kenleewrites in 日本

This is the hottest new attraction in Singapore – Marina Bay Sands (MBS).

MBS is developed by Las Vegas Sands and features a 2,560-room hotel, a 120,000 sq.m. convention-exhibition center, The Shoppes mall, an Art and Science museum, two Sands Theatres, six “celebrity chef” restaurants, two floating pavilions and a casino with 500 tables and 1,600 slot machines.

That’s quite a mouthful. Couldn’t resist not visiting the place. Must say, I’m pretty impressed with the design. Looks rather futuristic don’t you think?

Not all are ready though. The theaters for one. Still ongoing work. Expected to end in December 2010.

Still alot of construction work going on. Hopefully, the theatre and floating pavilions will be up and ready sometime next year.

Walked over to the Esplanade from City Hall. Has a pretty nice view of the bay area. You can see the Singapore Flyer on the left, right beside MBS.

I of course couldn’t resist going up to the sky garden. A trip up to the sky garden costs $20. I think hotel guests are not exempted from this levy. Doesn’t really make sense right. You stay there, but have to pay extra to go up.

Hotel guests, however, have access to the most coolsome infinity pool.

That’s the main business district, where all the banks and big corporations have offices. Can you spot the Fullerton Hotel and the Merlion in this picture?

I was told that the Merlion is somewhat of a disappointment. But it wasn’t that bad. Nice view with lots of photo opportunities.

The Merlion wasn’t always there though. It was located somewhere further up.

It’s only in Singapore where the government can move a landmark. ^^.

Singapore was preparing to host the first Youth Olympics that weekend. Did you enjoy it?

Was told that the theatre, when done, will be home to The Lion King? It has a pretty fancy design. Know why?

Singapore Flyer. Looks tiny from here.

Notice how the water’s green with dark patches of cloud shadows?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but that track around the Singapore Flyer is part of the F1 race track?

Singapore is famous for her port. Lots of containers containing shipments of iPhone 4s waiting to be shipped off to you.

Looking out to sea, you see lots of ships. You can see the award winning Marina Barrage right in the middle of the photo – the spiral. It’s essentially a dam that keeps out sea water, turning the Marina Bay area into a modern downtown reservoir.

It won an award from the American Academy of Environmental Engineers. Not an easy feat. It’s open to visitors, but I didn’t have time to visit that area this time around.

What’s with all the construction over here?

Lots of huge tankers. Is that Indonesia in the background?

This is the infinity pool. Pretty cool eh. Be a guest at the hotel and you’ll have access to the pool. ^^.

Since MBS is located in the south, the pool has a magnificent panoramic view of Singapore. There’s a larger floor below. So don’t worry about dropping off the pool’s edge. ^^.

It’s a really nice pool. But I guess it’s more for soaking and lounging around rather than swim laps.

One last look at the sea.

You have ATMs located right at the entrance to the casino. I don’t think you can deposit money in. Probably only withdraw. ^^. If you’re a visitor, you have free access to the casino. Just have your passport ready. Singaporeans have to pay a levy of $100 to enter. To be $100 in the red before you even play a game…

The casino has some 500 tables and 1600 slot machines for you to make back your money though… or lose more.

The Shoppes area is spacious and nice to roam around. But not all shops are ready yet. The major brands like LV, Chanel etc are still busy setting up shop.

Could use more crowd. Everyone is probably in the casino. ^^.

The platform on top is a cantilever that is hanging off the north tower and resting on the other 2. Some people think it’s a ship in disguise. Use when the floods come.

Fancy staying there on your next trip? I would. But I’ll probably wait a few years. Read and heard many unfavorable reviews about the hotel. Rooms with no beds, toilets that can’t flush etc. I guess they are still troubleshooting quite a few issues. I’ll try back again when everything is settled. Hopefully catch The Lion King too. ^^.