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Haw Par Villa (Tiger Balm Gardens) * In 1935, brothers Haw Boon Haw and Haw Boon Par-creators of Tiger Balm, the camphor and menthol rub that comes in those cool little pots-took their fortune and opened Tiger Balm Gardens as a venue for teaching traditional Chinese values. They made more than 1,000 statues and life-size dioramas depicting Chinese legends and historic tales and illustrating morality and Confucian beliefs. Many of these were gruesome and bloody and some of them were really entertaining.

But Tiger Balm Gardens suffered a horrible fate. In 1985, it was converted into an amusement park and reopened as Haw Par Villa. Most of the statues and scenes were taken away and replaced with rides. Well, business did not exactly boom. In fact, the park has been losing money fast. But recently, in an attempt to regain some of the original Tiger Balm Garden edge, they replaced many of the old statues, some of which are a great backdrop for really kitschy vacation photos. Last year they also lowered the admission price from S$1 G for adults to the more affordable S$5 they charge today. Catch the two theme rides: the Tales of China Boat Ride and the Wrath of the Water Gods Flume.

Jurong BirdPdrk *** kids Jurong BirdPark, with a collection of 8,000 birds from more than 600 species, showcases Southeast Asian breeds plus other colorful tropical beauties, some of which are endangered. The more than 20 hectares (50 acres) can be easily walked or, for a couple dollars extra, you can ride the panorail for a bird's-eye view (so to speak) of the grounds. I enjoy the Waterfall Aviary, the world's largest walk-in aviary. It's an up-close-and-personal experience with African and South American birds, plus a pretty walk over pathways and babbling brooks through landscaped tropical forest. This is where you'll also see the world's tallest man-made waterfall, but the true feat of engineering here is the panorail station, built inside the aviary. Another smaller walkin aviary is for Southeast Asian endangered bird species; at noon every day this aviary experiences a man-made thunderstorm. The daily guided tours and regularly scheduled feeding times are enlightening. Other bird exhibits are the flamingo pools, the World of Darkness (featuring nocturnal birds), and the penguin parade, a favorite for Singaporeans, who adore all things Arctic.

Two shows feature birds of prey either acting out their natural instincts or performing falconry tricks. The Fuji World of Hawks is at l0am and the King of the Skies is at 4pm. The All-Star Birdshow takes place at l lam and 3pm, with trained parrots that race bikes and birds that perform all sorts of silliness, including staged birdie misbehaviors. Try to come between 8am and 10:30am for breakfast among hanging cages of chirping birds at the Songbird Terrace.

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