Following our customary touchdown in Bangkok, which indicates the start of our yearly tour of South East Asia, it was off to Singapore as our first point of call. I read a lot of reviews and some travel blogs had noted that it can be quite sterile and that Singapore has very strict laws, which indeed it does, however, we arrived in a country that was full of colour and diversity and albeit strict, was open to visitors and so wonderfully clean and tidy that you wondered if our own countries could learn a lesson or three in the art of respecting your home and having pride in it.

After a flight from Bangkok, we arrived at Changi Airport and at once noticed how organised the airport was and you get the impression right off the bat that the Singaporean’s don’t do things by halves. There are many modes of transport into the city, we decided to catch the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) which took us straight to Bencoolen station where we were staying. It took approximately an hour and cost around $4 SGD (€2.90). We were staying at the Hotel G, a very stylish, modern hotel in a great location and we were happy with our choice as the MRT was only a couple minutes walk away and it was very central. The hotel had everything we needed including some great eateries within close proximity which was a good thing as we were starving by the time we arrived….it was quite late in the evening so we were pleased to see a local restaurant open and still serving. There was Thai, Indian and also the option to eat at the hotel, however, we chose Thai at the Aroy-Dee Thai Kitchen…a bit ironic as we just flew in from Bangkok :))) Never the less the food was delicious and don’t worry if you arrive late as it doesn’t close early, they still serve food at 2 am!! Hotels in Singapore can be quite expensive so I advise booking early as you don’t want to be paying through the roof.

As we had 3 days in Singapore we kind of had a loose itinerary as there were so many places that we wanted to see and wanted to make sure we saw as many of them as we could squeeze in. Gardens at the Bay, that includes the Cloud forest was one of them, I know it’s rather touristy but the place had so many great reviews we needed to pay a visit. We purchased our tickets online as I got a good deal through Viator, otherwise, you can purchase your ticket at the venue… Be warned though! there are hoards of people at the Cloud Forest whatever time you visit but it is so well laid out, it doesn’t feel stuffy or overcrowded at all. Once you enter, the first thing you encounter is the very impressive waterfall….. which is the largest indoor waterfall in the world!! There is lush vegetation everywhere and it’s refreshing and cool within the space, specifically designed to keep it to a regulated temperature to maintain all the plants & trees. Each plant is labelled with information regarding where it is native to and some additional info so if you love plants then this is definitely a place you will enjoy. We needed approximately an hour and a half to see it all. We then moved on to the Flower Dome as this was included in our ticket. It is designed to exhibit fauna and gardens from around the world. During our visit, the themed central area was showcasing the Netherlands and of course, the tulip, The effort made and the wonderful scenes created were rather magical.

Visiting The Supertree Grove and the OCBC Skywalk was my favourite part of our day, this was an extra ticket and we purchased this at $8 SGD (€6) each. They allow up to 70 people to enter at any given time as it consists of long suspended walkways high above ground and safety, of course, is imperative and they need to ensure the maximum weight limit is not exceeded. There is a light show every evening and apparently, it’s amazing, we were there during the day so we didn’t get to experience it……we almost didn’t experience it at all as it was closed due to adverse weather conditions but we were lucky as it cleared up and the walkway was reopened. The Supertree Grove was built in order to create energy, equipped with solar panels to store this energy for the nightly light show, while others are used as air exhaust receptacles to help cool the flower dome and Cloud forest conservatories. There are 18 Supertree groves in total and they were built in order to resemble real tree’s and although they look stunning, they look a lot more like an art installation. Singapore is trying to be one of the greenest countries in the world and I commend their efforts as they are doing an amazing job of it. After exploring we were starving, so we swiftly made our way over to the hawker’s centre opposite and enjoyed a Singaporean lunch that cost approximately €15.

Marina Bay Sands….. Well, what can you say about this phenomenal building?! A cruise ship like structure sitting atop 3 unbelievably impressive skyscrapers 200 meters above sea level…It is a sight to behold……and unfortunately a sight it remained as a single night stay starts at €250, although this does give you access to their famous infinity pool, however, €250 would not be leaving our budget so we opted for a visit to the observation deck and get a glimpse of Singapore from above…We parted with $23 each (€15) and followed the crowd…..and it was quite a crowd… beware as queueing times can vary from 10 to 25 minutes. Once on the deck, there were hundreds of people taking pics and admiring Singapore from above. It was very touristy and in some way the has probably lost its charm but it still a spectacular place to see and experience. Would I go there again, probably not unless of course, I could afford to stay in the hotel and enjoy all its facilities…..but as a first-timer in Singapore, I would recommend just the observation deck.

