Singapore

Last August I had a chance to visit Singapore for work trip. It was a 4 days 3 nights stay but I only had 1 full day and two nights to explore the city as the rest will be filled with works and travelling back to my hometown. It would take two connecting flights from Labuan to KL to Singapore.

After about 4 hours of travelling, I finally reached Changi Airport. I took the transport arranged by the hotel I will stay in. I noticed there are a lot of trees and flowers planted at the roadside. Along the way, there is not much car on the road. Perhaps its because it was Sunday. I remember something about effective public transport system on this island that might contribute to the less traffic.

Hotel Village Albert Court

Less than an hour, I reached the Hotel Village Albert Court. Check in was easy, thanks to Mr Indra. The hotel is nice and clean, located near to Little India, Bugis Street and Bugis Junction. There’s an MRT station at Rochor, about 4 minutes walk. There are two convenience store nearby (one is 7-11). When you checked in, you will receive a small book that list down the places and food outlets to visit nearby.

Little India

I went to Little India looking for lunch. There are many Indian restaurant around here. Some are Halal, so I guess this place is where I’ll go to when I want to get dinner. I walked into Tekka Centre and head to the shops at 1st floor to see a lot of sari on display. There are plenty of food outlets and wet market in this building too. I visited Mustafa Centre too, the infamous 24 hours mall selling various items from electronic to clothing to packed foods. There are several murals around here, but head to to Little India Art Belts, just near the MRT Little India.

Merlion Park

There are many tourists here taking photos and videos to mark their visit to Singapore. You can see many style of pose. And you can see the Marina Bay Sands from here – but wait until sunset so you will get golden lights reflected by the Marina Bay Sands. Nothing much to do here, but it’s one of the place where you should visit and take picture with. Your visit to Singapore is not complete until you take a selfie with the Merlion.

Gardens By The Bay

I specifically went to the Supertree Grove. There are light show (Garden Rhapsody) scheduled daily on 7.45pm and 8.45pm. At Supertree Grove, the entrance is free. If you’re planning to walk the OCBC Skyway, which is above the solar-powered Supertree, there will be minimal fees. More information here at their website. I managed to witness the beautiful light show and capture it on video.

Bugis Junction & Bugis Street

Bugis Street is for shopping, Bugis Junction is for leisure and some shopping. Plenty of cheap souvenirs.

Clark Quay

At night, the place light up by the neons and music from the bar. Don’t worry if you don’t drink, just enjoy the views of boats decorated with lights passing by carrying tourist. The atmosphere around this area are lively. We were there a day after the Singapore River Festival, so there’s not much going on.

Arab Street

Other than Masjid Sultan, check out the rows of shops selling carpets and lights from the Middle East and the restaurants and bars at the alleys. I went there looking for mural. Since it’s after 7 and people already sit down for a drink, it’s kind of hard to take proper picture of the mural. There’s another lane filled with hip looking shops selling various items from fashion to food. Check out Bali Lane and Haji Lane, all within walking distance here at Arab Street.

Jewel Changi Airpot

I checked out early from the hotel. I just dont want to miss my flight back home. And also I need to check out the Jewel at Changi Airport. For Malaysia Airlines, you will check in at Terminal 2. I walked for about 10 minutes from Terminal 2 to the dome where they housed The Jewel. Worry not, there’s a link bridge connecting these two and moving walkway for your convenience. The tallest indoor waterfall, named the Rain Vortex, is surrounded by terraced nature setting. At night, the waterfall will be illuminated by colorful lights.

And that concludes my short visit to Singapore. I wish to go there again to visit other places. I read that Singapore is the most expensive country to visit in Southeast Asia, probably for their currency (at the moment, it’s about MYR 3.00 to = SGD 1.00). But if you’re here for sightseeing, you will appreciate their town planning, architecture and the light shows.

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