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Wednesday, January 9, 2019

See Singapore By MRT train: art galleries, museums, gardens, swimming pool, shopping underground


Singapore flag

See Singapore by state-of-the-art MRT, on driverless trains.

Maps of Downtown Line
At Cashew MRT station, one stop before bukit Panjang at the north end of the line, I picked up a handy map of handy things to do near stations on the Downtown MRT line.

Here are my top picks for things to do on the Downtown and other lines
The St Andrews Cathedral by City Hall MRT station, facing the National Gallery of Singapore.

Orchard Road MRT shopping at the centre
This is the centre of Singapore. Orchard MRT brings you out into ION shopping centre. When it is too wet (raining) or too hot (July and August) you can walk underground at basement level when its raining all the way from under Orchard to Ngee Ann City skyscraper.

Little India MRT
Get out for the Peranakan Museum. Shop for souvenirs in the Peranakan Museum shop. then check on the shop with MRT designs.

Souvenirs of Singapore from the MRT train lines

Newton MRT - waterfall, five star or cheapo food
See the Sheraton Towers Hotel with waterfall. Good for a business meeting on expenses as it isn't cheap. Evening pianist on ground piano provides background music so your chats are not overheard. Cheaper alternative, evening meetings of Toastmasters International the first three Mondays or most months, $20 for a mini buffet before meeting and in the interval and an evening's entertainment. Arrive before 6 pm to photograph the waterfall by daylight and check in early to the Toastmasters to network and get a seat to hear speeches from people who work in Singapore but come from all over the world.

If you'd rather see how ordinary Singaporeans entertain and educate themselves, take the exit to the other side of the road and look at Cairnhill Community Club. Cross the Road to Newton outdoor hawker centre, (food court).

Botanic Gardens
Botanic Gardens MRT is underneath the Botanic Gardens. Huge free gardens with bridges reflected in ponds, great photo spots on a sunny day, open until late in the evening, two or three restaurants (must book) at high prices, one with good alcohol and one halal and alcohol free. Big souvenir shops. See my posts.

Bukit Panjang
End of the line. For a public swimming pool with lots of children's slides, this is the place. Shopping malls all around. Allow half a day. Check the exits. Allow for a walk underground or overground.

Cashew MRT
Students serve a three course lunch in term time at the training college in Assumption Pathway School opposite the MRT. Must book.

Chinatown
Chinatown Heritage Centre.

Bencoolen
Singapore Art Museum
National Museum of Singapore

Changi Airport
Go all the way to the airport which has a free Butterfly Garden and numerous shops and eating places both airside and before checking or after landing. See my posts on the Butterfly garden and Terminal 4 Parisian Bagette and sticky rice with mango and Terminal 3 Kaya Toast. If you have a long stopover there's an airport hotel with a swimming pool for its guests, and a free bus tour of Singapore if you have enough hours to spare.

LRT light and dark train windows
If you are in Singapore longterm or have more hours to spare, go out to the Light railway (LRT), for an outdoors, overhead view of Singapore. Yes, you are still on a driverless train. You will pass close by the HDB housing Development Board blocks, but if your train is too near windows the train windows go dark so you can't see in, and the train windows clear again so you can look back.

More Information from:
www.sbtransit.com.sg
1800 287 2727

Travel Tips
Singapore Airlines: 

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.



See also my posts on Waterloo Street, The National Gallery, and Singapore's big attractions.

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