Grab announces new Singapore-JB ride-sharing

Grab announces new Singapore-JB ride-sharing service



Commuters travelling between Singapore and Johor Baru can soon make use of a new cross-border ride-sharing service.

The GrabHitch Johor Baru-Singapore Inter-Country Service will be available from next Monday (June 20), Grab said in a media release on Monday (June 13).

Passengers, who can pre-book rides between seven days and 30 minutes in advance, will be matched with drivers based on similar pick-up and drop-off locations.

A trip between City Square shopping centre in Johor Baru and Woodlands starts from RM9 (S$3) per person, and passengers can opt to pay either in cash or by credit card.

Fares are aimed at offsetting the driver's cost of petrol, and rides will be charged in the currency of the country from which the passenger starts his trip.

The new service is an extension of the carpooling platform, GrabHitch, which was launched last November (2015).

"The high cost of travelling, frequent congestion and lack of point-to-point transportation between Johor Baru and Singapore are compelling reasons for us to introduce the GrabHitch JB-SG service," said GrabHitch head Ngiam Xin Wei.

The Causeway and Second Link are among the busiest land checkpoints in the world, with an estimated 400,000 crossings in both directions daily.

~Straits Times/Asia News Network~

Lily blooms adorn Gardens by the Bay

Lily blooms adorn Gardens by the Bay



(ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG)

A woman takes a selfie among the exotic lily blooms at Gardens by the Bay's first lily exhibition. Lilytopia, which opened on Saturday, features more than 40 varieties of the flower sourced from around the world, including the large trumpet lily.

~News courtesy of My Paper~

UWS aquarium at 1991 prices before it closes

UWS aquarium at 1991 prices before it closes



There is a 83m underwater tunnel with marine life swimming around visitors. (PHOTO: UNDERWATER WORLD SINGAPORE)

UNDERWATER World Singapore will be closing on June 26, it announced yesterday, as the lease for the premises at Sentosa expires in less than two years.

The aquarium, run by Haw Par Corporation, has found a home for its vulnerable or endangered marine animals.

"After nearly a year reviewing suitable facilities, we found a home for our pink dolphins, fur seals and otters," a Haw Par spokesman said.

They were moved to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Zhuhai, China, after approval by the authorities in Singapore and China. The other marine creatures are still looking for a place to stay.

The aquarium will mark its closing with a month of charity this month. Beneficiaries from charities it has worked with will be granted free entry to the attraction.

It will also be lowering ticket prices for all to its 1991 opening price from today - $9 per adult and $5 per child.

Its current ticket prices are $29.90 for adults and $20.90 for children.

When Underwater World opened in May 1991, it was the largest tropical fish oceanarium in Asia. Built at a cost of over $20 million, it was a big draw for tourists.

More than 30 million visitors have visited since it opened, said its spokesman.

The Sentosa attraction is 25 years old this year and faces competition from the new SEA Aquarium and Universal Studios. It is best known for its 83m underwater tunnel, where visitors can view sharks, rays and colourful reef fishes swimming just above their heads and around them.

Underwater Santa and the Underwater God of Fortune will be making daily appearances at the tunnel to bid visitors farewell, Haw Par said.

~News courtesy of My Paper~

Two wildlife parks to join Zoo, Night Safari in Mandai

Two wildlife parks to join Zoo, Night Safari in Mandai



The 126ha Mandai nature precinct, to be completed by 2023, will have two wildlife parks - Rainforest Park and the relocated Bird Park. Features like nature trails and playgrounds will be free of charge. (PHOTO: MANDAI SAFARI PARK HOLDINGS)

SINGAPORE will soon have a wildlife and nature attraction in Mandai, complete with eco-lodges and a rainforest-themed park where visitors can get up close to wildlife.

When the Mandai nature precinct is complete by 2023, two new wildlife parks - the Rainforest Park and the Bird Park - will join the existing trio: the Singapore Zoo, the River Safari and the Night Safari.

Sleeping under the stars could be an option for those who want to spend a night or two in Mandai, as accommodation options such as tents, suites and family rooms are being considered.

