Perfect way to See Singapore
Upon arriving in Singapore I took the SMRT directly from my hotel off Geylang Road 4 stops to City Hall station from a friend’s recommendations. From the City Hall MRT station I walked to Marina Bay which is what I would consider THE spot in Singapore for any visitors to visit.
Marina Bay has many sights and things to do including everything from cheap food hawkers to a newly built high-end hotel and casino to Singapore’s spiky looking performing arts venue the Esplanade and of course its mascot, the Merlion. Marina Bay goes on up Singapore River past Singapore’s classy night life and dining areas Boat Quay (pronounced “key”) and Clarke Quay.
The “30 minute tour” ticket was only $15 Singapore ($10.70USD) but I wanted to do the boat tour at dusk so I could get photos of Singapore in the light as well city light photos in the dark. I didn’t take the Singapore river boat tour on my first day because I wanted to get the Singapore Zoo and night safari out of the way so I left. In hindsight I wish I went on the boat tour on the first day.
River Boat and Ticket Office at Merlion
Boat from the Merlion
I came back 2 days later and bought a “30 minute tour” ticket from the ticket stand right next to the Merlion (pictured above). The river boat was not very crowded on a weekday in between 6 and 7. It took off and I sat in the very back to take some photos. There was a pre-recorded voice which tells a brief history about everything passed during the boat tour.
The boat tour is actually a taxi which stops at 4-5 places along Singapore River. The nightlife/dining areas Boat Quay and Clarke Quay were very close to the central business district. Towards the end of the river boat tour I was able to see the Novotel Hotel which I was going to splurge to stay at and I realized that the location was very prime which also probably justified the price.
View from Boat
Overall Impression
Singapore River Boat tour, isn’t really a ‘tour’ it’s more like a taxi which give you a nice breezy lift from Marina Bay to anywhere along Singapore River. I consider the river boat tour is an immediate essential “thing to do” for anyone who visiting Singapore. Just feeling the vibe of Singapore is worth the price of admission. I was able to get some good photos with my Nikon D700 digital SLR and Nikkor 14-24mm F/2.8 which you can see below.
View More Photos from Singapore River Boat Tour on tourismPICS.com
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