Supertrees, spooktacular rides, and a safari add to Singapore's tourist scene

In a massive bid to attract more visitors, Singapore has unveiled several new attractions, from malls and must-see events, to splashy new rides for its theme parks and even a safari -- five years' worth of planning and construction to bring more people to the small island city state.

 

The remainder of 2013 will see the opening of several new shows and rides based on movies in Sentosa 4D Adventureland, including 'Journey 2: The Mysterious Island' (2012) and 'Happy Feet' (2011). A BBC Earth Production called 'Great Escapes: Life in 4D'—which depicts many sequences of animal life—is also being added to the roster.
 

For the entirety of October and in celebration of Halloween, the park is adding Spooktacular 2013: Asia's Scariest Fun to its lineup. Spooktacular will consist of The Panic House (a 4D horror ride), “The Grip of the Undead” (a 4D horror game), and Trapped, which brings to life five Thai movies in the form of haunted trails (“Coming Soon”, “Shutter”, “Pee Mak”, “Body”, and “Dorm”).

 

Wildlife Reserves Singapore, meanwhile, has opened three attractions: Singapore Zoo's Frozen Tundra, a Giant Panda Forest, and Asia's first river-themed wildlife park—the River Safari. Featuring eight of the world's great rivers (the Yangtze, the Ganges, the Amazon, the Missisippi, the Congo, the Nile, and the Murray), the safari also has over 300 animal species and over 5,000 plant specimens living within it. The Amazon River Quest will be ready for visitors at the end of 2013.

 

Even Universal Studios Singapore has a new attraction: the world's first Sesame Street ride, called the Spaghetti Space Chase.

 

And for those who don't want to walk all the way, Singapore is offering guided city tours.

 

Parks, malls, hotels on land and water

 

Gardens by the Bay is an architectural marvel of a park. Situated next to Marina Bay, the Gardens feature a 30-meter-high waterfall, two lakes, man-made Supertrees, and other event venues within its grounds.
 

Beyond popular shopping destination Ion Orchard, several family-friendly malls have risen: Plaza Singapore, Scotts Square, JCube, Changi City, and Bugis. Within Ion Orchard, an assortment of outlets from well-known brands have moved in, six of them flagship stores.

 

And to accommodate the perceived influx of visitors, a handful of three-star hotels have cropped up for the budget traveler. Days Hotel, V Hotel, and Costa Sands Resort number among these.

 

The city-state will not be outdone out in the water, either. The Mariner of the Seas Luxury Cruise, the largest cruise ship in Asia, offers all these comforts and entertainments—and more besides. The 15-deck, 1,020-foot-long ship is already a small city within itself, but now, its offerings include the Thomas Kinkade gallery, a new nursery, two new restaurants, and a Digital Wayfinder System in place for locating it all.

 

Frequent Filipino visitors
 

“We wanted to build these within the feeling of a traveler,” explained Sherina Chan, the Singapore Tourism Board's Area Director for the Philippines and Brunei, about the new offerings. “In Singapore, come back and you'll see something new. There's always something different for you to experience.”
 

Singapore holds over 30,000 arts and entertainment events in a year, as well, meaning there is literally something to celebrate every week. September alone will see the Singapore Grand Prix and the run of “Hairspray the Musical.” It seems as though one will never run out of things to do in the city-state.

 

When asked for a recommendation of the best number of days tourists can stay in the city in order to maximize the experience, Chan answered, “Filipinos now have started saying in Singapore for six days—this is based on our data. It has actually increased over the years.”

 

That's not the only thing that's increased. In 2011, 678,000 Filipinos visited Singapore – a 24% increase from 2010. That is a hefty number for a country that relies on its growing, flourishing tourism industry for much of its income. 

 

As it turns out, the Philippines accounts for many of the tourist arrivals in Singapore, said Chan.

 

“There are a couple of factors accounting for why Filipinos are coming to Singapore: the fact that there are 160,000 Filipinos residing in Singapore, the fact that low-cost carriers are making it more affordable for Filipinos to travel, and the fact that the country is doing well and people do want to go and discover other destinations.” — BM / KDM, GMA News 

All photos courtesy of Your Singapore.