Doesn’t matter where you live, there are plenty of places to catch breath-taking views of the city’s jungles – concrete or otherwise.

For Free

They say the best things in life are for free. The breath-taking views of MacRitchie Reservoir’s treetops and the peacefulness at Marina Barrage are definitely worth experiencing yourself. Here’s a handful of spots to look out for without pulling out the wallet.

Henderson Waves
Come for the bridge, stay for the view. Take the hiking trail from Kent Ridge Park near Mount Faber to reach this incredible structure connecting Telok Blangah Hill Park and Mount Faber Park. With a 274-metre length, the bridge curves like the waves of a water barrel. By day you might encounter some cheeky monkeys – and at night, couples trying to smootch. Open 24 hours a day, it’s best seen when the lights are on between 7pm and 2am.
Henderson Road, Southern Ridges, Bukit Merah, 159557

Palawan Beach Towers
Hop over to Sentosa Island and keep heading south until you hit the coast. Palawan Beach is a great stretch of sand, along with bars and restaurants, but walk towards the east and you’ll spot the two viewing towers sitting on its own tiny island – among palm trees. The suspension bridge to reach them sits barely above the sea, though willing swimmers can also paddle over if they’re brave enough. Climb the towers and get a better view of the coast.
Palawan Beach, Sentosa Island, 099981

The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands rooftop gardens
Level 5 of the shops is not clearly labelled – nor talked about – but is a goldmine of a spot if you’re looking to get a different view of the city. Take the escalators all the way up – or find the elevator from outside of the Shoppes facing the hotel – to access the roof. You’ll realise the curvature of the Shoppes’ roof, and see the Singapore Flyer from a rare angle. You can also get a shortcut to the Gardens by the Bay from here.
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Level 5, 10 Bayfront Avenue, 018956

Marina Barrage
It’s amazing to know that there’s still a lot of people who haven’t taken the opportunity to get a view of the city from the roof of the Marina Barrage. It’s not the height that makes the difference – it’s only four floors up – but the uninterrupted view. With the grassy ground, the lack of close-proximity light pollution and relative quiet, this is still one of Singapore’s best spots for a free view.
8 Marina Gardens Drive, 018951

VivoCity SkyPark
Sitting on the third floor of the shopping centre is a breath of fresh air. From the edge of the building you can take a look at the 300-metre waterfront boardwalk that crosses over to Sentosa Island. You can spot the Tiger Sky Tower and the cable cars travelling from Sentosa to Mount Faber. On the rooftop itself are little boats for the kids to use in pools not even knee-high in depth for a small fee, and most of it is covered in case the heavens open up. Most of VivoCity’s escalators should take you up there,
no problem.
VivoCity Level 3, 1 Harbourfront Walk, 098585

ION Sky
You wouldn’t normally associate ‘free’ with ION Orchard, but take the escalators to the fourth floor – then the elevator to floor 56 – and you’ll be given a 270-degree view of Singapore from within the shopping district. Gawk at shoppers down below, or try out the modern electronic binoculars. Open from 3-6pm daily, this is a great way of taking it all in from a nosebleed-height – all for free.
2 Orchard Turn, Level 56, 238801

MacRitchie Reservoir TreeTop Walk
The MacRitchie Reservoir is definitely a worthwhile trek to take if you haven’t already. Some of Singapore’s natural fauna and flora on display at no cost at all – other than a bit of energy to walk around. Roughly two hours’ walk from MacRitchie Reservoir Park is the TreeTop Walk – a suspension bridge 250 metres high that surrounds you in MacRitchie’s greenery. There’s the nearby Jelutong Tower not far from the walk that gives you a 360-degree look, but nothing beats a bridge.
601 Island Club Road, 578775

Singapore Science Centre Observatory
While not the first thing you’d consider when it comes to getting a good photo, this is a fantastic spot to see the landscape of the cosmos. The Singapore Science Centre keeps its observatory open to the public at no cost. Keen observers of the skies are always on hand to explain to visitors what they’re seeing through the observatory’s lens – or in many cases, the telescopes of enthusiasts wanting to share the view with all. Stargazing sessions start from 7.45pm every Friday.
15 Science Centre Road, 609081

Mount Faber Park
At 105 metres high, Mount Faber Park is a great day excursion. Not only do you get to discover a great rainforest within Singapore – with tons of heritage trails, but upon reaching the top there are so many vantage points. Look to the south to see the jetties and docks of Pulau Keppel. Turn around and get a better view of nearby neighbourhoods.
Telok Blangah Road, 099448

For a Fee

Sometimes it’s worth throwing in a couple of coins to get a unique perspective of the city. Most of the places here are restaurants or bars that might not allow for freeloaders of the view they’re paying to have without a drink in hand.

