The ultra-modern, 5-star Capitol Hotel Tokyu is located in the trendy Akasaka area of central Tokyo, not far from the Imperial Palace. The locale couldn’t be more convenient. There’s a subway station just under it where several Metro lines converge, so you can take an elevator or escalator from the subway to the hotel.
My room at Capitol Hotel Tokyu. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
I loved the Capitol’s sleek 21st century décor, but the hotel itself has quite a history. About 50 years ago when it was in a different building at the same location, the Beatles stayed there. The building was completely rebuilt in 2010 – a project that took four years. It was designed by architect Kengo Kuma, who has also designed the stadium for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Capitol Tokyu is a large property with 251 rooms (including 13 suites), three restaurants, a bar, a pastry boutique, five banquet facilities, small meeting rooms, private dining rooms, an indoor swimming pool, fitness center, spa, and gardens.
A beautiful cherry blossom ikebana display in the lobby of the Capitol Hotel Tokyu. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
Even though the décor is very modern and high tech, the style is still true to Japan. The impressive lobby included a huge cherry blossom ikebana display and a kimono-clad woman playing a traditional musical instrument from afternoon to evening. Of course, as is common in Japan, there are flower arrangements everywhere.
A musician in the Capitol Hotel Tokyu lobby. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
Shoji paper screen dividers are also in every guest room. In my Deluxe King room, the divider separated the bedroom from the bathroom. At 500 square feet, the room was spacious, especially by Japanese standards, which have tended to mean smaller rooms than in the west. My Deluxe King included a desk and a chaise, a large bathroom, and an unusual amount of closet space.
Sliding room dividers in my room at Capitol Hotel Tokyu. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
Larger rooms are available as well from the Premier rooms and Club rooms to the suites. The Garden Suite on the 5th floor overlooks the historic Hie Shrine.
The bathroom in my room at Capitol Hotel Tokyu. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
What I loved most about my room, though, was the panoramic window with a button-operated shade and separate button-operated curtains. My view was of the Tokyo skyline, but the hotel also has some gardens on the property that can be seen from some rooms. I got a view of the gardens from the Origami restaurant the next morning, which made for a particularly peaceful breakfast.
Origami Restaurant breakfast. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
The breakfast, by the way, was a relatively small but fine buffet, while my eggs were made to order and brought to my table by the wait staff. Origami is open for all-day dining and has a pastry boutique that’s been famous for its butter-free banana bread since 1963. If you want to buy the folks back home an unusual edible gift, check out the boutique’s Gâteau Noir, which is a charcoal black cake with chestnuts and adzuki beans, made using bamboo charcoal.
My room’s closet at Capitol Hotel Tokyu. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
Origami is a great choice for lunch or dinner if you want a break from Japanese cuisine because it serves eclectic dishes like T-bone steak, clam chowder, jambalaya, fettuccine alfredo, and banana custard pie.
The Capitol’s main restaurant, however, is the Japanese Suiren, which serves teppan-yaki, sushi, kaiseki with traditional tea ceremonies, and a popular tempura station. Star Hill serves the four major areas of Chinese cuisine and includes a weekend buffet with 110 types of dishes.
Capitol Hotel Tokyu robe and slippers. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
There’s also an additional bar on the fourth floor, aptly called The Capitol Bar, open from 4:00 to midnight and with its own elevator. When I was there, the hotel was still serving cherry blossom-flavored specialty drinks at the bar and during afternoon tea. (Note that cigar smokers are welcome in this bar.)
A meeting room at Capitol Hotel Tokyu with a crib for babies. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
Capitol has a variety of meeting rooms, including several ballrooms, but what impressed me most was that one of the small meeting rooms I saw contained a crib. I’ve never seen this in a hotel anywhere in the world. It seems that Japan is more progressive about helping parents manage their lives between home and work. Not surprisingly, the hotel is also a popular place for weddings and wedding receptions.
I would happily stay at The Capitol Hotel Tokyu again when in Tokyo. Its 5-star status is well-earned from the helpfulness of the staff to the facilities, food, and accommodations.
The author received a complimentary stay at this hotel, but we are dedicated to providing unbiased reviews based on our experience. See our Disclosures page for more information.
The Ciragan Palace Kempinski Hotel is true to its name in more ways than one. Not only are the building and grounds palatial, but so is the ambience and the service. Of all the fine hotels I have had the good fortune of experiencing across the world, the Ciragan Palace is the finest. The property is allowed to call itself “5-star luxury,” but it is far superior to most 5-star hotels.
