Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

The Marina Bay Sands hotel is a recent addition to an ever-developing Singapore. I am fortunate enough firstly, to be living in close proximity to the city-island of Singapore, and secondly, for the privilege of spending one night around the Marina Bay Sands area of Singapore.

When I learnt that this new hotel complex named Marina Bay Sands came complete with a sky roof, I was intrigued. Seeing it in reality is a great experience that makes ones jaw drop and wonder about the sheer magnificence of Singapore. It leaves the visitor wanting more.

I know this is going to sound like a conflict of interest. I am living in Malaysia but in this post I'll be highlighting the greatness of Singapore. My blog is titled "Our Home Called Kuantan" in which I have feverishly built up Kuantan and other places in Malaysia. I have built up a facebook page dedicated to the rise of the Zenith Hotel Kuantan (click on the link if you haven't familiarised yourself with this page yet: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Rise-of-Zenith-Hotel-Kuantan/139643426072119 ), but I have been left in complete awe of the Marina Bay Sands Singapore. There just seems to be no comparison. I don't know how Malaysians really feel about their Singaporean counterparts, and vice-versa. I'm not sure if everything is friendly and rosy or whether there are silently simmering hostilities or jealousy between the two nations.

But I'm going for it nonetheless. Singapore is clean, tidy, attractive, beautiful, civilised, a perfect model of a first-world country. Nobody stared at me like they do in Malaysia. People spoke immaculate English and were very specific in their help/directions to me. It's like two completely different worlds co-existing just north of the equator of planet Earth.

I will take nothing away from Malaysia's own charms, but suffice it to say, this post is all about the standard of Singapore. Enjoy the dazzling photographs that will follow!

The Fullerton Hotel around Raffles Place is a major draw

The Merlion spits its water into Marina Bay as the awesome sky roof looms in the distance

Crowds of tourists throng the famous Merlion statue in Singapore

I too was amongst the party of visitors at the Merlion statue in Singapore

Another view of the Merlion

Taking a rest before I tackled Marina Bay Sands

This collection of metal beams is known as "The Mister". When the temperature rises to a certain degree it emits a mist to help cool down sweaty travellers.

Day was fading into night at Marina Bay, Singapore

But there was still enough light left to snap some more pictures of this row of trees flanked on the right by a shopping mall extension of the Marina Bay Sands

That's my new back-pack in the foreground. I bought it especially for my Singapore trip. It's obviously a lot better at evenly distributing the weight across both of my shoulders, as opposed to the single shoulder strap bag I used to use

The interior of the latest shopping haven in Singapore

Chanel is the choice to decorate the exterior

Like a huge glass cooking bowl, this inverted dome kept many people mystified. Coins are thrown inside but what happens if one falls down the hole in the middle? And where were all those voices coming from?

I could distinctly hear people's voices coming from the glass bowl...

This is the scene below the glass cooking bowl. It's base lowers into the shopping centre where coins drop down into a pool of shallow water. The mysterious voices are those of shoppers below, detected by microphones on the bowl, sending the sounds up to the people above. How cool is that?!

The Shoppes At Marina Bay Sands front entrance by day...

...and by night

Around the corner I was met by the impressive Marina Bay Sands hotel

The Eye is most definitely on Singapore

The Marina Bay Sands at night

I doubt I will be able to afford a stay at the Marina Bay Sands any time soon, so I'll just stick to taking pictures!

The entrance to the Marina Bay Sands is at the side of the building

A view of the Marina Bay Sands standing a little farther back

A few views of Marina Bay looking across to the Fullerton Hotel

The scenes in Singapore are stunning, whether by day, or by night

A final couple of pictures with The Mister...

A monument depicting the various sports of Singapore. The Fullerton Hotel is clearly visible on the other side

Singapore may be small but it certainly puts Malaysia in the shade.