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Istana Park


In the vicinity of Dhoby Ghaut, the Istana Park stands, decked in its National Day adornment and glory, gives a touch of grandeur to a precinct famed for its shopping centres, especially at night when the entrance of the park is brightly lit.


It is no wonder that the park is located in this location for the Istana, the official residence of Singapore's President S R Nation is just opposite to the park.


The Istana is open to the public come every public holidays and this is the chance when the public can tour the sprawling and vast expanse of Istana and may even shake hands with the affable President!


I have been to the Istana several times by myself or on some other functions hosted at the Istana. Without a doubt, the Istana is heavily guarded with many policemen and rangers patrolling intensively. One most interesting personnel at Istana is without doubt, the sentry at the entrance of the Istana. Come every public holiday when the public visit the Istana grounds, the sentry will become one of the most popular person beside the President as the public will jostle just to take photos with the smartly dressed sentry!


It must be a tough job for the sentry, doing duty rain and shine. Some members of the public, I have seen before, even have some funny but not disrespectful gestures towards the sentry, however the Istana sentry stands his ground, unruffled and unperturbed at the gesture or commotion.


The Istana can be one of the places you may want to visit when the next public holiday comes. It is an interesting place to visit and bring your family if you have not done so before.
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