Archive for July, 2012

The Merlion with the head of a lion and the body of a fish may be the national personification of Singapore, but the breathtaking Marina Bay Sands resort is soon becoming the focal point of the Singapore Urban Landscape. It’s not hard to see why.

Marina Bay Sands (MBS) is an integrated casino resort standing on 20 hectare of prime land. It was developed by Las Vegas Sands and is billed as the world’s most expensive standalone casino property at S$8 billion. Wowzaa!

One of the most fascinating aspects of the resort is its 150m rooftop infinity pool. The pool is set on top of the world’s largest public cantilevered platform and boasts one of the best views from any swimming pool in the world. I cant wait to get up there and check it out soon.

The resort features a 2561-room hotel, a massive convention-exhibition centre and a premium shopping mall. Room rates start from S$400 a night and can go up to S$4000 a night.

The MBS blends and stands apart from the equally impressive Singapore city skyline. The resort is designed by Moshe Safdie an Israeli -born Canadian architect who says it was initially inspired by card decks. In addition to the casino, the other key components ois the circular ArtScience Museum (in the shape of a lotus) and a convention centre with 1,200,000 square feet of space. The resort also had its special feng shui consultants.

Every night there is an amazing light and sound laser show called the Wonder Full show, a light and water spectacular that is the largest in Southeast Asia. It is truly a sight to behold.

The MBS through a tilted perspective.

The Marina Bay Sands is truly a modern-day architectural marvel. Everything about the place just grabs your attention and retains it for a long, long time. I would recommend travellers to come to Singapore just to visit this breathtaking piece of architecture. For more information, visit http://www.marinabaysands.com/ or http://www.yoursingapore.com/. For more fantastic Singapore travel stories visit http://travelerfolio.com/

If you enjoyed the post and the photos and would like to buy larger prints, check them out here.

Canberra, the capital of Australia is a great tourist destination. If you are looking for things to do in Canberra, Australia’s capital, you must make it a point to visit Canberra Glassworks. It’s great place for the family where you can watch artists mould beautiful glass structures.

Typically, the transformation of materials into glass takes place around 2,400 °F (1,320 °C); the glass emits enough heat to appear almost white hot. The glass is then left to “fine out” (allowing the bubbles to rise out of the mass), and then the working temperature is reduced in the furnace to around 2,000 °F (1,090 °C). At this stage, the glass appears to be a bright orange color. 

The major tools involved are the blowpipe (or blow tube), the punty (or pontil), bench, marver, blocks, jacks, paddles, tweezers, paper, and a variety of shears. Australia has developed an enviable reputation nationally and internationally for the quality and skill of its glass artists.

The Sign says it all doesn’t it?

The first form of the moulded glass.

You can sign up to work with the artists. They even let your put your hands in the kiln. The most popular place is called ‘Hot Shop’, (the place where artists blow glass) is the most spectator orientated activity within the facility and has the capacity to captivate the viewer for hours.  Tip: Double check what’s happening in there before planning your trip

The final product are truly works of art. Check out some of these exhibits.

**Some of the more technical content is taken from Canberra Glassworks Officials website http://www.canberraglassworks.com/

Today’s photo is of street musicians at the Salamanca Market in Hobart, Tasmania. The markets are one of the major tourist attraction in Tasmania, and is held on Saturdays between 8.30am and 3.00pm. The musicians and the instruments just bring life to this shot.

Exposure: 1/80sec at f/5.6 and ISO100. Focal length 44mm taken with the Canon550D and EFS 18-55mm

Click on the image for larger sizes

Today’s post is titled ‘Lazy weekend inspiration’. After a busy week, I am going to take a cue out of this hippo’s book. Sleep in, read a book, and stay offline. Sounds like a pretty good day, doesn’t it. What have you got planned for the weekend?

Exposure: 1/320 sec at f/8.0 and ISO 320. Focal length 200mm taken with the Canon550D