Singapore: Raffles Hotel (Glorious and Magnificent then and now)

I have never really fancied Singapore in my younger days. Maybe because I never really have a passion to occupy me nor to attract me to this concrete jungle back then.

Hence, although Singapore is probably the nearest oversea destination from where I live in KL, I have not make a trip there for over a decade.

Due to the nature of her work, my wife gets to travel to Singapore rather often but I have never really opted to follow. When I read about the Capital Land Photo contest last year and when I found out that most of Capital Land's landmark buildings are in Singapore, I decided to follow on one of her trips down south.

And I was pleasantly surprised on just how much I enjoyed staying in Singapore, walking the streets, watching the people, looking at her buildings, enjoying her food and having a drink (or two or probably more) at some of her current `happening' places and joints....

Although we were staying at the Hard Rock Hotel on Sentosa Island, my wife was telling me just how grand and beautiful Raffles Hotel is. I had to see it. I had to experience it for myself.

With my faithful Nikon d90 on hand, I went to explore this probably the most famous hotel in Singapore ...

Raffles Hotel, built in 1887, is a colonial styled hotel and is also one of the most famous hotel not only in Singapore but also the world, judging from the movies and books that have been written about her or on her. She was named after Singapore's founder, Sir Stamford Raffles.

Since Singapore and Malaya back then was under the jurisdiction of the British Empire and where the whites were looked upon as the powers of the world and where locals and Asians are deemed as slaves and second class citizens, NO Asians were actually permitted as hotel guests until 1930s!

Raffles Hotel survived the hardships of WWII and was also used as the transit camp for prisoners of war by then. If you walked along the corridors, one must imagine what those walls have seen and witness over more than 125 years! This hotel was declared a National Monument in 1987.

By the way, if you have drank or heard of the Singapore Sling cocktail, this very drink was invented right here at their Long Bar by bartender Mr Ngiam Tong Boon between 1910 and 1915.

Cheers !

I have intentionally captured the shots of Raffles Hotel in black and white, trying to depict the age of this magnificent hotel and hopefully to bring back the nostalgia of the good old days that she has seen ....

The center courtyard seen through one of the many arches of the building ....

Shadows cast by the rows of colonial styled pillars ....

The sun was hot and shining through from the courtyard. The huge and sharp contrast between the harsh sunlight and the cool, dark shadows made the picture in B&W so much more captivating ....

A coffee shop along the corridors of the hotel. A good setup with the old round marble top coffee table  and chairs of which we have associated with the good old kopi tiams of the past ...