Haji Lane is in the Kampong Glam area and was probably my favourite place in the whole of Singapore, why? coz it was so funky!! Narrow lanes, speciality boutique stores, cafes, bars and cute little restaurants. I loved the mural work too, street art is not generally permitted in Singapore, however, in this part of town permission was granted and it really stands out and makes this whole area pretty special. I would suggest going there in the evening for a few drinks as the place is buzzing. The nearest MRT is Bugis Station, however, we walked from Bugis main centre and it was literally just a few minutes walk.

A couple of streets down from Haji Lane you enter Arab Street with its stunning Masjid Sultan mosque which you cannot miss as the golden dome is so prominent. There are rows of restaurants and cafes serving up Middle Eastern food. There are speciality shops selling traditional clothing and beautiful ornaments to take home with you. My favourite store in the area was selling Mosiac and Ottoman lights, the display was just incredible, unfortunately, I don’t recall the name of the store, but it’s not hard to miss.

Little India.…. now……unfortunately it can’t all be good ….and to be honest, I had lots of expectations regarding this area and I must say I was disappointed. To start with it was dirty and when you say that in Singapore, it’s a big deal as generally you can eat your food off the floor here. Yes, it’s colourful, vibrant, buzzing but it didn’t wow us as I thought it would. It was the only place that made me feel slightly uneasy and was made to feel a little out of place as eyes followed us as we walked around the area. I would still recommend going though as it does have the feel of India which is a magical place but personally, I wouldn’t feel ok walking at night alone here. There are many restaurants to choose from and stores to buy an array of the wonderful, the aromatic and the colourful that is India. The famous Mustafa centre in Little India is open 24 hours / 7 days a week. We were browsing this massive department store at 1 in the morning and we could not believe the number of people shopping. This store sells everything that you can imagine……I mean everything!!…. and prices were great too…..

Walking around we stumbled across Tan Teng Niah house, reading up on it we learned it belonged to a Chinese merchant and was built in 1900. It is apparently the last Chinese villa left in the Little India area. It really can’t be missed as it’s ultra colourful and has become extremely popular for photo lovers…..although note that you are unable to enter the building. Nearest MRT Little India

Singapore’s Chinatown is probably the nicest Chinatown I have seen in my life!! The area was full of life surrounded by restaurants and stalls serving amazing food (although we didn’t eat there as we were heading to Maxwell hawkers court ….more on that later), souvenir shops and just bustling with people. The architecture in Chinatown was stunning and every building was super colourful. The laneways are just for pedestrians and they were all so beautifully decorated. We managed to visit the Buddha Tooth Relic although we were running short on time. What makes the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple unique is that it is dedicated to and serves as a home for …..well…..a tooth relic (no surprise there then) from Siddhartha Gautama or Buddha himself. This is in contrast to other Chinese temples, which are usually built to honour gods and deities. The remarkable four-storey temple includes a mezzanine, a cultural museum, sacred chambers and a beautiful rooftop courtyard. There is no entry fee, however, there is a dress code, no shorts or mini skirts…..obviously, as with all religious sites. If you forget to bring a shawl they will give you something to cover up. It opens from 7 am – 7 pm. Nearest MRT is Chinatown.

Ann Siang Road and Club Street are adjacent to Chinatown, they are closed to traffic on Friday and Saturday evenings and the place is really lively. There was a lot of expats and locals enjoying the bars and restaurants this area had to offer. Mick and I sat at Tom, Dick and Hillary’s for a meal. We have been eating lots of local dishes and decided to have something different. It is a bistro and super cute with really friendly staff. Highly recommended if you are looking for something other than local cuisine. For a night out I would suggest visiting this area as its super cool with its fully restored two-story colonial buildings side by side.

ArtScience Museum, shaped like a lotus flower and part of the Marina Bay Sands, we bought tickets for the Future World/Digital light canvas, the price for each person was at $19, a bit pricy but we wanted to visit, it was way, way overpriced and if it wasn’t for the wonderful crystal light showpiece, which was just stunningly beautiful, I would definitely have made a complaint. The art museum is suited for young kids as its quite educational but other than that it was by far the least interesting place we visited during our time…..and by far the worst value for money. They present different shows monthly and I do hope that the one we were unlucky enough to encounter is not the standard they set.

