Four days in Singapore is not enough. There are so many things we were able to experience yet so many we missed out on doing as well. This country is such a tourist destination that most of the people you’ll encounter here are tourists and foreigners. So many language getting mixed up but it’s a good thing that most of signage were written in English.
We booked a promo flight under Cebu Pacific Airlines which was pretty good. They offer lots of promos and which you can see on their official website at www.cebupacificair.com. The flights were on time except for our flight back here in Manila, but that’s because of the intricate weather. As I’ve mentioned on my previous entry, I see not much of a difference from Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific Airlines. There’s free food and coffee in PAL but Cebu Pacific also offers that though you have to purchase separately. At least you have the freedom to choose what kind of food you want to eat or settle with the ones you bought outside. They also a Q&A game to which can get you a chance to win some of their merchandise. I think is that’s a good way to lighten up the mood of the passengers. That’s my observation anyway. It would be helpful if you can give out your thoughts and opinions on your preferred airlines. Well, as long as we get to our destination safe, right?
It took us less than three hours to get to Changi Airport and I was culture shocked. The airport has free internet access, a creative section for kids, a little garden and an interactive screen on the new arrivals section. First steps on Singapore and you already have an attraction you can capture using you cameras.
We stayed at an apartment near Grandlink Square around Geylang Road. We got this place through a website my Singaporean friend recommended, which is AirBnB. You can find all kinds of accommodations from hotels to transients and family rooms to backpackers. The place we got was good enough for me and my family. Air conditioned room with unlimited WiFi access, surrounded by eateries and a five to ten minutes walk from the MRT Station. We learned that Geylang was known for being the red light district of Singapore. However, I don’t think you wouldn’t really notice that unless you read it from the internet. This didn’t stop us from exploring the area which led us to meet a kind store keeper and some parkour practitioners near the market.
This place might be labeled as a red light district but it’s also known for its delicious dishes which you’ll find at Geylang Serai Market. This is where you’ll find most of their local dishes at an affordable price. Not to mention, large amount of servings. I do recommend that you visit during Ramadan season because that’s where the place looks festive. They offer unusual treats like the one that looks like a rainbow in a bottle, rainbow burger, cotton candy in a tea and much more! I’ll leave a link below for your reference. It’s a shame we weren’t able to try out these treats because Ramadan is already over when we got there. I’d also like to recommend the ALWADI eatery near Geylang Serai Market because of their delicious dishes and accommodating crew.
Our first day was spent exploring Geylang then we went to Marina Bay Sand on our second day. Let me just tell you how amazing the railroad system here. You might get confused with all the connecting trains but there will always be a directional map for your guidance. It was so organized and you won’t have a hard time getting to where you wanna go. The card you purchased on your first ride is refillable up to six uses only. They also offered a train card which you can use unlimited for 3 days for only 20 dollars.
To get to Marina Bay Sands, you have the option of taking a bus or taking the train to Bayfront MRT station. Once you have arrived, you’ll be greeted by a Venice-like attraction where you can experience riding a boat under a bridge. This attraction is inside a mall which they call The Shoppes and there were so many activities you can do here. Enjoy shows from the MasterCard Theater (click here for list of shows), A huge DC Cafe (for all you comic book lovers, this is awesome!) and the Gardens By the Bay located at the upper deck of this mall. To get to Gardens by the Bay, you have to walk accross the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and voila! You’ll get a glimpse of the outside interior of the Flower Dome. Want a better view of the place? Head out to the SkyPark Observation Deck. There’s an entrance on the basement of the hotel (or just ask for directions). Unfortunately, we weren’t able to go and I heard there was an infinity pool over there. Oh well, perhaps on our next visit.
Our way to the entrance of the SkyPark Observation Deck was kind of a funny story. We were following this tour group that we encountered inside the mall. We didn’t know where they were going, we just literally tagged along. When we got to the entrance, the tour guide started to head count so we turned our backs and were like “Oh look at that, the ticket prices? How much? Oh, we have to call mother and father.” Hahaha.
Another attraction you can expect from Marina Bay Sands at night is the Wonder Full Lights & Water Show. It’s pretty cool how they mix the art of water and lights but I don’t fully understand the story they were trying to tell.
