An Afternoon at Raffles

Over the weekend, S and I went for the hilarious Faulty Towers lunch performance that was passing through Singapore on its way around the world. What we didn't realise until a few days prior was that it was to be held at the iconic Raffles Hotel. 

The colonial-style hotel has been around since 1887 - going through receivership, passing through a few hands, and undergoing massive refurbishment. Naturally, its exclusivity has decreased over the decades - and much of the hotel grounds are now open to the public, encouraging visitors to wander the beautiful space.

I once read that the hotel had its own elephants that roamed the grounds.  

As cliched as it may be, a trip to Raffles isn't complete without a visit to the Long Bar (which like most colonial clubs, didn't permit women to enter until recently). Considering Long Bar is the alleged birthplace of the Singapore Sling, I silently chuckle at the image of all these men sipping on this very pink cocktail to the exclusion of women. It may be overpriced but the Sling is very delicious (and potent!) #oneanddone.

The Long Bar is also the only place I know that not only provides a bag of groundnuts as a bar snack, but encourages you to chuck the shells on the floor. I was told no one sweeps the floors during the day so if you are there in the evening, you could potentially be walking on a carpet of shells eek! 

Wearing:

Skirt: Geoda Wrap Skirt

Top: Crop top from Nosbyn in Saigon 

Sandals: Sol Sana

Sunglasses: Ray Ban pink aviators

Necklace: Dinosaur Designs

Panama hat: NYC street vendor - my favourite is the one near 19th and 5th on the West side.

Bonus: here's "Manuel" - the performance was set up as a lunch at "Fawlty Towers" and involved mishaps as finding dentures in soup and a runaway "hamster" in the dining room. It was so funny and I encourage you to attend if you are a fan of the show!