SINGAPURA

Thinking of a short holiday not too far fromthe Philippines? Look no further than Singapore – the dynamic city-state, a short flight away from all major international airports in the country. A heady combination of Chinese, Indian, Malay and Western influences, Singapore is truly a cultural melting pot. Delicious food, high street shopping, contemporary arts – find all this and more. Here’s sharing my 3-day itinerary at the Merlion City-state-Singapura.

DAY 1

I took the evening flight out of NAIA Terminal 3. I prefer evening flights because I love the view of the city lights and I found peace and solitude in darkness- drama. Anyhow, it was almost midnight when I arrived at “the” Changi Airport- world’s best airport. It was a great first taste of the city – so swift, bags appear in seconds and being one of the first off the plane, I was through immigration and off in my taxi in minutes.

As I gaze through the windows of the car while on my way to my Hotel, I noticed that there were just a few people walking around. At that point I’ve got the idea of a boring night life there… And eventulally proved my self wrong.

After 45 minutes taxi ride, I arrived at the Hotel safely and saw my sister who arrived ther earlier that day from Dubai, waiting for me at the lobby looking so sleepy. So, after having snack, we decided to hit the sack.

DAY 2

We woke up early so we can visit as many tourist attractions as we can. Since we only got technically 2 1/2 days left to explore Singapore.

First up on our list was to visit Little India and the sights near the area. It was like the Binondo of Singapore, but instead of a Chinese community, it’s an Indian community, so you already have an idea of how the place smells… Curry!

At this side of Singapore, you’ll see different colorful establishments, made for and by the Indian community here. There are quite a number of restaurants offering specialty dishes. And while taking a stroll on the streets,  I couldn’t help but dance to the beat of loud boliwood music- Jai Ho like that. Haha

We headed to the nearest train station going to the Garden’s by the Bay.

We made a quick stop at the iconic Marina Bay Sands Sky Park Observatory to have a bird’s eye view of the city. The luxury and style of the Marina Bay Sands symbolizes Singapore’s taste, and help to assign a noteworthy international city in Southeast Asia. The scene on top of the Marina Bay Sands is like living in heaven.

With a scale ruler taken from the strip in Las Vegas, Singapore’s busiest hotel and gambling club can’t be ignored in any case for the reason of its total size. The Sky Park’s viewing deck and infinite pool are found at the ship shape that tops the hotel. In the top, guests can get a bite or a coffee at the rooftop bistro or get a few mementos from the gift stands.

And just across the Marina Bay Sands, is the Gardens by thay. It offers an amazing seaside Viewpoint. This multiawarded gardening spot extents in 101 hectares of reclaimed land, and constitutes two main areas – Bay South Garden and Bay East Garden. Bay South Garden is the chief of the gardens, Enthused by an orchid, the design be similar to Singapore’s nationwide flower, Vanda.

One of the interesting things at the Gardens by the Bay is  the Cloud Forest. It is inside a bounded compound, a 35-m tall hill is veiled in haze and enclosed in lush vegetation among the creation’s highest indoor cascade.

Another must try here is the Sky Bridge. Where you’ll take a lift going up to one of the lighted towers full of colorful plants and walk from one tower to another through a suspension bridge.

The natural loveliness of the gardens translates indoors, Feast in style at a variety of bistros across the gardens, from casual cafes to posh restaurants, all with centers planned to reflect the glory of Gardens by the Bay.

We then headed to Sentosa and took into heart stopping adventures at the Universal Studios-Southeast Asia’s primary Hollywood movie theme park. It brings you to an alluring variety of attractions, rides and entertainment for families, friends and joy hunters. Truly, 18 out of the 24 awesome movie-themed rides were made here especially for the Singapore Park. There are seven remarkable movie-themed arenas, and each one is exceptionally designed.

Universal Studios: the unmistakable Hollywood Walk of Fame at the Hollywood zone can be seen, and when you enter New York, the geology changes into remarkable city skylines that incorporates a counterfeit up of a tram appearance. Science Fiction City offers you the chance to encounter the world famous, and my personal favorite, though it took us almost an hour waiting in line, TRANSFORMERS the Ride: The Ultimate 3D Battle ride where you get a chance to battle wickedness constrains in heart-beating 3D battle.

After that, experience the Ancient Egypt and face mummies and scarab creepy crawlies on an encased exciting ride in complete dimness which is truly an extraordinary affair to light your reasons for alarm.

What’s more, in Madagascar, you have to plan to make yourself soaked in a wet yet superb waterway vessel ride.

  
Performances in Universal Studios are equally outstanding. The young people and young at heart will surely love the amazing Shrek 4-D Adventure at Far Away. This fun photographic experience allows you to really feel the action of the movie. In the Lost World, witness amazing death-defying stunts and bursts in Water World, a live performance which is surely going to be memorable. After a nerve-racking day out, refill your energy between the attractions and step in to the many themed restaurants you will find across the parks. Whether you want to chill out and spend some time at a superb and sleek bar or sing along with a band, there’s a treasure of entertainment waiting for you after the sun goes down.

We went back to our hotel, dead tired but truly happy. I couldn’t wait for our next adventures the next day.

DAY 3

Our third day was as adventure packed as the previous one.

We got up early and packed swimming stuffs ‘coz we’re headed to the Adventure Cove Waterpark in Sentosa.

We made a quick stop at the China Town. It covers unusual pre-war workshops residences, housing dealers who has been selling the similar wares for ages – packages of satisfactory silk, old-style craft, and gilded and jade jewelry.

 Then we hopped on a train heading to Sentosa. Adventure Cove Waterpark is a themed park full of exciting water activities.

 It boasts groundbreaking water slides such as Whirlpool Wash Out and Spiral Wash Out where you’ll be funneled into a gravity-defying oscillating tube ride. In addition, there’s the Pipeline Plunge, Tidal Twister, Dueling Racer and Riptide Rocket, Southeast Asia’s first hydro-magnetic coaster!

  
Adventure Cove Waterpark features a tale of ancient sea life civilization as reflected in the water park’s architectural style. This revolves around 3 themes: Volcanic Archipelago, the Ancients, and the coming of the New Age.

My personal favorite was the Rainbow Reef. There I got to snorkel and encounter the kaleidoscopic corals and different kinds of fish in different sizes and colors. Some Immersive Programs are also being offered which I unfornunately, due to my short patience getting innlong ques, I didn’t get to see those. This includes ray-feeding and shark encounters and the interaction with the controversial bottle-nose dolphins.

After almost a whole day of getting soaked in ice cold water, we headed to Bugis to do the obligatory shopping and practice our haggling skills for “pasalubongs” and souvenirs.

A day in Singapore is not going to come as cheap as a day in a neighbouring country, but it is not going to be exorbitant either. There are bargains and great discounts to be had here and they are not hard to find—simply do as the locals do, and go where the locals go.

As we cap off our “Exeperience Singapore”, my sister and I spent our last hours in the Lion City at the World’s Best Airport-Changi. We too a few selfies here and there, and then off we go. ✈️