The entrance to the Ciragan Palace. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
Of its 302 rooms, 75% of them face the Bosphorus, and 25% face the park behind the hotel. My room was larger than the size of a normal suite and had a view of the Bosphorus and the outdoor pool below from a private balcony.
The view from my room at the Ciragan Palace. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
It also had a living room and hallway with a couch, chair, dining table, desk, television, and bureau. The bedroom had another television, chairs, and a pillow menu, and the beautiful bath contained a separate shower and bathtub, as well as a bidet.
My room at the Ciragan Palace. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
The Ottoman décor was in deep red and green velvets and brocades, with a faux brocade canopy over the bed. The lights were operated by push button on the telephone, along with a “do not disturb” button. WiFi was complimentary throughout the property.
My room at the Ciragan Palace. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
The Ciragan Palace is on the opposite side of the Bosphorus from the historical areas of Istanbul. You can take a taxi across the bridge or take the tram part of the way and a taxi the rest of the way. When traffic is heavy, it’s actually faster to take the tram.
Another view of my room at the Ciragan Palace. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
“Ciragan” is a word derived from Persian, which means “a special light source,” and the name was borrowed from the torchlit “Ciragan Festivals” that were held on the grounds in the 1700s. The word is not pronounced as it looks in English, however. So when you tell a taxi driver to take you to this hotel, it’s important to get the pronunciation right. The “g” in the name is silent, and the “c” has a “sh” sound, which means you pronounce it as “sheer-on.”
The lobby at the Ciragan Palace. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
Security is exceptional in the hotel. You have to go through a metal detector each time you enter. This is both a bother and a comfort. The lobby is expansive with large vases of fresh flowers and several luxury shops.
The grounds of the Ciragan Palace on the Bosphorus are stunning. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
The grounds of the hotel are also expansive. You can watch the boats go by and look at the other part of Istanbul across the water. There is ample room for lounging outside, whether by the heated infinity pool or in the gardens among the four ornate gates. The property consists of two buildings, one of which is technically called “the palace.”
A chandelier in the Ciragan Palace. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
More than one actual palace was built on the site throughout history, but the last one burned almost entirely in 1910. Finally, in 1987, a Japanese company teamed with a Turkish company to restore the palace and build the hotel next to it. The hotel opened its doors in 1990, and the palace reopened in 1992. Of course, it has been renovated since then.
Reception at the Ciragan Palace. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
Ciragan Palace Kempinski Hotel has 282 rooms and 20 suites, and the palace contains 20 ultra-luxurious suites with butler service. The largest suite in the palace – the Sultan Suite – is considered to be one of the best three suites in Europe. The palace is so upscale, in fact, that it caters to royal families and people like Bill Clinton, Sting, and Elton John.
The palace includes Tugra Restaurant, which serves both contemporary Turkish cuisine and Ottoman cuisine from 1910. This makes for a very interesting (and award-winning) menu.
The pool at the Ciragan Palace. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
The waterfront Gazebo Lounge on the grounds serves breakfast and high tea with live music, and there is also an open air cigar bar called Bar Le Fumoir. There are several other eateries on the premises, so you can always find something marvelous to eat. In the morning, the breakfast buffet is extensive with very fine eggs, meats, fruits, salads, breads, pastries, cereals, and more.
The Ciragan Palace. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
The property can arrange for airport transfers by limousine, boat, luxury van, or helicopter. Of course, as you would expect, there is a fitness center on the premises and a spa with a traditional Hamam.
The Ciragan Palace awards a scholarship to a young artist every two years. Monthly exhibitions are held in an art gallery on the ground floor of the palace, and discussions are free and open to the public. Readings and classical music concerts are held regularly as well, where they serve free coffee, tea, and food to anyone in the city who wants to attend.
The Ciragan Palace. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
I can’t imagine staying anywhere else while in Istanbul, nor can I imagine that there is a finer hotel in the city. The Ciragan Palace Kempinski was truly an exquisite experience that I will never forget.
The author received a complimentary stay at this hotel, but we are dedicated to providing unbiased reviews based on our experience. See our Disclosures page for more information.
