Attractions in Changi Village

Taxi Cab Tour
Who knows this island better than your friendly cabbie? Marguerita Tan gets some insider tips as three drivers confess to the best of S'pore!

They zip to and from Geylang, go all night, have little say over their customers and have seen it all. No, they're not ladies of the night - they're Singapore's taxi drivers, and when it comes to knowing where to get a succulent satay at 3am or find a clean public toilet, there's no one better to ask. We hailed three taxis, hopped in the back seat and asked the cabbies to show us the best spots on the island.

On the must-see sights
It's unanimous: the best places to visit in Singapore are Night Safari, Sentosa and Orchard Road. 'Everyone I know says the Night Safari is a great place,' says Haiderali Akbar Hussein, 44, who has been a Comfort cab driver for 14 years. 'Sentosa is also good, as there are many touristy things to do and see, such as Underwater World and Carlsberg Tower.' When it comes to shopping, 'Orchard Road is the most obvious choice,' says Eileen Lee, 60, who started driving a Premier Silvercab just three years ago. William Yeo, 48, a Citycab driver of 12 years, recommends that tourists 'visit Singapore museums, as they should learn about Singapore's heritage and the heartlands - such as Toa Payoh - to see the real lives of Singaporeans.'

Changi Boardwalk
This boardwalk hugs the scenic Changi coastline from Changi Beach Club to Changi Sailing Club. On the way to the boardwalk, you will pass many of the area's heritage trees.

The boardwalk is made up of four segments: Sunset Walk for a splendid view of the sunset over Changi Point, amid a backdrop of huge boulders. Kelong Walk: a stretch of the boardwalk with kelong stilts built over water, reminiscent of the 'good old kelong days'. Cliff Walk: located just below the hilltop chalets, allows a walk through lush greenery. Viewing decks along this stretch at vantage points provide panoramic views. Sailing Point Walk: near the Changi Sailing Club provides open views of the sea.

Forbidden Hill
Just a stone's throw away from one of the busiest shopping areas in Singapore is a cool, shady nature walk around a hill which has a history that goes back 700 years. Relax by taking a stroll through the park situated on the hill or immerse yourself in this tranquil green oasis while commuting from Orchard Road to the Civic District or the Singapore River.

Steeped in history Fort Canning Hill was once known as "Forbidden Hill". This is because Malays in the 19th century believed that it was the seat of royalty for rulers of Temasek (or " Sea Town", an old name for Singapore) in the 1300s. Later, Singapore's colonial leaders made their residences there, and the hill became a military base during the Second World War Today, ancient relics dating back to the 14th century have been unearthed and the Fort Gate, built in the 1860s, reminds of Singapore's colonial past.

Majestic tree, some gnarled with age, spread their branches to case deep pools of shade over the sprawling green spaces. Like guardians of this historic site, the magnificent fig tree (Ficus variegate and other species), Sage (Adenanthera pavonina), Silk-cotton Tree (Ceiba pentandra) and Yellow Flame (Peltophorum pterocarpum) stand watch. The Bird's Nest Fern (Asplenium nidus) and other epiphytic denizen reside on board branches of the Rain Tree (Samanea saman), protected by its shady crown.

Orchard Road
Orchard Road is set to undergo a S$40 million rejuvenation that will result in a more attractive destination. With the planned landscape and infrastructural enhancements, Singapore's premier shopping street will have state of the art lighting highlighting its lush tree-lined boulevard, new creative spaces for staging events and a more integrated and engaging pedestrian mall.

The Orchard Road rejuvenation plans were unveiled today ahead of a tender for the main mall enhancement construction works, which will be called in early November 2007. The announcement follows the sale of three prime sites by the Urban Redevelopment Authority last year, targeted to increase the number of shopping venues and diversity of retail concepts and options to Orchard Road. Apart from the development of ION Orchard, Somerset Central and Orchard Central, older venues such as Hotel Phoenix and Specialist's Shopping Centre are slated for redevelopment. New international brands like Frank Muller, Jimmy Choo, Richard Mille and Van Cleef & Arpels as well as new initiatives such as the weekly Late Night Shopping have injected new vibrancy to the retail scene.

Sisters Islands
Legend tells of a poor widow who had two pretty daughters, Minah and Linah who were very close to each other. After the widow died, the sisters left the village to live with a distant uncle.

One unfortunate day, Linah met a group of pirates while fetching water from a well near the sea. Frightened, she ran home with the pirate chief giving chase. At the uncle's home, brandishing a dagger, he made known his wish to marry Linah. That night, the two sisters wept bitterly in each other's arms. When dawn broke, the pirate chief and 16 of his men came to take Linah away. Clinging to each other, they were forced apart by the pirates, and Linah was carried away. The desperate Minah swam after the boat but was drowned and Linah dived into the stormy waters in grief.

The next day, the villagers were shocked to see two islands at the spot where the two sisters had drowned.

The two tranquil islands, called Subar Laut and Subar Darat, was henceforth known as Sisters Island.

The Original Singapore Walk
Guided tours can be dull affairs where you crane your neck to see past your fellow tour mates or try your darnest not to zone out as your hapless guide takes you through a mini history lesson. Thank goodness, then, for The Original Singapore Walks™, which set an intrepid and always entertaining historian-cum-guide on heritage trails around Singapore's colourful ethnic districts, such as Little India, Kampong Glam and Chinatown, as well as the colonial district.

The tours on offer shed light on everything from Singapore's colonial past to the origins of the Singapore Sling to traditional Chinese medicine and even to WWII stories (Changi WWII™ and A Battlefield Tour™) and the vices and tragedies that characterised Chinatown (Secrets of the Red Lantern™) back in the day. Indeed, the good folks at operator Journeys Pte Ltd pride themselves on their ability "to bring people into places most other tours don't". Yup, that means venturing into graveyards, haunted houses, shop kitchens, wet markets, gun batteries and even archaeological sites.

With tours like Of Bomohs and Pontianaks™, which is tailor-made for spook seekers and fans of things that go bump in the night, it's little wonder these unique walks--and their guides--have won numerous accolades ("very popular, and very entertaining" - Lonely Planet) and glowing testimonials from happy tourists. What we also like about these tours is the ease with which you can sign up for one. With no niggling pre-bookings or downpayments to worry about, you need only show up at the designated meeting point (normally an MRT station) at a designated time and get started on your journey of discovery.