Travels with recommendations
Aug. 22nd, 2023 11:32 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
anna_wingI was in Singapore for a few days for work, was pleased to see that Changi Airport is completely back to normal (though plane-ticket prices, alas, are not).
1 I managed to get a weekday morning to go to see the newly-opened Bird Paradise
https://www.mandai.com/en/bird-paradise.html.
Wow.
This is the new version of the Bird Park, which was a zoo specialising in birds, as the name indicates, in a different location. Instead of individual cages per species, there are now eight gigantic walk-in aviaries/habitats, and the birds of that region are all there together. It's really rather amazing and the birds seem happy (except one pacing cassowary with its own enclosure; hopefully its mood will improve as the vegetation in its new habitat becomes more jungly). In the "Heart of Africa" aviary the tailor-birds had a couple of dozen nests already constructed, and a flock of African Grey parrots was busy chewing on the nice new rain-shelter next to the artificial cliff built for the black ibises. I saw several different pigeons nesting, small finchy things flying around with bits of grass in their beaks, and a Razor-Billed Curassow nesting in an actual Bird's-Nest Fern (Asplenium nidus).
The overhead netting looks sufficiently strong to deter the (wild) Brahminy Kite I saw circling thoughtfully above, doubtless wondering how to get to the buffet...
The only place where there were individual cages was the section for the endangered species in special breeding programmes. The Philippine Eagles, alas, have not yet produced offspring, and since they are monogamous, the zoo can't just introduce a third bird in the hopes that it takes the fancy of one of the pair. I don't think the site is complete yet. There were no raptors on display, and I saw some construction work still ongoing, so that might be for them.
Visitor numbers are controlled, so it's best to book a time-slot for entry on-line before you go. It's absolutely fabulous. You could also do the regular zoo and the Night Safari (night zoo for nocturnal animals), which are on the same site, on the same day (the Night Safari opens from 6pm to midnight), but I didn't have either the time or the stamina for that.
2 And after dinner one evening, while strolling through the shopping-centre where the restaurant was, I found a pop-up stall from a local company called Zotelier selling lovely cotton clothes in traditional indigo Japanese designs.
https://zoteliersg.com/
Styles are Japanese ie straight, loose cuts, with a somewhat 1920s look to the dresses, very good for the straight body type, and BOTH BLOUSES AND DRESSES HAD POCKETS. I am an M in their styles, which is my size in the West (in Uniqlo I'm an XL, for context). The saleswoman said that they had run out of L at the stall but they'd be available on-line. The website gives sizing measurements anyway. I bought several pieces and will buy more. They'll be very handy for informal wear in hot climates and seasons. And anyone who puts pockets into their dresses and their tops deserves my custom.
1 I managed to get a weekday morning to go to see the newly-opened Bird Paradise
https://www.mandai.com/en/bird-paradise.html.
Wow.
This is the new version of the Bird Park, which was a zoo specialising in birds, as the name indicates, in a different location. Instead of individual cages per species, there are now eight gigantic walk-in aviaries/habitats, and the birds of that region are all there together. It's really rather amazing and the birds seem happy (except one pacing cassowary with its own enclosure; hopefully its mood will improve as the vegetation in its new habitat becomes more jungly). In the "Heart of Africa" aviary the tailor-birds had a couple of dozen nests already constructed, and a flock of African Grey parrots was busy chewing on the nice new rain-shelter next to the artificial cliff built for the black ibises. I saw several different pigeons nesting, small finchy things flying around with bits of grass in their beaks, and a Razor-Billed Curassow nesting in an actual Bird's-Nest Fern (Asplenium nidus).
The overhead netting looks sufficiently strong to deter the (wild) Brahminy Kite I saw circling thoughtfully above, doubtless wondering how to get to the buffet...
The only place where there were individual cages was the section for the endangered species in special breeding programmes. The Philippine Eagles, alas, have not yet produced offspring, and since they are monogamous, the zoo can't just introduce a third bird in the hopes that it takes the fancy of one of the pair. I don't think the site is complete yet. There were no raptors on display, and I saw some construction work still ongoing, so that might be for them.
Visitor numbers are controlled, so it's best to book a time-slot for entry on-line before you go. It's absolutely fabulous. You could also do the regular zoo and the Night Safari (night zoo for nocturnal animals), which are on the same site, on the same day (the Night Safari opens from 6pm to midnight), but I didn't have either the time or the stamina for that.
2 And after dinner one evening, while strolling through the shopping-centre where the restaurant was, I found a pop-up stall from a local company called Zotelier selling lovely cotton clothes in traditional indigo Japanese designs.
https://zoteliersg.com/
Styles are Japanese ie straight, loose cuts, with a somewhat 1920s look to the dresses, very good for the straight body type, and BOTH BLOUSES AND DRESSES HAD POCKETS. I am an M in their styles, which is my size in the West (in Uniqlo I'm an XL, for context). The saleswoman said that they had run out of L at the stall but they'd be available on-line. The website gives sizing measurements anyway. I bought several pieces and will buy more. They'll be very handy for informal wear in hot climates and seasons. And anyone who puts pockets into their dresses and their tops deserves my custom.
no subject
Date: 2023-08-22 06:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-08-23 05:52 am (UTC)The wetlands section has a whole artificial cliff for the flocking macaws.
no subject
Date: 2023-08-23 06:52 am (UTC)I can believe the larger parrots needed a very sturdy cage! I've had small parrots as pets, and even their little beaks can be quite destructive.
no subject
Date: 2023-08-24 02:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-08-22 10:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-08-23 05:56 am (UTC)Loose clothes that shield you from the sun are so much more effective in humid heat than tight-fitting clothes that leave a lot of bare skin.