Bubble Tea! Or tea with bubbles?

 

Bubble tea is one of the very common beverage that young adults and teenagers enjoy. There was a bubble tea fever more than 10 years ago and it died down due to the huge number of stalls competing in a small market. Bubble tea makes its comeback a few years ago and with big Taiwanese players, Bubble tea seemed to be staying for quite a while. 

Bubble tea is generally red tea with added flavor or milk tea. The term bubble is derived from the large chewy black pearls made of sago powder (jelly kind of ingredient) and you will have to use a larger than usual straw to suck up the pearls. Bubble tea today comes in more than fifty different flavors, from fruity apple to the more traditional green tea bubble tea.

   

Look at gigantic straw! The queue number is the last two digit on your receipt No.

One of my favorite bubble tea stall is Gong Cha, a Taiwanese-based bubble tea chain. It does not sell the fruity kind of bubble tea, but more of the uniquely concocted mixes like Grapefruit Green tea, Taro Milk or my favorite, Lemon Roasted Melon Tea! It is definitely more tasty than many of the usual powder mixed flavor teas, but cost at a much higher price. But still, it is quite affordable and I always get one when I past by one of its stalls.

The Gong Cha stall has a very systematic queuing and collection process. First you have to select your drink and then place your order at the counter. The counter will issue you the receipt with a queue number on it and you will just hang around and watch the LED screen for your number. When your number appears just head over to the collection counter and collect your drink!

My Lemon Roasted Melon Tea is a mix of lemon and roasted melon, and it tasted like iced lemon tea but with a tangy citrus kind of bitterly sweet. You can choose to add pearls in it too, I added white pearls as it tasted better, more crunchy than the usual black pearls. You can watch how the staff make the drink. It is just like a pub barrister shaking your cocktail!

If you really like to try some localized Asian kind of beverage or when you just need to have some cooling drink to quench your thirst, grab one along the way! Gong Cha has numerous outlets all over Singapore. In shopping malls, MRT, shophouses. You have to try one when you are in Singapore. 

Photo from http://foodiefc.wordpress.com

Cycling in Singapore!

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Singapore may be a busy city with tons of concrete and miles of roads. The roads are always busy and in heavy traffic. However, do you know that this so-called Garden City does have quiet and serene places where you can totally relax yourself and just enjoy the surroundings? Cycling is an almost forgotten activity in many Singaporean's’ lives, everyone is into computer games, shopping malls and theme parks. In fact, cycling is one of the most affordable and healthy activity!

Just yesterday, Me and my girlfriend made a trip to East Coast Park, the longest and biggest park along the east coast of Singapore. It is one of the favorites among family kind of activity where there are BBQ pits, white sandy beach, and dedicated pathways for jogging and cycling! There is even a extreme skate park for the bicycles and skaters! Our plan that day was to cycle from East Coast Park all the way to the end of it, and through the park connectors that will bring us all the way till Changi Beach Park, another great park behind the Changi Airport.

East Coast Park Area C PCN Pit Stop

To get to east Coast Park, we boarded the MRT to Eunos MRT (Green Line) and took a bus (No.13) and alighted at Marine Crescent. From there, we are able to cross to East Coast park via an underground tunnel over the East Coast Parkway (An expressway in Singapore). There are numerous bicycle rental stations over here, but only one offers you to rent and return somewhere else along the park, “PCN pitstop”, have multiple stations along East Coast Park and Changi Beach Park. Thats why we can make an one way trip without having to cycle your way back to East Coast Park! PCN Pitstop we went to is located at Area C of East Coast Park, very near to Burger King and the Long Beach Seafood Restaurant.

We rented mountain bikes which cost like $10 for 2 hours, which is pretty cheap and of good quality. The bikes there are very well maintained and all sorts of sizes are available. You can choose from one seater mountain bikes, or twin bikes and even a four-seater family cart! But well, for long distance, you really need the mountain bike to make it all the way there!

The distance from Area C to Changi Beach Park is around 18 kilo meters (11.2 miles) and you definitely have to be prepared to perspire and tire out along the way. Trust me, the sense of achievement and with the Changi wind blowing on you is going to overwhelm you and worth everything you have put in. Don’t worry about water and rest, there are plenty of water points and shelters for you to rest and refill.