Tanjong Beach Club
Sitting on a lounge chair facing the sea under a big umbrella is one of those quintessential show-off photos that people tend to do around this time of year. The mainstay for weekend chill-out sessions has updated its menu for the first time since its opening, with choices like quinoa salad, lobster burger and a deconstructed strawberry cheesecake. While not a cheap endeavour, it’s definitely a pretty one. Grab a bucket of beers, splash in the pool or just do a quick photo snap-and-run.
120 Tanjong Beach Walk, 098942

The Black Swan
If you’re in the mood for some Great Gatsby atmosphere, the European bistro is an easy throwback to the 1930s with its quirky cocktails, horse-shaped granite bar and shades of gold adorning the walls. Just announced is the restaurant’s alfresco garden area, with old-school lamps, hardwood floors and surrounded by trees in the heart of the CBD.
19 Cecil Street, 049704

Aura at The Scarlet Singapore
The renovated 19th-Century house in Chinatown has a great rooftop bar to relax. Try out the bar’s Sicilian-inspired street food and wine menu, surrounded by the neighbourhood’s terracotta rooftops – a lovely juxtaposition between heritage and the modern business hustle and bustle. Things are a little bit calmer up there, and every little bit of peace and quiet is appreciated.
The Scarlet Singapore Level 4, 33 Erskine Road, 069333

The Great Escape
The Projector is the best place to catch the films that the larger chains tend to avoid – they just showed the Kiwi flick Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Take a step outside to the car park for a unique café-slash-bar. Don’t be surprised if you come across an impromptu barbeque up here. Not only are the Singapore Flyer and Marina Bay Sands within view, but the Singapore Sports Hub too.
6001 Beach Road Level 5, 199589

Spago
Neighbouring bar CÉ LA VI atop Marina Bay Sands used to draw the attention of visitors, but since the completion of the Gardens by the Bay, Spago has become the bar of choice. Watch the brightly lit Supertree Grove sparkle during its daily show while sipping on a cocktail – the Supertree by IndoChine bar at Gardens by the Bay will let you sit among the lightshow itself, but up high the garden looks a little more amazing.
Sands Skypark Tower 2, Marina Bay Sands Level 57, 10 Bayfront Avenue, 018956

1-Altitude
Arguably this is the best club to get a full 360-degree view of Singapore. The rooftop bar is shaped like a triangle, giving three different panoramic views of the city and beyond. There are usually weekly events like Ladies Night held at the 282 metre-high rooftop bar to make the prices a little more tolerable, though even for ten minutes this is an amazing spot to soak the view in.
1 Raffles Place Level 57, 048616

The Pinnacle@Duxton
The S-shaped condominium is an impressive structure indeed. At 50 storeys high, The Pinnacle features the world’s two longest sky gardens at 500 metres. The top floor is a 360-degree rooftop skybridge that is accessible to the public for $5. Bring your EZ-Link or MRT card to Block 1G and pay to go up and get some wide photos of the city.
1 Cantonment Road, 080001

Equinox Restaurant
If you’re looking for a modern European brunch with a view, there’s definitely one here on the 70th floor – though it comes at a cost. The towering Swissôtel The Stamford skyscraper hosts the New Asia bar up top, but there’s also floor-to-ceiling windows facing the Padang, the durian-inspired Esplanade Theatres on the Bay and Marina Bay at Equinox.
Swissôtel The Stamford Level 70, 2 Stamford Road, 178882

Loof
Though you’ll only be four floors up, the rooftop bar has a decent set of Southeast Asian-inspired cocktails – and some modern Singaporean dishes like chilli crab fries – to try while staring out towards downtown CBD. With trees, shaded spots and a higher view of Raffles Hotel, it’s worth a visit during the day and at night.
Odeon Towers #03-07, 331 North Bridge Road, 188720

