There are few places in sunny Singapore quite as worthwhile visiting as Marina Bay Sands. It is a recently completed addition to the island’s campaign to boost its tourism industry, but a wonderful one at that. From the foreigner’s, or visitor’s, point of view, it is a fabulously opulent and showy complex for recreational shopping, museum-visiting, or simply a relaxing time at a sea-side hotel.

For those with something higher in mind, the architecture of the buildings, or simply witnessing it as the crown of Marina Bay, should be enough to satiate a lazy afternoon. There are many things for tourists to do at Marina Bay Sands.

Marina Bay Sands Hotel

The most obvious feature of the Sands is, of course, the Marina Bay Sands Hotel – a triple-tower sea-facing hotel, of approximately 60 stories. The lobby in itself is a wonder, while it is readily connected to the shopping, casino, and other buildings across the road. A particularly unique feature is the keel-shaped open roof, containing a rooftop swimming pools, with view, alas, to die for (there is a price, however, for visitors going to the top).

For anyone who would want to spend more than a day at Marina Bay, the hotel is probably the best bet – although it would set you back a few hundred Singaporean dollars a night,
at least.

Shopping at the Shoppes at Marina Bay

The shopping complex, named rather decadently as The Shoppes at Marina Bay, is the second most obvious component of the Sands, although likely the more frequented. Only the courageous few would dare dip their purses in a purchase of any sort, with big-name brands and extravagantly posh restaurants. Surely, a place most of all for tourists.

There are nice aesthetic features, however, with a imitative Venetian moat running through the center of the building, with gondolas to boot. At the end, however, this is Singapore, and there is a food court, with local delights, for the humble and simple.

Gambling at the Casino

Marina Bay Sands was originally conceived as a gathering place for casino-goers, with the government having established the complex in view of encouraging them. The actual Casino, however, is underground – one hopes not in an attempt to conceal anything underground about what goes on in there – trying certainly to mark out its exclusivity.

It privileges foreigners, who are permitted to enter freely, so long as they should present the appropriate identification, while citizens of Singapore have to proffer a S$100 entry payment.

Perhaps, after a day’s hard promenading through the Shoppes, or a trek through the city, the Casino might be a nice way to wile away a few exhausted hours, frivolously and trivially, as one would on a holiday.

Art-Science Museum: Intellectual stimulus at Marina Bay Sands

Marina Bay Sands is a place for leisurely touristy window-shopping, luxurious nights in Singapore, and a quick buck. For those in seek of intellectual enlightenment, however, the Art-Science Museum, the Sands’ latest addition to its complex, might well be the best choice for a quiet day out.

It is not cheap to enter, with an entry fee of S$50 alone – it’s probably best, if the museum is your focus, to choose a time when there are several, rather than a few, exhibits going on at the same time.

‘Art-Science’ may seem a rather dense notion, but the museum is really quite simple – with interesting Sydney Opera House-esque architecture inspired by the seaside, and exhibits on general artistic, social, and historical interests. There will be the world-class pieces, with works and concepts conceived by the great thinkers of this age; if you are so inclined, look out for the exhibit-busy periods and make your money’s worth.

The Helix Bridge: A Picturesque Crossing to the rest of Singapore

The complex is also connected by a most stylish bridge across the mouth of Marina Bay – a convoluted helix-shaped pedestrian bridge to match the existing expressway for motor vehicles. It is a scenic location for a colorful sight of the sunset, or sunrise, in Singapore, along with offering pleasant vistas of the cityscape, and all that the heart of the island city-state is.

On a more practical note, it connects one with all the other big attractions around Marina Bay, being linked by footpath to the Esplanade, the Merlion, Fullerton Hotel, and more.

Without being too laden by the baggage of a popular tourist destination, the Marina Bay Sands recreational complex truly is a place of many things, with something for all sorts of people.