One of the latest tourist attractions, the iconic Singapore Flyer -- modelled after London’s Eye -- offers an unbeatable aerial view of Singapore’s dynamic Marina Bay area and even the island city’s busy central business district since coming into operation in 2008.

On a good day, the view from the giant observation wheel even stretches to Changi Airport and Sentosa, as well as parts of neighbouring Malaysia and Indonesia.

The waterfront landmark is easily recognisable, and at 165 metres tall you can’t miss The Flyer’s imposing and towering presence as you travel along Singapore’s East Coast Parkway highway towards the city’s central business district. Even from afar, you can see the 28 fully air-conditioned and UV-light protected capsules studded around the observation wheel, of which each capsule can comfortably carry up to 28 people.

As you can rightly imagine, you should visit the Flyer on a bright, clear sunny day for the best and furthest view of the surrounding landscape. Alternatively, try visiting it at night -- from 7.30 to 9.30pm -- which allows you to see the glittering lights of the busy city in all its nighttime glory. My wife and I visited the Flyer at night.

A Sky View

Tickets, at $29.50 for adults and $20.65 for children under 13 years old, are somewhat on the expensive side for each 30-minute rotation. Seniors pay $23.60. We think the Flyer could consider implementing a more family-friendly package to attract more local families to the attraction.

Getting onboard the Flyer was itself an experience. You’re ushered onto the boarding platform by extremely polite and well-trained service staff. As each capsule swings onto the platform, you can even feel -- or imagine -- a slight thrill course through your system as you hop onto the platform. And then the capsule pulls out of the ground station, and suddenly you are confronted with a most glorious sight of the surrounding landscape.

When my wife and I first arrived at the Singapore Flyer, the sky had looked threateningly dark and cloudy -- a common occurrence in tropical Singapore. Thankfully, it didn’t rain and so the view remained breathtaking for the duration of our ride. As the capsule slowly climbs towards the apex, you can see the lights from each and every building that makes up the city skyline glittering, as if winking back at you in knowingness. You can see the entire Marina Bay area, including the new Marina Bay Floating Platform, commonly used for Singapore’s National Day parades, among other things. As luck would have it, there was a rehearsal going on for Singapore’s upcoming National Day, and we enjoyed a glimpse of groups of students and volunteers resolutely practicing their moving formations on the floating arena.

Likewise, the opposite view seemed just as busy. You could just pick out the lights winking for the massive container ships and tankers anchored off Singapore’s southern coast – the lifeblood of island city’s economy. Nearer to shore, construction work on the upcoming Marina Bay Sands integrated resort was still in full swing. You can just imagine that when the integrated resort is finally open, the Flyer would only get busier.

If you’re a Formula One (F1) fan, you might like to know that the Singapore Flyer has a commanding air-to-ground view of a majority of the race circuit. Also, aside from getting a paddock pass, you can’t get any closer to the F1 pit building than the Singapore Flyer. There’s even word that the F1 organizers ere planning to introduce a ‘live’ feed transmission of the primary and secondary races inside all 28 of its observation capsules for the duration of the season. You can check out the special F1 packages offered by the Singapore Flyer at their website.

The Singapore Flyer also offers a special sky-dining package for two at an introductory price of $199++ per couple. You can also book a full private capsule for up to 10 at $1,500 nett.

There are dining and entertainment options at the Singapore Flyer building, which makes it a good one-stop location for a family visit. If you’re here in Singapore for the first time and have only 2 hours to spare, the Singapore Flyer is probably your best option for a quick and easy way to take in the city’s views.

The Singapore Flyer
Add: 30 Raffles Avenue Singapore 039803
Tel: 6333 3311
Website: http://www.singaporeflyer.com
Opening hours: 8.30am – 10.30pm