Qian Hu Fish Farm

We are at Qian Hu, Singapore ornamental fish service provider. The company breeds, imports and exports ornamental fish. If you like fish and appreciate an aquarium, this is the place for you.


There are many fishes on display here, including the premium quality Asian Arowanas, which are retailed here at very competitive prices.


You can see many kinds of fishes.. shown here are tanks with different breeds of goldfish.


Visited some of the breeding ponds.


Ok, this is becoming more popular in Singapore. This is the Fish Spa.

See freshwater Garra rufa fish chomping away your crusty skins, I understand such hot spring spas in Turkey had been around for more than 100 years. People with skin problems seek treatment at these places.

Tiny toothless Turkish spa fish will nibble the dead skin on your feet, and leaving only the healthy skin to grow. Two sisters were enjoying themselves in this pool.


Wow.. many pairs of legs. What a wonderful spread for the fishes.


We wondered to another corner of the farm. This is the packaging area, where the fish are packed and prepared to be distributed to Singapore and other parts of the world. We managed to catch a glimpse of Kenny Yap, executive chairman and managing director of this organisation.

	Qian Hu Fish Farm Address: 71, Jalan Lekar, Sungei Tengah Singapore 698950 Tel: 65-6766-7087 http://www.qianhu.com

Farmart Centre

We did not have enough of farm animals that day. (after visited Hays Dairies and Jurong Frogs Farm) We decided to go to Farmart Centre. It is a place where Singapore farmers showcase and sell their merchandise. You can buy water fountains, plants, fish for your aquarium, and different kind of food products like crocodile, ostrich, quail meats.


I'm more interested in the animals corner. We find goats, rabbits, hamsters, tortoises and many small animals here.


This goat is big and friendly.


The birds are pretty.


Tortoises are a bit boring, they are slow and were trapped in a big cage.


Most Singaporeans (myself included) stay in flats, and we can't keep many pets. After spending some time looking at the animals, we did some window shopping. Here is one shop that sells quality eggs.

	Farmart Centre Address: 67 Sungei Tengah Rd , Singapore ( 699008 ) Tel : 65 6767 0070 http://www.farmart.com.sg

Jurong Frog Farm

Anyone ever tried frog legs? Yes, this farm breeds frogs for consumption. It is also an educational tourist attraction.


In a room, a group of visitors was watching a short video on the farm and listening to an explanation on the frog life cycle.


Btw, do you like frogs?


The boy was grinning as he held the frog on one hand. It seemed only this boy was brave enough. Others watched with curiosity, and some in fear.


The guide was giving a lesson on frogs. I could not remember what was mentioned as I was busy, trying to take a good picture of this gigantic frog.


We went to this place, where the frogs were staying. Many shared a one-room apartment. It was crowded.


Wondered how frogs choose their partners? I understand the louder the male frog, the more attractive he is, to the females. Notice here, the male frogs were trying to attract a female frog. One frog succeeded. They went for a date. They mated. And eventually they will produce babies (tadpoles).


Can you differentiate between the male and female frogs? The males have brighter and more attractive colours, and bigger ears too. On your left are the females, the male frogs are on your right.

	Jurong Frog Farm Address: 56, Lim Chu Kang Lane 6, Singapore 719164 Tel: 67917229 http://www.jurongfrogfarm.com.sg

Hay Dairies Farm

Wow.. I did not know we have animal farms in Singapore. I like animals. :) We are now at Hay Dairies Farm.

The farm produces goat's milk for sale. We were late, and had missed the milking sessions (9am to 11am). Visitors can see the milking demonstration sessions during this time. I shall be back another day, and on time.

You can buy some dried grass from the shop to feed the goats at othis barn. The milking mothers stay in a different barn, and is off limits to visitors. Goats are sociable animals, playful and adorable. They are gentle too. Several kids were having a wonderful time, feeding and patting them. There are several breeds in this farm, and it is a good and fun place to learn more about the animal.

We bought few bottles of goat's milk. The milk is fresh, nutritious, and surprisingly tasty. There is a chocolate flavor, but it tastes strange. I perfer the original.

I'm happy to learn that the farmer, John Hay, takes good care of his "kids". (that was how he described his goats.) Do find out more about the goats, business and educational tours from http://www.haydairies.com.sg . The address: 3 Lim Chu Kang Lane 4, Singapore 718859. Call: (65) 6792 0931.

Orchidville

I visited Orchidville yesterday and was impressed by the scale of the plantation. Orchidville operates in a land of 43 hectares, and is the largest orchid farm in Singapore. It produces millions of orchid sprays every year, exporting to countries like Japan, Australia and USA.

Orchid is the national flower of Singapore. Orchidville is strongly backed and supported by the government, as the country encourages high-technology based products, agro-tourism and related businesses.

You can see many plants for sale at a hall in the building. The prices are very attractive, and there is a wide variety of plants to choose from.

A good place to shop for pots as well.

More plants are displayed outdoor..

Next to the hall is a restaurant. You can organise events such as banquets, corporate functions or weddings in Orchidville. It may be a memorable experience, given the unique landscape setting.

In one area, you find pavilions on the terraced grounds, high above the natural surroundings. You have good views of the orchid production nursery from here.

