When you first spot it, you may be tempted to say “Wow! The London Eye has finally come to Singapore!” And your taxi driver may correct you, pointing out that this new toy belongs to the city-state and is called the Singapore Flyer. “I see, it’s not called the Singapore Eye, then?”

Actually I have to admit it is impressive to see such a record-setting Ferris wheel in Southeast Asia. The one month-old ride was the main attraction on my latest trip to Singapore.

Stand on Raffles Avenue in the Mariana Bay area, and the Singapore Flyer is the outstanding landmark. Towering 165 metres – the equivalent of a 45-storey building – it beats the London Eye as the tallest observation wheel in the world.

The Great Dubai Wheel is set to snatch the title away from Singapore later this year, before the city-state really gets a chance to crow about its premier perch. And in 2009, the Beijing Great Wheel will surpass them all.

Getting a ride on the Singapore Flyer isn’t as straightforward as a trip on its little brother in London, where you enter from ground level on the bank of the River Thames.

The Singapore wheel is housed in a three-storey mall with plenty of restaurants and souvenir shops. The entrance is surrounded by a rainforest-like central atrium and a concert space for live events.

The engineering and architectural core of the wheel has been designed with the number 28 as a theme. The Singapore Flyer has 28 air-conditioned capsules, each of them with room for 28 passengers.

Jasmine Yin, PR person for the new Ferris wheel, explains that Singaporeans believe 28 to be a lucky number – let’s hope the engineers agreed.

It is hard to imagine how such an elegant and delicatelooking structure can be responsible for lifting 16-tonne capsules to a height of 165 metres.

But that’s exactly what happens. And the ride is very smooth.

During a 30-minute trip, passengers get to drink in and photograph panoramic views of Marina Bay, the hedgehog of high-rise buildings across the bay, the Formula-One circuit as well as what will be the Marina Bay Sands casino, which is under construction. On a clear day, neighbouring Malaysia and Indonesia can be spotted too.

Options are created by various different styles of rides, says Yin. An in-flight host can be arranged, with a selection of wines and champagnes, canapes and pastries.

A lot of Singaporeans seem satisfied with the view from the ground – not too many have taken the trip yet. But visitors file into the capsules all day long, from 8:30 in the morning to 10:30 at night. The most popular time for a ride is at sunset, when the last light of day fades and the neon city blinks into life.

Singapore Flyer is within walking distance of the Esplanade, Suntan Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre as well as all the luxury hotels in the Marina Bay area. (By VIPASAI NIYANABHA/ The Nation/ ANN)