MY SINGAPORE TRIP: PART THREE

 
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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MY SINGAPORE TRIP: PART TWO

 

Hey everyone! Welcome back to my Singapore diaries. Let me continue where I left off last time.

So on our third day we were gonna head back to Sentosa Island. The beauty about it is that there is so much to do and so many things to explore on Sentosa that one cannot complete everything in 2 days. You would need at least 4 to 5 days to cover every single thing.

This time when we left in the morning and arrived on HarbourFront station, we did not take the Sentosa express. Instead we took the Sentosa Boardwalk which starts right from inside the Vivo City mall. It is a 1 km or 2 km long stretch that leads you directly to the island. You can save your money and walk instead. And don’t worry, the whole walk is completely covered so you won't be affected by the heat. We went in January and that time they were working on escalators across the whole boardwalk too. So that's another plus point. 

Our agenda today was the Singapore Oceanarium. If you have ever been to the Dubai Aquarium and liked it, then I can guarantee you that the Oceanarium would be an even better experience. It is very well made, covering a large area, and also very aesthetic for clicking photos.

The whole journey throughout the Oceanarium took us at least an hour and a half. If you are travelling with a larger group then you can easily get lost in there for well over 3 hours. There was also a designated area where the whole enclosure above us was made of glass and there were multiple sea creatures just roaming above us. Sharks included!

There were interesting information boards pinned all around the walls near the animals. There was also a place where you could get your hands cleaned by a special type of prawn (or shrimp, not sure). This place would be a field trip for the kids too. It is easy to navigate, has interactive enclosures for children and an eating area. Overall a very fun and memorable experience. Definitely worth every penny. Later on we decided to head back to Vivo City mall for lunch.

 

In the later part of the afternoon we had planned to go to the beach and roam around Fort Siloso. For that we took the Sentosa express and got down at Beach Station. From there, free shuttles were available which would take you all around the real Sentosa island. And during that Shuttle ride we realised how massive the island actually was. There were bars, restaurants, hotels, beaches, walking areas, parks, and so many other adventure activities all around the island. We decided to go to Fort Siloso first.

 

Fort Siloso, as the name suggests was a large fortress which had a museum and different walking trails to explore. I am not a history guy by any means, but honestly even I was intrigued by the museum and historical facts. For all those people who might have thought that Singapore doesn’t have much of a history, would be proven wrong here.

There was also a tower-like structure wherein you could see the entire island and parts of Singapore. Definitely do not miss that one. We went during the late afternoon and the wind was blowing at great speeds. The view was also tremendous. I am deliberately not attaching any photos so that if any one of my readers actually does plan a trip, I want them to see it with their own eyes.

There were at least 3 walking trails around Fort Siloso if I remember correctly. You would need at least half a day to cover everything. And it is also really easy to get lost around there.

In the evening we had planned to go to the beach but we had to skip it since we were getting late. The reason was that we had reserved a table at the famous ‘Jumbo Crabs’ restaurant at East Coast. And we had read online that they would hold the tables for us only for 15 minutes after the appointed reservation time.

Jumbo Crabs was a surreal experience. I ordered just one large crab (around 800 grams). They had given us an apron, a small trashcan for the crab bones, and different kinds of nutcrackers. And the crab was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S. The best I ever had in my entire life. Top notch. Even the bread looked tempting. And of course, the bill certainly suited the experience. But if you ever wish to have a once in a lifetime experience of eating crabs, then I do suggest you go to Jumbo Crabs. It is totally worth it. And one crab would be more than enough between 2 people.

 

The next day, we had planned a trip to the airport. Not to leave Singapore but to experience all the different activities the airport offered. Arguably, the most famous was the Jewel Changi. A large water fountain right in the middle of the airport. Jewel Changi was an engineering marvel to look at. Thankfully we arrived at the right day as from the very next day it would have ceased operations for maintenance. There was also a skytrain that would go really closely from the Jewel. We did not take that one but in case the reader ever decides to visit, do take the skytrain.

The airport also had a whole bunch of other activities such as the butterfly garden, a bungee jumping area, shopping centres, etc. You can easily spend 3 to 4 hours trying to cover everything and trying out all the activities.

In the afternoon we headed to a place called as Little India. And as the name suggests, it was quite literally an area that was a replica of an Indian street. Singapore has a culturally rich population, and quite a lot of them are Tamilians. So Little India was a place where one could find dozens of South Indian restaurants and Indian themed shopping streets. We also saw an outlet of State Bank of India!

We decided to go to a famous restaurant there called as Komala Vilas. And it felt like we had been transported to an amalgam of Shiv Sagar and Madras Café from Mumbai. The food there was awesome. It felt authentic. And there was also a long waiting line.

We also shopped a little bit on the streets as there were tons of options, which were way cheaper than any other place in Singapore.

But then in the evening, where did we go? What did we do? What did we see? All of it will be covered in the next part. Thank you for reading folks! See you next time.