Category: Singapore News

SIA La, Singapore Airlines Clinches #2 Spot In Global Airline Ranking

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has been named the world’s second best airline at the 2017 World Airline Awards. This comes shortly after Singapore’s Changi Airport was named the best airport in the world for the fifth year running.

The world’s Top 100 Airlines were announced by Skytrax at the World Airline Awards held at the Paris Air Show on June 20. Regarded the “Oscars of the aviation industry”, the Awards tracks customer satisfaction of airline services and performance globally.

Singapore Airlines rises one spot from last year, coming in after Qatar Airways which clinched the top honour this year.

This isn’t the only award our national carrier bagged at the Awards. The airline also took home the titles of Best Airline in Asia, the World’s Best Business Class seat and for having the Best Premium Economy Onboard Catering.

Singapore Airlines also ranked 5th for the World’s Best Cabin Staff, 3rd for World’s Best Inflight Entertainment, 9th for World’s Best Airline Cabin Cleanliness, 5th for World’s Best First Class, 3rd for World’s Best Business Class, 4th for World’s Best Premium Economy Class, and 5th for World’s Best Economy Class.

The rankings are based on a survey of 19.87 million airline passengers spanning 105 countries, conducted between August 2016 and May 2017.

Here are the top 20 airlines of 2017 ranked:

1. Qatar Airways
2. Singapore Airlines
3. ANA All Nippon Airways
4. Emirates
5. Cathay Pacific
6. EVA Air
7. Lufthansa
8. Etihad Airways
9. Hainan Airlines
10. Garuda Indonesia
11. Thai Airways
12. Turkish Airlines
13. Virgin Australia
14. Swiss Int’l Air Lines
15. Qantas Airways
16. Japan Airlines
17. Austrian
18. Air France
19. Air New Zealand
20. Asiana Airlines

Also read Changi’s Jewel Is Like A Futuristic Playground – Bounce On Sky Nets And Play Among The Clouds

(Header Image Source: WeekendGoWhere)

Hilton Garden Inn Opens In S’pore So You Can Live Luxe On A Budget During Your Next Staycay

It’s the school holidays and what better way to enjoy it than with a luxe staycation?

Hilton Garden Inn, the award-winning, mid-priced hotel brand has finally opened its doors in Singapore.

Located in the heart of Little India, the hotel’s location is a dream come true for foodies. For cheap and good food, head to the nearby Tekka Market for a hearty meal of Indian food. If you are looking for a place to unwind and people-watch, hop over to Jewel Cafe and Bar for brunch. At night, you can even do some shopping at the nearby 24-hour Mustafa centre or have tipple in Clarke Quay.

Features and amenities at Hilton Garden Inn

If you are feeling peckish, visit the Pavilion Pantry which stocks a selection of fresh and healthy snacks, cold beverages and ready-to-cook meals to keep your hunger at bay. Alternatively, dine at The Garden Grille restaurant which offers local and international favourites from the à la carte menu.

Visit Mini World Heritage Sites For Only $17 – We Promise ‘Everything Is Awesome’

Legos – we played with them as children, and some of us still play with these colourful little bricks even as grown-ups.

If you’re a fan of Legos and the amazing things you can create with them, this exhibition will have you seeing these humble building blocks in a brand new light.

As part of ASEAN’s 50^th anniversary celebrations, Lego has partnered up with the Piece of Peace executive committee to showcase Lego sculptures of various UNESCO world heritage listed sites. Singapore will be the first Southeast Asian country to play host to this UNESCO world heritage art exhibition, Piece Of Peace World Tour Singapore 2017, which will happen at Fort Canning Arts Centre on Jul 27 – Sep 3.

Already, over 2.9 million visitors have seen this exhibition.

Expect a showcase of 34 Lego replicas of UNESCO heritage sites from 25 countries, and 9 more from ASEAN countries, which will be assembled by eight local builders. From Greece’s Acropolis of Athens to Australia’s Sydney Opera House, to Japan’s Itsukushima Shinto Shrine, these Lego replicas will leave you amazed by their intricacy and detail.