Me@OUE
The rooftop bar and restaurant facing Marina Bay has a great panoramic view – from the Esplanade on the left to the financial district on the right. The restaurant has a kitchen that caters to three cuisines – Japanese, Chinese and French – to shake things up. Your best bet to enjoy is to find a spare cushy seat or one of the standing bars along the edge in the outdoor lounge and just soak in that view with a drink.
50 Collyer Quay, 049321

Cable Car Sky Network
You won’t get to travel any more stylishly to Sentosa than taking a cable car over the ocean. At $33 for adults and $22 for children for both the Mount Faber and Sentosa lines – the latter brings you over the beaches, the Sentosa Merlion and Universal Studios – you’re guaranteed a view not many have ventured.
109 Mount Faber Road, 099203 or HarbourFront Tower Two #01-00, 3 Harbourfront Place, 099254

Two bars have given a breath of fresh air to the cocktail game, Gerard Ward says.

Tippling Club

38 Tanjong Pagar Road, 088461
6475 2217
tipplingclub.com

A particular smell or scent can bring back long-forgotten memories in such a powerful way. Ever gotten a whiff of a perfume and thought your old school teacher might be nearby?

Perfumes and colognes tend to harness particular ingredients to portray a particular characteristic. But what about the smell of freshly-cut grass? The Tippling Club bar along Tanjong Pagar Road, owned by revered chef Ryan Clift, unravelled their latest creation: The Sensorium Menu.

With a collaboration with International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF), Head Bartender Joe Schofield and his team came up with 12 distinct scents – and with it, intentions to evoke 12 different memories. Most are single words, like ‘Orange’, ‘Leather’, ‘Pear’, ‘Caramel’ or ‘Jasmine’.

The 12 scents, sprayed onto perfume tester cards, sit on the table at Tippling Club. Guests choose a cocktail by the scent on each card. The back of each card has a list of ingredients as well to let you know what you’re getting yourself into – the Campfire, for example, lists ‘marshmallow milk, campfire, burnt syrup, ash, gin’.

Caramel, Campfire, Rain and Negroni.

Once you’ve figured out your choice, you can hand over the perfume card and wait for the drink to arrive. The Campfire, stirring up memories of trips out country sitting by the fire, is served with a homemade marshmallow sitting on a twig, singed on top with a bit of flame to give that golden colour. The scent isn’t essentially burnt wood, but through the magic of sensory science, just enough to gather imagery of a campfire. ‘We want the garnishes and the drinks to work together,’ Schofield says. ‘All the way from the smell to the taste.’

Order up a glass of Grass, and sitting on a small square of artificial grass is a tequila-based drink with citrus notes, a hint of anise and a sprig of dill sitting on top. Try the Leather for a leather-covered glass jar with what seems like an Old Fashioned whisky cocktail with vanilla and orange – and that familiar smell of cattle hide.

Schofield, who says he’s not used such high-tech machines before – like the Sonicprep, a machine that emits ultrasonic sound waves to infuse liquids with aromas from spices or herbs – has embraced this newer way to create new drinks and up the game for mixologists. ‘It’s really a lot of fun to get to try something new like this,’ Schofield says. ‘We’ve been working on this for the past year or so, and I’m really looking forward to hearing what people think.’

Drinks are all the same price ($22 each) to remove the worry of cost when chossing – your mind won’t need to wonder whether it’s worth splurging on Rain.

Mitzo

Grand Park Orchard level 4, 270 Orchard Road, 238857
6603 8855
mitzo.sg

On the fourth floor of Grand Park Orchard is the Chinese restaurant Mitzo. Standing at the back of the room with its blue hues, high tables and large aquarium wall of real jellyfish is Mitzo’s Bar Manager Marco Pignotta and his team. The bar’s revamped cocktail experience is the team’s newest mix of Asian-inspired drinks making use of Asian herbs, spices and iconic flavours.

The bar’s take on the Negroni – the drink Marco says is the most popular in Italy – lies in the details. Genever – the juniper-flavoured Dutch spirit that later evolved to gin – is infused with 500 grams of red dates, then aged for a month in a small oak barrel and filtered. With the addition of Vermouth del prodessore, and a bitter Campari, the ‘Uncle’ Negroni is a smoother drink, with a slightly oaky finish – thrown into a crystal glass and a hand-chiselled ice block.