Emerald Hill finds itself just off Orchard Road, famous in the area for its great for shopping, there are heaps of malls to keep you busy but after some time we wanted to escape as shopping is not really our thing. So we headed towards Emerald Hill, it is a conservation area within a somewhat upscale neighbourhood, I heard that renting a house there can cost upwards of $12,000 per month, that’s equivalent to €7,700, ouch!! Regardless, the neighbour is colourful and very picturesque. In the evening it’s buzzing with restaurants, bars and cafes and certainly a place to chill out.  We walked around the neighbour and admired its beauty and just wished that we could have owed a terrace house in this wonderful neighbourhood :))))

Maxwell Hawker’s food court was our last meal in Singapore and can be found close by to Chinatown. We had a meal each and it cost us $17. It was just local people eating there and a handful of tourists. Due to hygiene reasons, the government does not allow street food to be served on the ‘street’ so Hawkers centres are where the locals eat out. The food was good and very affordable considering how expensive Singapore can be. We got there a touch late and not all stores were open, however, we managed to find good food, lots of smiles and a lovely evening with the locals.

Common Man Roasters coffee was hands down the best place for a great coffee and brekkie, when I am travelling I prefer to visit cafes as opposed to restaurants I just find cafes a lot more relaxed. We went for breakfast and the place was buzzing. We managed to find a communal table and had a really decent breakfast and the coffee was excellent. It cost us $53, Mick wasn’t best pleased and still believes this was extortionate for what was primarily some eggs, toast, avocado, tomatoes and some coffee…… yes I’ll have to agree with him that that’s pretty steep but for me, it was well worth it as I thought this place was absolutely top-notch and……from me at least, comes highly recommended……..from Mick…..less so

My Awesome Cafe was a heritage shophouse they turned into a hipster cafe. We had brekkie there one morning, but the cafe serves lunch and dinner too. The whole Telok Ayer street was buzzing with cafes and restaurants and I am sure most become bars in the evenings. Our brekkie and coffee were good, but again it wasn’t the cheapest. We paid close to $50…..Mick was on my case again wondering if I was purposely seeking out the most expensive eateries….. The ambience is different and I think that’s what makes it special……but not $50 special……eh Mick?

Green Dot was a Vegan/Vegetarian restaurant that I really wanted to try. Being vegetarian we wanted to sample Singaporean cuisine but due to the fact that a lot of dishes are cooked with meat stock, we had to find alternatives and this place came highly recommended. We tried the Laksa Noodles and the Mee Pok with Fried Mixed Veg Gyoza both dishes cost less than $20 (€13)…..another place that proved you really can eat cheap in Singapore. The Laksa noodles were my absolute favourite. Now having tried for ourselves, we also highly recommend it!

Useful information

• Visa requirements: as British and Aussie passport holders we were granted a 90-day visa, do check before you travel.
• Exchanging money: there are exchange booths located across the city and no ID was required but it is always good practice to carry ID when changing currency just in case.
• Singapore is really safe, not once did we feel threatened or unsafe.
• Transport across the city is super cheap and even more super-efficient. We bought ourselves an EZ-link card that lasted for 3 days and it was the best thing we did.
• Singaporeans are proud of their country so please respect their laws.
• Hotel deposit – We needed to pay $50 per night at our hotel, they requested the same credit card that was used for the online booking for the deposit….we didn’t take that card so was a bit of a pain as they wanted proof of funds….even though it was paid in advance…??…. we paid the deposit in cash but not before I was able to prove (via e-bank) that the original card was indeed mine and did indeed have funds……all a bit over the top in my opinion…..so have that in mind.
• Weather in Singapore is scorching, made worse by the humidity, I highly recommend wearing super light clothes as it can be very stifling indeed.

To finish off I absolutely fell in love with Singapore to the point where we’ve decided we’re definitely going back as there were lots of places we didn’t manage to see. If anyone suggests that Singapore is sterile with super strict laws and is way too expensive, just ignore them, on the contrary, its a country full of life, colour, diversity, smiles and is affordable and we can all learn a little bit from this amazing place. People were unbelievably friendly and always willing to help……..it also made us brave enough to try Dorian for the first time. This infamously pongy and pungent fruit that is for sure an aquired taste but also something you’ve got to try when in Asia…..at least once anyway

Singaporeans do things in a way we’ve not experienced anywhere, it seems that everything they create, design, build is not done with the mindset of what is required today, but of what will we require from this in 25 years from now. Their initiatives regarding making Singapore ‘A city in a garden’ is simply mind-boggling and is something that the whole country embraces….and the whole world could learn from. A visit to this wonderful place with leave a lasting impression on whoever travels here……and travel here again we most certainly will.

Andria

xxx