Stop and shop a while in Singapore

By DONNA McINTYRE

My taxi driver leaves the engine running while he gets out of the car at the petrol station. He has already apologised for needing to make a quick toilet stop, blaming the rain for nature's call.

Welcome to Singapore ... safe, clean Singapore. Can you think of many other countries where a taxi driver would leave a stranger in his car and the key in the ignition?

On this stopover we can't help commenting on this well-behaved city. People are polite, the streets spotless, and the newspapers run stories of how safe the city is, night or day. Taxis, trains and buses are safe, frequent, affordable and reliable.

Orchard Rd is a drawcard for shoppers, especially those with a liking for labels. Chanel, Louis Vuitton, DKNY, they are all there and more.

Yet this stretch of road is also a place of contrasts, especially if you take a morning walk before the footpaths turn busy when the stores open at 10.

Display windows of the high fashion stores tempt customers to browse and buy. Yet, stepping away from the windows, you must take care not to bump into the street cleaners.

There's the irony. On one side of the sidewalk is high fashion, on the other the utilitarian clothing of these hard-at-work men and women wielding spindly brooms to ensure the pavements are spotless.

Thanks to their efforts, there's not a hint of that sweet'n'sour smell of rotting food scraps that can assault the nostrils so pungently in other tropical countries.

The shiny and architecturally spectacular new buildings sit comfortably beside the older buildings of Orchard Rd. But the ratio of refined-old to bold-new is diminishing as ever-grander projects push their way towards the skyline.

Shop signs implore the passer-by to spend, spend, spend. But turn your head the other way and rest your eyes on the soft-leaved trees shading the pavements.

Once the magic hour of 10 comes, the streets become much busier. Inside the air-conditioned complexes, elevators take clusters of customers to the multi levels of retail therapy. Shops crammed with the latest electronics threaten to take your credit card to its limit, yet in the same shopping mall you can satisfy hunger at the noodle bars with loose change.

Petite women or those with small feet will embrace the selection of clothes and shoes Singapore has to offer but those with a more generous frame, indeed anything beyond a size 10 or 12, should approach clothing shops realistically if they want to stay sane and not develop a body-size complex.

These stores cater to the resident slimmer-than-slim Singaporeans and the only way to avoid feeling like a beached whale is to ask for the largest size in the store. If that size fails to go anywhere past your knees, give in gracefully and shop for toys or jewellery or other none-sizeable things - or head for a tailor and get some fantastic clothes made to measure.

While still doing the shops, especially if you have children in tow, detour into the Heeren building and watch the fountain show, light display included, as it sends a powerful jet of water towards the ceiling, some six or seven levels up. The hard part comes many many cascading cycles and litres of water later when it's time to convince the littlies to leave.

Outside again, pass the entrances of the multi-star hotels as the staff open and shut doors constantly for the stream of guests. Nonplussed, a doorman wearing a grand maharaja costume happily takes time out to pose for a photo with my son.

Keep walking past the sprawling department stores and you come to the grounds of Istana, the presidential palace, which is open to the public only a few days of the year. At other times when the park is closed, the friendly guards are more than happy to answer questions from curious tourists.

Shop early to avoid the crowds, as the locals favour striding out later in the day. If you fancy crowd-watching, leave that for later in the day.

Little India

Just a short taxi ride, yet a world away from upmarket Orchard Rd, are the markets of Little India and Chinatown.

At the entrance to the main market area of Little India, an alleyway is adorned with washing, fluttering itself dry high above the street, the line strung between apartment windows.

At a fortune stall, a green parrot struts out of his cage and picks out my destiny from a fan of cards. This piece of paper dictates that my fate involves a son bringing good fortune to my family. Let's hope this bird-brained soothsayer is referring to one of the sons I've already been blessed with. There's more than enough testosterone in my home as it is.

The busy marketplace is colourful, a haven for lovers of Indian food. Easy on the eye and tempting the tastebuds are bundles of tropical fruit and the fresh fish glistening with saline.

