Three tourist jaunts

So far we have spent most of our time at work but have made an effort most weekends to head out and do something a bit touristy and the see a bit of the place. So here are three favourites so far in case any one ever visits.

Night Safari @ Singapore Zoo
During Chinese New Year break Rachel arranged for us to visit the Night Safari part of the zoo. It is a long way out of town by Singapore standards towards the causeway to Malaysia. The zoo is apparently one of the best in Asia and the night safari shows off the animals at dusk and in the early night. We arrived to the complex which is akin to what I reckon Jurassic Park would look like, lots of themed buildings and cafes. The tour itself involves jumping on a chain of golf cart contraptions and then being driven around by a guide. I was skeptical about the zoo thing to begin with, which is probably a reflection of the fact that my only previous zoo experiences are in Wellington and at Marineland in Napier. Anyway the tour proceeds through different areas such as the Tibetan Highlands, the African Savanna, Jungles of South East Asia and in each region you see a different collection of animals. The anteater was a highlight but perhaps the most exotic were the elephants, hippopotamus, tigers, rhino, flamingos, hyenas that were all out and about. The tour finishes with a night animals show were the otters do tricks. For $23 each it was a good night out.

Biking along East Coast Parkway
Over the same weekend we meet up with some school friends who were doing a bike ride from the centre of town out towards Changi Village which is near the airport. We managed to meet them halfway along their journey with our rented bikes. The ride went along a long coastline of reclaimed land and artificial beaches with a very wide bike path. Its akin to the feeling of running along Mission Bay and St Helleirs in Auckland, We even saw a New Zealand Icecream shop along the way. Its a popular place to be seen in your gears and exercising but we reckon we will be back to ride along it again. The city itself is very hustle and bustle so the low rise East Coast is nice contrast.


Mt Faber Park and Henderson Waves:
Between home and school is a series of interconnected parks which is called the Southern Ridges. This has become a nice place to run, explore and also get lost. From school a new path links up with a few hills and after 10 minutes to new bridge called Henderson Waves. In Singaporean fashion they have a bridge between two previously inaccessible parks which stretches 100 metres above a motorway below. I stumbled across it and will be back to take some photos. The rest of the run home is along concrete paths but it feels a little like Mt Victoria. The final part is a drag through suburbia and big roads back home. Finding home is easy as I can spot the skyscrapers next door from a few kilometres away.















http://www.flickr.com/photos/weesen/3155127947/

There is plenty of other things to do and keep us occupied but the local pastime is still shopping and eating food.