Chinese Collins is a play on the Joe Collins gin cocktail with lemon juice, sugar and soda water. To bring in some Asian elements to the recipe, the bar mixes Haymans Old Tom gin and the very herbal Chartreuse green with some goji berry syrup. The pièce de résistance comes from Jia Jia herbal tea – those white cans of tea you might recognise in hawker shop fridges – becoming an integral part of the mix. The cocktail is then thrown into a carbonation canister – like a portable Sodastream – to turn it into a sparkling drink. With the intensity of the Chartreuse being blanketed gently by the tea, it’s a refreshing take on a drink usually seen as a somewhat bland lunch drink. To top it off, the drink is served with a teapot steaming with dry ice for mystic effect.

Mulled wine cocktail Le Sommelier, with crispy pork belly and sticky barbeque pork.

Le Sommelier is the mulled-wine style cocktail that brings a lot more to the table than your average spiced wine. Imagine how to bring five relatively strong drinks into the one glass without knocking the drinker out. You’ll recognise the technique Marco pulls off as he replicates what a kopitiam’s pulled teh tarik drink needs – the transferring between two cups. The only difference to this is that the drink is also lit on fire to help remove some of the alcohol. It’s alluring to watch the drink go from one cup to the next in a string of fire.

Once complete, the drink is poured into a cognac glass, and lent on its side above a tealight candle to warm up the cocktail. The fumes from the drink are so strong that if the mind had any memories from the spices of mulled wine, this is like a heavy wallop to the nostrils.

With a couple of side dishes to eat, this is surely a drink best enjoyed slowly – and to make use of that sense of smell.

One of the simplest ways of giving back is a simple blood donation, Gerard Ward says.

When it comes to needles, many get squirmish. It’s not so much what they are used for than how it’s done that turn most away when it comes to donating blood.

You might have recently noticed the bus ads around town about blood donations. Donating blood here in Singapore is a little easier than you think, and is a great service to give back to the community.

I had given blood once years ago, with the gung-ho attitude of repeating this every three months. I moved countries a couple of months later, and never thought to return to more generous times.

There’s a bloodbank literally five minutes away from our office, so no more excuses. Registering to give blood can be done at any of the four bloodbanks around Singapore, as well as a roaming blood drive. With the use of technology, people can jump online to book a timeslot ahead of time – as well as fill out the health questionnaire that you’d normally fill in on the day.

Some of the questions seem a little strange; for example, those who’ve lived in the UK or Europe during the specific time in which Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease – or Mad Cow Disease – affected the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, blood donation is not allowed. It’s unfortunate for anyone who has lived there for three months or more between 1980 and 1996. This policy is apparently the same in Australia and New Zealand, but it must make things difficult in the long run.

Once everything’s filled out, you’re handed a donor card – making the process easier in three months’ time if you wish to donate again – and your forms. When your number is called, you pop into a doctor’s office for a quick check on blood pressure, and making sure you’re up to speed on the process.

There’s a small test before donating via a pin-prick of blood to check your blood haemoglobin level – the protein molecules in your red blood cells – before you’re called to go into the donation room.

Hopping up on to the reclined seat, the attendant explains the first step, which is the anaesthetic – the only pinch you’re likely to feel throughout the entire donation process. Ten minutes pass quickly, and once the needle is in, the entire filling up process finished in five minutes flat. ‘Usually five to ten minutes is a good sign,’ the attendant says.

The attendant wraps a bandage around your elbow, and after five minutes you’re given a box of iron supplement tablets and a voucher for a free meal in the cafeteria.

The efficiency and speed of donating blood made me feel almost guilty that I haven’t been donating more often. Knowing Singapore needs over 117,000 units of blood a year – and that my donation could help someone else – it seems like a lot of gain for no pain.

Donors will not be eligible to donate blood if they have:
* Visited or lived in the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man or the Channel Island) between 1980 and 1996 for a cumulative period of 3 months or longer.
* Visited or lived in France since 1980 for a cumulative period of 5 years or longer.
* Received a transfusion of blood or blood components in France or the United Kingdom since 1980.
Donors who have lived in other European countries (excluding France and UK) for 5 years or more are advised to donate only plasma via apheresis procedure.
– Information taken from the Health Sciences Authority (hsa.gov.sg).