The main draw of Tokyo’s Hotel Chinzanso is its 17-acre garden, and while that garden is nothing short of spectacular, there’s certainly a lot more to love about this hotel. Formerly a Four Seasons, Hotel Chinzanso has quite a history. The area was known for its wild camellias for six centuries, and the word “Chinzanso” means “guest house on Camellia Hill.”
The land was owned by Prince Aritomo Yamagata in the 1920s and then passed on to Baron Heitaro Fujita. The garden was destroyed by air raids during World War II, after which it was acquired by Fujita Kanko Incorporated and restored with 10,000 trees.
The gardens at Hotel Chinzanso. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
This property now is almost like a resort in the city. It has Tokyo’s largest hotel spa, 36 meeting and banquet rooms, and 260 rooms and suites.
Then, there are nine restaurants and bars: Il Teatro serves Italian cuisine; The Bistro provides casual French dining; Kinsui in the garden serves kaiseki meals; Mokushundo serves old-style dishes cooked on hot lava rocks from Mount Fuji; Miyuki provides elegant Japanese cuisine; Mucha-An is a Soba restaurant; Le Jardin bar serves English-style afternoon tea and drinks in the evening; Le Marquis is the hotel’s main bar that also allows cigar smoking; and finally, Foresta is a café that serves coffee and sweets.
Breakfast at Il Teatro, Hotel Chinzanso. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
Breakfast at Il Teatro is decidedly elegant. Rather than buffet-style, there are various menus available at different price ranges. I had a full American-style breakfast with eggs, bacon, toast, juice, and pastries. Everything was as high quality as you would expect, including the service.
The décor of this hotel is traditional with antiques and Japanese designs throughout. Just walking through the many hallways and common areas is a treat for the senses. You’ll find paintings, sculptures, ceramics, unusual furniture, marble floors, and colorful carpets everywhere you turn.
A hallway in Hotel Chinzanso. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
My room was also beyond what I usually find in 5-star hotels. First of all, I had a panoramic view of the garden, and the thick, floral curtains alone were especially luxurious. Besides the customary amenities you find in luxury hotels, most rooms at Chinzanso contain CD and DVD players, tea/coffee-makers, and televisions in the bathroom. Humidifiers are also available on loan.
My room at Hotel Chinzanso. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
I had a king-sized bed, two chairs, a desk, a credenza with television, a minibar with dishes including wine glasses, and a separate bathtub and shower. Like many high-end hotels in Tokyo, I was provided with a cell phone for local use that also allowed unlimited international calls. You can enter your own data into the phone and erase it before checkout.
The minibar in my room at Hotel Chinzanso. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
This is such a wonderful perk in Japan, along with the extra amenities that you rarely get elsewhere like toothbrushes, hair ties, shavers, and shaving cream.
My room’s bathroom at Hotel Chinzanso. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
Regardless of Hotel Chinzanso’s many charms, I do need to pay appropriate tribute to the garden. With grounds of this size, the property isn’t what you’d call centrally located, but that’s a small price to pay for what amounts to a quiet oasis in such a busy metropolis. I took a glorious stroll on the grounds for about two hours in my first morning.
The pagoda in the gardens at Hotel Chinzanso. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
The garden contains a number of historical artifacts, including a three-story pagoda. At first, I assumed it was a replica built in modern times, but not so. The pagoda was found in Chikurin-jiTemple in the mountains of Hiroshima and is believed to have been built during the first half of the Heian period from 794-1185.
There is evidence that it was renovated in the 1100’s, and it underwent a full-scale renovation from 2010-2011. After the renovation was completed, a ritual was carried out by Raitei Arima, the 113th head priest of Shokoku-ji Temple.
A sculpture in the Hotel Chinzanso gardens. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
The garden also contains a pond, separate rooftop “serenity garden,” shrine, manmade waterfall, 500-year-old sacred tree, water basin from the Edo Period, 50 traditional copper lanterns, monuments that are hundreds of years old, numerous statues of gods and goddesses (all with markers explaining who they are and what they stand for), and other artifacts and features that make the stroll interesting, as well as peaceful.
At certain times of the year, there’s a spot within the garden that fills with fireflies, and dozens of cherry blossoms bloom there in early spring. With chapels on the grounds as well, it’s a popular location for weddings.
Staying at Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo is an experience that deserves the word “special.” It’s one of those rare hotels that will stay in your memory for years to come.
