One day in the most beautiful Asian city

Another day at the apartment. Another day in the living room. Another day with the computer in my hands. Another day of a blank white paper in front of me. This is the day that I have time to write a new blog. About what I’m going to write this time? About a town that is both an island and a country. A city where I could live alone. The green spaces, the modernity of the city and the presence of the sea are the key things that I will always have in my memory. Feeling to belong somewhere is the most authentic feeling you can experience. Even though you are on the other side of the world and you are surrounded by strangers, you still feel you are at home. And so, I would love to experience life in this small country, a small town.

I don’t want to tell you yet, which destination I’m talking about. So first I will give you some facts, and you can try to guess the country/city. The country has a population of 5.5 million, of which three quarters are Chinese. Not China. It has been an independent country since 1965 (it previously belonged to Malaysia). It has the second most important port in the world (trust me, when you see all the ships at sea you think that someone is attacking you). Since 1992, they have banned the sale and use of chewing gums. However, not everything is so strict. It is one of the cleanest and safest countries in the world, as we can easily walk the streets day and night. Do you know which country / city I’m talking about? If not, let me give you two more hints. It is the smallest country in Southeast Asia and today one of the richest countries in the world. The name of the country and city is the same. You’re right, I’m talking about Singapore.

I got my flight on roster as: from Dubai to Singapore, 24 hours in Singapore, then to Brisbane, 24 hours in Brisbane, and back to Singapore for the next 24 hours. I actually had 48 hours or two days in this Asian country. And that’s what I’m going to focus on, in this “short blog”. We departed from Dubai in the early morning, precisely at three in the morning. On the flight, I talked mostly with Kylara, a girl from Australia, and Mila, a girl from Finland. We had already made plans for the next afternoon before we landed. It was planned to land around two in the afternoon, so there was plenty of time to walk through the city. At the Mercure Hotel lobby, we gathered at three o’clock and drove to One Fullerton Hotel with Uber. And our exploration of the most famous part of the city has begun. From this site you can get a wonderful view of the amazing Marina Bay Sands Hotel and the southern part of town.

1. We walked along the inner part of Marina Reservoir. Our starting point was Merlion Park. This is a famous landmark in Singapore, located near Fullerton. Merlion is a mythical creature with a lion’s head and a fish body used as the national embodiment of Singapore. The statue is 8.6 meters high and pours water from its mouth. He was later joined by a smaller statue, located near the original one, only 2 meters high.

2. From here we walked along the bay to the other side of the bay. If you don’t have enough time, I recommend that you consider an Uber, Taxi, or Metro that will take you to Bayfront Station. It took us an hour to get on the other side, as we stopped several times and made some pictures. Highlights along the way: The Fullerton Pavilion, Clifford Pier, Customs House. The Promonotory @ Marina Bay is a “porch” where you can stop and enjoy a rest on the nearby benches. This also marks the halfway point of the walk. I think the girls and I repeatedly asked ourselves if it was a really good idea for us to walk around. And I must admit, yes it was. We stopped at Crystal Pavilion South and Event Plaza along the way. All I have listed are “sights” that can be viewed from the outside or from a vantage point.

3. Event plaza is also the point where we stopped before continuing to the east. If you are at this point at 8pm and 9pm on weekdays and 8pm, 9pm and 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays, then you can watch the Spectro – A Light & Water Show. What is it? A free, outdoor, extravagant show over the water. 15 minutes performance with light, water and music effects. We were too early at this point, so we didn’t see the show. We also didn’t have time to walk to the Singapore Flyer, in the northern part of the bay. By shape it could be compared to the London Eye. This huge rotating observation wheel is the largest in Asia. It stands 165 meters from the ground and offers breathtaking panoramic views of Marina Bay and beyond. Esplanade Theaters on The Bay is also close by. It is an artistic centre consisting of a concert hall and a theater with a capacity of approximately 2000 seats. The exterior of the building is well worth a visit, and the interior can only be seen when purchasing tickets for a show or concert.

4. It was time to move on. Last time we looked around the bay and we saw attraction in the shape of a flower. Most people admire this building only from the outside. Inside you can find ArtScience Museum. Our next stop on the right was The Shoppes At Marina Bay Sands. In fact, we had no intention of wasting money and playing rich princesses. All we saw in the centre was a water canal, through which you can take a wooden boat and a waterfall. This is also the biggest attraction. Like most malls, this one is made up of shops and restaurants. Mostly luxurious. The escalator took us to the top of the building, from where we finally saw the hotel.

