Stunning Singapore

My original plan didn’t include Singapore at all. My parents had planned to come out and we would meet in New Zealand for an extended Christmas break. However, as you can tell from the title and date of this blog that didn’t quite work out the way we planned. After some research my parents found out flights to New Zealand at Christmas are pretty hefty in price and on top of that dog sitters are few and far between, when you need a month of dog sitting over the holiday period.

So the plan was changed to another thing on all of our bucket lists – a safari in Africa, and before Christmas. I whole heartedly agreed, the same way I think any of us would if invited on a safari. So meeting my parents in Tanzania, midway between Australia and England makes sense. WRONG. The flights from Melbourne to Tanzania are also bloody hefty. After a little research I realised it’s cheaper to fly back to England from Melbourne and then to Tanzania from London. One day someone will understand how airline pricing works, but I am not that person! Oh, but hang on a minute, all the flights from Melbourne have a layover in China or Singapore. Well I don’t really wanna go back to China that much, and would much rather see somewhere new. And, even better, Rachel, who I met in Morocco, lives in Singapore and has always said I could come visit. So I find myself on a flight to the world famous Changi Airport.

The next morning Rachel has some work to do so I head out to explore, making my way down to the Marina. My first stop is Satay by the Bay a local Hawker specialising in, you guessed it, satays. After a delicious start to my day I continue with my exploring: like a good tourist I hit all the big spots. I go to the Cloud Forest, Flower Dome and then to the Super Tree Grove. It is a pretty amazing experience.

The Cloud Forest stirs ancient memories of a childhood trip to the Eden Project, the mist and forced humidity making the air hard to breath and giving the feeling like it is sticking to your skin. Nevertheless, you are so taken by the natural beauty of the forest inside that you don’t care about any of that, you just have to take it in. Next the Flower Dome, I am lucky today as they have an Impressionist exhibition, they are my favourite painters and their work fits in perfectly with this continued example of nature’s beauty. Finally finishing with the awe inspiring view from the top of a Super Tree giving you views over the impressive bay and its greenery and then, on the other side, the mind bending size of the Marina Bay Sands building.

After a quick taxi ride I find myself pulling up to a massive tower block of flats and Rachel waiting in the car park. Not many things beat the feeling of seeing an old friend. After a quick drop off of my bags and a catch up, we are heading out for my first culinary experience of Singapore. So of course we are going for an Indian! I know a bit left field, but Singaporean Hawkers are a famous melting pot of amazing multi-Asian cuisine. Rachel informs me that with the cheap restaurant prices and rising shop prices it is often cheaper to eat out than cook, a concept I am happy to accept when there are so many lovely eateries around. The food is delicious and we share a beer as we continue to catch up and send a quick selfie to my parents who also know Rachel from our time in Morocco together. After the delicious food it is back to Rachel’s flat to chill before bed and discuss things I can do while I visit.

Worth a visit: Jewel Changi Airport Rain Vortex

The Flower Dome – Manet

Singapore from Rachel's flat

Satay by the Bay to start the day

Cloud Forest cornucopia of colour

Great to catch up with Rachel

After my solo adventures I meet up with Rachel mid afternoon in Merlion Park, home to the famous statue that gives the ‘park’ its name: a half Lion, half Mermaid creature. I only take a quick minute to take in the statue not just because it is so busy here but also because I am eager for our next stop. We are heading to a place recommended to me by my brother, one of the few people I have met on this planet who shares my appetite. It is a street vendor, hole in the wall type. But this isn’t any ordinary vendor, they only sell one thing a chicken noodle dish, either dry or with a broth. It also happens to be one of the only and the first street vendors to ever receive a Michelin Star. Possibly the cheapest Michelin meal one can get. It is lovely, but I have f’ed up, I ordered the broth and it has dried fish in. The taste of fish which if you know me, you know I don’t appreciate has now taken over my bowl. Luckily Rachel, being a good friend, is willing to swap and let me have most of her dry dish which, once the dried fish is removed, is left with just rich chicken goodness! Delicious! After we eat we wander the streets of Singapore heading through Little India and Little China. The streets are alive here, stalls and street vendors are busy, the noise and bustle is electric. Eventually we settle in a quieter street with lots of bars for a couple of drinks and what is a rather competitive few games of Monopoly Deal. After the games we head back to the flat and share a FaceTime with my parents who funnily enough have just had their own Michelin meal in the last few days, a gifted experience my brother got them ages ago and they have finally claimed. Their’s seems more like a proper Michelin fancy experience, but overall I still think my experience is the winner! Then it is off to bed another fun day done, all this exploring is pretty tiring you know.

