Waterfalls at Sheraton Towers Hotel, Singapore

Wonderful indoor waterfalls.

Photograph by Angela Lansbury.

Wishlist Waterfalls - Beaver Falls, Niagara, Ein Gedi and Singapore's Botanic Gardens

Problem
Wonderful waterfalls. Where are they? Are they safe/ Are they remote?

Answers

Niagara showing rainbow bridge, American Falls, Bridal Veil, Horseshoe Falls, Maid of the Mist boat. From Wikipedia. Photo by I, Spittante.

1 CANADA - Niagara
Obviously biggest and best is Niagara, which fits in with lots of other itineraries. Loads of hotels nearby at all prices. See it from the Canadian or American sides, although the Canadian is bigger and better. You can sit looking at it from viewpoints.
Pay to
1 Walk behind the waterfall.
2 Take the Maid of The Mist boat.

I have no desire to walk across it on a rope like Blondin, nnor roll over it in a barrel, and I suggest you don't even think of doing so, although some have survived, I'm sure it is not covered by travel insurance. Stick to watching the amazing videos of stunts. I also liked the Marilyn Monroe film set in Niagara.

Research very carefully if you want a hotel or restaurant overlooking the falls. I went all over Niagara looking at hotels and restaurants with views of the falls.

Beaver Creek, Grand Canyon, From Wikipedia.

2 Havasu Falls, Havasu Creek, Grand Canyon, USA
An eight mile round trip hike. Start early in the day to allow more time at the destination. Three levels of pools and a further hike into the Canyon.
You can watch videos of people standing in the water on the flat levels.

FUN FAKE FALLS
USA FLORIDA
3 If you are happy with artificial falls, you can find some lovely hotels in Florida with waterfalls. you can enjoy the falls just walking into some of the hotels, making for the shop and buying a postcards or taking a picture.

4 SINGAPORE
Easy to find, expensive, must book, the multi-storey waterfall in the Botanic Gardens. Cool, refreshing, stunning for photos.
You can get reductions for two conservatories - so go early in the day to allow time for both, also for local senior citizens and for buying tickets online.

4 ISRAEL
Ein Gedi is my favourite. I remember large hot, sweet dates on the ground fallen off the palm trees. Bathing in the water. Imagining biblical scenes.

Useful Websites:
CANADA
https://www.niagarafallstourism.com

USA
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havasu_Creek

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfwEvhJGiM8

ISRAEL
http://shalomholytours.com/5-israeli-waterfalls-that-will-take-your-breath-away/

SINGAPORE
visitsingapore.com
http://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/en/attractions/cloud-forest/visitor-information.html
http://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/en/whats-on/offers-and-promotions/attractions.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_waterfalls
See my later post:
http://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/another-amazing-waterfall-sliding-rock.html

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

See Natural Wonders From America to Ireland on the wonderful Science Nature Page

Photo by Patrick-Emil Zörner, "Paddy". Details of copyright and attribution and other details on the Wikipedia website.

Problem
Many videos on Facebook and elsewhere showing unusually dramatic or cute and quirky places leave you with hours of research and appealing for help to track down the place shown.

The videos on the science nature page are in a new league, top of the ladders when it comes to clarity.  I started watching a video on science, on dolphins being intelligent. A friend on Facebook who comes from Toastmasters International had sent it to me. Then I spotted in a column on the right, the mention of the words travel and places.

After watching the video, I tried to find it again. It had vanished. So I scrolled down the Science Nature page until I found it.

What is so good about this video? The clarity of the captions and the factual information. You know which continent, which country, the name of the place. The information is given large on easy to read subtitles. I love subtitles.  Then, even if you turn off the sound, you can see the name of the place, long enough to copy it down to look up later.

All that it missing is the practical travel information. That is where I come in. I have to research how near is each destination to the country's main airport. I would also like to know the best local hotel.

I bet there are more costs. Is there a charge to enter the area such as a national park, if you are driving, or if you are on a tour which does not include entrance fees? Alternatively, what is the cost of a local all-inclusive a day trip to see the place, or an inclusive holiday including that destination?

This video on travel shows some of the world's best places to visit, not the usual man-made landmarks, quaint villages, ancient archaeological sites and underwater discoveries of lost cities, but all natural wonders.

