| In the foot steps of history
The story of any city is largely held by those that once guarded it. Today you can take in two of the earliest sites of Singapore’s defence within a couple of enjoyable hours.
At the mouth of the Singapore River sits the majestic Fullerton Singapore hotel. It wasn’t always that way however, as the site once housed the early trading port’s defensive fort. Later the British decided the land was too valuable so they moved the military installation to Fort Canning, paving the way for the Fullerton building to rise in its place.
This month our walking tour takes you on a river boat cruise along the historical vein of Singapore, then finishes up deep below the earth in the wartime bunker that the British used in their ill-fated defence of Singapore. | 1. The Fullerton Singapore |
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| Getting there: |
| Make your way to The Fullerton Singapore. Here you can take your time to sit by the river for lunch before embarking on the tour. Take the MRT to Raffles Place or bus numbers 82, 97, 100, 107, 130, 131, 162, 167, 501, 511, 540, 541, 547, 607 and 700 to The Fullerton Singapore. |
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| What do you see?: |
The site where The Fullerton today stands was once a fort defending the city. In 1928 the current building was built and today it houses The Fullerton Singapore hotel. It is also now a favourite place for Singaporeans to spend a few hours watching the boats go by on the river from the safety of one of the hotel’s restaurants. Once you’re ready to go you’ll see the River Cruise stand outside the hotel where you can buy tickets for the boat ride.
RDS Guide: See the Fullerton & Cavenagh Bridge in the Singapore River & City Hall section.
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| 2. Riverboat cruise |
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| Getting there: |
| A short walk from The Fullerton Singapore towards Boat Quay, you'll find the ticket counter for the riverboat cruises plying the river. Tickets cost $12 and the cruise lasts half-an-hour. |
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| What do you see?: |
| Once on the boat you’ll be taken out into Marina Bay where you can get a good look at the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Suntec City, the Merlion statue guarding over the river mouth and an awesome view of the city skyline.
The cruise then takes you back into the river and on up past Boat Quay, finishing at Clarke Quay. One of the interesting points to note while you’re on the cruise are the various names of the bridges you pass under.
The closest one to the Fullerton is the Cavenagh Bridge which was named after Colonel Cavenagh, the last India-appointed Governor of Singapore. It is the oldest of the bridges you'll see on the tour, built in 1869.
Also watch as you pass Boat Quay which was once the bustling centre of trade in Singapore. If you get to see an old photo of Boat Quay during your stay you will notice things have changed a lot since then, and today the Quay houses over 30 restaurants and bars instead of the busy trading houses. Today the finance of the city is controlled in the towers that have been built above Boat Quay.
You also pass by the landing spot of Sir Stamford Raffles and the Singapore Parliament buildings on your right. The cruise driver will do a slow 360-degree turn for you to take in all of it so you don’t miss anything.
Once you’ve left Boat Quay, you’ll come to Clarke Quay which was another centre for trading in the city. Like Boat Quay, the godowns and shophouses have been transformed into bars, shops and restaurants and it’s a good spot to stop for a look.
Get off the boat at Clarke Quay and take a look around for a while. You might even want to stop here for some refreshments before heading up to Fort Canning. Clarke Quay is named after Sir Andrew Clarke who was the Governor of the Straits Settlements from 1873-1875.
RDS Guide: See the Bumboat Rides in the Singapore River & City Hall section. |
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| 3. Fort Canning Park |
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| Getting there: |
| Once you’ve had your fill of Clarke Quay, walk straight down Clarke Street from the river boat jetty until you reach the Satay Club. The Satay Club is a Singapore institution where you can sit in the open air eating satay. Definitely worth a trip back in the evening. Walk down the Satay Club and you’ll reach River Valley Road. Directly across you’ll be able to see Fort Canning Park. |
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| What do you see?: |
| Cross over River Valley Road via the foot bridge and climb the stairs to the path that will take you to the top of the hill. Along the way you’ll see plenty of maps showing you where you are and information boards informing you of little pieces of history about Singapore and Fort Canning.
The hill was once named Forbidden Hill by the old Malay rulers as it was where the Sultan lived. Once the British arrived however the name was changed to Fort Canning and defenses were built on the top of the hill. You can still see the remains of this fort at the Fort Gate which still stands today. To get a better idea of what it once was like, head over to the Fort Canning Centre where there are lovely paintings from the Hill’s history.
Take your time looking around and exploring Fort Canning Park. It is especially good to go during the week days when there aren’t so many people around and the atmosphere is very relaxing.
A trip to Fort Canning wouldn’t be complete however without a tour of the Battle Box ($8 adults, $5 children, opening hours 10am-6pm daily). The Battle Box was the nerve centre of the ill-fated British defence effort against the Japanese in World War II. Today the bunker has been cleaned up and made into a tourist attraction, complete with life-size wax figures of some of the more important members of the British forces.
Once you’ve had your fill of Fort Canning, head back down to Clarke Quay for dinner and you’ll love the feeling of the river breeze wash over you as you reflect on the fortunes of Singapore.
RDS Guide: See the Fort Canning Park & the Battle Box in the Singapore River & City Hall section. |
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