The author received a complimentary stay at this hotel, but we are dedicated to providing unbiased reviews based on our experience. See our Disclosures page for more information.
(The featured photo is of an ancient Roman amphitheater in Amman, Jordan by Melanie Votaw.)
In only a few days, I covered a lot of terrain in Jordan. I was able to see several historical sites. Petra isn’t all there is to see by a long shot! It’s a stunning country with friendly people who are deeply saddened by the turmoil happening in the countries that surround them. My guide told me that he used to take tourists into Syria, for example, on a regular basis. He misses being able to go there.
Nevertheless, I felt absolutely safe in Jordan, and it appears to be a stable place to visit. Below are some of my favorite photographs from my visit.
Petra isn’t the only set of beautiful ruins in Jordan. I loved Jerash (or Jerasa) just as much. It’s believed that Jesus visited there. This Roman city must have been stunning when it was new.
There was a sewer system underneath the city, and this is an ancient manhole cover. It was one of my favorite things that I saw. I had no idea there was such a thing as a manhole cover from Biblical times!
An ancient manhole cover in Jerash. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
Another thing at Jerash were indentations in the stone streets from chariots. Holy Ben Hur!
The columns of Jerash in Jordan. Photo by Melanie Votaw.The ancient site of Jerash in Jordan. Photo by Melanie Votaw.Beautiful carving detail at Jerash. Photo by Melanie Votaw.The amphitheater in Jerash had numbered seats! I wonder what they used for tickets – papyrus, maybe? Photo by Melanie Votaw.Another view of Jerash. Photo by Melanie Votaw.Gorgeous decorative plates in Jordan. Photo by Melanie Votaw.An ad at Petra for Bedouin Kohel eye makeup, which is popular with the women of Jordan. Photo by Melanie Votaw.The marker at Mount Nebo in Jordan, where Moses purportedly got a view of the Holy Land. Photo by Melanie Votaw.The view from Mount Nebo, which includes Israel in the distance. Photo by Melanie Votaw.A camel jockey at Petra. Photo by Melanie Votaw.The famous treasury is far from the only building at Petra. It takes hours to walk through the ancient ruins. Photo by Melanie Votaw.The rocks at Petra have exquisite colors and designs. Photo by Melanie Votaw.Aramaic writing at Petra. Photo by Melanie Votaw.The flies were quite a bother to the camels at Petra. Photo by Melanie Votaw.The upper floor of the famous pink stone treasury at Petra. Photo by Melanie Votaw.At the ancient site of Umm Qais, I saw these strange tiger-like insects. Photo by Melanie Votaw.The view from the ruins of Umm Qais, which was the ancient city of Gadara. In the distance is the Sea of Galilee. Photo by Melanie Votaw.I met this family at the historical site Umm Qais, which was built around 90 AD. They asked me to take a photo of them, but despite our best efforts, our language barrier prevented us from communicating how I would ever get the image to them. We laughed at ourselves, and I was left with this sweet image of people I have no idea how to contact. I adore that the child’s sweater says “LOVE” in English. May we all learn to love each other, despite our differences. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
January may be an odd time to visit Beijing because it’s very cold and dry, but the plus side is that the crowds are seriously reduced from the warmer months, when I’m told you can barely walk at the most popular sites. Since crowds are not my thing, I was happy to visit the city in January (even if my toes felt numb by the end of the day).
The best thing about Beijing is that the most famous sites in all of China are in the vicinity, including the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Ming Tombs, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, and the famous pandas at the zoo.
The Great Wall of China. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
The Great Wall is the only one of the above attractions that requires a short drive outside of the city. There are several different sections of the Great Wall, but the portion called Badaling is the easiest, especially if your time in Beijing is limited. It’s fairly close to central Beijing, and you can work in the Ming Tombs afterward.
Tiananmen Square. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
If you’re with a tour, you’ll no doubt stop at one of several large buildings near tourist spots where you can have fantastic Chinese food or tea surrounded by enormous jade sculptures and aisle upon aisle of souvenirs so beautiful that it will make you dizzy.
I hired a private guide to take me around the city, but you can easily navigate it on your own using public transportation and taxis. Some taxi drivers don’t speak English, however, so you’ll need to get your concierge to write down the name of your destination in Chinese. Most young people in Beijing speak English very well, though, as they’re taught the language in school. So, for the most part, it isn’t difficult for English speakers to get around the city.
