There’s a whole lot more museums in town than you realise, Gerard Ward finds.

When it comes to museums in Singapore, it’s usually the biggest few that get talked about the most. While they are amazing examples of awe-inspiring architecture, it’s not necessarily the size of a museum that defines its greatness. We’ve collected a handful of museums around town that vary in size, but all demonstrate Singapore’s love for celebrating its past, and understanding its future.

The Big Ones

National Museum of Singapore

93 Stamford Road, 178897
6332 3659
nationalmuseum.sg
Singapore’s oldest museum has a lot of history behind it – it goes without saying. What better place to display a country’s rise to independence, this museum has exhibitions focusing on the key times of the Little Red Dot’s history – from the first 10 years since its independence in ‘We Built A Nation’ to the music, TV and theatre of self-expression in the 70s and 80s. The Stamford Road site wasn’t always its home; Bras Basah Road’s Singapore Library and Museum was the first iteration back in 1849. You’ll find the new, iconic building recently played a big part as a literal canvas for the Singapore Night Festival. There are free guided tours every day in English, Mandarin and Korean.
Admission: From $5-$10. Discounts for Singaporean citizens and PRs.

National Gallery Singapore

1 St. Andrew’s Road, 178957
6271 7000
nationalgallery.sg
Since it opened its doors again last November, the grandiose gallery has some stunning pieces of art to see. With the $532 million investment not only refurbishing the former Supreme Court Building to what it is today, but also helping house the largest public collection of Singapore and Southeast Asian art in the world, there’s good reason to visit this time capsule of art. The two inaugural exhibitions, ‘Siapa Nama Kamu?’ and ‘Between Declarations and Dreams’ looking at Singaporean and Southeast Asian art respectively since the 19th Century. The same gallery has also brought in international contemporary art, and housed a Picasso once for ‘Reframing Modernism’.
Admission: From $15-$20. Free for Singaporean Citizens and PRs.

ArtScience Museum

10 Bayfront Avenue, 018956
6688 8888
marinabaysands.com/museum.html
From afar the building sitting beside the Marina Bay Sands resembles a massive hand with a big hole in the palm, but inside this museum is a celebration of art and science together. Whether it’s looking at how Dreamworks put together its blockbuster films, or how data is everywhere in the world, the museum aims to embrace the connection between the pursuit of knowledge, and the curiosity of the unknown. After hosting a multitude of travelling exhibitions, the museum’s first permanent exhibition, Future World, is a perfect example of how art and science can come together – with hands-on exhibits that are suited for young an old. There are plenty of short-term exhibitions running, with Dutch artist M.C. Escher’s love for mathematical precision on full display from 24 September.
Admission: From $10 to $30 (depending on the exhibition).

Asian Civilisations Museum

1 Empress Place, 179555
6332 7798
acm.org.sg
Looking at the significant changes of civilisations within Asia through religion, rule and heritage is a smorgasbord of fascinating tales. With incredible artefacts and collections spanning centuries – porcelain pieces as far back as the 800s in one exhibition – the museum by the Singapore River. The most recent exhibition – which ends this month – explores Christianity in Asia through various artworks across Asia.
Admission: From $10 to $15. Discounts for citizens and PRs.

Singapore Art Museum

71 Bras Basah Road, 189555
6589 9580
singaporeartmuseum.sg
Home to Singapore’s contemporary art exhibitions, events, workshops and talks. Neighbouring talent around Southeast Asia and beyond also get prominence in this 19th century mission school-turned-art museum. The most recent exhibitions have just finished up, but keep an eye out for the Singapore Biennale 2016 in October – a huge showcase of contemporary art from around Asia. Only 20 years old, Singapore’s first art museum is right in the centre of the surrounding visual and performing arts schools – like School of the Arts (SOTA) down the road, and LASALLE College of the Arts in Bugis.
Admission: From $5-$10. Discounts for Singaporean citizens and PRs. Free entry every Friday from 6-9pm.