There will also be nature trails, boardwalks, outdoor seating and playgrounds, where no admission fees will be charged.

The 126ha Mandai hub sits just outside the Central Catchment Nature Reserve and borders Upper Seletar Reservoir.

The plans to turn the area into a nature precinct were announced yesterday by developer Mandai Safari Park, and were welcomed by tourism experts who said they could help Singapore jump on the fast-growing nature tourism bandwagon.

At the new 12.5ha Rainforest Park, visitors can stroll along aerial walkways that extend from the forest floor to treetop canopies, or enjoy the coolness of the forest as they relax in pods suspended from the ground.

The Bird Park, which will be relocated from Jurong, will occupy 17ha and open as early as 2020. Birds will fly freely in nine "upsized" aviaries, each featuring a unique landscape such as wetlands and bamboo forests. Mike Barclay, group chief executive of Mandai Safari Park, said at the press conference yesterday: "We may be surrounded by the forests while in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, but many people may not get a chance to encounter wildlife there. Now, they'll be able to do so here."

The Mandai precinct is being designed to be in harmony with nature. The two new wildlife parks will be developed on previously occupied land and measures will be taken to minimise impact on the flora and fauna in the area.

An eco-bridge will be built across Mandai Lake Road for animals to move between the central and northern reaches of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.

Plans for the Mandai makeover were first announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in September 2014. The first phase of its development, which could start as early as later this year, costs $1 billion. It will cover the construction of the two new parks.

Michael Chiam, Ngee Ann Polytechnic's senior tourism lecturer, said: "More Singapore residents are getting away from their concrete jungle environment into nature and wilderness, to relax and be rejuvenated. This hub has great potential to attract them."

Housewife Foo Kailing, 34, liked the idea of having public access spaces.

The mother of two children, aged six and eight, said: "I've only taken my children to the zoo once. With more open spaces that are free, there are more reasons to go back."

~News courtesy of My Paper~

Hari Raya light-up salutes kampung spirit

Hari Raya light-up salutes kampung spirit

THIS year's Hari Raya light-up promises to be bigger and more spectacular - and carry a deeper meaning.

For a month from June 4, a 2.8km stretch of Geylang Serai from Still Road to Lorong 101 Changi Road will be filled with lights and festivities that will appeal to Muslims and non-Muslim ahead of Hari Raya Puasa on July 6.

This year's light-up will be 500m longer than last year's. Associate Professor Fatimah Lateef, a member of this year's Hari Raya light-up committee, said it will be themed "Deepening our kampung spirit" and will aim to "reinforce, strengthen and resurrect that feeling".

A common motif present throughout the light-up will be that of the weave, a pattern with strong significance to the Malay community and which also symbolises the concept of unity and close-knit ties.

Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin, another member of the light-up committee and MP for Marine Parade GRC, said: "It's not just about shopping and eating (but) how you bring people together."

A new addition to the festivities this year will be a series of interactive exhibits, including a giant set of drums and a huge gong. There will also be a pavilion which takes inspiration from traditional long kampung houses which served as meeting points for families and friends.

Organisers hope the pavilion, which will be decorated with lampu colok or celebratory lights, will serve as a place where visitors can sit and interact with each other.

The occasion is also an opportunity for visitors to understand the "true meaning of Islam".

Dr Fatimah said: "Recently, there's been a lot of talk about Islam, misperceptions... During some of the (breaking of fast) sessions, we will have a religious leader come down to explain the real meaning of Islam."

Dr Fatimah, a Marine Parade GRC MP, said this includes elements such as friendship, honesty, open relationships and a close-knit family.

Visitors will also be able to enjoy a wide variety of activities, including a performance by popular singer Sufie Rashid, silat (Malay martial arts) and kompang (drums) performances, sarong tying, calligraphy and a ride on a Hippo Bus.

Rahman Shah Ismail, a 23-year-old student who visits the light-up every year with his family, is pleased with this year's plans. "It's good to let others know what Islam really is about, given the situation around the world."