Also glistening are the jewellery stores with gold and gems, religious stores sell brassy statutes that seem to smirk as you walk by. In food stores, garlands of flowers hang above spices, dried produce and canned foods.

Bundles of rambutans, papayas and durians make beautiful photographs. If that's not enough to finish the roll of film, the shutter-happy can climb the stairs to the next level for clothing stalls filled with beautiful saris and girls' dresses that look like sugar and spice.

My buys of the day are pants for my sons - to clothe those boys who are going to bring me such good fortune. But first, there is a small obstacle. I have to wake the stallholder.

He is totally at ease, his head resting on some of his produce. A neighbouring stallholder comes to my rescue and helps me to rouse him. Transaction finished, the man is already swinging his legs to resume his sleeping posture. Can't be expecting much business today. Maybe that was on his cards, too.

Chinatown

We should have set out earlier in the day. The midday heat does not make for happy little boys - or parents - as we trudge around the stalls at Chinatown.

Conversation with other parents, from Melbourne, leads to them offering to buy our toddler and schoolboy ice creams. But even that refreshment, taken in the shade of a food stall, doesn't do much to cool us.

Fortunately a cheeky palm cockatoo, Shanghai, takes tired travellers' minds off the humidity as he entertains by cracking open nuts with his beak.

The adults marvel at the statues of the Sri Mariamman temple but our young travellers want to know why everyone is leaving their shoes outside the doors. So what if Singapore's Hindu temple has superbly coloured figures gazing down on passers-by - what happens if someone takes your shoes while you are inside?

We browse at the clothing stalls and learn to watch the post-transaction dealings. As I look in my wallet for small change for a little silk bag, the stallholder tries to switch my purchase with another less-perfect design on the way to the plastic bag.

Beautiful child-sized kimonos tempt us but we wonder if they would seem such a good idea once home.

The market is a browsers' paradise, especially the antiques. Furniture shops offer elm-wood doors, China Teng drawings and scrolls, small makeup boxes with colourful enamel lids, and jade jewellery from Burma in every shade of green.

In the shade of the shops we find temporary respite from the sun. But now we are wilting, fast, and shopping energy is sapped. An air-conditioned taxi ride back to the hotel and a beeline to the cool waters of the swimming pool suddenly seem a less taxing way to spend the remainder of the afternoon.


Case notes

When to go

Singapore has a year-round tropical climate varying from an average of 28-32C during the day to 23-27C in the evenings. Expect intermittent showers at any time. The rainy season is from November until February.

Getting there

Singapore Airlines flies from Auckland and Christchurch to Singapore every day. Economy class return fares start from $1459.

What not to take

Chewing gum is not allowed into the country.

Travelling around

Singapore has good public transport; most places are within an hour's bus or MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) ride from Orchard Rd. Travel times are shorter by car.

The best way to explore Singapore is with the Tourist Day Ticket which includes 12 rides a day island-wide on the MRT and on all basic-fare bus services.

Tickets cost less than $13 (SGD$10) each and are available at MRT Stations and bus interchanges.

Shopping

Most shops are open on Sundays and Public Holidays except during major holidays such as Chinese New Year and Christmas Day.

All-day bazaars are at Bugis Village, Arab St and Little India where ethnic trinkets and souvenirs are in abundance.

For those shopping on a budget, head for the discount shops such as the Japanese One.99 at The Heeren Shops, Tang's Budget Corner at Tangs Plaza, Metro's Factory Outlet at various locations, Export Fashion, Esprit warehouse outlet at Hiap Huat House, B&N and Sasa. Clarke Quay also has factory outlets.

Claiming a GST refund

A 3 per cent Goods and Services Tax is payable on most goods and services. Tax can be refunded if you spend SGD$300 or more.

Ask for "tax-free shopping cheques" from the shop and present the goods to customs at the airport who will then stamp your shopping cheques. Refunds can be by cheque, put into your credit card account or by cash at the Global Refund Counters at the airport.

Singapore Tourism Board

New Asia - Singapore