Peranakan Museum

39 Armenian Street, 179941
6332 7591
peranakanmuseum.org.sg
Exploring the history of Peranakan – a word in Malay meaning ‘child of’ or ‘born of’– is to explore ethnic backgrounds of many. The museum looks at the culture behind the former Straits Settlements of Singapore, Malacca, and Penang – and the greater connection with other Southeast Asian communities – with a collection of textiles, furniture and jewellery. The museum’s current exhibition ‘Nyonya Needlework’ looks at the meticulously stitched wonders of silk, beads, gold and silver.
Admission: From $6-$10. Discounts forSingaporean citizens and PRs. 50{fad86f5e3336133246a213aa2a2588200b27e4ae08b3f6f25405093f2c4991ee} discount on Fridays from 7-9pm.

The Maritime Experiential Museum

8 Sentosa Gateway, 098269
6577 7515
rwsentosa.com
Marrying maritime history with interactive fun for kids, Sentosa’s interactive museum aims to do just that. With an educational look at Singapore’s past as a trading port, there’s life-sized replicas of Asian sailing vessels like the Jewel of Muscat, a 360-degree multimedia Typhoon Theatre, and plenty of archaeological finds.
Admission: From $15-$32. Discounts for Singaporean citizens and PRs.

The Smaller Ones

Image courtesy Greg Shand Architects.

Indian Heritage Centre

5 Campbell Lane, 209924
6291 1601
indianheritage.org.sg
The sheer complexity when it comes to the migrant history of Indians moving to Singapore means there’s a lot to learn. Luckily this beautifully constructed centre has managed to properly tell the story of the Indian community’s heritage.
Opening last year, the museum is broken into five sections, beginning from the early pre-colonial periods – where South Asians have long links through trade and religions – to the origins and movements from the 19th to 21st century. The gruelling journey to Singapore, then the acclimatising with local cultures, is chronicled in this passage through time. From the brightly coloured saris and gold necklaces of the 1900s to interactive games simulating Arab Street in the 1930s, you’ll be exposed to the many differences between North and South India and the influence Indians have made on Singapore.
Admission: From $2-$4. Free for Singaporeans and PRs.

Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum

2 Conservatory Drive, 117377

6348 5555

lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg

This is where dinosaur bones live in Singapore – three 150-year-old diplodocids to be precise. Exploring the natural history of life – and in particular, the biodiversity of Southeast Asia – the two-floor museum has fifteen sections dedicated to the fauna of Earth. Look at the kinds of arthropods and amphibians that demonstrates Darwin’s theory of evolution. Nothing beats seeing the real thing, and fossils are cool to look at, no matter how old you are.
Admission: From $9-$21. Discounts for Singaporeans and PRs.

Singapore Philatelic Museum

23-B Coleman Street, 179807
6337 3888
spm.org.sg
A lot can be deducted from studying stamps. An absolutely necessary invention and the method of transporting everything from valuable information to your nanna’s knitted woollen socks, stamps tell stories about history, culture, technology. The museum’s Straits Settlements Collection has a full set of stamps from 1854 that were used back when Singapore was under the East India Company and under British Indian rule. Singapore’s philately is on proud display in the Room of Rarities, with stamps dating back to the 1800s.
Admission: From $4-$6. Free for Singaporean citizens and PRs.

Red Dot Design Museum

28 Maxwell Road, 069120
6327 8027
museum.red-dot.sg/maad/
Crushing the myth that Singapore isn’t creative, the iconic red building that was the former Singapore Traffic Police Headquarters is home to over 1,000 pieces of modern design. Art and design students should have a field trip here to look at trends in the industry. Check out one of the MAAD flea markets – on each month on a Friday night – where you’ll find unique creations from local artists and designers.
Admission: Free.