~News courtesy of My Paper~

Pulau Ubin to get a coastal boardwalk

Pulau Ubin to get a coastal boardwalk



REGENERATION EFFORTS: The 500m boardwalk at Noordin Beach, which will reopen when restoration works are done. (PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: NATIONAL PARKS BOARD)

MORE will be done to protect Pulau Ubin's flora and fauna, including plans to restore its northern shoreline, build a coastal boardwalk and support the recovery of endangered plants and animals.

Announcing these initiatives yesterday at Pulau Ubin, Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development Desmond Lee said more must be done to protect the rich biodiversity teeming on the island.

Noting that it has more than 720 native plant species and over 500 animal species, including some not found on mainland Singapore, he added: "This is remarkable but we must do more.

"We have plans to restore Ubin's eroding shoreline, which will serve as a base for more of Pulau Ubin's flora and fauna to be restored in the near future."

Shoreline restoration was one of the earliest priorities for The Ubin Project, announced in 2014 to generate ideas from the public on how to retain the island's rustic charm.

Erosion has badly affected about 40m of northern Ubin, threatening critically endangered species like the Eye of the Crocodile tree and leading to the closure of Noordin Beach - a popular camping site - in 2013 for public safety.

A year-long study, which was concluded this month by the National Parks Board (NParks), found that changes in wave conditions partly as a result of ship wakes, or waves generated by the movements of vessels, as well as changes in land use were among the key causes of erosion.

NParks has identified possible measures to restore the shoreline, such as using man-made rock structures and sand to widen the existing beaches, growing more mangroves and adding wooden poles along the shoreline to mitigate the impact of waves.

NParks will call a tender and works are expected to start next year and end by 2020.

An impact assessment will be done, said NParks' director for Pulau Ubin, Robert Teo.

"Until we call a tender, we won't be sure how much (the work) is going to cost. It depends on the magnitude of the designs and the amount of work that's going to be done," he added.

A coastal boardwalk of about 500m, part of which will extend into the sea, will be built at Noordin Beach, which will reopen when restoration works are completed. From the boardwalk, visitors can view coastal mangroves and hills.

Yesterday, NParks also unveiled a design for new otter holts - which are dens for the critically endangered Oriental Small-clawed Otter. By the end of this year, two holts will be installed on the island which will allow researchers to monitor and study their behaviour.

Other species' recovery efforts include installing 30 bat boxes across the island for bats to roost, and reintroducing endangered native orchids to parts of the island.

At the event to mark the International Day for Biological Diversity, which was yesterday, Mr Lee joined more than a hundred participants to plant 100 saplings at the mangrove arboretum in the Ubin Living Lab.

Among them were executive manager Sean Lam, 47, and his wife and son.

He said: "This is one of the last places in built-up Singapore where you can enjoy such nature. Without the mangroves, the soil will be eroded and the next generation, they won't have anything to see."

~News courtesy of My Paper~

Sentosa brings back kid-friendly beach festival for second run

Sentosa brings back kid-friendly beach festival for second run

The Sentosa FunFest 2016 will run from May 28 to Jun 5 at Palawan Green in Sentosa.

A kid-friendly beach festival is returning for a second run during the June school holiday period, Sentosa Development Corp said in a press release on Thursday (May 12).

The Sentosa FunFest 2016 will take place from May 28 to Jun 5 at Palawan Green in Sentosa, SDC said. It will be open from 10am to 7pm daily, with last admissions at 4.30pm. Admissions are priced at S$28 for adults and S$18 for children aged three to 12 years old.

The festival will feature a bubbly foam pool, a sand pit and a water slide, among other attractions. There will also be live DJ performances and snack and beverage kiosks.

From Jun 11 to Jul 17, the area will also be transformed into the fictional world of Equestria for a free My Little Pony-themed event.



A digital interactive space featuring My Little Pony at Sentosa. (Photo: Sentosa Development Corp)

Featuring "larger-than-life displays, 3D artistic illusions and digital interactive features", guests will be able to interact with digital projections of characters from the popular cartoon from 10.30am to 7pm daily during the event period.

“School holidays make for great family time and bonding at Sentosa, and we want to create a fun-filled atmosphere for these memories," said Sentosa Leisure Management's head of events and programming Steven Chung.

~News courtesy of Channel News Asia~