Entry on weekdays are tagged at $13 (child/senior) and $17 (adult), while weekend admission will set you back $15 (child/senior) or $19 (adult). Tickets are available for purchase at Apac Tix.

Here’s a taste of what else you might see at the art exhibition:

Piece Of Peace World Tour Singapore 2017
Address: Fort Canning Arts Centre
Date: 27 Jul – 3 Sep 
Admission: Weekdays: $13 (child/senior), $17 (adult) | Weekends: $15 (child/senior) – $19 (adult)

Purchase tickets for Piece Of Peace World Tour Singapore 2017 here. 

Also read The Ultimate June/July Guide To Cool Hipster Dates

Tickets To Jay Chou’s Concert In Singapore To Be Released On 7 July

Jay Chou fans, a date and time has been set for the sale of tickets for his upcoming concert here in Singapore: 7 July, 10am.

Remember those details because if last year is anything to go by, it’ll be a mad scramble for fans to get their hands on tickets. During his last concert here, about 30,000 tickets for the concert were snapped up within a short two hours, so don’t say we didn’t warn you!

The king of Mandopop will be here to perform on 6 Jan, 2018 at the Singapore National Stadium. He will be here for “The Invincible” Part 2 concert.

Tickets are priced between S$128 and S$348 (excluding booking fee). Purchase your tickets via West Your Case, East-siders – You’re Missing Out On These 8 Dessert Spots At Jurong

Ultra SG 2017 Was Lit – Offstage, We Got Up Close And Personal With Myrne, Rave Republic, And Sam Rui

For the party people, last weekend was THE long-awaited Ultra Music Festival Singapore 2017. Like last year, the 2-day electronic dance music festival in Singapore was ultra wet, ultra muddy, and ultra amazing!

EDM heavyweights Hardwell and Tiesto drew the largest crowd at the Main stage on Saturday, 10^th June. And while the drizzle that started off in the evening turned into a heavy downpour, it didn’t stop us from partying hard with Dash Berlin. It was a fantastic experience and a god-sent respite from the scorching heat.

At the Live stage, we caught Indonesian rapper Rich Chigga, and fellow home-grown talents DJ-producer Myrne, and singer-songwriter Sam Rui. Sitting between the two stages is the Resistance stage, which featured iconic UK duo Sasha & John Digweed and American house DJ-producer Jonny Vicious.

We had a serious dilemma on Day 2, because the line-ups were crazy – in a good way. From Nicky Romero, Steve Aoki, and Steve Angello headlining the Main stage, to Pendulum and KSHMR on Live stage at the other end, it’s hard to go for one set and not have #FOMO from passing up on the other big names.

Not forgetting local acts on the Live stage: home-boy ShiGGa Shay, DJ Duo Rave Republic, and singer-songwriter Jasmine Sokko.

While it didn’t rain on day 2, it was perfect weather for the party. Knife Party made a special appearance too – a big treat to the fans!

Of course there’s cake. #ultrasingapore #steveaoki #cakeme #umf #singapore #ultra

A post shared by • Sház♞샤즈니 • (@shazbyshaz) on Jun 11, 2017 at 6:37am PDT

Also, we finally got to witness Aoki’s famous cake-throwing ability.

Credit: Shazni

The lights and visuals were stunning. So were the sound and special effects. The free stuff like neon face and body paint, foil tattoos, photo print-outs, and goodie bags from several sponsor booths around the festival grounds added to the fun too (because we love free stuff).

As for food, drinks, and merchandise, payments had to be made via the RFID (radio frequency identification) tags on our wrist-tags. We had to top up our wrist tags via cash or credit card before buying anything – an upgrade from last year and it definitely made the ordering and collection process much easier and faster.

Another thing they ramped up this year was security. In wake of the rising terrorist-related attacks at major concerts and festivals, entrance bag checks were extremely thorough and we even got pat-downs. Kudos to the organisers and security for ensuring our safety!

We sent our DiscoverSG ambassadors down too, and this video wraps up the amazing time we had there.

We also scored the chance to chat with three home-grown artistes, Myrne, Rave Republic, and Sam Rui to get to know them a little better!

Myrne

Why “Myrne”?

