ON A LITTLE STREET IN SINGAPORE
There are dozens of ways to let love blossom in the Merlion City.
There are dozens of ways to let love blossom the Merlion City.
Think of Singapore and perhaps romance isn’t the first thing that springs to mind. It is, after all, a nation known for being an economic powerhouse with very strict rules (don’t even think about chewing gum, feeding a pigeon or connecting to another person’s Wi-Fi — all carry fines). But that, of course, is just part of its story.
The incredible Gardens by the Bay, the last phase of Singapore’s plan to become the greenest city in the world, was completed in 2012. This living ecosystem has literally breathed new life into the city’s concrete sky-scraping body — giving Singapore oxygen-rich lungs and a passionate heart. It’s fast becoming one of Asia’s most romantic cities with an abundance of lovely places in which to enjoy the perfect date.
HIGHER AND HIGHER
You’d be hard pressed to find anywhere as jaw-droppingly spectacular by night than the Gardens by the Bay, when the Supertrees — vast metal structures
cloaked in living plants — are illuminated. You’re transported to a futuristic world. The sound and light show is mesmerizing, best viewed from the 22-meter-high (72-foot-high) OCBC Skyway, which gives you the sensation of floating on air … not unlike being in love.
The nearby Cloud Forest dome, with its 35-meter (115-foot) waterfall, replicates the cool, moist climate of tropical mountain regions and is blissful when temperatures outside soar. Next door, the Flower Dome, the world’s largest glass conservatory, brims with sumptuous floral displays, creating a heady, aromatic, sensual atmosphere. Both stay open until 9 p.m., so visit just before closing to wander the pathways in relative solitude.
EXCHANGING GLANCES
Considered to be one of the world’s sexiest culinary experiences, Nox - Dine in the Dark is a restaurant that promises to take you on a sensory journey into taste. The concept is straightforward: By limiting sight, the dominant sense, your taste is enhanced. Although there’s a brief orientation showing where to find your cutlery, expect a little spilled food, much giggling and a lot of fun, as well as a delicious meal.
However, if you’d rather gaze into each other’s eyes and favor the more traditional, the iconic Raffles Hotel will reopen its doors in July 2019 after a complete restoration. Although you’ll find a Singapore sling (a heady concoction of gin, Curaçao, Benedictine, cherry liqueur, grenadine, pineapple and lime juice) on every cocktail menu in the city, you can’t beat sipping one under the whirring fans of the plantation-inspired Long Bar where the drink was created in 1915. Stay for dinner and it’s easy to conjure up days when tigers were known to stroll into the grounds and elaborate mustaches were de rigueur. Raffles remains Singapore’s most evocative residence.
SWINGING ON A STAR
Ask a Singaporean where they would go for a dream date and many will surprise you by answering:
“Singapore Zoo.” Widely considered to be the world’s best zoo, by day this open-plan park is a joy to explore — an award-winning example of conservation and how animals in captivity should be cared for. The zoo also offers an intimate breakfast experience with a family of orangutans.
Adjacent to the main zoo is the sister attraction, Night Safari, the world’s first safari park for nocturnal animals. Its
130 species include the endangered Malayan tapir and tiger. A five-course candlelit dinner on the Gourmet Safari Express tram is both wildly romantic and a little unnerving, as in the moonlight, it appears that there is nothing between you and the glow of the leopard’s eye. A good excuse to huddle closer together.
BY THE BEAUTIFUL SEA
Mimicking the undulating shape of a wave, the Henderson Waves Bridge is the loftiest pedestrian bridge in Singapore and forms part of the Southern Ridges Walk, an easy, 10-kilometer (6-mile) trek through three of the city’s loveliest parks. The bridge curves and twists for 274 meters (900 feet) and is popular with courting couples, who come to watch the sunset from its covered shellshaped coves. As dusk falls, the great curved, wooden arches of the bridge are beautifully illuminated and if you’re lucky, you may get a glimpse of a crested honey buzzard, Chinese sparrowhawk or grey-headed fish eagle as they fly back to the forest after a day of fishing.
For sunset cocktails, Lantern at The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore is a dreamy affair. The lounge was named after the red lanterns that lit up the landing point for Singapore’s
first immigrants and seafarers. Sink into cushions on one of the stylish rattan sofas, order the establishment’s signature tipple — a Red Lantern (tequila, watermelon, lemon and cucumber) — and soak up that panoramic view of Marina Bay as it turns from burnt orange to ruby red in the setting sun. This is also the best vantage point for watching “Spectra,” a nightly light show beamed over the bay.
For something a little alternative, head to Mr Stork Rooftop Bar where you can snuggle up in your own candlelit tepee and enjoy far-reaching views across the city. If the weather is against you, try the art deco-inspired Atlas, housed in what locals refer to as the Batman Tower (it looks a little like Gotham City’s Wayne Tower). The sumptuous bar boasts a décor of gold and bronze and a rather daunting 60-page gin menu, featuring over one thousand gins. Another alternative for rainy nights is stargazing at the Science Centre Singapore’s live planetarium shows, where you can hold hands and travel into space at the speed of light. The spectacular Omni-Theatre — Southeast Asia’s first digital dome theater — dishes up mind-blowing ultra-high-definition visuals and sound to make your ears tingle.
SIDE BY SIDE
If it’s a little bit of peace and solitude you’re hankering after, Singapore has some lovely offshore islands just 20 minutes away by ferry that surprisingly few tourists venture to. Stock up on picnic provisions at Marina South Pier and hop on the shuttle boat to St. John’s, where you’ll find 39 hectares (96 acres) of garden island to explore, with lagoons cut off from the sea by sandbanks, ideal for swimming.
Walk across the bridge to Lazarus
Island to discover Singapore’s most idyllic beach — a gorgeous stretch of white sand with a backdrop of jungle — which you’ll most likely have to yourself.
FIND LOVE
But what if you are single and searching? Head to the Yueh Hai Ching Temple (known locally as the Love Temple) that nestles among the offices of Raffles Place and join the line to tie a red string around Yue Lao, the Chinese god of marriage, and legend says that you’ll soon find your true love. You never know — he or she may be right next to you, holding a red string of their own.