Coming from someone who lives in the western part of Singapore, there is a lot of perception that the western part of this island is not as exciting as the rest of Singapore. Growing up in the west since young, I dare not say that it is untrue (to a certain extent) in the earlier days. But after recent years of gaining prominence and momentum with redevelopment and growth, I dare to say that the western part of Singapore now, can be as exciting as other parts of Singapore as well. ;)

I love how over the years, they have renovated and built new malls around the west region and there are now a lot of shopping malls, especially in Jurong area! I can't believe how many shopping malls are in Jurong alone! Who dare to say west is boring now?! There are various shopping malls with extensive offerings and also tons of activities for you to do here!

Okay, I think I'm slowly sounding like the ambassador for the westies already lol. But I kinda am, well, at least for a day as I became a one-day Singapore guide to one tourist from Indonesia. It's her first time here in Singapore and rather than going to the usual tourist hotspots like Orchard Road, I brought her to experience the west side of Singapore.

The first stop, Pandan Reservoir!




It's my first time there and I must say that the reservoir is really beautiful! I was told that it was the first ABC (Active, Beautiful, Clean) Waters project in the West, which now is transformed into a vibrant water sports arena.




Look how beautiful the reservoir is! Perfect for photo taking too!




Water sports such as sailing and rowing can be done there too!




There are also platforms for viewing and fishing!




Finally met the bubbly and cute Fika, who is here for first time from Indonesia.
I really enjoy meeting new people, especially people from overseas because I can get to understand their culture and make new friends! We introduced ourselves and then head on to do the first activity of the day, which both of us didn't do before, Canoe Polo. Now, like what the name sounds like, it's basically a mix of water polo with canoeing. Initially, I didn't know we can do canoe polo over at Pandan Reservoir but after I found out that we can, I find it interesting to bring a first-time tourist to do such activity in Singapore. A lot of people have been saying that tourist can only come to Singapore to shop and eat but hey, there are such activities that they could also do but didn't know that they could, especially in the west.





Wearing the gear for my first canoe polo session! Gotten my favourite number, 3 yay!







Heading to the water.



Both (Fika and I) of us were pretty excited and anxious at the same time because it's our first time playing and learning canoe polo and we didn't know what to expect. I was very happy because I get to try something which I guess I wouldn't do in my own free time but at the same time, worried that I might not be able to control it well and ended up keep overturning and falling into the water.





Off we go!




Hey! My first canoe polo photo! :D
I was told that if we placed our legs properly, we wouldn't overturn that easily.




Roy was our instructor that day and I'm glad he's so patient and nice while coaching us.






Trying to row over ourselves to grab the ball! Initially, we had a hard time rowing in the water but once we got the hang of it, it seems to be pretty easy. I think the most important thing is to keep calm and not panic lol.




Next we tried to pass the ball to each other!






Trying to aim for the goal!




Did I manage to shoot it in or not? Make a guess! :p




Never knew canoe polo can be so fun! Fika and I really enjoyed ourselves eh!!!




Yay got hold of the ball again!




Aim and shoot....




Tadah! Afterwards, I got really addicted in throwing the ball into the goal lol.




So fun! :D




During the game, Fika and I bonded so much and we opened up and started talking a lot!




We were totally famished after playing canoe polo game so I couldn't wait to bring her to one of my favourite shopping malls in the west for dinner! Wanna make a guess which mall? (Hint: A lot of outlet shops!)
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Yes, as I was saying earlier that there are a lot of shopping malls in the west area, especially Jurong! And Capitaland Malls has three prominent malls (Westgate, JCube, IMM) within walking distance of each other in Jurong East. Okay, seriously... I really wanna tell you guys that Jurong is really the paradise for food, shopping and activities.

I also find myself hanging out and visiting Jurong East very often now! So if you come to the west, be sure to visit Jurong East! If you are lazy to walk, there are also shuttle bus services between these three malls.




One of the newest malls in Jurong is Westgate. It takes the best of downtown shopping experience to the West with many brands and labels that you can find in the city. For the kids, there's also Westgate Wonderland, Singapore’s largest outdoor themed park in a mall.




And if you are looking at doing some activity with your friends or family, you can try JCube! Boasting entertainment options such as The Rink, Singapore’s first and only Olympic-sized ice skating rink, SHAW IMAX theatre and Teo Heng KTV Karaoke Studio, JCude is the west’s leisure and entertainment hub.




For those who are looking for great deals, you definitely have to visit IMM! It is Singapore’s largest outlet mall with over 60 outlet stores (such as agnés b., Coach, Adidas, Converse, City Chain & more), offering discounts of up to 80% all year round!
I really think that maybe one day is not even enough for you to finish shopping at all the malls here! There's so much to see, do, eat and shop! Furthermore, the shuttle bus services that are available really bring convenience for everyone to visit all three Capitaland Malls. Westgate, IMM and JCube are all really close to each other, so you do not have to worry. :)


Anyway, I decided to bring Fika to IMM for dinner and then shopping afterwards because I know that she loves the fashion brand, Desigual and just nice there is an outlet store of it at IMM! How awesome! So we decided that we shall go to IMM!




Reached IMM and we decided to have our dinner at Streats Hong Kong Café!

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She tried "Mala Hotpot" for the first time and we ended up chatting for really long over dinner!

You can watch the video of our day below:



https://youtu.be/1vDUlEyYjqY

I'm really happy to meet Fika and she's so cute and bubbly! We are Facebook friends now and she told me that if I ever travel to Indonesia, she will bring me around and snap photos for me hahaha! I'm also glad that I'm able to bring her to experience the west-side of Singapore, which is where I always hang out at. Knowing that she really enjoyed herself here makes me super happy too!

For those who didn't have the chance or didn't thought of coming to the western part of Singapore, I hope you all can give it a shot and I'm pretty sure that you guys will enjoy your day here as much as you will do at other part of Singapore. Have fun! ;)




To find out more about the west, make sure to visit www.singaporewest.sg!