Even if you don’t hire a private guide, it helps to have a guide show you around the historical sites. You’ll miss a lot of the fascinating intrigue of Chinese history if you don’t have someone to tell you the details. No matter how much you’ve studied in books, you’ll get a lot more juicy information from a local guide.
The Forbidden City. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
For example, my guide showed me the passageway in the Forbidden City where the last emperor rode the bicycle he was given by his British tutor. I was also told how all of the construction of the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and the Temple of Heaven is free of nails. The intricate pieces were carved with such precision that they fit together without any connecting metal and have remained intact through all sorts of weather events.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that no restorations are done to the buildings. One of the Forbidden City buildings had scaffolding on it during my visit.
My favorite site was the Summer Palace. Located on the water, this was the Empress Dowager’s place, a very intriguing character in not so distant Chinese history who was the voice and true power behind several child emperors. For exercise, she walked one of the passageways every morning with her entourage behind her and then was transported by boat back to her starting point.
The Marble Boat at the Summer Palace in Beijing. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
There is an exquisite marble boat in the water next to the palace that was built for the Navy but never allowed to sail.
Near the Temple of Heaven, considered to be one of the most sacred spots in the world, locals gather to play cards and checkers, sing, dance, and play music together. It really sunk in that I was in China as I watched this joyful community of people and listened to the traditional music and singing.
The Temple of Heaven in Beijing. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
One night, I went to an acrobatic show. It’s primarily for tourists, but it’s well worth seeing. These performers do things that seem inhuman, such as balance on a cylinder while standing on the head of another guy who is balancing on a cylinder. The finale consisted of 15 girls riding a single bicycle around the stage. There are other shows in the city, such as the Peking Opera, if you’re so inclined.
Shopping in Beijing can make you crazy. Wangfujing Street is the main shopping area, and at night, it’s filled with outdoor stalls where you can buy all sorts of strange food (if you dare risk the dysentery.)
My guide took me to one of the large “silk district” buildings filled with one vendor after another. Each floor is devoted to something different – silk fabrics, jewelry, etc. I bought a painting on silk and a terra cotta teapot, but the sellers were too aggressive for my taste. A couple of them literally grabbed me and pulled me back toward them as I tried to walk by.
A Beijing street scene. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
I stayed at two hotels located in different areas of the city. When I arrived at my first hotel, the Hilton Beijing, there were women in red Chinese silk dresses playing traditional instruments in the lobby. Fine Chinese hotels provide you with enormous feather pillows, and the Hilton’s linens were especially fine with a crisp white down comforter.
Breakfast buffets are usually spectacular in top Asian hotels, but the Hilton gets the prize as my favorite because the service provided by the staff was superb. My orange juice and tea were constantly topped off, and I was brought a special exotic juice concoction, different types of breads right out of the oven, and a selection of newspapers.
Of course, the hotel has an additional restaurant and two bars, as well as a health club and pool. One nice touch was a card that you’re given at check-in, which includes useful sentences in Chinese and a list of the main sites, which you can circle in order to show your taxi driver where you want to go.
My room in the JW Marriott Hotel in Beijing. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
While the Hilton is located in a tourist area not too far from the Forbidden City, my next hotel – the JW Marriott – was located in the Chaoyang District, which is part of the Central Business District or “CBD” area of the city. The hotel is part of a massive complex of upscale stores and office buildings called China Central Place. It’s an exceptional property located next door to the Ritz-Carlton.
The TV in the bathroom in my room at the JW Marriott Hotel in Beijing. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
I especially loved the smaller flat screen TV at the foot of the bathtub. After walking around cold Beijing all day, I thawed out in the tub while watching an American movie. Now, that’s luxury!
If you’ve never been to Asia, Singapore is a great introduction to the continent. I think of it as “Asia Lite.” Yes, you’re in Asia, but English is universally spoken and written on signs. Some Asian cities have given me a bad case of culture shock, so there’s a lot to be said for a city that’s easily navigated on foot, by taxi, or public transport – even if I sometimes felt more like I was in Europe than Asia.
The first thing I noted about Singapore is that it’s remarkably clean. Of course, the government is famously strict, so both street litter and the crime rate are low. On my drive from the airport, I noticed that even the highways are beautifully landscaped with palm trees and flowers lining the way.
The second thing that caught my eye is that it’s much more culturally diverse than most cities in Asia. I saw people of almost every ethnic background, but Singapore’s main cultural influences are Chinese, Indian, and Malaysian.