Avicii was taken. I tried a few other names like Tiesto and Hardwell, but it didn’t really work out.

I was a big fan of Talking Heads. The front man David Byrne wrote a book “How Music Works”, and it was a very influential book. It really affected how I saw the music industry and my career. So I ‘stole’ his name and put in the ‘M’ from my name. It was Byrne, now it’s Myrne.

If you were not producing music, what would you be doing now?

I love writing and journalism reporting, and I wanted to be a war journalist. Then I realised the high-risk environments they work in, so I decided I’d do something a bit more stable.

But otherwise, if I wasn’t into music, I’d probably do something total opposite. Probably a professor at a school, or just surround myself with learning and writing opportunities.

If you could pick out just one track of yours that represents who you are as a DJ-Producer, what would it be?

It’ll be Tiger Blood. It really represents what I am interested in when making music – collaboration. I did the track with my friend Graves, who is based in Hawaii.

The elements in the track are very symbolic of how I approach music. It’s a bit more melodic, very high energy, and a lot of old school chords and influences from R&B and old hip hop. I think that’s the best interpretation of my kind of music.

What about now? Who are some of your favourite artistes?

I’m really inspired by everything local. By people who grew up the same way I did, under the same circumstances, and yet they’ve gone on to do really interesting things.

Local artistes like Jasmine Sokko, who’s a good friend of mine and came from the same JC as me. She’s been doing electronic music and from Singapore as well so it’s really inspiring.

Sam Rui – her voice is really great. Also, Gentle Bones.

Any tips for aspiring DJs?

Don’t drop out of school.

To get good at anything, you have to spend a lot of time on it. If you’re going to be out at a cybercafé or a club all night, you’re not going to get good at DJing or producing music. You have to make some very significant lifestyle changes to improve your craft.

Rave Republic

Credit: Rave Republic’s Facebook

How different is it to DJ together compared to doing it solo?

It’s completely different. We’re more reserved alone and we don’t go on the mic as much. We also have our own tracks, so we surprise each other quite a lot with tracks that we drop. Through that, we build up each other up. Whereas when we play alone, we tend to just play what we’re used to.

We complement each other and together, we have so much energy.

Working together, were there disagreements that both of you had to work out?

Surprisingly, we’ve never had an argument for the 3 years we’ve been working together. We usually see eye to eye and never really had big differences. We’re both really chill too, so we’re good.

Why “Rave Republic”?

We wanted to create a community. Like a republic, or nation kind of thing. And Rave Republic just came to us.

We asked a few people and we had a few names like Rave-olution and Rave Nation, but Rave Republic just stuck.

Any crazy fan girl stories?

A girl broke into our house once and played our PlayStation. It was very strange.

The girl walked into our Swedish house-mate’s room where he was sleeping with his girlfriend, and that girl just went: “Shhh, shhh, I’m gonna use your bathroom. Shhhh.”She was really drunk, and so was our house-mate. So the next morning, he was like: did I imagine all that?

Apparently she had broken in to use our bathroom, played our PlayStation, and left. It was very confusing and weird for all of us.

What are your future plans for Rave Republic?

We’ve only been playing in Asia this past 2 or 3 years. The next will definitely be global expansion. It is one of our biggest goals to put Asia in the global map.

If you think about Asia-based artistes, there’s pretty much no one who’s hit it big overseas. And I know we’re ang moh, but we’re proud to call ourselves Singaporeans. We’ve lived here for 7 and 9 years. We grew our act here and it is our home. We really want to take the sound and our inspiration that comes from living in Singapore and Asia, and export it world-wide. Hopefully, Rave Republic can be that act!

We’ve going to announce some big news that will help with our goal of global expansion soon!

Sam Rui

Credit: Sam Rui

Why “Sam Rui”?

My stage name kind of happened by accident.

When I was creating my Youtube channel back then, I typed my first name (Samantha) into the name box, and “Wong Sze Rui” into the surname box like an idiot. Youtube took the “Rui” as my last name, so “Samantha Rui” showed up. I liked the sound of it, and it wasn’t so far off from my actual name, so it just stuck. I cut it to Sam since everyone calls me Sam anyway.