They are:
1 BOLIVIA.

2 The Dark Hedges, NORTHERN IRELAND.

3 Long Sheng Rice Terraces, Guangxi, CHINA.

4 Kuril Islands, Sakhalin Oblast, RUSSIA.

5 Caño Cristales, Meta, COLOMBIA. (That sounds and looks like Canyon of Crystals.)

6 Grand Prismatic Spring, Wyoming, USA.

7 Pamukkale, Denizli, TURKEY.

8 Iguazu Falls, Misiones, ARGENTINA.

I had heard of Iguazu Falls in Argentina and Pamukkale in Denizli, Turkey. I had seen pictures of The Dark Hedges in Northern Ireland and the rice terraces in Guanxi, China.

Other places which are already well-known waterfalls such as Niagara on the border of Canada and the USA, and Victoria Falls on the African continent. My other wishlist item is Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland, which could be added to a trip to see The Dark Hedges.

Useful Websites
https://www.facebook.com/officialsciencenaturepage/videos/187180335228143/
https://wikitravel.org/en/Kuril_Islands

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Community Centres In Singapore, Water, and Waterfalls Worldwide

Tampines West



Cairnhill

Before its grand re-opening, when I visited Cairnhill Community Centre, I admired the bell.
This landmark seems to have disappeared, but you can enjoy my picture of it.

Fountains
My favourite fountains in London include the elaborate one in Hays Galleria, where an old building has been developed as a modern shopping centre with a modern central fountain.

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

Modern Architecture in Singapore

One of the delights of travel is seeing the skyline and landmarks in a city, architecture which is a delight to the eye, a delight to passers-by. Tourists, more than those scurrying to and fro, can see the city afresh, pause and take photographs.

Landmark Buildings Worldwide
Wherever you go, you can admire the big landmark buildings of the city, also the bridges. Famous symbols you know and recognise before you even see them include Tower Bridge in London, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, and Sydney Opera House in Australia.

London also has The Shard, where you can visit the inside for a fee, if you have both time and money, or just admire it from nearby or afar. Tower Bridge can be visited from inside, with its glass walkway recently added to offer views of the river and boats below. London has other bridges such as the bouncing bridge.

But a journey around every city also reveals innovative housing development designs, unusual local buildings, and even windows, doorknobs and curtains, in unexpected colours and shapes.

Driving From Changi Airport
When I take the taxi from Singapore's Changi airport, the journey is always a delight. First, the airport itself, modern, yet filled with statues, flowers, trees, waterfalls, exhibitions, and the butterfly garden.

Sheraton Towers Hotel - oasis
Sheraton Towers Hotel is an oasis of calm. You can run up a bill of about £20 just having coffee for two after work. However, the first three Mondays of most months, often including public holidays, you can attend a Toastmasters International speakers club meeting as a guest.

Arrive by 6 pm in order to sign in as a guest. For a guest fee of $20 you can enjoy four or more speeches from Singaporeans and members from around the world. Before the meeting starts you have a small buffet light supper. When I was last there in 2016 I enjoyed rice, noodles, Indian Bread, sandwiches and fruit. I could have helped myself to coffee and milk, hot and cold water and slices of lemon. This is the biggest and oldest speakers group, attracting perhaps a hundred people. Smaller meetings of about thirty people take place all over Singapore most days of the week, regularly Monday to Friday, often on Saturday, occasionally on Sunday.

Community Centres
Every area of Singapore has community centres. From the outside you can see the basketball court in the open air, usually another inside. You can usually eat and meet and have coffee or a snack in a fast food outlet such as McDonalds or Starbucks. Each community centre is different, adapted to age and food preferences of the local clientele.

Water, Fish, Tortoises
A water feature is an Asian favourite. Hotels have fountains and waterfalls.

If you visit a friend, relative or work colleague at their home, or inspect property with a view to buying or renting, you will see the fountains or water features in the lobby, near the lifts, or in the gardens at the back. A pond usually contains large fish and often tortoises.

Community centres have mini gardens with curved or S shape paths. Water is thought to attract wealth, which is why there is a huge fountain in the financial district.
(More photos being added to this article and previous posts.)

See my previous posts such as the one on the Butterfly Garden in Changi Airport.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer, photographer, author and speaker.