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Home , Boat Quay, Clifford Pier, Singapore River

No tour of is complete without a leisurely trip along the Singapore . More than any other waterway, the river has defined the island’s history as well as played a significant role in its commercial success.

SKYSCRAPERS SEEN FROM singapore river

VICTORIA THEATRE & CONCERT HALL

SUPREME COURT

PADANG SINGAPORE RIVER SIR central 5 9

A great way to see the sights is to Kim, Robertson, Alkaff, book a river tour with the Clemenceau, Ord, Read, Singapore Explorer (Tel: 6339- Coleman, Elgin, Cavenagh, 6833). Begin your tour at Jiak Anderson and Esplanade — and Kim Jetty, just off Kim Seng in the process, pass through a Road, on either a bumboat (for significant slice of Singapore’s authenticity) or a glass-top boat history and a great many (for comfort). From here, you landmarks. will pass under 11 bridges — Jiak is a quiet residential enclave that, in recent years, has seen the beginnings of a dining hub, with excellent restaurants and gourmet shops like La Stella, Saint Pierre, Coriander Leaf, Tamade and Epicurious, all within striking distance of each other. Close to the leafy coolness of Fort Canning as well as the jumping disco-stretch of Mohamed Sultan Road , the area offers a more relaxed setting compared to its busier neighbour, Clarke Quay, downstream. With its vibrant and bustling concentration of pubs, seafood restaurants, street bazaars, live jazz bands, weekend flea markets and entertainment complexes, Clarke ROBERTSON QUAY Quay remains a magnet for tourists and locals. Restored in 1993, the sprawling village is open till late at night, filling the air with the warmth from the ROBERTSON QUAY CLARKE QUAY

ROBERTSON QUAY/CLARKE QUAY

charcoal braziers of the satay stalls (collectively called The Satay Club), the loud thump of discos and the general convivial air of relaxed bonhomie.

THE SATAY CLUB

CLARKE QUAY

Further down the river near , cross the overhead But for sheer spectacle, nothing , is the Central bridge to the gentrified Change beats a twilight stroll along the Business District (CBD), Alley , where you can find a host adjoining , just as the crowned by banks, the Stock of moneychangers. In turn, sun begins its slow dip and the air Exchange, trading companies, Change Alley opens onto starts to cool down. As darkness law firms and offices of overseas Raffles Place , a concentrated draws, the arc of shophouses and companies. By day, the CBD is hub of commercial offices and towering skyscrapers light up, jumping with activity. From shopping complexes. one after the other, utterly

COLLYER QUAY singapore river 6 1

VICTORIA CONCERT HALL ANDERSON BRIDGE transforming the skyline. The sleepy restaurants lining the water’s edge come alive as tourists and office suits descend on the area, making it quite impossible to imagine that a hundred years ago, this section of the river was crowded with sampans, armies of coolies and black-clad Samsui women unloading the colony’s future from stuffed barges. The Fullerton Hotel sits at the edge of Boat Quay, a spanking beacon of five-star swank set in a beautifully-restored building that used to house the general post office and tax office. From here, cross the and absorb some culture and history at the soon to be opened Asian Civilisations Museum II (Empress Place). A little further down Queen Elizabeth Walk is the relocated Merlion , once again spouting water from its jaws and BOAT QUAY THE FULLERTON SINGAPORE

BOAT QUAY/FULLERTON

overlooking the newly-opened Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay , already an icon famed for its twin durian-shaped domes. For a sensational panoramic view of the island, take the lift to the top of UOB Plaza 2 on the 60th floor and indulge in some high-end (literally) Sichuan and Cantonese cuisine at Sichuan Dou Hua Restaurant . (Tel: 6535 6006).

BOAT QUAY singapore river 6 3

The nearest MRT Station is Raffles Place.

Before the Singapore River was cleaned up in the ’70s, families of squatters used to live under the Read and Clemenceau Bridges.

SINGAPORE RIVER