Ascott Raffles Place Singapore

Ascott Raffles Place, set amidst Singapore financial cityscape, is a place where you can truly experience cultured living. This architecture gem was the first modern high-rise office to be built in Singapore after World War II. It was symbolic of the economic recovery of the nation and its blossoming position as a financial centre. In 1953, although partially finished, the building was considered significant enough to be featured in Queen Elizabeth II's coronation. Fifty years on, this heritage building was lovingly restored from its 1950s splendour and converted into a second home for many of its global travelers.

Not only is Ascott Raffles Place easily accessible to the multitude of business and financial institutions, it is also close to renowned entertainment, cultural and shopping districts unique to Singapore. Just behind Ascott and a little further along the Singapore River is the Asian Civilization Museum. The Asian Civilisations Museum is the first museum in the region to present a broad yet integrated perspective of pan-Asian cultures and civilisations. It houses over 1300 artefacts from the region.

And if you want to experience Singapore safely from 165m above ground level, you must definitely ride in the capsule of the world's largest observation wheel. The Singapore Flyer, not far from the Ascott Raffles Place, is the only place in Singapore where you can get a bird's eye view of the entire city.

Literally a stone's throw away from the Ascott Raffles Place is the famous and charming Lau Pa Sat -- a food haven right smack in the middle of Singapore's financial district. Interestingly, this nearly 200-year old building hasn't always been here. In fact it's been taken down, stored and moved twice before. But it's the only example of a building of this kind in the whole of South East Asia. This old market is indeed old. It was first opened in 1825 -- making it Singapore's first wet market, dating it back to the time of Sir Stamford Raffles, founder of Singapore. It was subsequently converted into a famous gourmet paradise and has been gazetted as a national monument since 1973. The variety of street food is founded in the regional variations of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Nonya cuisines.

Thanks to the convenient location of Ascott Raffles Place, the heart of Singapore's shopping strip, Orchard Road, is merely a few stops away on the Mass Rapid Transit, or MRT. Orchard Road got its name from the nutmeg, pepper and fruit orchards that used to lie on either side of the street in the 1840s. ION Orchard, Tangs and Ngee Ann City are just some of the famous landmarks of this hot shopping strip.

If you've had your fill and want to experience Singapore at night, you will be thrilled to find, not far from Ascott Raffles Place are the famous waterfront godowns that now play host to a colourful kaleidoscope of restaurants, wine bars, entertainment spots and retail shops.
The Singapore River has always been an iconic river of the city-state of the nation for it was on its banks that the foundation of the nation was forged. The heart of Clarke Quay is shielded by umbrella-like canopies, called Angel Sky, that rise above the roofs of surrounding shop houses. The Central Fountain Square at Clarke Quay, which spews out chilled water of 16 degree Celsius, not only cools the temperature during the day, it is also a fantastic water dance display.