SINGAPORE An iconic staple to any visitor's to-do list in Singapore, the DUCK & HiPPO tours is set to cease after December. These exciting river cruises use former military amphibious vehicles and open top buses.
Denied the necessary tender from the Urban Redevelopment Authority to continue operating, the company's license to run water taxi services in Marina Bay has been discontinued.
However, efforts have already been made to appeal the decision – in the form of an open letter to the prime minister and a discussion blog set up to let netizens air their views about the issue – but so far, no response has been reported.
Very popular among tourists and locals alike, DUCK & HiPPO runs three main tours: the amphibious DUCKtours, topless HiPPO bus tours and HiPPO river cruises along the Singapore River. DUCKtours guests are taken around the city centre and cultural sites like Chinatown before splashing into the Singapore River. The HiPPO topless bus tour shows passengers the commercial districts, providing fantastic photo opportunities of Orchard Road and Marina Bay.
Other than these main showpiece tours, DUCK & HiPPO also fulfills special requests such as museum tours and picnics as well as corporate promotions and activities.
With the future of both DUCKtours and HiPPO river cruises in doubt, time is running out for visitors to experience has become one of Singapore's favourite tourist attractions.
For more information, visit www.ducktours.com.sg
Randall Sim