Just to get you prepared, mentally and physically, here are some descriptions  of various segment along the journey:

• Area C to the End of East Coast Park (near NSRCC Resort) –> There will be curvy path ways and more crowded with people. Expect uphills and down slopes. No traffic light junction, so you are safe from the cars.
• End of East Coast Park to Changi Airport Runway—> This is a Park Connector known as  Changi Coastal walk. Great scenery, expect curvy roads . It cuts through vegetation but the road is cemented and well maintained. Expect one of the 3 traffic light junctions, dismount and cross the road.
• Changi Airport Runway to Changi Beach Park –> This is the toughest part of the route. The path is parallel to the Changi Airport runway. So basically you are cycling from the end of the runway to the other, straight and even path. No great scenery, but you will experience the engine sounds of planes taking off and landing. The road is just straight and can be boring, so maintain speed and endure for this 8 kilometers.
• Changi Beach Park to Changi Village—> You will know that you have conquered the runway when you hit another traffic light. Here is another PCN Pitstop which you can buy some well deserved drinks and ice cream. Changi Beach park will bring you to another stretch of beaches, you will see many fishing along the way and witness planes landing over your head.

Changi Beach Park PCN Pitstop

Your destination is Changi Village, the end of Changi Beach Park where another PCN pitstop is located. You can return your bike here and show the guys your receipt. Changi Village is one of Singapore’s first settlements and now built up nicely where you can find good food at the hawker center. Nasi Lemak, or Coconut Rice, is a malay delicacy and Changi Village have one of the best Nasi Lemak in Singapore. There are many stalls selling, but as a rule of thumb, go to the one with the longest queue!

 

Changi Beach Park and Changi Village Hawker Center

You can get back to Tampines MRT station by taking a bus (No.29) from the bus terminal at Changi Village and leave knowing that you have spent a good day covering 42% the width of Singapore! You have burnt 488 calories! Great job!

This cycling route is one of the longest in Singapore, you can even go on from there till you hit Pasir Ris Park! It is pretty safe as there is only three traffic light junctions and the paths are all well maintained. I strongly recommend to those who enjoy the beaches and winds.

 

Things to take note:

• Getting to East Coast Park – > Taxi is the most convenient. Tell the driver to bring you to Area C carpark. Buses are available at Eunos MRT (No.13) alight at Marine Crescent and walk through a few apartment estates to reach the underground tunnel that brings you to Area C.
• Rent your bikes at PCN Pitstop if you are going to return at Changi Beach Park. Note that you will need a Singapore Pink IC to do that. Other forms of identification can be used, however you will have to return your bikes at this PCN pitstop.

Expect to be under the Sun! Use sunscreens and sunblocks with you want to avoid getting tanned! Bring water bottle and you can refill at various water points along the way. There will be stalls selling drinks with you crave for something ice cold.

• Changi Village, a small residential area with a bus terminal. Buses there can bring you to Tampines MRT (No.29). Good food available there.  

Travelling by Taxi in Singapore

Other than the MRT and bus, taxi is one of the main forms of public transport here in Singapore. It is also the more convenient transport, since taxi can bring you anywhere in Singapore. But as expected, it is more costly than the rest of the public transport.

Photo from laughmakesfun.com

Generally there are about 8 taxi companies in Singapore, each had almost the same pricing for taxi fares and they are readily available on the road. You can board a taxi by hailing one by the road, or board one at designated taxi stands. Alternatively, you can book taxis online or through the phone with additional surcharge.

Taxi stands are designated areas for taxi to pick up passengers at convenient locations. Every MRT station or shopping malls will have a taxi stand.

Pic from http://fuchsia.com.sg

All taxis can be identified with the roof panels and you can tell if the taxi is available or not. Most taxis today have LED panels with some standard codes on it:

• “TAXI” – Green in color, meaning available for hire
• “HIRED” – Red, meaning taxi is carrying passengers at the moment
• “BUSY” – Red, meaning taxi is unavailable for hire
• “CHANGE SHIFT -- Area” Green, meaning the taxi is heading to the displayed area as the driver will be changing shift soon.
• “ON CALL” – Red, means taxi is on the way to a booking

Some older taxis may just have a lighted panel displaying the word “TAXI” on it, meaning it is available. If the light is off, then it is not for hire. It is hard to tell whether it is lighted or not in the day, but not worry you can still flag at the taxi and see if it stops! Well, these older versions are not as common today.

Taxi fares are charged through the taximeter found in the control panel of the taxi. The taxi driver will start the meter when you have boarded the taxi and confirmed the hiring. The meter will stop when you alight at your destination and that will be the basic fare you will need to pay, and on top of that are additional surcharges like peak hours surcharge, CBD  charges, standard booking fee or location surcharges (eg. Changi Airport etc). The main form of payment is by cash, and other forms like credit card payment is available in some taxis. You can also asked for a receipt from the driver.

Travelling by taxi in Singapore is safe, as the taxi drivers go for regular refresher course on road safety and traffic rules. Taxi drivers also have their identification document and registration number displayed prominently in the taxi. Fare charges are also included, usually by the window or doors.

Taxi may be the most convenient of all, however it may not be the fastest when you encounter short, intermittent traffic jams along the roads with more traffic like Orchard Road or expressways on peak hours. Many locals preferred the MRT as it is a more consistent and fast mode of transport.

