RO: Prima experienta pe care am avut-o cu Singaporele a fost … perfect de plictisitoare. Veniti intr-un city break din haotica si pe alocuri, dezmatata Thailanda, ni s-a parut perfect de anost. Totul prea bine organizat, prea asezat la dunga, prea verde, prea prea prea. Ne aducem aminte ca am stors din cele trei zile petrecute aici cam tot ce-avea Singaporele mai cunoscut pentru noi la momentul respectiv: Marina Bay Sands, Merlion, Sentosa si … Gradina Zoologica. (cred ca atunci a fost si pentru ultima oara cand am pasit intr-un zoo asumati, cu bilete cumparate, stat la coada si minunat in stanga si-n dreapta. Am participat chiar si la un safari, proaspat intorsi dintr-un safari african … ). Mi-aduc aminte ca i-am judecat si catalogat pe singaporezi ca fiind la fel ca animalele din zoo: inchise intr-un spatiu perfect, cu bariere invizibile, prefacuti ca-s fericiti…
EN: Our first experience with Singapore was … perfectly boring. Out on a city break from chaotic Thailand, we found it perfectly bland. Everything was organized all too well, too sharp, too green, too much. We remember that in the 3 days spent there that we squeezed in everything Singapore was most known for at the time: Marina Bay Sands, Merlion, Sentosa and … the zoo. (I think that was also the last time we stepped foot in a zoo, with tickets bought, standing in line and ogling right and left. We even went on a safari even though we had just returned from an African safari …) I remember judging the Singaporeans to be just like zoo animals: enclosed in a perfect space with invisible barriers, pretending to be happy…
RO: In fine, gata cu melodrama, caci ne-am adunat aici sa listam cele mai instagramabile locuri actuale, vazute intr-un Singapore redescoperit cu alti ochi (vedeti ce poate sa faca din om o scurta sedere in cartierul chinezesc? printre noodlesi si dumplings? :)) )
EN: Anyway, enough drama, cause we are gathered here to list the hottest instagrammable places seen in a Singapore we rediscovered (see what a short stay in Chinatown can do to people? Among noodles and dumplings :)) )
No.1 Marina Bay Sands
RO: Ca e noapte sau ca e zi, din toate partile si chiar de deasupra, Marina Bay Sands este cred in topul celor mai cunosute simboluri ale Singaporelui. Noi am decis sa asteptam lasarea serii si aprinderea luminilor de pe esplanada din fata ei, mai cu seama ca nu e nimeni in jur si ca poti sta pana seara tarziu cu gatul sucit la fabulosul hotel.
EN: Whether it’s day or night, from every angle, even from above, Marina Bay Sands is possibly one of the most known symbols of Singapore. We decided to wait for nightfall and for the lights to turn on on the little walkway in front of it, especially since no one is around and you can sit and look at the fabulous hotel until late at night.
No.2 Gardens by the Bay
RO: Langa esplanada cu pricina de mai sus, spre Super Trees, gasiti locul asta, destul de ignorat de trecatori. Pun pariu ca a fost pus special ca tare bine e orientat spre ce trebuie 🙂 Evident, daca vrei sa “dai cu plus”, poti avea si Super Trees si Marina Bay Sands in aceeasi poza 🙂
EN: Next to the above-mentioned walkway, towards Super Trees, you’ll find this place which is fairly ignored by pedestrians. I bet it was placed there on purpose cause it’s facing all the right things 🙂 Obviously, if you wanna come out winning, you can have Super Trees and Marina Bay Sands in the same photo 🙂
No.3 The Botanical Garden, The Orchid Garden
RO: Cele peste 1000 de specii de orhidee si 2000 de alti hibrizi merita 5 dolari pentru a-ti desfata privirea. Gradina mi s-a parut pe alocuri mica si cu cateva sectiuni inchise insa arcada aceasta e departe cea mai frumoasa din toata zona.
EN: Over 1000 species of orchids and 2000 other hybrids are worth the $5 to feast your eyes. The garden felt somewhat small and had a few closed sections, but this arch is by far the prettiest from the entire area.
Nr.4 the Helix Bridge
RO: Suprinzator mai mereu gol si cu siguranta mult mai frumos pe timp de seara, Podul Helix te atrage prin simetria geometrica. Bine, fie, poate si pentru ca Marina Bay Sands vrea sa apara in toate pozele. Aici nu i-a iesit pasenta 🙂
EN: Surprisingly empty at all times and much prettier during the evening, the Helix Bridge will draw you in with its geometric symmetry. Ok, also because Marina Bay Sands wants to be in every photo. It didn’t quite turn out that way here 🙂
No.5 The pedestrian passage from Canning Park
RO: Ultimul loc unde am stat la coada vreodata (dupa Taj Mahal 🙂 ) Dar, avand in vedere ca n-am vazut niciun pasaj pietonal asa de frumos (se pare ca nici altii 40 care erau inaintea mea) declar totusi ca a meritat 🙂 Locul il gasiti in incinta parcului Fort Canning.
EN: The last place where we last stood in line (after the Taj Mahal:) ) But taking into account that we’ve never seen such a beautiful passage (40 others in front of the line seemed to think so too), I can say it was ultimately worth it 🙂 To be found inside Fort Canning Park.
