places to visit | shimworld

A completely unplanned road trip from Seria to Bandar Seri Begawan I made yesterday led me to the photo of the magnificent and historic Sultan Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Mosque, which is quite possibly the most photographed landmark of Brunei Darussalam. Leaving the house, I grabbed the Canon PowerShot G11 from the dry cabinet not realizing then that there wasn’t much battery power left. This photo is one of a series I managed to capture before battery power went out for good.

A view of SOAS Mosque from the Edinburgh Bridge on Jalan Tutong

Excerpt from The Brunei Times …

“POSITIONED majestically on an artificial lagoon near the banks of the Brunei River, the Sultan Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien (SOAS) Mosque stands as among the most magnificent mosques ever built in the world.

With its golden dome and soaring white minarets, the mosque is often pictured as an oasis of serenity amidst the hustle and bustle of downtown Bandar Seri Begawan. The celebration of its golden anniversary heralds the mosque’s unique long-standing status as the heart of the capital and the symbol of Brunei’s deeply-rooted Islamic faith.

The mosque also incorporates Italian and Renaissance architectural styles, but with craftsmanship that reflects classical Islamic architecture. This makes the mosque as one of the most unique Islamic places of worship across the world. The mosque took four years to complete, from 4 February 1954 until 26 September 1958. His Highness Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien is remembered as the “Architect of Modern Brunei”. During his reign from 1950 until his abdication in 1967, the Sultan steered Brunei safely through the turbulent years following WWII, establishing the foundation for the nation’s independence and sovereignty. Through his determination and dedication, he had implemented the foundation to build the infrastructure, society and economy of modern Brunei and also ensuring the preservation of an independent Malay Muslim Monarchy in the modern world.”

I’m so glad I had close to three weeks of contiguous days to work on the two thousand something photos I had taken in Singapore before my calendar of corporate events, commercial shoots and overseas assignments resume their madness. Having said this, there are remnants from my 2009 Singapore familiarisation trip that I have not written about such as MegaZip Adventure Park, an attraction worthy of its own post.

Singapore’s tallest observatory tower is a distinctive landmark, soaring high above the surrounding natural greenery. Day and night, there is no better way to marvel at breathtaking vistas in comfort – the Tiger Sky Tower truly is a high point of any trip to Sentosa. — Sentosa.com

Melo takes a panoramic shot of Sentosa and the Singapore skyline from inside the air-conditioned cabin and amazing vantage point of the tallest observatory tower in Singapore

A view of Resorts World Sentosa and its expansive real-estate.

A view of award-winning attraction Images of Singapore (left) and the Skyline Luge Sentosa track.

IMAGES OF SINGAPORE | SKYLINE LUGE SENTOSA

Catch the SkyRide after Luge to enjoy the fantastic panoramic scenery of the city skyline and beautiful coastline. Three young visitors right behind us with a view of thrill-seekers on their Luge.

Excited visitors ready for the Luge thrill in the queue waiting their turn.

Part go-cart, part toboggan, the Luge offers a truly unique outdoor experience suitable for all ages that is not found anywhere else in Singapore or Southeast Asia.Giving you full control, navigate down 650 metres of the Jungle Trail or 688 metre of the Dragon Trail as thrillingly fast or cruising slow as you like. After Luge, board the Skyride and take in the fantastic panoramic scenery of the city skyline and beautiful coastline. Truly an experience!

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One of my favourite shots of my children Jamie (left) and Jewel in 2009 having a great time. It was incredible challenging controlling my vehicle shooting downhill with one hand and gripping a heavy 24-70mm mounted Canon EOS 5D with the other.

BIG HAPPENINGS AT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS SINGAPORE | FOR MORE INFO AND UPDATES
VOYAGE DE LA VIE AT RESORTS WORLD SINGAPORE
LUXURIOUS ACCOMMODATION AT RESORTS WORLD SENTOSA SINGAPORE

You never know which famous cartoon character you're going to bump into. Begs the question, how many of today's young kids know who Woody Woodpecker is? Likely they know Woody from Toy Story.

I love this juxtaposed moment at Universal Studios Singapore (USS) @ Resort World Sentosa where an expectant mom in red strikes a similar pose as Betty Boop. Deserves a :)

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Engage in the ultimate intergalactic battle between good and evil on the world’s tallest dueling roller coasters. Themed after the hit television series Battlestar Galactica™, the attraction asks riders to choose a side – Human or Cylon – and then experience intense aerial combat between two spacecraft. The Cylon Raider is a suspended roller coaster that will turn your world upside down as it runs through vertical loops, corkscrews and cobra rolls. The Human Viper Mark II is a seated roller coaster that zooms at 90km/h and propels you fourteen storeys into the air while pursuing the enemy. Riders on both coasters will experience unbelievable thrills as they twist, turn & narrowly avoid collision.

Battlestar Galactica CYLON (blue track) suspended coaster goes up and down, around and upside down with intense corkscrews and cobra roll.

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“I should say that’s a well taken picture of ancient Egypt in USS. You really does justice to it … Its a norm to see tourists with DSLRs and lugging much with lenses and what have they not. But at the end of the day its still the keen eye and that God gifted creativity that makes the different. Your Egyptian warrior shot distracted me from the rest but they are as good. They really create a must visit place teaser even for a tourist guide like me : )” — Ayob Begai Malawat | Resorts World Sentosa Facebook