The River is calling: River Safari!!

As many would know, The Singapore Zoo and the Night Safari are world renowned zoos for their setting, environment and unique experience. Only just last week, they have just added another zoo to their family: The River Safari! River Safari is home to animals found in the wetlands and river banks, which include animals from all over the world! You can expect to see animals like the enormous Chinese Giant Salamander from the China’s Yangtze River, gigantic Mekong Catfish from Indo-China, numerous Alligator Gars from the Mississippi River and also a whole family of gentle Manatees from the Amazon River!

 

River Safari is a mostly sheltered zoo, so you don’t have to worry about rain or sun. Expect to see aquarium like set up, with multiple tanks that showcase aquatic animals and also witness how some animals like the river otters dive up and down their wet and dry habitats. What I really like most is that some of these enclosures allow you to observe the animals in the water and out on the land. You can see them foraging in the river and move up to a high platform and view them roaming among the rocks and trees.

Just like the Zoo, the River Safari adopted the “Open Zoo” concept, where animals are placed in perfectly designed landscape enclosures instead of cages and cement walls. The entire area of the River Safari is much smaller than the Zoo and Night Safari, you can expect to spend half a day to comfortably cover very part of the zoo.

The main highlight of the Zoo will be celebrity giant panda couples! Kai Kai and Jia Jia, received great welcome when they were sent over from China to Singapore just last year! They are housed in a specially built for them, air-conditioned enclosure, which visitors are required to book their 15-min slot to view them. Don’t worry, 15 mins is more than enough to have a good view at them and their friends in the neighboring enclosures like the Red Panda.

Another great enclosure I personally like is the Manatee Enclosure! Very similar to the gigantic viewing panel at the S.E.A. Aquarium, you can see more than ten manatees gracefully foraging in the water, do watch for their young and cute babies too! The enclosure also come with viewing panels on different heights of the tank and you can really get close to them as the swim past right in front of your face.

Another highlight of the River Safari is the Amazon River Ride, which you will get to ride on a boat around a few enclosures and observe the Amazon animals roaming in their enclosure. However, the boat ride will only open later in the year, and I will be back there another time!

River Safari is conveniently situated right in between the Singapore Zoo and the Night Safari, central Singapore. The easiest way to get there is by taxi, a 15-20 min ride from the city or board the bus 927 at Choa Chu Kang MRT or bus 138 from Ang Mo Kio MRT.

Quick summary for your mobile devices:

MRT: Choa Chu Kang MRT (North South Line) –> Bus 927 

MRT: Ang Mo Kio (North South Line) –> Bus 138

Taxi can bring you direct to the River Safari

Tickets are available for booking online or ticketing booths at the Singapore Zoo

S.E.A. Aquarium – Largest Oceanarium in the World!

One of the latest addition to great Singapore attractions! South-East Asia (S.E.A.) Aquarium is home to more than 800 species of marine animals like the enormous goliath grouper, mysterious sea jellies, gigantic manta rays and other marine legends. The highlight of the aquarium is the world’s largest viewing panel, a giant piece of glass at 36 meters (118ft) wide and 8.3 meters (27ft) tall, offers you the feeling of being right in on the ocean floor!

The Oceanarium starts with a journey through several of the reefs habitats, exhibiting different forms of marine life. You will see varying sizes of viewing panels, some are full of colourful reef species like triggerfish, butterfly fish and other rocky tanks with numerous moray eels! There are also tanks with schooling fish, and you will get to witness how the schooling fish mass tightly together to avoid the bigger fish!

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The S.E.A. Aquarium is located in Resorts World Sentosa, underneath the Maritime Museum. It opens at 10am till late evening around 7-8pm. Expect the place to be quite crowded during peak periods or late afternoon and it will be harder to look at the tanks. Try to be there early in the morning if you want a more relaxing, quiet environment in the aquarium.

You will probably need to spend at least two hours to fully experience every part of the aquarium. The aquarium is 100% indoors and underground, so don’t worry about hats and umbrellas. Be sure to bring more clothing as it is rather cold inside!

Admission to the aquarium is priced at SGD 29 for adults and SGD 20 for children aged 4-12 and seniors aged 60 and above. The S.E.A. Aquarium can be accessed via transports into Sentosa, like the monorail, buses and stroll along the boardwalk.

Quick summary for your mobile devices:

MRT: HarbourFront MRT (North East Line)

Monorail into Sentosa ($3.50) @ VivoCity Level 3

Boardwalk to Sentosa ($1)

Taxi can bring you direct to Resorts World Sentosa

Tickets are available for booking online or ticketing booths right outside of Maritime Museum

MRT – The most popular mode of transport in Singapore!