Stories and their storytellers are able to continue their journey through generations thanks to the power of art, Gerard Ward says.

The art shown on each canvas of Sarah Brown’s work depicts the crevices, hills and bushland of western desert Australia in gorgeous hues of orange, blue and purple. The tales of these paintings display the illustrious wonder of the Aussie countryside, but what tells a better story is hearing her day job as a health care worker and CEO of Western Desert Nganampa Walytja Palyantjaku Tjutaku (WDNWPT).

For over a decade Sarah and many other passionate people like her have been fighting to help the indigenous communities in the Northern Territory of Australia have better access to dialysis machines. ‘The rates of kidney disease among Aboriginal people in desert communities are very high,’ Brown says. According to Kidney Health Australia, in 2012-2013 almost one in five (18 per cent) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged over 18 had indicators of chronic kidney disease. According to The Menzies Institute Of Health Research, the Northern Territory has the highest rate of end-stage renal failure. ‘There’s a number of causes of this, but it’s about rapid culture change, poverty, powerlessness and dispossession,’ she adds. ‘It’s not about alcohol consumption – most of our mob have never touched a drop in their lives.’

Having studied nursing in New South Wales, Sarah worked in the inner city of Sydney before moving to Adelaide in 1990 to work in Aboriginal Health. She eventually moved to Alice Springs in 1992, enjoying her time more out in communities than hospitals. Families were enduring hardships to get essential dialysis machines – the Pintupi people had to travel enormous distances or permanently move up to Alice Springs to get treatment three times a week, meaning leaving their homes behind – and not being on country. ‘In traditional Aboriginal world view, the kidneys hold the spirit,’ Sarah explains. ‘So sick kidneys, sick spirit. The things that keep your spirit strong are being with family, on country, taking part in ceremony and community life.’

Patrick Tjungurrayi and Sarah Brown.

The Pintupi people wanted to get dialysis out bush, but these machines aren’t cheap. Through a grassroots initiative in the year 2000 with artists in Papunya Tula, Sotheby’s and local Northern Territory politicians, a handful of paintings were auctioned off at the Art Gallery of NSW, raising $1.1 million for the WDNWPT – an amazing start. ‘They couldn’t get government to help, so they did it themselves,’ Sarah says. ‘There’s a lot of well-deserved pride in this organisation.’

Since then there has been government funding coming in to support Purple House – the first place out in Alice Springs that could offer care and dialysis. When Sarah first became involved, she knew nothing about dialysis. ‘My first job in 2003 was to write our constitution, get a bank account and get charity status,’ Sarah recalls. ‘I would never have believed that I would be in the same job for close to 14 years, but it’s changing all the time.’

From Purple House’s beginnings in Alice Springs and in Kintore, there are now 24 machines in 11 places, including two on the road. The Purple Truck is bringing dialysis machines to communities via a big purple truck. ‘We knew we weren’t going to be able to have dialysis in every remote community where people wanted to be, so we thought “why not build a truck that can travel and give people at least some access to around the country and have something to look forward to?”’, Sarah says. ‘Medicines Australia donated the money to build the truck, Fresenius donated the dialysis machines and we fundraised to get it out to communities.’

‘If we weren’t around, everyone on dialysis from remote communities would be stuck in Alice Springs, Darwin, Perth and Adelaide with no hope of getting home to see their families,’ Sarah says. ‘A diagnosis of end-stage renal failure was a one-way ticket to town – and home for your own funeral. It caused great hardship and sadness, and a real risk that important cultural knowledge would be lost.’

Art has always been an essential part behind the initiative. Sarah, a keen painter and self-taught artist, began to paint while working out in the countryside as a remote nurse, getting some guidance from local artists like Rod Moss. A fan of the likes of Van Gogh and Post-Impressionism – as well as Australian favourites like Lloyd Rees, Brett Whiteley and the Western Desert painters she’s worked with – her art has now brought her to having her first solo show in Singapore.

Pictures are worth a thousand words, though it’s easy to say these paintings tell a longer tale of the importance of home the connection to the land. The thousands of stories that may not have been passed down generations by communities around Australia may have hope yet, and it’s all thanks to the power of the paintbrush.

Sarah Brown’s solo exhibition ‘Remote’ runs until 24 December at ReDot Fine Art Gallery, 140 Hill Street #01-08, 179369.