The Changi Museum

1000 Upper Changi Road North, 507707
6214 2451
changimuseum.sg
Dedicated to Singapore’s history during World War II, the museum highlights the significant events surrounding the Japanese Occupation. It’s not a large museum, but it doesn’t need to be – the poignant message about the horrors of war is there. With photographs, paintings and artefacts from former POWs – as well as a replica chapel – the museum is an insight to life during the occupation. The original museum was built back in 1988 next to Changi Prison, but was moved to a new site a kilometre away in 2001.
Admission: Free.

Mint Museum of Toys

26 Seah Street, 188382
6339 0660
emint.com
Ever tried to start your own toy collection? Many have, but with decades of toys to collect, the task is pretty daunting. Introducing what should really be called Nostalgia Tower, Mint (Moment of Imagination and Nostalgia with Toys) is five floors’ worth of glass units displaying toys in mint condition from the 19th and 20th Century – this isn’t a place for young kids to pick up and play. A tour guide is best to understand the significance of each collectable and trinket. Pop up to the top of the museum for Mr Punch Rooftop Bar for a view of the city – and a whole lot of enamel posters from yesteryear.
Admission: From $7.50-$15.

The Cat Museum

8 Purvis Street, 188587
6336 2133
thecatmuseum.com.sg
It’s a stretch to call this a ‘museum’ – it’s more of an adoption centre – but once you’ve reached the Kitten Zone, all is forgotten. On the first level, there are posters with a bit of history on cats, including paintings made by artists that are up for sale – with a couple of cats wandering around that you can pat. Above is a floor dedicated to adoptable cats and kittens, where visitors can hang out and see if one of them is a match. The top floor is home to the cross-eyed tabby mascot Harry.
Admission: $9. Children below 6 are free.

The British singer with a voice that has fit every genre is going to be in town for the Singapore Grand Prix, performing at the Podium Lounge weekend party. She gave us a quick moment in the weeks leading up to her performance to chat.

You were here in Singapore a couple of years ago. Did you get to see much when you were in town?
I’ve been to Singapore three times. I love the city; it’s almost like a tropical England in the best way.

Is there anything you’re looking forward to checking out when you’re back here?
The markets are always a good time for me.

What tends to be your favourite venue to perform – large and loud, or small and intimate?
I don’t mind the audience size, as long as they have fun.

People have said your career has been pretty intense since you took that leap to approach Kanye in person all that time ago about your music. What was going in your head at the time, and how did you convince yourself to go for it?
I’ve never been scared, and I had a career in the UK of my own doing prior to meeting Kanye – so when I met him with the knowledge that he worked with a then talented singer John Legend, it was a no-brainer.

When do you find the best times to write lyrics to songs? Are they a slow process most of the time, or better when it’s a bit more raw and at once?
Songs and lyrics come whenever. Depends on what I’m around and what I’m being motivated by. There’s no particular time.

Have there been any new styles of music that you’ve been tempted to try out?
All of my albums and song collections are pretty eclectic. There isn’t a sound I haven’t done at some point in my career already.

How is it to also be a voice actor for the Steven Universe cartoon? Do you record with any of the other actors at the same time?
Steven Universe is an awesome opportunity. Garnet is a character that was essentially created for me, and I relate to the idea of taking care of people. Sometimes we record together…sometimes separate.

Estelle is performing on Sunday 18 September at Podium Lounge as part of the Singapore Grand Prix.

Jet Lo, Head Chef at Ding Dong, talks about his shift from hospitality management in Perth to eventually being head chef in Singapore.

So where did your love for cooking come from?
I’m from Sabah in Malaysia. After I finished high school, I went to Perth for a hospitality management course. At first I didn’t think about being a chef, but commercial cookery is part of the course – before you go through to management you need to do a basic cooking class.

During these two years, I found my passion there. I love the stress of the kitchen…I don’t like to sit down and read the books, you know? I like to walk around, and the atmosphere of a kitchen has that energy. I didn’t continue the course for the management side, and started working in a kitchen to get experience. I went to Switzerland to learn more about the cuisine there as well.

