Kelong Dreaming

As the Managing Director of Raffles Hotels & Resorts and Executive Vice President of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Asia Pacific, Diana Ee Tan probably spends more time on the road than at home in Singapore. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t know her own patch well.

Q: I love Singapore because...

A: We are a compact city, easy to get around from one place to another, unlike other big sprawling cities, where so much time is spent just on travelling or commuting.

This means I get to accomplish much more in a day in Singapore than I would in other cities.

When it comes to dining, we definitely have a wide range of options, from open air neighbourhood food centres, to good Chinese or Italian restaurants, to culinary delights by celebrity chefs.

On the arts entertainment front, compared with say 10 years ago, what is great is that for someone like me who enjoys the arts, the scene is more vibrant with more quality plays and theatre performances.

One personal favourite are our libraries which are absolutely cosy hubs. It is simply wonderful to see a couple lounging with a magazine, a father or mother and child locked over a book, a music lover bopping his head at the new CD corner, or a group of young lively teenagers animated in discussions and enjoying each other's company in the library's cafe.

Q: My overseas friends love Singapore because …

A: They find Singapore a city of interesting and contrasting cultures. Friends from developed countries like it that Singapore is modern, cosmopolitan and they find our milieu comfortable.

It is also not just the ease of travelling around Singapore, but that it is safe to go to any part of the city.

Cleanliness and that English is well understood are often big plus points with visitors.

They enjoy our garden city environment and find our housing estates concept interesting and unusual, and it allows them a peek into mainstream Singapore.

Without exception, they rave about the extraordinary food and cuisines they do not easily find where they come from – chilli crab, chicken rice, roti prata, nasi lemak and all the different Continental cuisines. 

And of course there’s Raffles Hotel Singapore, an obligatory stop, where every visitor has to have a Singapore Sling at The Long Bar or a curry tiffin at The Tiffin Room.

Q: If there is one thing I’d like to see in Singapore, it’s …

A: Development of a few “kelong” (water villages) strips, perhaps in the outer islands of Singapore – well-designed “kelong” villas with proper bath and toilet amenities, fishing and water-based leisure facilities, barbeque courtyards and, of course, security patrol.

I think there is opportunity to design a truly unique and most memorable experience around the “kelong” concept for Singaporeans and visitors alike.

Imagine lying on the verandah of a “kelong” villa, in the wide open sea, and looking up at the stars. Feel a gentle sea breeze and listen to the soothing sounds of lapping waves. Paradise.