A beautiful Hindu temple in Singapore. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
I stayed at two hotels during my time in the city, and my first hotel was located within walking distance of Chinatown. The 4-star Amara Hotel was a pleasure from beginning to end. Newly renovated, the property maintains several restaurants and bars. One of them included a Chinese tea-pouring show.
If you’ve never seen this, you’re in for a treat. The tea expert studied in China for three years and uses an excessively long spout to pour the tea in long streams from behind his back, over his head, and more without spilling or splattering it, even though he pulls the spout up sharply after each pour. It’s a 3,000-year-old tradition that is very impressive and fun to watch.
Singapore’s Amara Hotel. Photo courtesy of Amara Hotel.
I enjoyed some of the Amara’s extra touches, such as the soft Chinese music playing in the hallways, the pillow menu, the self-service laundry facilities, and the room service breakfast menu, which offered continental, American, Chinese, Japanese, and healthy breakfast options. Since I stayed in an executive suite, I had breakfast on the special floor for execs.
We “execs” were given private buffet service in a small area with the news playing on a large screen TV. I was greeted by name and served eggs to order at a small table while I sat on a cushy couch.
When I stepped out of the Amara, it was easy to find my way to Chinatown. I had such a great time strolling through the small streets lined with vendors that I wandered around for hours. Unlike some cities in Asia where the vendors are uncomfortably aggressive, the Singapore sellers were gracious when I said I’d “think about it.”
Chinatown in Singapore. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
The prices were also very reasonable, and I walked away with a lot of unique gifts from silk pillow covers to a Chinese silk kimono to glass bottles with scenes painted on the inside. Don’t miss getting a super cheap foot or shoulder massage while you’re in Chinatown either!
My second hotel, the Pan Pacific, gave me a taste of the very commercial Marina Square area, which is central to upscale shopping and office buildings. The Roman drapes and sun filters on the windows of my room were operated by remote control or a bedside table panel. (It’s hard to resist the urge to play with this.) Even the minibars were wifi automated. Every time you remove something from the frig, your room is automatically charged. You don’t have to fill out a form, and you don’t have to worry about being charged for something after you’ve checked out.
The hallways of each floor of the hotel are open, giving you a view of every floor above you, and there are glass bubble elevators with a view of the city that is especially spectacular at night.
Hai Tien Lo restaurant in the Pan Pacific Hotel in Singapore. Photo courtesy of the Pan Pacific.
The Pan Pacific has several restaurants serving a variety of cuisines, including Japanese, Indian, and Italian. But it’s the Chinese restaurant – Hai Tien Lo – that is the hotel’s showplace. Located high in the hotel’s tower, the circular restaurant offers panoramic views of the city and harbor.
As luck would have it, I arrived in Singapore right at the beginning of Chinese New Year, so I was able to sample a special authentic holiday menu prepared by Hai Tien Lo’s award-winning chef, which included salmon sashimi yu sheng, a traditional salad that you toss at the table for good luck, and some sugary fruit sweets unlike anything I’d ever tasted. Dessert was another special New Year cake called custard nian gao.
Singapore offers a wealth of things to do, and I feel like I only scratched the surface. I visited Little India and sampled both Indian and Malaysian cuisine at small inexpensive restaurants on the street.
I visited Singapore’s Botanic Gardens, which are among the best in the world. Even after visiting numerous botanic gardens and rainforests across the globe, I had never seen many of these exotic plants that looked like they belong on another planet.
One of the exotic plants in the Singapore Botanic Garden. Photo by Melanie Votaw.
The Jurong Bird Park was an excellent zoo filled exclusively with birds. It closed in early 2023 at its original location and is now part of Mandai Wildlife Reserve. I highly recommend it. There is also a Night Safari there that isn’t to be missed.
If you like nature, also make your way to the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve for the mangrove arboretum, where you’ll see fish, turtles, birds, and my favorite – the large monitor lizards. From a bridge on the grounds, you can see the skyline of Johor Bahru in Malaysia, which you can visit on a day trip if you like.
Singapore is a metropolitan and sophisticated city, and I have nothing but positive things to say about my experience there. I certainly understand why so many expatriates call it home. But if you forget for a moment that you’re in Asia, you’ll be reminded when you find yourself face to face with a family of macaque monkeys.
