The blue evening was taking over Singapore. The rainclouds have dissipated and the twilight was painting the heavens in its usual electrified hues. The group decided to take a walk outside after having a brief afternoon siesta to see what the hubbub is all about over the country’s most famous avenue, Orchard Road.

The clock struck seven; cars swooshed below the overpass right in front of the Royal Plaza on Scotts and multitude of feet stamped their soles over the sidewalks of the busy streets. It was a Sunday and people from all walks of life seemed eager to partake in enjoying the sultry early evening air.

I’ve visited the famed road a fortnight ago and was somewhat disappointed with what I saw. Our guide was telling us how wonderfully lit Orchard Road was for the holidays but the scene I witnessed was a bit underwhelming in terms of mad grandeur.

Turns out I visited the wrong end of the road; I should have gone and walked towards the east instead of west. Here finally is the celebrated Orchard Road that I have been seeing in photographs. The buildings all lighted up. The avenue lined with lush trees. The crowd as thick as a maple syrup on a cold December day.

Shopping malls line the boulevard on both sides. Paragon, Lucky Plaza, Orchard Central; the list goes on. This is a place to burn your hard-earned cash in. Bargains are a dime a dozen and everything your heart desires is just a few flick of a wallet or a swipe of a credit card away. Tourists can burn a hole right through their pockets faster than they can say lah.

A cacophony of chirpings echoed with our footsteps as we traversed Orchard Road. Birds roosting for the coming evening have made the rows of trees along the avenue their homes, adapting to the neon lights and the rapid urbanization of the city.

Nutmegs, fruits and pepper used to occupy the buildings now crowding these sidewalks. There was even a time when stately old houses line the boulevard. I am trying to visualize how the street looked back then and I was having a hard time doing so. The modernization of the avenue started in the 1970’s and railroaded its way to the present.

The street stretches to a little more than two kilometers but it took us a while to reach its tail end. Our effort however did not go in vain, there was a reward at the end of the road; dinner chow!

Spiraling upwards to one of the more famous dining areas in Singapore, the group salivated at the unending variety of dishes being served at the Food Republic. The mega foodcourt serves everything, as in everything; Asian dishes, European cuisines and even American fares.
I opted for something more local though; I checked where people are queuing up and promptly stood in line with them, I have no idea what I ordered and I don’t know the name of the ingredients I picked; I just pointed and nodded my way along and luckily got an excellent mix. It was a super perfect way to end our jaunt through Singapore’s Orchard road.

Orchard Road
Address: Orchard Road, Orchard, Singapore
Open Hours: Open 24 Hours

GPS Coordinates: 1.301746,103.837978
View Location on Google Maps: Click Here

THIS SINGAPORE TRIP IS MADE POSSIBLE BY:
AIRASIA PHILIPPINES – NOW FLYING DIRECTLY TO SINGAPORE
HOTEL AND TRAVEL PACKAGE BY AIRASIAGO
SINGAPORE TOURISM BOARD

       THREE DAYS IN SINGAPORE TRIP ITINERARY & SUMMARY
       MANILA – CLARK – SINGAPORE | PERANAKAN LUNCH AT BLUE GINGER RESTAURANT | THE FLOWER DOME AT GARDENS BY THE BAY
       ABOVE AND BELOW GARDENS BY THE BAY’S CLOUD FOREST | FLYING HIGH AT THE SINGAPORE FLYER
       A NOCTURNAL RIDE AT THE NIGHT SAFARI | NIGHTS AT THE ROYAL PLAZA ON SCOTTS HOTEL
       AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE RIVER SAFARI’S GIANT PANDAS | LUNCH AT SENTOSA’S TASTES OF ASIA
       AN EVENING WALK AT THE ORCHARD ROAD | ELECTRIC NIGHTS AT THE MARINA BAY | HAWKERS HUNT FOR A FREEZING BOWL OF CHENDOL 
       STARBUCKS GLOBAL ICON CITY MUG PLUS A FEW MORE | SINGAPORE – CLARK