{100 Places}: Labrador Park

The light was ephemeral yet celestial - with the setting sun sending its last burst of arresting, sublime rays up to the heavens. The expansive sea to our left was calm and placid, its serene waves reaching the shores which led to mysteriously lush rainforest.

And we were ambling on a beautiful boardwalk, situated right in the middle of the sea and rainforest, with the dazzling golden light above us. What a sight to behold.

Welcome to Labrador Park, a little-known sanctuary that our family has taken to visiting more often lately. We love everything about Labrador Park - from the fun play stations scattered around the park (which included a "maze" made purely out of vertical logs!) to the rustic BBQ pits by the sea which I used to visit with my own family and cousins when I was a teenager.

We love to amble along the board walk, just letting it guide us to wherever it wants to lead us. We love discovering little nooks and crannies that only Labrador Park can provide - old, historical war monuments dating back to World War 2 buried deep in the rainforest, the juxtaposition of a see-saw beside a gun fortress and a tall cliff, a small cafe in the middle of nowhere, with an amazing view of the surroundings (not sure if it is still there!)...so many surprises!

The beauty of Labrador Park is that it is not permeated by crowds of people, so we get our space to explore and be carefree!

Previous posts about Labrador Park:
Close To Nature

{100 Places}: Botanic Gardens

When the Singapore Botanic Gardens was awarded the UNESCO World Heritage privilege, I was filled with trepidation. When a place I had always treated as home becomes world renowned, I know it will be filled with curious crowds and new faces. Which is exactly what happened. On our recent visit to the Botanic Gardens last week, Hubby asked a service staff if there was any change in their work since the UNESCO World Heritage award, and she said that there were so many more people, sometimes people who had not been in the Gardens since their dating days 50 years ago. I also read that the park authorities are looking at ways to preserve the authenticity and infrastructure of the park in anticipation of 6 million footfall by 2020. Yikes!

But this space is to reflect on the little beauties and happiness that Singapore Botanic Gardens had bestowed on us. It had always been home for us, with our weekly to monthly jaunts there, in various corners of this sprawling park. We love seeing the myriad changes of light in our different visits - the crisp, cool air of a coral-tinged dawn, the happy, yellow sunshine of late morning, the comforting shade of the verdant giants sheltering us from harsh noon, soft tangerine-golden rays of a setting sun that glistened on the lake, the lavender gloaming that made twinkling lights seemed so magical, and the dark, mysterious abode of sleeping trees.

The Botanic Gardens will always be remembered as a place where I grew up in. The jogs as a child with my parents and brother. The picnics with cousins as a kid. The place where Hubby and I brought our dogs to chill and relax before the kids came our way. The concerts my friends and I used to watch, sprawling on the lush meadow. And then fast forwarding to us in the same sprawled position - but watching Big Bee dancing on the same Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage. The breakfasts all over the Gardens - under the protective embraces of antiquated trees, beside the lake, alongside swans and pigeons. Outings with friends. Jaunts and discovery trails with the family. Too many precious memories are created here.

Our latest trip had us exploring a rainforest trail where we were surrounded by tall, venerable trees. Walking in the midst of towering trees provided us with much-needed refuge from the scorching noon heat. I had never hesitated about walking deep in the rainforests in the blazing heat of Singapore, because we would invariably be ensconced in a sanctuary of coolness and tranquillity, without the extraneous need for air-conditioning.

Another recent trip had us exploring the Botanic Gardens in the dark, as we strolled in the cool, crisp gloaming, after a tempestuous afternoon storm, only to find serenity amidst glistening wet grass and an orchestra of hidden singing frogs. It was so deserted that Little Bee joined the frogs in their choir with her loud, booming voice!

In time to come, I hope that our much-loved place will still maintain its authentic and unpretentious beauty, without too many touristy crowds!

Previous posts about Botanic Gardens:
Colours of Nature: The Colour of Drought
Colours of Nature: Strolling Through the Beginning of Time
Colours of Nature: Of Cygnets and Ducklings
Colours of Nature Part 2
The Macrocosm Of Nature
Soccer Babes
Light from the Heavens
Of Old Friends and Gatherings
Breakfast with Swans
Home of the Black Swans
Lazy Sunday Breakfasts
The Elusive Moon
Her Dance Odyssey
Grandparents

{100 Places}: Tiong Bahru

We spent an unhurried, languid afternoon in the old Tiong Bahru precinct, soaking in charming nostalgia and immersing in the laidback culture. Quirky shops and cafes sprung up alongside old, fascinating residential blocks and kopitiams. We ambled along its quiet streets and admired the plethora of bicycles all around. We loved the old walk-up apartments that were wistfully dreaming of an era spanning decades of turbulence in Singapore. We browsed in hole-in-the-wall bookshops and had breakfast and coffee in 2 fancy cafes (that were really pricey, in my humble opinion!). 

It was great for the Bees to see another slower side of Singapore, where crowds were elusive and the pace less hectic. Where one can browse in creatively original shops, without the need to visit large, sterile chain malls.

Early evening was exquisite - with tangerine golden sunrays casting a warm glow on the old gracious buildings. It is little niches like this that make me love the varied landscape of Singapore - and I hope that more quaint areas will be preserved and kept in their original condition, without the need to construct new boring and colourless air-conditioned malls!

{100 Places}: Arab Street

We constantly find it miraculous that so much diversity - be it in society or in nature - exists within this tiny island we call home. We enjoy exploring different corners of Singapore over weekends or during school holidays, and even then, there exists untouched places in Singapore where we had not visited before!

I thought it might be interesting to compile a list of 100 places around Singapore which we had enjoyed visiting - and are continually visiting, especially the free parks and nature reserves! I would love to revisit these places for a long time thereafter, and this would be a wonderful way to constantly remind ourselves of the beauties around us.

I thought Arab Street would be a splendid place to start with - an enclave right in the middle of Singapore which feels like another world, another era.

Brilliantly colourful wall murals grace the facades of quaint, old shophouses. Dusty shops selling mystical and nostalgic knick-knacks from exotic perfume bottles to candies right from the 1970s era. Charming hipster boutiques hidden in long-forgotten corners of the streets. Whimsical, tranquil cafes that ensconce us into another realm of time. More importantly, we love to soak in the vibrancy and buzz of the Muslim community, understanding a different way of life that is so familiar to us through the decades.

It is a perfect escapade for a couple of hours in the afternoon. Early evening is the perfect time to visit, with golden sunrays casting a magical glow on the majestic dome of the Sultan Mosque.

Previous posts about Arab Street:
The Arabian Enigma
Ghoulish Glee