Joanna James
There are many not so well-known facts about Singapore that will add to this destination's charm; for instance, did you know it has 64 islands, features the first night zoo, boasts manmade waterfalls and hosted the first F1 night race!
If you happen to love observing wildlife, you are sure to be entranced by Singapore's splendid Night Safari which has the distinction of being the first night zoo in the world. As its name indicates, this attraction focuses on nocturnal animals; within Night Safari's extensive park, you will find more than 1,000 captivating nocturnal creatures. If you undertake the tram ride, you will have the opportunity to experience its major attractions. For a complete experience of this attraction, you may also take a stroll along its walking trails.
Many people are unaware of the fact that Singapore features no less than 64 small islands which encircle the principal island. Some of these smaller islands would be Sentosa (which would be the largest), St. John's Island, Pulau Ubin and the Sisters' Islands. Naturally, this multitude of small islands will provide visitors with more attractive places to explore and enjoy captivating sites as well as the sunny climate.
Interestingly, the very first artificial waterfall happened to be constructed in 1971 at Jurong Bird Park. Continuing this tradition would be the massive waterfall at Gardens by the Bay's, Cloud Forest which measures 35 m in height and acts as the showpiece of this absorbing conservatory. One of the SG Clean certified 4-star Singapore hotels to consider from which you could easily visit the Cloud Forest would be Park Hotel Alexandra. However, the title of the highest indoor waterfall on the globe would go to the 40 m HSBC Rain Vortex at Jewel Changi Airport.
Although Singapore features an array of lofty modern skyscrapers, it also contains plenty of pleasant greenery. In fact, almost half of the land area of the country consists of extents of greenery. Here, you will find a host of gardens and parks as well as patches of vegetation in more unlikely places. Singapore's nature reserves are also known for their outstanding biodiversity, with the city-state containing more than 2,100 different species of vascular plants.
The highlight racing event in the country would be the Singapore Grand Prix which is part of the Formula 1 calendar. What you may not know is that this grand prix race also happened to be the very first night race in Formula 1. You will also find that Singapore's Grand Prix Season features an array of enjoyable events such as concerts and entertainment related to the theme of motor racing. This much-anticipated period naturally draws the interest of locals as well as foreign visitors and is not to be missed.
You will find that the locals in Singapore use their own special slang that is sometimes called 'Singlish'. Singaporeans will often add utterances such as 'leh' or 'lah' to their expressions. Another example of Singlish would be the word 'chope', a term that signifies reserving a seat. Singaporeans will also often address older people like stall owners at hawker centres and cab drivers as 'uncles' or 'aunties'. Naturally, these terms should be used with care as you would not want to offend someone.
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