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Shopping is
one of the greatest pleasures in Singapore. Part
of the fun is the excellent buys and great
variety of shops all over the island. Delight in
a bargain at a little neighborhood shop, pick up
a quaint item or two as you stroll through
colorful ethnic districts, discover favorite
buys of the droves who flock to our modern malls
or be enthralled by the splendor of whole
shopping "cities" selling everything under the
sun.
Retail stores operate from Sunday to Thursday
10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday to Saturday 10.30
a.m. to 9.30 p.m.
Here are some great places for shopping:
Arabs Street
- Arab Street is a repository culture for
Singapore's Muslim community, with its focal
point being the Sultan Mosque. Here, you will
find the biggest concentration of Muslim
restaurants and shops selling merchandise from
all over the Islamic world. These shops are a
riot of colour, displaying textiles, antiques,
jewellery, artifacts and basket ware. Textile
stores are the most prominent, their walls and
doorways draped with vibrant rolls of cloths and
batiks. At one end of Arab Street near North
Bridge Road, you may even get to mix your own
perfume from a selection of aromatics like musk,
lavender, honeysuckle and jasmine.
Boat Quay - One of the best spots in
Singapore to alfresco dining. And who would have
foreseen that back when the area was still a
cargo-loading bay? A popular hangout for locals,
expatriates and tourists, Boat Quay now boasts
chic cafes, high-end restaurants, yuppie pubs
and designer galleries. Rather than cargoes of
trade, you find the riverside today awash with
tables set up for alfresco dining. This
picturesque, though busy, stretch offers great
views of the Singapore River and part of the
colonial district.
China Town - Although largely scarred by
redevelopment, Chinatown today still contains
pockets of genuinely old shophouses where
age-old trades like clog-making and calligraphy
continue to be practiced. Paper effigies of
cars, houses and other material objects are
still being made for the deceased. These are
then burnt, in the belief that they will raise
the standard of living of the deceased in the
next world. For tea connoisseurs, a visit to a
tea house is a must, not only to relish the
flavour of Chinese tea, but also to experience
the traditional art of tea-brewing.
Little India - Awash with scents and
sights of the subcontinent, this is a microcosm
of India where every imaginable Indian product
can be found: trinkets, sarees, spices,
sweetmeats, nose studs, flower garlands and
anything else that an Indian household needs.
Traces of Hinduism are found everywhere, from
the elaborate temples to wall calendars with
pictures of Hindu deities. On Sundays, Indian
locals and foreign workers flock the streets to
eat, chat, shop and worship. Hard though it is
to walk through the crowds, this is a unique
spectacle you should not miss.
Orchard Road - Singapore's Champs-�lysees
stretches 2.5 kilometres long and is said to
have the largest concentration of shopping malls
worldwide. Originally a nutmeg and pepper
plantation, Orchard Road today is lined with
ritzy malls, swanky eateries and luxury hotels
from end to end. The more notable shopping
centres include Ngee Ann City, Tangs Department
Store, Wisma Atria, The Heeren and Centrepoint.
Nevertheless, some old portions of the street
have managed to escape the bulldozers,
particularly the peranakan shophouses near
Emerald Hill, built at the turn of the 20th
century.
Sentosa - This modern resort island south
of Singapore is more than just sentosa
(tranquil). Apart from 3.2 kilometres of white
sandy beaches and lush tropical fauna, it offers
a kaleidoscope of historical enclaves, adventure
parks, landscaped gardens and a variety of
museums. The Underwater World, for instance, is
Asia's largest tropical fish oceanarium.
With so many attractions awaiting you, it is
best to come early, take the monorail to get
your bearings and plan your itinerary first. Or
check into one of the resorts and enjoy the
island's never-ending bliss piecemeal and
thoroughly.
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