Elite Traveler March-April 2015

elite traveler MAR/APR 2015 ISSUE 2 95

Singapore Swing There’s another side to the city-state best known for its skyscapers, shopping malls, order and cleanliness. Nick Scott reveals a destination with much more to offer the adventure-loving tourist than you might think

The curious will also be drawn back to Singapore’s more upmarket haunts by the food-inspired cocktails. Mars Bar, in the trendy Duxton Hill neighborhood, serves a savory treat called the Bak Kwa Cocktail: a bourbon-based concoction infused with the smoky notes of sweet barbecue pork. Meanwhile The Horse’s Mouth, tucked away in the basement of Forum The Shopping Mall on Orchard Road, spruces up a liquid version of ubiquitous local delicacy Hainanese chicken rice with a generous dash of Mezcal. For all its reputation for glitz, glamour and retail indulgence, Singapore also packs a peck of intrigue for the more swashbuckling visitor. bluestaryachting.net; banyantree.com; ubinkayak.com; nparks.gov.sg, parkroyalhotels.com; marinabaysands.com; mixesfrommars.sg; horsesmouthbar.com

as of September 2014, but the MacRitchie Reservoir Park is an excellent alternative for recreational strollers. There are several hiking routes, most of which reach a zenith at the Tree TopWalk: a 80ft-high suspension bridge connecting the parks’ two highest points, Bukit Peirce and Bukit Kalang. From here you can peer down at the forest canopy. The great thing about Singapore is that a hunger for the unfamiliar can also be sated within the metropolis: not least thanks to the city’s avant-garde approach to architecture. One notable example is the Parkroyal On Pickering Hotel, which opened in 2013. An extraordinary addition to the cityscape, with tropical foliage draped all over its façade’s curves and contours, the hotel is the work of local architect Woha. “It’s a response to the constant drive for more development and taller buildings and the displacement of greenery on the ground,” explains Woha’s founding director Richard Hassell. “There’s 161,450 sq ft of sky-gardens, water features, waterfalls and green walls. As our cities become taller and denser, we don’t have to lose the relief and delight of our green spaces.” Hassell believes creative boldness is key to the future of our cities. “We have to be more adventurous if cities are going to adapt to future challenges.” Singapore is also a city in which foodies will never have to look far for their fix. In fact, the city’s “hawker centres” – bustling open-air food courts filled with food stalls – are widely considered the best places to get authentic versions of fare that is distinctly alien to the western palate (think fish head curry, frog porridge and organ soup, the latter is made from the liver, heart, intestines and stomach of a pig). If you’d rather not brave the mayhem, Sky On 57 showcases local culinary luminary Justin Quek’s often outlandish interpretations of Franco-Asian cuisine - wok-fried frog legs with ginger and scallions being his current speciality, from the summit of Tower 1 inMarina Bay Sands.

This part of South-East Asia is known for its idyllic, palm-fringed coastline. Although much of Singapore is now dominated by land reclamation and commercial shipping, there are unspoilt islands within easy reach. Pulau Hantu, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, is where divers and snorkelers mingle with the rich marine biodiversity – including spotted stingrays, crocodile fish, turtles and spectacular coral. Blue Star Yachting offers a luxury charter every Sunday on a magnificent 62ft Sunreef catamaran (with space for up to 37 guests). The same company has also devised a five-hour itinerary that takes in nearby Lazarus Island, St John’s Island, the Sisters’ Islands and Kusu Island, all of which have fine-sand beaches backed by verdant wilderness. But anyone looking for an overnight version of the Robinson Crusoe fantasy will need to travel a little further, to Pulau Bintan, for a stay at the Banyan Tree Bintan, which epitomizes the modern wilderness escape with 64 thatched, stilted villas (some with private pools) along a lush, secluded coastline. Those who don’t mind relinquishing creature comforts for half a day may opt for a spot of kayaking or mountain biking around the mangroves of Pulau Ubin, an island to the north-east of Singapore. The heady scent of fresh fruits lingers in the air in these parts, which are home to kingfishers, eagles, hornbills – even the odd river dolphin. Ubin Kayak offers a great experience for novices. Back on the main island, there are still a few spots of lush wilderness to remind visitors of how Singapore would have looked to the first European colonizers – a Portuguese fleet that sailed intoMalacca in 1509 (even when modern Singapore’s founder Sir StamfordRaffles arrived over 300 years later, the island was covered almost entirely by rainforest.) The 400-acre Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, one of the largest patches of rainforest left in Singapore, is closed for maintenance for two years