The Merlion, one of the most evocative of sculptures is to be found in the City of Singapore. It is a mythical beast with the head of a lion and the body of a fish, but there is nothing mythical about Singapore itself, other than the magic this small country weaves on all its visitors.
There is one main island and 63 minor islands, with a constant temperature year round, making it an equatorial climate being only 85 miles north of the Equator itself.
There is a wealth of sights for the visitor to visit, one of which is the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Open from 5am until midnight, you can walk around the 130 acre site and smell the fragrances of stunning roses and the ginger plant, amongst others. There is a stunning collection of orchids in the National Orchid Garden, and it is well worth taking a camera as no-one will believe the varieties and colours which you have seen.
The garden in its original form was designed by Sir Stamford Raffles, who is most famous for the hotel of that name, on Beach Road, and where you can still order a Singapore Sling cocktail in the Long Bar! There is also a museum in the hotel which is filled with items from round the world that have been returned including photographs, menus and silverware and china, all from a bygone era, showing the hotel as it once was.
Another unbelievable place is the world-renowned Zoo, which can be visited on a Night Safari. Here, from twilight into darkness, you will see and hear many animals from different geographic locations such as the jungle, pampas, rainforest and savannah all preparing themselves in a cacophony of sound, for the night.
Finally, let’s not forget the shopping. Singapore is one of the places to go for out-of-this world shopping malls, selling everything from jewellery to furniture, clothes to computers. Orchard Road and Vivo City, amongst many others, should satisfy the most ardent of shoppers, from those on a budget to those with bottomless bank accounts.