5. Marina Bay Sands is a complex opened in 2010. The complex includes 2561 rooms, a convention and exhibition centre, a shopping mall, a museum, two theaters, celebrity restaurants, floating crystal pavilions, art exhibits and the largest atrium casino in the world. And what is so special about a complex that also includes a hotel? It’s his architecture. Hotel with three sloping towers carrying a boat at the top. This is where the iconic Infinity pool is located. The size can be compared to at least four A380s. The space has a restaurant, bars, 250 trees, a Sands SkyPark observation deck and a 150 meters long pool at the top. Because of the height of the building, strong winds could cause some damage. Four movable joints beneath the pool are fighting the forces, designed to withstand the natural movement of the towers. We took a look inside of the hotel and made some pictures of the exterior. This is the thing which attracts people’s views the most. I promised I’ll go to the top next time. If there is going to be next time.

6. Last stop of the day – the famous Gardens by The Bay. As the name itself indicates, the park is located by the sea. From the hotel to the park, we strolled along a stone bridge that overlooks this beautiful part of Singapore. Gardens by The Bay is a nature park that spans 100 acres in the central region of Singapore. The park consists of three smaller gardens: Bay South Garden (in the marina), Bay East Garden (in the east) and Bay Central Garden (in the centre). Upon entering the park, I picked up a map and I started checking points. Although I wanted to see everything, it was impossible to do this that day. The size of the park and its contents are so huge that you can spend all day there. Our path was as follows. We made our way across the Dragonfly Bridge to the Colonial Garden and to The Meadow. From here, we continued along Dragonfly Lake to The Canopy. If you have time, make sure to check out two indoor gardens here. Flower Dome, where you enter the world of eternal spring and where unique plants bloom. Cloud Forest, where you step in the landscapes of high mountains. We walked to Golden Garden, where there are three huge “trees” in golden lights. These are not real trees, but iron structures encased in lights and real greenery. The last and most important park in the park is the Supertree Observatory and Supertree Grove.
There is also a group of eleven “trees” surrounded by greenery and light. You can decide and go on a path in the sky (Skyway) that connects two supertrees. Or climb the viewpoint that sits on the canopy of the tallest supertree. But you need to take your time (we did too) for the Garden Rhapsody Show. A show where vertical trees come to life. Light and music fantasy. Every day at 7:45 pm and 8:45 pm. I haven’t seen anything better in my whole life. If you think fireworks are something special then you should not miss this one. This experience is even more invaluable.

7. Believe it or not, before heading back to the hotel, we decided to take something for eat. Nearby is Satay by the Bay. Cheaper (because everything is expensive in Singapore) and traditional Asian food. Since I’m crazy about baked rice with vegetables, I afforded the latter. And a fruit drink. If you want good and cheap food, this is the right place to go. Worth every sin.

The clock announced nine in the evening and I was in my bed. I actually don’t remember the path from the gardens to the hotel. Before even going to my bad, I was already so sleepy. Yeah, I was so tired. Kylara and Mila decided to stay at the hotel next morning and prepare for a flight in peace. I, full of energy, set my alarm at seven in the morning. I went to the gym for an hour, took a shower and got ready for the next four hours.

8. I walked from the hotel to the famous Orchard Road. Oops, I’m overtaking again. First, I had breakfast. I searched the area and saw Paul Cafe in one of the malls. Since breakfast is most important meal of my day, I am very picky about my decision. The safest decision was to choose a cafe I know. I ordered a cup of tea, granola with yogurt and croissant. I’m used to pay more for food in Dubai, but I definitely didn’t expect it in Singapore. That’s right, the bill was even higher than in Dubai.

9. It was finally time to explore Orchard Road. You could say that this street is every consumer’s dream. From luxury retail to premium international cuisines, it is Singapore’s most famous shopping area. The street is 2.2 km long and is an important tourist attraction. I strolled through Ion Orchard Shopping Centre, Lucky Plaza, Far East Shopping Centre and others. I found out I like Ion Orchard the most. I returned there on my second layover. Because of this I will reveal more to you in the following blog. What I really wanted to get that day was my souvenir from Singapore. Interested in what it is? If you don’t know, I buy a Hurricane glass in Hard Rock Cafe. If there is one. I searched for location on GoogleMaps and walked there. About 10 minutes. I bought a glass and made a picture for Instagram. I headed back to the hotel. Satisfied and Happy.

Before Wake-up Call. I took a quick shower and rested for half an hour. I did my hair and make-up in half an hour. And I was ready to fly to Australia. As I was heading towards the hotel lobby, I thought about my day and I forgot to enter the elevator. I thought it was time to make my city tours less energetic. Why? Because soon, I will run out of things to see and do in same cities. But I rejected this thinking and thesis on my return to Singapore. How? Read everything in my next blog.