Changi WWII War Trail, 11/2/15

Having really enjoyed one of the Original Singapore Walking Tours on a previous visit to Singapore, I was keen to try another and this one caught my eye. Organised and run by the Changi War Museum, for SGD 55  it promised an overview of Singapore's experience of WW2 including a visit to the museum and other places of note. And boy did it deliver.

Even the MRT ride out to the meeting point of Pasir Ris was interesting for me as after 9 visits to Singapore the furthest away from the city I have managed to venture has been the bizarre Sentosa Island, and the Botanic Gardens. This overground MRT ride gave me a glimpse of residential Singapore, and also the huge new stadium and vast expo.

On arrival I was met by our friendly and knowledgable guide, Sharuh, from the museum and we had a great chat about England, war museums, football stadiums and Coronation Street whilst waiting for the rest of the party to arrive.

The tour itself centres on the museum, but other key sites including a costal defence gun, and the beach are visited and lots of key sites pointed out with their history and significance explained such as the vast prison complex, the Japanese school and the various barracks. 

I learnt so much from this tour, I really had no idea of the scale of the impact on Singapore and its people during the war, the hardships and atrocities that took place, or the background to the conflict. Some of the stories were hard to hear, some incredibly touching, and there were many times when I was holding back the tears. But contained within all this horror there were also stories of bravery and humour in the face of adversity and the incredible resilience of the human spirit.

Sharuh was a fantastic guide, with an obvious passion for both the history and the need to respect and learn from the past whilst moving forward. As well as the main topic of the tour I also learnt lots about modern Singapore life, and would like to explore the Changi area more. Such an an absorbing and fascinating way to spend an afternoon.

At the end of the tour we were presented with a wonderful 40 page booklet to keep all about the conflict and the various significant sites in Singapore. 

This really was an incredible experience and such good value with a wonderful guide, I am so glad I took some time out to attend it and if you are in Singapore, as a visitor or a resident ( we had four young Singaporeans on our tour) I strongly recommend you check it out. 

Tour of Esplanade Theatres by the Bay, Singapore 10/2/15

As we all know, I'm obsessed with theatre, even when on holiday, so when in a very jet lagged state I passed this sign in the esplanade at Singapore it immediately caught my attention.  I duly presented myself promptly at 9.00 the next morning to have a tour. So promptly that initially all I could find was cleaning staff! As soon as I found someone to ask though the incredibly helpful staff went off to arrange a guide and the lovely Isni and her sidekick Benjamin soon arrived to show me round on my own little private tour!

The arts centre was built on reclaimed land and opened in 2002. It comprises a 1800 seat concert hall, 2000 seat theatre, 200 seat flexible studio, 200 seat recital studio and additional performance spaces, public areas and exhibition spaces. Whilst they do host touring companies and artists which can be more expensive ( Isni mentioned one concert where the top priced ticket was SGD 600!) , there is a heavy emphasis on making art and performance accessible to all with many performances being subsidised or free. There are also daily free recitals in the foyer. 

The tour itself was very comprehensive and informative, I learnt tons about the acoustics of the spaces and the soundproofing that ensures that even in a busy part of the city with constant traffic noise and the seemingly never ending Singapore construction racket,  the sound quality will always be first class.

The concert hall is a beautiful light airy space and reminded me very much of the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, the theatre feels a lot more intimate but has a huge stage, similar size to the Lowry's Lyric, and like theirs has been designed so that large trucks can unload into a bay directly behind it. The Studio is a lovely flexible space that could host many types of performance. We also went up to the roof terrace, a public area that I had no idea existed even though I have walked below it many times! It's a popular picnic spot for families at the weekend apparently. 

I really enjoyed my tour which - a bargain at SGD 10, which included a very comprehensive booklet and free postcards!  There is a longer tour available to book that also takes you backstage but it's only available to larger parties sadly, not solo chicks from Manchester on their holidays! 

Thank you Isni and Benjamin. I can't wait to return and hopefully attend a performance in your lovely building.