The level of hospitality in Switzerland is pretty high. How was it like to study there?
Actually, it’s not that difficult to get into the school I went to. But to stay there, and to finish the course is really hard. The lifestyle there, it’s like the way they teach there was Hell’s Kitchen. My mentor there taught me to be really disciplined, how to be a good chef and be very detailed. They didn’t make me feel like it’s a school; they made me feel like I’m working here – having to wake up early, and really pushing, kicking ass every day.

When you came back to Singapore, did you work in any particular restaurant?
Before Ding Dong, I was working in a NUSS (National University of Singapore Society) club as junior sous chef. When Ding Dong came along, I became head chef at 25 years old.

That’s quite young!
For me, as a head chef it’s not hard because I feel like it’s more fun. I love cooking. I had said I would not cook Asian food because European and Western food was more interesting to me. That is until I came to Ding Dong. With the techniques that I’ve learned along the way, I realise I can apply them to any kind of cuisine. My boss [The Tippling Club’s head chef] Ryan Clift gives me a lot of trust. I can order what I want and experiment with it.

Ding Dong mango with pomelo and sago.

How’s it been in your kitchen since starting Ding Dong?
It’s good, because we have a very young team here. I’m the oldest, even though I’m only 28 years old. My team is really passionate about cooking as well. I have three deaf staff working with me. I don’t treat them like they’re different people. I treat them like any chef would. They’ve shown me that they are really willing to learn. They want to stay in my team to do something different here.

Are they fully deaf, or partially deaf…?
Some are partial, some are fully. Some just need a hearing aid. But I just learned some sign language. We’ve set it up so if I’m asking for rice I can [forms three fingers then a bowl with his hand], and they’ll know ‘three rice’. They can also read my lips. This is actually a lot faster to work with because I don’t need to look eye-to-eye all the time. Sign language is pretty fast, it’s pretty cool.

Plus, if you start yelling at them too much they can just turn off their hearing aids.
[Laughs] I’m actually calm around them. I just have to show my face, and when they see it they can probably tell I’m pissed off and they’ll change.

No time to relax when there’s so much to do, the ANZA Office finds.

It’s not common to head to a resort without kids and think ‘I need a holiday after this’ so shortly afterwards. For the ANZA office, we are heading to Treasure Bay Bintan to have a nice team-building trip – though sitting down is not what this place is about, it seems.

While it’s a tad cringe-worthy to adopt the word ‘glamping’ (or glamorous camping) Treasure Bay’s The Canopi is a series of well-dressed rooms made from strong materials you’d imagine would be how a city slicker with no camping experience would want a tent to be – four-pillared queen-size bed, large air con unit, television and al fresco bathroom. It’s easy to forget these are indeed tents and not four-walled buildings. In fact, these 40 tents were initially created for the workers while building the resort, but became the main attraction.

At first, arriving at the 338-hectare resort is not what you’d expect – entering through a brand new building that’ll soon be a collection of shops. It’s once you walk through and see the pièce de résistance – and the main focus of the resort – the bright blue lagoon situated in the middle of the resort. This $14 million crystal blue pool is actually filtered sea water, with the bright white protective flooring of the lagoon allowing the blue of the sea to really shine.

The view from the reception desk.

There’s a little journey to take along the lagoon to the check-in desk at the end of the lagoon, and this is where it gets fun. Hop into a 1920s Ford car replica and be taken down to the front desk, or try something a little more fun. There’s Segways, electric scooters and baby ATVs – you’ll be given a quick lesson on how to ride beforehand. Some of us had never used a Segway or electric scooter before, but we eventually pick up how to steer and turn – and even use the indicator for a bit of flair.

Most of the activities at The Canopi are water-focused. You’ll be hard-pressed to find something that you don’t like. There’s the two-seater electric bumper boats and standing paddle boards to wade around the lagoon.

