My Singapore Trip: Part Three
Hey everyone! Welcome
back to the last part of my journey in Singapore.
Let’s pick up where
we left off shall we? Little India was a really amazing place. We had planned
to come back the next day for some more shopping, as no matter how much time we
spent, there was always something better ahead.
So in the evening we
decided to head to the famous Singapore Flyer. It is just like the London Eye.
A giant Ferris Wheel from where you can observe the entire Singapore skyline.
We reached there at a very odd time so there was little to no rush. At first,
to enhance the experience they gave us a virtual tour and a history lesson on
Singapore. And after that, we were allowed to stand in queue for the actual
ride. A cool thing that I noticed was that many cars in the Flyer had different
designs than the rest. Some had a table for people to sit and eat, one had a
few idols, while others were creatively designed. We got the most basic one and
hopped on without delay.
The ride in itself
was about just 15 to 20 minutes long, but definitely worth it. The view was to
die for.
From up there, you
could actually see how vast the city of Singapore was. There were buildings and
civilization for miles and miles at one end, while the ocean reigned at the
other end. When you see things from that scale you realise how small you are and how big the world really is. Truly and eye-opening experience (pun intended!). I would definitely recommend going for the full Flyer experience.
Next, our destination
was going to be the one we had delayed for far too long. The one place that
Singapore was really well-known for. Yep, the Merlion. It wasn’t very far off
from the Flyer. You had to just follow the road and you’d reach a small pond.
The MBS would be on one end, while on the opposite end, would be the Merlion.
It was totally
crowded. There wasn’t even any space to sit. But the whole vibe was incredible.
This was the real Singapore. Tall buildings surrounding us everywhere, the
famous Marina Bay Sands right in front of us, sitting by the lake under the
Merlion, different kinds of people having fun, singing, cycling, chattering,
etc…truly an unforgettable moment. I would love to revisit that spot a hundred
more times. If time would have permitted us, we would have sat there all night
long. And when I really think about it, places like these are my jam. Every city should have a spot like this. Where the whole world comes to just chill and have fun.
There was also a
light show just like Dubai, which happens regularly in the evenings. We
happened to catch that, and it only elated our experience.
Later on, for dinner
we decided to go to the famous place called as Boat Quay. It was basically a
long street along the riverside with a collection of many different restaurants
(much of whom were Indian!). There we saw large tanks outside the restaurants
containing live crabs as big as a football, or sometimes even bigger. We stopped
at one of the Indian restaurants to have dinner. Another marvellous experience.
Sitting by the riverside, having dinner, all kinds of people around you
chattering, the whole vibe was unmatched. If you love big cities, then
definitely do not miss out on this experience.
After dinner, we
walked to the Central Business District. It was a large area where mainly all
the skyscrapers of Singapore were situated. At each turn, and each corner there
would be a really tall building in front of you. And right in the middle of this
district, there was a small hawker centre called as Lau Pa Sat which had many
different food stalls with various cuisines. In the mornings, it functioned as
a normal street for the working class, while at nights it was transformed to a
street food type sector. Overall, our night kept getting better and better with
each passing minute.
In case anyone is
planning a trip very soon, let me just give you a small tip: Do what we did –
Singapore Flyer in the evening, Merlion in the late evening, watch the light
show, walk to Boat Quay or CBD, have dinner, and take the nearest metro back to
the hotel. All of these places are relatively close to each other and can be
done in one single evening without using public transport.
The next day in the
morning we decided to head back to Little India. There was a place called as
Mustafa Bazaar which was a large shopping centre. It had EVERYTHING. Every
single thing you could think of. Appliances, Food, Snacks, Clothes, Accessories,
Toys, etc. And it had brands from all around the world. You name it, they got
it. And the best part? Nothing was really expensive. Everything was affordable.
I would recommend keeping at least 4 to 5 hours of your time, just for Mustafa
Centre. Maybe more if you are going with a shopaholic person.
Then, after lunch, we
headed back to our hotel. It was our last day in Singapore and we were going
for the last activity of our trip in the evening – Night Safari.
Let me share some
details for the reader so that they don’t get lost on their trip. For the Night
Safari you have to go to a place called as Mandai Wildlife Reserve. It is very
far away from the city. If you are going by metro you should get down at Khatib
station. And right below the station there is a bus stand. Do not take any bus
and think that it will drop you to Mandai Wildlife Reserve. Instead, wait for
the special bus that is reserved just for Mandai. It generally has animal
caricatures all over it and is different looking from your normal bus. Once you
get on it, you are supposed to use your credit to get the ticket for it. There
are approximately 3 or 4 stops, be sure to get down at the correct one. There
are more activities apart from the Night Safari and hence more than one stop.
And don’t worry, the buses work till around midnight.
After reaching for
the Night Safari, we had multiple options. We could either do a trail, attend a
show at the amphitheatre, or do the actual safari first. We decided to go for
the actual Safari first.
Another tip for the
reader: Be sure to sit in the middle, as it will give you the best view of all
animals.
We saw many creatures
such as elephants, tigers, deer, hippos, flamingos, etc. What made me really
wonder was how they managed to keep the place free from mosquitoes despite it
being the jungle. Another fun thing was that the bus did not even have a cage,
neither did the animal enclosures. So that meant that if I did not care about
rules and prison-time then I could actually just unbuckle my seatbelt and go
and pet the tiger.
After the journey, we
decided to go to the amphitheatre. There was a brilliant show where the
presenters would call upon different animals such as owls, foxes, kites, etc.
and the animals would perform different feats to entertain the crowd. Overall,
a fulfilling experience, or as one would say in Hindi – paisa vasool.
And that was it for
our Singapore trip. The next day we took a flight and came back home.
Overall, my thoughts
about Singapore are:
11. Amazing country for sightseeing and activities. Even
if you plan a 2 week vacation, there are hundred different things you can do.
22. A very family-friendly country. Most of the activities
in Singapore are best done with a large group and even better if kids are
involved. Kids would love places such as USS, Gardens by the bay, Oceanarium,
Night safari, Flyer, Changi airport, etc.
33. Public transport is top notch. All 6 days we navigate the whole country by metro. We bought 2 cards which we kept refilling and at the end, the balance amount was returned to us at the airport.
4. The only disadvantage was that there are too many instructions for every single thing. Knowing Singapore, one wouldn’t want to accidentally break a rule, so in the cacophony of trying to read the directions for everything, there is a high chance you might get confused at some places and get lost. But overall the people are friendly and everyone speaks English so even if you are lost, there is nothing to worry about.
For anyone planning a
trip soon, be sure to check out the websites for each attraction and pre-book
your tickets. One week is more than enough to do all the major things in
Singapore. Be safe, be good, and have fun! Thank you for reading.
