This popular restaurant and shopping district in Singapore is one of the city’s iconic destinations. Although I love standing along the banks of the Singapore River and watching the old barge taxis putter along, my favorite spot in the area is the Raffles Landing Site.
Although there is a long history of fishing villages in Singapore, it was Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles who created the modern Singapore. His legacy can be seen throughout town, most famously in the elegant Raffles Hotel and of course the statue of him at Clarke Quay. I love this statue of Raffles because 
it’s a perfect metaphor for the city. In this view one can see the statue commemorating the past against the backdrop of an extremely modern downtown. It may sound overly simplistic, but this is Singapore at its heart: always looking forward, but with a commitment to honoring the past.
Regardless of any symbolism I may or may not be imagining, this is a fun area of town, particularly for an evening nightcap at one of the many river front bars.