Singapore's Supertrees

Merlion Statue in Merlion Park – part mermaid, part lion

The lively back streets of Singapore

Michelin Star street food

The Flower Dome – Monet

The Siloso Skywalk

The next day Rachel and I head out for a mini hike in one of Singapore’s built green places, a sky walk of sorts along a raised platform – The Siloso Skywalk. Rachel found it on a new app she has introduced me to called Alltrails, which I would recommend for any of my hiking- or trail-enjoying friends. It is a lovely walk and a good chance to have a nice chat, Rachel has a lot of good things to say about Singapore but one thing she says does resonate: as great as these green spaces are, you are never out of view of a skyscraper of sorts, meaning that, in this small country, it is hard to ever truly feel like you are escaping the hustle of the city. An escape that Rachel and I think many people eventually yearn for in their lives. After the walk/hike we end up heading to the top of the impressive Marina Bay Sands which I had stood in the shadow of the other day, for a cocktail on one of the roof bars. It is an experience – it feels like you can see across the whole of Singapore here, not so impressive when you remember that Singapore is a city state, but still one hell of an experience. The cocktails were delicious as well! To see the night in, Rachel has something pretty special planned: the light show in the Supertree Grove. A free show put on every night for anyone who wishes to enjoy. A very cool experience, tonight’s show is Disney themed so as some classic tunes from our childhoods play, the mega trees are lit up with a beautiful display of colourful lights. An amazing end to another awesome day.

View from the top of Marine Bay Sands

And a cocktail there too

The iconic Cloud Forest Dome

The Cloud Forest Dragon

Cloud Forest whiter shades of pale

At the top of a Supertree

The impressive Marine Bay Sands Hotel

Then on to the Supertree Grove Lightshow

For my final day in Singapore I have the day to myself with Rachel back at work. So I decide to go on a little excursion. I head to the aquarium on the Southern Island. This is also home to Singapore’s own universal studio. When I turn up it takes me some time to find the aquarium, as the park seems to be under a lot of construction and a lot of the walkways are cut off. Luckily though it means this place, which I can imagine at other times is teeming with people, isn’t too bad today. Finally I make it to the aquarium and damn, it is pretty impressive. The sheer variety of marine wildlife here is crazy! The bits I like the most are the jellyfish which I find to be hypnotic and calming to watch and the crazy big shark enclosure which has the classic glass ceiling tunnel walkthrough. Eventually my flight times are approaching and I have to head to back to Changi Airport. Luckily for me though, I plan it out so I have enough time to grab a lovely dinner and explore the airport itself, which I would recommend taking time to do for anyone who finds themself there. It is a pretty spectacular airport with an indoor waterfall and green areas to be wandered through.

But before I know it, it is finally time after well over a year of travels and new experiences to head back to my family in the UK. I have mixed emotions – I love travelling and exploring but it will be nice to see the family and friends. Plus in about a week I am off with my parents to a safari, so my adventures aren’t over yet. Plus the next few months in England after the safari will go quick right? I will be onto my next adventure in no time, right? Right everyone? I will see the sun again soon, right?…

Aquarium Shark enclosure

Aquarium Anemone tank

Singapore Universal Studios