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52 things to do in Singapore in 2012
Concoct your own cocktail bar crawl, attempt yoga while strapped to a hammock, and of course, there's lots of eating to be done
Singapore = Snoresville? Maybe it's just you ... Bored in Singapore?
You'll have no excuse to prolong this complaint any further when you’ve finished reading this laundry list of 52 things to do in 2012.
And really, there’s no such thing as boring … just boring people.
1. Pick peanut shells off the floor of Long Bar
Littering is allowed in Singapore, encouraged even at the Raffles Hotel Long Bar.
To give you more value for your S$23 Singapore Sling, eat your fill of the complimentary peanuts and “decorate” the floor of this classic colonial bar with the discarded shells.
Walk up to the third floor for an exhibit on the history of Raffles Hotel Singapore.
1 Beach Road, Singapore, +65 6337 1886; www.raffles.com
Scoot over to your next holiday destination.
If the Mayans are to be believed, the world will end in 2012 -- all the more reason to travel, and for less.
Choose soon-to-launch Scoot Airways whose slogan “short, sharp and snappy,” and undertaking to discount fares up to 40 percent -- we hope -- translates across as quality, value-for-money travel without the hassle of delays and cancellations.
www.flyscoot.com
More on CNNGo: Scoot Airlines to link Singapore and Sydney daily
3. Ignore the “chope” system
Isn’t it great that you get free tissues whenever you eat out at hawker centers?
Yes, we know tissue packets are placed as a way to reserve tables but this system deserves to be turned on its head every once in a while.
So go ahead, ignore the tissues packets and just sit down and enjoy your meal -– just don’t be surprised if someone has something to say about it.
More on CNNGo: 3 unusual Singapore hawker stalls
Fix your sights on expanding your mind at Kennel.
Spaces like Kennel give us optimism for Singapore’s entrepreneurial future.
Located in Dempsey Hill, Kennel doesn’t just rent out space, it encourages the sharing and cross-pollination of ideas hosting regular workshops, social events, classes, and talks.
To encourage learning from all avenues, every Kennel member is expected to contribute a certain amount of Knowledge Bank hours (KBh).
Block 8D, #03-03/4 Dempsey Hill, +65 6276 9616; inthekennel.com
Not to be overlooked, Velvet Underground has revamped and reopened with a new VIP lounge.
When Filter (1 Nanson Road, #02-05, River Valley Close; bottlepopper@filterclub.sg) launched in 2011, many people wondered if the world of VIP, bottle-service-only clubbing would survive in Singapore.
It has, and we have the region’s billionaires, trustafarians and generous corporate expense accounts to thank (or not) for this.
A big player on the scene is Pangaea (Pangaea at Marina Bay Crystal Pavilion, 2 Bayfront Ave., +65 986117013; www.pangaea.sg), which according to a recent article in Forbes is the highest-earning club – per square meter -- in the world, grossing US$300,000 weekly for the three nights that it's open.
But the most telling sign that VIP clubbing is here to stay is Zouk’s Velvet Underground (17 Jiak Kim Street, +65 6738 2988; www.zoukclub.com), which has re-opened with a VIP-only Velvet Lounge. Ultra slick with just 12 tables, and privy only for those on guests lists or table reservations.
More on CNNGo: 10 reasons to hit Singapore's new nightclubs Avalon and Pangaea
6. Buy property
Prefer to save your clubbing money for a down payment?
Well, with realtors mourning the cooling-off measure of 2011, property buyers will hopefully have something to smile about. If these measures -- a 10 percent additional buyer’s stamp duties (ABSD) imposed on any private buys by foreigners and corporations -- have their intended effect, property prices should go from crazy to a little less crazy.
7. Re-watch your favorite blockbuster, Imax style
Singapore finally has an Imax theater that’ll regularly screen blockbusters.