MRT ,stands for Mass Rapid Transit, is Singapore’s railway system that spans across the entire Singapore. It is a network of 102 stations, and about 150km of railway lines, both above and underground. Waiting time for the train is always under 10 mins.

In some MRT stations, bus interchanges are situated right next to them. And together with the bus network, you can almost reach anywhere in Singapore! In fact the longest traveling time to anywhere in Singapore is less than 3 hours! The MRT network consists of several lines, marked by different colors, they serve different areas of Singapore. Currently there are four main lines, North-South Line (Red), East-West Line (Green), North-East Line (Purple) and the Circle Line (Orange). They are supported by bus networks and also light rail system (LRT) marked by grey loops you can see in the map.

The stations are situated conveniently at major shopping centers or places of attractions. Sentosa Island is just a short walk away from North East Line’s Harbourfront Station, Marina Bay Sands has a station right under it, Circle Line’s Bayfront Station. Transiting line to line can be done at interchange stations and you don’t have to worry about alighting at one and looking for a nearby station of another line. MRT networks are all closely integrated together, only one ticket is needed to any MRT station.

        

Tickets can be bought off automated General Ticketing Machines (GTM) in any station. A standard one-trip ticket will be issued and all you need is to select the destination and pay the correct fares. Entering the station is easy, just tap your card at the gantries and then tap again when you reach your destination. The used cards can then be returned at the GTMs to get your deposit back, which you have paid when buying.

Traveling by MRT is way cheaper and convenient than other transports like taxi or bus. You don’t have to worry about traffic jams or road conditions and MRT will bring you close enough to walk to your final destination. The MRTs can get pretty crowded at peak hours or holiday seasons, but not to worry, you can always hop on the next which is less than 3 mins during peak hours!

Universal Studios Singapore

One of the main attractions in Singapore, Universal Studios Singapore (USS) is a great theme park for the entire family! There is always something that every family member can enjoy. This fun-filled theme park is as good as its counterparts in other parts of the world!

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Universal Studios Singapore is divided in various themes, 7 to be exact:

#1 Hollywood, where you will meet famous stars and cartoon characters.

#2 New York, an almost exact replica of various buildings in downtown New York.

#3 Sci-Fi City, where it houses Transformers the Ride and the iconic dueling roller coaster, Battlestar Galactica

#4 Ancient Egypt, an indoor rollercoaster of the Revenge of the Mummy

#5 Lost World, back to the Jurassic Park with river ride and canopy ride

#6 Far Far Away where you will find Shrek and Fiona

#7 Madagascar! Where you will move it move it! River ride and Merry Go Round!

Very similar to other theme parks, expect longer waiting times during peak period, up to 2 hours on Transformers the Ride. It is advisable for you to go there when it opens at 10am and cover as many rides as possible. If not, get the Express Passes and you skip the queues!

Overall the rides are awesome, Transformers and the Mummy rides are world class theme park attractions. For the thrill-seekers, do not miss the Battlestar Galactica! The two dueling rollercoaster is packed with twists and turns, with one hanging-type rollercoaster and the traditional seated rollercoaster. Anything for kids? Yeah! Do try out the all new Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase! But its really for kids, but you are welcome to go for it! There are also a bunch of kiddy rides at Madagascar and Shrek theme parks.

Besides rides, do catch the shows too! Be sure to watch the Waterworld Stunt show, amazing stunts and great setting! Donkey Live is pretty entertaining too where you get to interact with the Donkey in Shrek! Oh and Shrek 4D! A short movie where you will experience not just 3D but 4D cinema experience!

Some tips in the park, there is no need to bring water bottles as water fountains are found almost everywhere. Some rides prohibit carry-on items and you will have to deposit them in digital lockers which are free to use for the first 30 mins. Try to minimize your load or bags.

Universal Studios Singapore is reasonably priced at SGD 78 (Adult 1 Day Pass) , SGD 54 (1 Child Age 4-12 1 Day Pass) and SGD 36 (Senior age >=60 1 Day Pass) . In addition Express passes are at a top-up at SGD 30, entitles you one-time express entries to all major rides. Universal Studios Singapore is open daily from 10am –7pm.

Universal Studios Singapore is situated in Resorts World Sentosa, on Sentosa Island, Southern Singapore. Nearest MRT Station, Harbourfront MRT (North East Line) and accessible to Sentosa Island via Monorail in the shopping mall VivoCity Level 3(SGD 3.50 admission). Alternatively, you can embark on a 10 min walk along the boardwalk into Sentosa (SGD 1 Admission)

Quick Summary for your navigation convenience on your mobile devices:

MRT: HarbourFront MRT (North East Line)

Monorail into Sentosa ($3.50) @ VivoCity Level 3

Boardwalk to Sentosa ($1)

Taxi can bring you direct to Resorts World Sentosa

Tickets are available for booking online or ticketing booths right outside of Universal Studios Singapore.