The intricate inflatable ‘Wipeout’-style obstacle course will let kids live out their wild imaginations of surviving the entire course without falling into the water at least once. Everyone is encouraged to wear a life jacket on this just in case. What looks like two zipline wires is actually a wakeboarding pulley. To save on having to arrange boats or jetskis to pull eager wakeboarders along, these motorised wakeboarding handles can drag eager boarders along the water with ease.

For the more adventurous, brave and hopefully insured – we half-joke about this, as there’s little reason for concern – there’s the Jetovator. A water-propelled ‘vehicle’ that’s linked to a jetski via a water tube, three jets – one by your feet, and the other two controlled by controlling the levers – push the light metal frame you stand on.

It certainly looks complicated at first – and believe us, you’ll most likely fall a few times before getting it – but you’ll pick up the necessary skills to balance the nozzles and your body stature as you’re slowly lifting out of the water and hovering a few metres up. The falls do not hurt – a few of us practiced that part many a time.

The dirt-covered UTVs waiting for the next group to tread towards the jungle.

Those wanting to stay away from sea-based activities will take refuge in the off-road ATV and UTV rides. With a quick lesson beforehand, teams of three are whisked away by a guide on our own ATVs – sitting on an engine powering four wheels with tread deep enough to form piano keys in mud.

From the bumpy cement-dirt path to the red clay road, we head towards the forest – passing the trucks dropping off cargo for construction. The path then leads into a private forest path, and this is where you’re tested on your balance and understanding of gravity.

Hills escalate, and the biceps come a little into play as the four wheels take the grunt work to bring engine and body up. Surrounding us are trees shading us from the sun. The path gets thinner, and as a word of warning for those who aren’t as confident to ride an off-road vehicle, it’ll take some concentration to get through it all.

A very short trip from the main lagoon area is a mangrove that you can take a two-person kayak down. Here is where you’ll face all sorts of different sounds – from the nearby birds to the stream of water pouring over the paddles on each push. We also hear the occasional laughter from friends on other boats trying their best to keep the kayaks straight. The kayaks are not easy to tip – though we recommend not attempting to – and when the current is in your favour, makes for a relaxing paddle.

Paddling down the lagoon.

We weren’t so lucky at the beginning, and a little extra elbow grease was required to keep the boat from either going perpendicular to the current, or heading towards one of the low-hanging branches from the nearby trees. We’re accompanied by trained guides who will happily swing around to help out, though we’re too proud to ask for it during this bit.

Land and sea have been covered, but it’s the nearby Air Adventures ultralight seaplane ride that had us seeing the island from a few thousand feet above. The seaport, around 15 minutes’ drive from the resort, houses the XL-65 plane that will whisk passengers up high – with little to protect them but Stuart the experienced pilot who sits in front of you.

From above the neighbouring resorts like Nirwana Gardens, Laguna Bintan and Lagoi Bay can be spotted – the intensity of colour of the Crystal Lagoon is best seen from above. We are very fortunate to have the plane using the resort’s lagoon to pick us up – the pilot making each landing and take-off from the lagoon look seamless.

There’s a lot in store at the end of the year for the resort as well, with plans to extend the kayaking path and making a mangrove and forest walk.

If there are parents out there looking to keep their little ones occupied, couples looking to have a bit of fun – or work colleagues needing to do some planning away from the office – Treasure Bay Bintan is worth a shot.

One of The Canopi’s tents.

Exhausted from both the physical workout from the activities, and the successful planning meetings we had, the ANZA office came out of the two-day trip refreshed and ready to take on the future projects for this year and beyond.

We’d like to send a special thanks to our host Keith Ng, Treasure Bay Bintan for hosting the ANZA office for our team building trip and to Bintan Ferries for getting us all over there.

ANZA members receive 15{fad86f5e3336133246a213aa2a2588200b27e4ae08b3f6f25405093f2c4991ee} discount to all Treasure Bay rooms and activities – excluding the Jetovator. Click here for more information.