On the bill: “Avatar”, “Thor”, “How to Train your Dragon” and “Star Trek” for the first few months of 2012. From now till March 31, grab a bargain with the SHAW IMAX Passport for S$49, which includes entry to one IMAX 2D and two IMAX 3D movies.
www.shaw.sg/imax
More on CNNGo: AVATAR Review: IMAX 3D scores big
83's art just adds to the drinking experience.
The closest thing Singapore has to Hong Kong’s Lan Kwai Fong, the injection of bars and restaurants has revived Club Street to be one of Singapore’s buzziest streets.
A big shout out to newish bar 83 (83 Club Street, +65 6220 4083; www.83clubstreet.com).
We’re a fan of the revolving artwork -- curated by local art collective Kult -- adorning the walls, the quirk decor (a clock turning backwards, a wall of cassettes) and the roster of DJs taking turns helming the decks.
Abig reason why people are once again spilling out onto Club Street, their happy hour (S$8 for a house pour drinks, beers and wines) from 3 p.m.-8 p.m.
More on CNNGo: Drink by type: 10 bars for 10 social stereotypes in Singapore
9. Listen to your political voice
W!LD RICE’s social commentary on last year’s Singapore General Election returns.
Ivan Heng and Jo Kukathas direct the play “Cooling Off Day” based on real life interviews from Singaporeans.
February 22-March 11. Tickets from S$44 from www.sistic.com.sg
10. Hic! Cocktail hop
Drink Culture: pricey, potent cocktails.
If 2010 was the year of rooftop bars, 2011 was the year of cocktail bars.
Some of our favorites include B28 (28 Ann Siang Road, +65 9026 3466; www.btwentyeight.com), where whiskey, fresh fruit cocktails and live jazz is the order of the evening.
Tucked away on a non-descript street is 28 HongKong Street (+65 6533 2001; www.28hks.com) a bar who rather not be known by the masses, too bad the word is out.
The reasonably priced tipples from barkode (66 Dunlop St., +65 6396 4463; www.BARKODE-Singapore.com), the signature Néktar Club inspired by Burma's Pegu Club at Nektar (31 Scotts Road, +65 6836 9185; www.nektar.com.sg), the smokey old bastard from Tippling Club (8D Dempsey Road, +65 6475 2217; www.tipplingclub.com), Red Ruby martini at Drink Culture (50/51 Kreta Ayer Road, +65 6557 0538; www.drinkculture.com.sg) and any of Bar Stories (57A Haji Lane, +65 6298 0838) cocktails that combine goose fat with your choice of booze.
11. Hustle in the Lunar New Year
It’s the year of the dragon, so festivities will be especially loud.
From January 21 to 29, the River Hongbao 2012 transforms The Float at Marina Bay into a spectacle of sound and lights.
On January 21, Guinness has brought together local singers for a one-night-only recital along Pagoda Street between 7 p.m.-8 p.m..
Lunar New Year's Eve (January 22), Chinatown will be all pomp and ceremony with revelers, auctions and tourists. And on February 3, the Chingay Parade with a gripping all-dragons show will round off the festivities.
www.yoursingapore.com
Awww ... welcome little Kai Kai to Singapore.
What started out as an idea for an aquarium grew into a river safari park with 10 freshwater habitats brimming with creatures like fearsome arowanas, giant catfish, anacondas and the elusive bamboo-chomping giant panda.
Opens third quarter of 2012. www.riversafari.com.sg
13. Opt for progressive meals
With the recent increase in taxi fares, every leg of the journey must count.
Progressive meals, which are gaining popularity in the United States, entail eating your appetizer, lunch, and dinner all in separate locations.
Spend a Friday night with friends by exploring the city course by course.
Adam Road for nasi lemak (Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak, #01-02 Adam Road Food Centre, 2 Adam Road, +65 9843 4509), the east coast for mee pok (Jalan Tua Kong Lau Lim Mee Pok, Bedok Shopping Center, 308 Bedok Road, +65 6421 0201) or Wee Nam Kee (#01-05 Novena Ville, 275 Thomson Road, +65 6255 6396) for chicken rice.