If you were not producing music, what would you be doing now?

I don’t actually produce, I think there’s this common misconception that I produce my music since it’s electronic, but my producer is GROSSE. I write the music and lyrics, he does the actual production. I feel the need to clarify that because I’ve been asked this a couple times and I can’t take credit for something I didn’t do.

If I weren’t making or writing music, I’d be in university studying psychology. Before music, I really wanted to pursue clinical psychology and eventually take over my mom’s private practice – she’s a counsellour and linguistic therapist. I was straddling school and music but felt like I was doing both at a 50% capacity, so I decided to focus on music at this point. However, I still plan to finish my degree and pursue that.

How would you describe your music style? What would be the one track of yours that really represents who you are?

My sound changes between songs on the album, so I’d loosely say my music is alternative-electronic R&B. The one thing that ties the whole album together is what I like to think as “soul”. Again I say this loosely. I don’t mean “soul” as in a powerhouse vocal, or any sort of jazz influence.

It’s the honesty I put into my music – the way I write, the way I sing and even the way we craft the tone of the beat and lay down the vocal. For example in my album, the aim was to capture whatever I was feeling at the time – heartbreak, sadness, loneliness, clarity – and fit them into songs, like time capsules.

The one track I feel captures this best is the outro of the album – 20,000. It means a lot to me because I wrote this as sort of a summary, a letter to myself.

Outside of Ultra, where else can we catch you perform?

I’ve got a couple shows coming up later this year.

I also live stream on Instagram every once in a while, where I basically see how many songs I can play to the 1 jazz chord progression I know. If you request a song in the chat there that I know, I’ll probably sing it. Like a fun DIY acoustic show.

What are your future plans for Sam Rui?

For now it’s just putting this album out and seeing my baby finally come to life. I’ve been sitting on it so long and it’s my first big project. After it’s out I hope to do some local and regional shows.

I’d want to get back to writing and I really want to collaborate with other local and regional artists. Performing is one thing but creating the music is a whole other ball game and I haven’t done that in a while, so hopefully I get the chance to again in the tail end of this year.

We thank Myrne, Rave Republic, and Sam Rui for their time!

Also, read This Trippy Mirror Maze Will Have You Losing Yourself In Infinite Reflections And Endless Hallways.

(Header Image Source: Ultra Singapore)

Wipe Away Your Tears Because Gong Cha Will Be Back In Singapore “Pretty Soon”

If you’ve been grieving the loss of Gong Cha, and traveled all the way down to its last branch in Marina Bay Sands last weekend for your final cup of Gong Cha, that may all have been for nought. Singapore’s favourite bubble tea brand will be coming back!

Wait, WHAT?!

There is no information yet on an actual opening date or time frame, but the exact words of Mr Kim Soomin, a partner at Unison Capital–the firm that co-owns the Gong Cha brand with Royal Tea Taiwan–were “we plan to come back pretty soon”.

The reason? Gong Cha Singapore outlets were among the top three contributors to Gong Cha’s overall turnover, raking in about S$30 million in annual revenue. Basically, that means all that Gong Cha we’ve been drinking has paid off!

The chain is slated to return in a couple of months in a “bigger, better, upgraded format”. There is also no word yet on how many outlets will be opened but according to Mr Kim, “as many as we can”.

Expect everything you love about Gong Cha and more, because Gong Cha also has plans to bring new colour to the Singapore market, such as by giving its Singapore stores a more modern look, and a brand new menu that’s tailor-made for its Singapore customers!

Who else is excited, because we know we are!

(Header Image Source:

Changi’s Jewel Is Like A Futuristic Playground – Bounce On Sky Nets And Play Among The Clouds

Changi Airport–the pride and joy of Singapore.

The best airport in the world for the 5th year running, it looks like that title isn’t going anywhere, especially with the addition of lifestyle complex Jewel Changi Airport.

A Tourist Attraction In Its Own Right

Beautiful on the outside, what lays within is even more amazing. Besides featuring an estimated 270 – 300 retail tenants (i.e. no lack of options when it comes to shopping and dining), what makes Jewel truly unique is that it’s also a playground for both adults and kids.

