There are a lot of strange mythical animals around the world. I am sure you have heard of centaurs, unicorns, dragons and even phoenixes before. In Singapore, we have our very own mythical creature too and it’s none other than the Merlion!
Born with the head of a lion and the body of a mermaid (don’t ask me how that happened, we’re still trying to figure that out), the Merlion is the tourism ambassador of Singapore. The official Merlion can be found at the centre of the city-state, between the Marina Bay tourist area.
It guards the entrance to the Singapore river, overlooking popular tourist destinations like the Marina Bay Sands, Esplanade, Singapore Flyer and is within a short walk away from the Fullerton Hotel and the National Gallery Singapore.
The Merlion enjoys spewing water out from its mouth most of the day, for reasons we are also still unsure of. Maybe it’s because of all the partying nights. Legends say that in the night, the Merlion will quietly slip to Clarke Quay, Singapore’s premier clubbing and drinking district to wind down after a tough day of being a tourist attraction.
Clarke Quay is also not that far too, only around 1-kilometre walk along the river.
Jokes aside, if you are considering to visit the Merlion, bear in mind that it’s only a statue overlooking the Marina Bay area. There are some cafes nearby for you to sit down and enjoy the view, or you can choose to sit near the steps of the Merlion, but there’s not much else to do here other than to take photos and enjoy the view.
If you fully want to enjoy the Marina Bay experience and see the Merlion from a different angle, I suggest taking the river cruise that allows you to tour the different landmarks along Singapore River. If I remember correctly, you can also embark and disembark at different pickup points. But check with the counter first.
Or if you’re feeling adventurous and don’t mind a little walking, you can choose to walk along the bay area and visit several landmarks at one go. There’s the Esplanade, Singapore Flyer, the Art Science Museum and Marina Bay Sands all within walking distance. Might take you half a day to one full day to cover everything.
Singapore’s weather can get quite hot or rainy so bring an umbrella just in case.
That’s a short introduction to Singapore’s quintessential mythical animal. How about you? Does your country/city have a mythical animal of its own? Do share!