We took a stroll to the nursery and checked out how the plants were grown.

A big area with large variety of orchids cultivated. The plants are growing well. :)

The address: 10 Lorong Lada Hitam, Singapore 778793.
Visit http://orchidville.com to find out more about the place or orchids!

Singapore Attractions

I'm putting up this page for an overview and summary of the places of interests in Singapore. I'll be updating this post as I visit more places.

	Little India - In 1819, the first Indian settlers in Singapore arrived as soldiers and assistants, working for the British colonial government. More Indians immigrants arrived in 19th century, to find work in the country. The place that they stayed soon developed into a community, and is now known as Little India. Let's go now..
	Bottle Tree Park - You find the Bottle Tree Park in a neighbourhood, at the north part of Singapore. It is not known as a tourist spot, and is only setup a year ago. Converted from a plot of forest to a seafood restuarant, the area has a garden and some fishing ponds. Residents around the area like this place.. Let's go now..
	I'm not sure which is the place I'm going to visit next. Do come back for an update!

Excursions from Singapore..
Malaysia is Singapore's nearest neighbour, and is easily accessible by car, bus or train. Singaporeans often go there for a short get-away holiday. Especially on weekends, you will see queues of Singapore vehicles on the causeway to Peninsular Malaysia. You can eat and shop at Johor Bahru, the nearest state from Singapore, or go further north, to explore other more interesting places in Malaysia.. the large tropical forests, the beautiful islands and beaches, the charming hill resorts, or the country's capital, Kuala Lumpur. Check out the Malaysia Tourism Board website for more information while you are planning for your trip. www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my

	Kelong trip in Malaysia - Tour and experience life in a kelong.. visit this place if you enjoy fishing or wanted some quiet time in the middle of the sea. Let's go now..

Getting around Singapore

Singapore is a small and getting around the country is easy. I hope the information here makes your planning even easier.

Maps and directions

http://www.map.gov.sg/StreetMap This is a free service provided by Singapore Land Authority. You can use find a location map using address, postal code, road name or the nearest MRT/LRT stations!

Public Transports

SMRT - The company operates a network of trains, buses and taxis services on this island city. SMRT manages the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, for the North South Line (NS) and East West Line (EW). http://www.smrt.com.sg View the MRT system map if you are stilling wondering how you can travel in Singapore using the trains - http://www.smrt.com.sg/trains/routemap/routemap.pdf

SBS Transit - Leading bus operator in Singapore. Manages the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, for the North East Line (NEL). http://www.sbstransit.com.sg

Comfort - With a fleet of over 10,000 taxis, ComfortDelGro's fleet of taxis is the largest in Singapore. Dial-A-Cab number: (65) 6552 1111. http://www.comfort-transportation.com.sg

Kelong @Mersing, Malaysia

Its my first fishing trip. We went to a Kelong with few friends, off Mersing in Johor, Malaysia. It is about 2.5 hours drive from Singapore. We stopped at Kota Tingi for breakfast, before reaching the jetty at Mersing. We boarded a crowded boat and we arrived.. after 45 min.


A Kelong is an offshore platform, made off wood, and can be found in waters of Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. These structures were built solely for fishing purposes. In this case, this kelong (our destination) is designed for tourists, with space and beds for about 100 persons.


The visitors (mostly Singaporeans and Malaysians) wasted no time, started work. Most come here to fish. Some wanted to relax, and experience life at the sea, or living in a kelong.


After a few hours at the kelong, we decided to visit Pulau Sibu, few kilometers away from the kelong.


Pulau Sibu is an island 12km off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The island is about 6 km long and not more than 1 km wide in its whole length. There was a resort at the beach we landed, but it was closed and not in business.


I took some pictures of the place. I chat with Bulb, and we enjoyed the breeze and some quiet time. Some distance away, there was a group of people playing in the sea.


We went back to the kelong after some time. People are still busy with their activities. We took a stroll and watched..


One man just caught a fish. Another man had a cuttlefish..


Another corner of the kelong, we saw some dried cuttlefish.. I think they looked tasty.


In one area, you can buy drinks and cigarettes, and watch a TV programme. We had our meals in this area too. Meals are provided for in this kelong, it is part of the package with accommodation. They served Chinese food. The seafood dishes we had for our lunch and dinner were fresh and yummy.


Here, the cooks were preparing for the next meal..


One may feel lazy and decides to sit back and relax.. or you may prefer a game of mahjong, which is a popular game with the aunties and uncles here.


This man was enjoying his afternoon nap beside a tank of cute and unique looking fish.


..many others choose to fish under the glaring sun. In the night, we had fried fish (small fish - crispy and extremely tasty - best I ever had, and that goes very well with beer) and BBQ food for supper. We stayed in the kelong for a night, and we left the next afternoon.

Overall it was enjoyable experience. We had fun, fishing, playing mahjong, and lazing around.


If you are interested to visit the Kelong, you may check out their website http://www.kelongahfatt.com.my , or contact them for more information. They should be able to help you with the transport arrangement as well.

tel: 607 883 3336 (office) / 6019 712 0333 (Ah Fatt)
email: sibuisland@kelongahfatt.com.my

Alternatively, for van and limousine services in Johor, Malaysia, you may contact Wong at 6012 7231 623.