Ofcourse the main attraction of Marina Bay Sands is the Merlion Park. There are three ways to get there from The Shoppes. You can ride the SMRT from Bayfront to Harbour Point station, ride a boat to get there or walk along the Helix Bridge (which is what I would recommend). Expect a lot of people if you’re traveling on a weekend. Especially people taking photos of themselves with mouths wide open, trying to catch the waters coming out of the statue.
And sorry I just have to share this one cause it really pissed me off. I asked the guy on the hotdog stand how much a bottled water cost. At first he said $2.25 dollars then when we purchased two bottles, we were surprised that he charged us $7.00 dollars. We asked him again about the price and he said one bottled water cost $3.75. I was sure he said $2.25 first and that’s what my mom heard as well. We tried to take back our cash and said he can’t ’cause he already punched it on his machine. I was so eager to get our cash back but he was persistent as well so I let it go. However, I do have this personality of raising my voice and badmouthing him as we walk away. So think twice before purchasing anything from this establishment. By the way, we asked a nearby store and they sell the same item for only $1.75 only. We just got pretty luck, eh?
On our third day, this is where we decided to go to the Universal Studios and SEA Aquarium. They say it’s easier if we book online and I’m glad we did because of the mass amount of people purchasing theirs on the ticket booth. We also got a 10% discount on the Universal Studios and 15% off on the SEA Aquarium thanks to MasterCard’s limited promo offer. You can click here to see more of their promos.
Now these attractions are located at Sentosa Island and to get there, get off at Harbour Point MRT station and exit to the mall. Go to the top floor and you’ll find another train station that will take you to Sentosa Island. Be patient though as the station can be crowded. Once you’re in the train, you won’t have to wait any longer as the Universal Studios and SEA Aquarium are just in the next station (WaterFront).
WaterFront is such a huge park! There are hotels, casinos and ofcourse, the two main attractions. There is also the Hershey’s Chocolate World which is choco-heaven. It’s good to buy your Hershey’s here as they have a lot of promotions and discounts. It’s also nice to see a Hershey’s mascot on your way in.
Universal Studios was one of a kind. It has a Disney Land-kind of feeling but this one is something that most adults would enjoy. My most recommended attraction on the New York section is the “Lights, Camera, Action” where you get to experience how visual effects and cinematography are done. It gives you the feeling of being inside a Hollywood movie as well. Other recommended attractions are “TRANSFORMERS The Ride: The Ultimate 3D Battle” on the Sci-Fie Area and “Shrek 3D” on Far Far Away area. We also enjoyed the Canopy Ride at The Lost World area and by the way, you’ll get this feeling that you’re really in the Jurassic World when you enter this area because of the background music. You know that sound effects they do in the movie whenever the characters gets their first step on the Jurassic Park and see those dinosaurs for the first time. That kind of describes the feeling.
SEA Aquarium was also pretty cool! The ticket we purchased has a free one can of coke when you purchase a minimum of $10 from the snack bar. No words can fully describe how we felt inside this attraction. It’s like you’re inside a giant submarine/capsule and you are able to see these amazing creatures in an open ocean. It was so close and you get to sea the texture of a shark’s skin or the gracefulness of a jellyfish. It was surreal.
After exploring the WaterFront part of Sentosa Island, we head off to Chinatown. There’s an MRT station that immediately shouts “Chinatown” so you won’t have a hard time looking for this place. This one is full of bazaar and we got lucky because at night fall, some of the shops were giving out discounts. I mean, these items are already discounted and they’re going to still give it for a much lower price. Not bad. We got to eat at one of the hawker food places in this area which is the Chinatown Food Street. I do recommend you try the Dried Chilli Frog Porridge from Geylang Lor 9 Fresh Frog Porridge. I think I’m really in-love with Geylang. Haha.
On our final day, we visited the Raffles Place which I think is the business district of Singapore (kind of like the Makati City of Metro Manila). There were so many tall buildings and I’m not saying that I’m not used to places like these but wow oh wow, just look at the structures and the urbanity of the place. I like cities and this one just fueled me a lot. It’s kind of a downer though that we went on a Sunday where most of the shops were closed. I think they highly value the rest day here cause we saw most of the people spending their days at a park. Just chillin’ and enjoying the day. It was so lovely I wish we can do that as well.
And that sums up our weekend trip at Singapore. As I said, we were able to go to many places yet we weren’t able to do much as well so I’m looking forward on going back to this wonderful place. A weekend in never enough for to enjoy this wonderful place.
Cornina Art | Blog 