July 22, 2007! Why so? Because its time for THE GREAT SINGAPORE SALE!!!
I suggest you start booking your ticket ASAP. Make sure you have a strategic place to stay at to make the most of this shopping trip! For sure, you'll literally shop till you drop! The last time I was there, and it wasn't even sale season then, my last day was spent watching TV with my brother and sister in our hotel room because I was too tired to even walk down (and to think we were staying at the Meritus Mandarin, right on Orchard Road, just across The Heeren and a few steps away from Takashimaya!). Not even dinner at the Boat Quay could tempt me!!!
But if one month's notice to visit Singapore is not enough time to plan a trip, I suggest that you wait until 2009 when Marina Bay Sands opens! This development is set to change the landscape of the island state.
Owned and developed by Las Vegas Sands Corporation (think The Venetian Resort Hotel in Las Vegas and The Venetian Macau Resort Hotel), and designed by illustrious architect Moshe Safdie, "Marina Bay Sands is a new type of urban place that integrates the Waterfront Promenade with a grand, multi-leveled retail arcade combining civic space, shopping, indoor and outdoor spaces endowed with city skyline views, daylight and plant life, providing an abundance and variety of activities. It is a place that is vibrant and dynamic, a place that transforms from hour to hour, from day to night, and is evocative of the great urban places. It is here that the imaginings of a global city become a reality."
The most exciting feature of Marina Bay Sands, in my opinion, are the three 50-story hotel towers containing 1,000 rooms each, crowned by a two acre Sky Garden bridging across the towers, offering 360-degree views of the city and the sea, outdoor amenities for the hotel such as jogging paths, swimming pools, spas, and gardens. What an architectural feat! The development also includes an iconic Arts and Sciences Museum on the promontory; one-million square feet of integrated waterside promenade and shopping arcade; a state-of-the art one-million square foot convention center; two 2,000-seat theaters; a casino; and a 4,000 car garage.
But if family fun is on the agenda, wait until 2010 when Resorts World at Sentosa, opens to the public. This development features these must-sees guaranteed to make the trip memorable for the entire family!
* Universal Studios theme park with 22 attractions and a "live" studio
* Equarius water park
* The world's largest oceanarium, containing over 700 million gallons of water
* The Asian Maritime Museum, featuring interactive exhibits highlighting the history of the oceanic Silk Road of the past.
* A fully integrated wellness spa
* A world-class casino, Singapore's second.
* An 8-hectare Quest Marine Life Park with snorkeling experiences, as well as the chance to swim with a Whale Shark and cage-dive in a tank of Tiger Sharks.
* FestiveWalk, an ocean-fronted experimental retail development facing Vivocity, including a daily pyrotechnics show.
* Six world-class hotels
So between next month and 2010, expect to see a lot of exciting events happening in Singapore! There's still plenty of time to save up and splurge on a vacation to remember!
TIP: If you are into Louis Vuitton bags, Singapore prices are said to be the cheapest in the ASEAN region!
(Information on Marina Bay Sands from msafdie.com, Resorts World from en.wikipedia.org)
2 comments:
LOL good thing my sister is going way before that sale starts. I want to visit Singapore one of these days. plus it pays to have relatives there as well LOL
Hahaha! I have to agree Raissa! Yes, that's the best scenario actually! When you have relatives there, you can save on board and lodging and channel more funds to your shopping and dining budget!
Actually, Mr. Chang of the Singapore Tourism Board shared that not only are Filipino tourists getting younger (majority coming from the 25-35 age range), they also stay an average of 6 days there. Longer than tourists from other countries. And the reason being is that Filipinos have relatives or friends in Singapore that they can stay with.
Hope you do get to visit Singapore soon! I'm sure your sister will have a blast there! =)
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