Canopy Park

The star of Jewel is undeniably Canopy Park, a 14,000 sq m space that occupies Jewel’s top floor.

Featuring bouncy sky nets, towering hedge mazes and so much more, the Canopy Park is an enchanting indoor garden that will ignite your sense of wonder, no matter your age!

Sky Nets

(Header Image Source:

Michelle Chong Pays Litchfield A Visit In Latest Promo For OITNB Season 5

Michelle Chong. We know her for the many memorable characters she plays, from ditzy Barbarella to PRC hostess Lulu from Lulu The Movie. Today, she takes on yet another character in a promotional video for Netflix’s ‘Orange Is The New Black’–the Singaporean Ah Lian.

Titled ‘Ah Lian In Litchfield’, the 1:15 long video stars Chong and Uzo Aduba, who plays everyone’s favourite Litchfield inmate, ‘Crazy Eyes’. In stereotypical Ah Lian fashion, she rocks an intense winged eyeliner look, a bold pink, glossy lip, and has an inexplicable obsession with her fringe.

As per usual, she kills it with her delivery of Singlish phrases we all know well like ‘abuhden’, ‘kan ni na’, and ‘siam la’, leaving Crazy Eyes at a loss for words.

Watch the full video here.

(Header Image Source: Netflix)

Singapore: Asia’s Monte Carlo

Singapore is fast becoming the Monte Carlo of Asia and is often similarly described as the playground for the rich. Just 684 square kilometers in size, Singapore is the smallest country in Southeast Asia and at a mere 2 square kilometers, Monaco is also punching well above its weight. The Asian country shares many characteristics of its European counterpart.

Singapore can boast a low crime rate, a green environment, and an enviable public transportation system. It is considered a great place to live (and in both countries, the life expectancy is over 85 years) as well as work and play, a description that is also attributed to Monaco.

In the 1970s, the Singapore Tourism Board started marketing the city as a venue for conventions and other organized events to increase occupancy rates. Eventually, occupancy rose as high as 90%, as a result. Singapore’s manufacturing sector is dwindling, but the services industries, which have been encouraged to thrive, have continued to create jobs. The World Bank has dubbed it one of the world’s “easiest places to do business” as there is high transparency, reliability, and a pro-business government. Singapore also increased its attractions within the last 10 years to include a Universal Studios theme park, gaming establishments, and the famed Singapore Flyer, a huge Ferris wheel experience with air-conditioned pods.

Singapore also enjoys a thriving street racing industry. The Marina Bay Street Circuit even closely resembles Monaco, drivers claim, so enthusiasts compete on a stage that feels right at home. The Singapore Grand Prix is Formula One racing’s original night race, run on a 5.073-kilometer street track through the city’s heart. The race is held at night to avoid the blistering temperatures of the day.

Singapore, like Monte Carlo, is also famous for its food festivals like the month-long food festival that was born in 1994 and is now an annual event organized by the Singapore Tourism Board. International chefs travel from all over the world to showcase delightful food to suit every palette. Clearly, Singapore is seeking to wrest that title of Image Credit: Wikimedia[/caption]

Singapore also possesses a unique and diverse culture that will help attract the adventurous food lovers to its shores. Modern Singaporean culture (mod-Sin) merges with contemporary dining and is enriched by the Malay, Chinese, Indian, and Western influences.

The safety and cleanliness of the country are comparable to Monte Carlo. Spitting in the street and chewing gum are unheard of. Green spaces are also being created in Singapore, and the country received its first sought-after UNESCO World Heritage nomination for the botanic gardens and

Halloween Horror Nights Is Looking For Scare Actors – Tell Your Scary Looking Friends

If you live for Halloween–the costumes, the scaring, the fun, and basically, everything about it–this might be right up your alley.

Singapore’s most terrifying event, Halloween Horror Nights, is back for its seventh edition, and it is casting performers to bring guests’ worst nightmares to life this September/October.

For more information on what Halloween Horror Nights is looking for, click With Over 1,000 Stalls, This Year’s Geylang Bazaar Will Keep You Coming Back For More

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