Singapore Flyer

The Singapore Flyer opened in 2008 at a hundred and sixty-five metres, and for a few years it was the tallest observation wheel in the world before being overtaken. Twenty-eight capsules make one rotation in about thirty minutes. The direction of turn was reversed a few months after opening on feng shui advice, so that it draws energy into the city rather than away. On a clear day the view runs over Marina Bay, the anchorage and across to Indonesia and Malaysia.

History

Patrick MacMahon of Melchers Project Management conceived the wheel in the early 2000s, formal planning began in 2002, and the Singapore Tourism Board endorsed it on 27 June 2003. The spindle went in on 13 December 2006 and the rim was completed on 9 April 2007, the first public rides ran on 14 February 2008 and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong opened it on 15 April; at 165 metres it was the world's tallest Ferris wheel until 2014 (Wikipedia, Singapore Flyer).

What's there

• The capsules - twenty-eight air-conditioned cabins making a thirty-minute rotation.
• The Marina Bay view - the bay, the Sands and the Gardens laid out below.
• The anchorage - hundreds of ships waiting offshore, a defining Singapore sight.
• The reversed direction - a wheel turned around on feng shui advice in 2008.

When to go

Year round; sunset and early evening give the best light and are the most popular. Haze cuts visibility on some days. It closes in lightning, which is frequent.

Good to know

It closes for lightning without much warning and Singapore has a great deal of it. The Marina Bay Sands observation deck and several rooftop bars give a comparable view for less. Haze can reduce the view considerably.

Nearby

Marina Bay Sands is south, and the Esplanade is west.

Key facts