No.6 The old police station on Hill Station Street
RO: Colorata maine-i gata! Cea mai colorata cladire pe care a vazut-o ochi de Oprea in Singapore. Fosta cladire a politiei a cunsocut pereti mai gri insa, de aproximativ 22 de ani, traieste vremuri rogvaive 🙂
EN: So colorful! The most colorful building an Oprea family member has seen in Singapore. The former police building used to have more grey walls, but for the last 22 years, it’s living its most colored life 🙂
No.7 Sultan Mosque
RO: Daca esti in Kampong Glam, Moscheea este de neratat. Daca nu esti in Kampong Glam … ei bine, mai bine te-ai duce special pentru ea caci e una dintre cele mai impresionante cladiri ale Singaporelui. Ca sa nu iti mai zic ca zona freamata de viata si ca ai putea sa stai sa bei un ceai linistit si sa privesti in jur mirat ca esti in Singapore si nu in vreo tara araba.
EN: If you are in Kampong Glam, you can’t miss the Mosque. If you’re not in Kampong Glam … well, you’d better go just for it because it’s one of the most impressive buildings in Singapore. Not the mention of how alive the area is and you could easily drink a tea and look around astounded that you’re in Singapore and not some Arab country.
No.8 Little India
RO: Ultima reduta chinezeasca supravietuieste coloristit in Little India din Singapore. Casa unui chinez bogat (e pleonasm? 🙂 ), folosita pe vremuri ca si atelier de productie pentru zaharul din trestie de zahar, este acum regasita in toate pozele de pretutindeni cand vine vorba de Singapore.
EN: The last Chinese stand survives colorfully in Little India from Singapore.
The house of a rich Chinese man (is that a redundancy?:) ) that used to be a workshop for producing sugar from sugar cane, is now found in all photos when it comes to Singapore.
No.9 Red Hill MRT Station
RO: Statia de metrou Red Hill … pentru iubitorii de roz 🙂
EN: For PINK lovers 🙂
No.10 Marina Bay during night time
RO: Daca vrei sa te scalzi in culoare si in muzica, trebuie in mod clar sa-ti faci timp sa vizitezi Gardens By the Bay si noaptea.
EN: If you wanna bathe in color and music, you definitely need to make time to visit Gardens By the Bay at night.
* No.11 Shangri La Hotel
RO: Avem o categoria aparte de locuri instagramabile, pe care le marcam cu steluta intrucat fac parte din incinta hotelurilor si este nevoie sa fi cazat acolo pentru a le putea explora. Incepem cu Shangri La intrucat este autointitulat cea de-a doua Gradina Botanica a Singaporelui. Si pe buna dreptate caci totul este plin de verdeata si de … ai ghicit, orhidee 🙂
EN: We have a special category of instagrammable places that we mark with a star as they usually inside hotels and you need to stay there to explore them. We are starting off with Shangri La since it’s self-named as the second Botanical Garden of Singapore. And rightly so because everything is filled with greenery and… you guessed it, orchids 🙂
*No.12 The pool at the Fort Canning Hotel
RO: Mai presus decat instagramabila, ce are mai cu mot piscina hotelului Fort Canning este chiar … apa. Mineralizata si tratata de acelasi sistem care se ocupa si de apa purificata a astronautilor de la NASA, promite ca-ti face pielea fericita datorita lipsei clorului. Alt lucru interesant, de data asta nu legat de piscina ci legat de pozitionare, Hotelul Fort Canning se afla in parcul cu acelasi nume, ceea ce inseamna ca esti la doua minute de mers pe jos de obiectivul de la Nr. 5 si de 10 minute de mers pe jos de la cel cu nr. 6.
EN: More than instagrammable, what’s so special about this pool is actually … the water. Mineralized and treated by the same system that purifies the water for NASA astronauts, it promises to make your skin happy due to its lack of chlorine. Another interesting fact, not about the pool itself but the location, the Fort Canning hotel is located in the park with the same name, which means that you are a 2-minute walk away from landmark no 5, and 10 minutes away from no 6.
*No.13 Hotel Jen Orchardgateway
RO: Piscina de la nivelul 19 a hotelului Jen este de-a dreptul fabuloasa, mai ales la rasarit! Evident, Marina Bay Sands a platit pentru locul in poze, prin urmare: iata-l si aici 🙂 Doua alte highlight-uri mai are hotelul: legatura directa cu statia de metrou Somerset si … simpaticul robotel JENO, sotul lui Jen (ce se afla la cealalta locatie a lor). Simpaticul e programat de receptie sa urce in lift, sa te sune la telefonul din camera si sa-ti aduca ce ai comandat. Tare sau ce? 🙂
EN: The pool from the 19th floor of the Jen hotel is absolutely fabulous, especially at sunrise! Obviously, Marina Bay Sands paid for its spot in the photos, therefore: here it is again 🙂 A couple more highlights of this hotel: it connects directly with the Somerset subway station and… the cute JENO robot, Jen’s husband (which is situated at their other location). The cutey is programmed by the front desk to go on the elevator, call your room and bring you your room service. Cool or what? 🙂
Pana sa ajung la comentarii am mai citit doua articole ce mi s-au aratat :). Frumos, ce poti sa zici. Stii cum zicea proful meu de fotografie… ca si gunoiul daca il pui intr-o ordine devine frumos. Ei… in Singapore au avut atata simt estetic ca au organizat, aranjat chestii frumoase. Deci cam asta cred ca ar fi culmea frumosului… lucrurui frumoase puse in maxima ordine. Bat campii sau ce?
Nu bati campii. Am facut la un moment dat o poza cu un morman de fiare vechi si pentru ca era asa de simetrica si frumos aranjata mi s-a parut wow. Si alt exemplu, uite in Port Barton au inceput sa fie mai aranjate lucrurile si cumva totul pare mai … frumos, mai decongestionat, mai aspectuos. Deci da, sunt total de acord cu tine 🙂