The main reason I am 2 weeks late with this post is simply because we did so much in 4 days in Singapore that I don’t know where to start. (That and the internet in Bali is crap.) Maybe I should just tackle it a day at a time but that won’t work as we were all over the place. So I’ll try to collect all the pictures of the same feature together and hope that works.
The reason we were in Singapore was due to an oversight by Shane & I. Almost everywhere we’ve been the visa’s last for 90 days. We got caught out because Indonesia (includes Bali of course) only has a 30 day visa so we had to do a “visa run” to get out of the country to renew our paperwork. We debated on where to go. Even considered coming back home to Townsville (it is a direct flight) but neither of us have been to Singa’s for a few years and we were keen to get back and see the changes. Last time we were in the Merlion City the Marina Bay Sands was under construction and they were just starting to put the ‘boat’ across the top of the three towers. So off to Singapore we went. Strewth Singapore has changed over the years. My first visit here was 1972. It ain’t the same Singa’s now!
Thanks to a kind flight schedule we landed at Singapore and were in the Strand Hotel by 4:30pm so the first place we went to was Little India. I have posted here the Metro Rail Transport (MRT) map here to show how simple and efficient a city rail system can be. Also there’s a funny sign we saw outside a pub on our way to Little India. These are followed by pictures from that area of town that is supposed to make you feel like you are in New Delhi. Well we’ve been to New Delhi and this wasn’t it. There was a festival on and we were promised a great time. There were a few things worth seeing but we were on our way back to the hotel in 3 hours.
The next day we got up fairly early and had breakfast in our room before catching the MRT to Marina Bay Sands. As I said in the last paragraph the MRT is very easy to navigate and we’d picked up cheap 5 day rail tickets back at that wonderful airport of theirs. From the train we followed the signs through the subway and then ‘bang’ Marina Bay Sands shops hits you right in the face. This is the most fantastic futuristic mall I have ever seen. Every high end brand name is there. Cartier, Tiffany, Gucci, Armani, Burberry, Jimmy Choo, Zara, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Rollex, Alexander McQueen, Dior, Banana Republic, Hugo Boss, Calvin Klein, Bulgari, Chanel, Longines……need I go on?
But it’s not just the shops. Outside the walk along the promenade is spectacular with special treats like a Luis Vutton store as an island (you get to it through a walkway under the lake from the shopping mall). At the end is the futuristic Museum which is a must visit (you’ll see some pictures from our visit there next blog post). After hours in the mall we went to the top of the MBS Hotel where we had the most expensive beers we’ve ever had at $23 AUD each and a brief peek from the hotel towers. Back in the mall there is a canal you can ride a punt in and an ice skating rink. But for us the highlight was the DC Comics themed Marvel Superheroes Restaurant and souvenir shop. We were like kids again. It IS dear but worth every cent for a treat. Finally we shot back to the hotel to freshen up before our next ‘tour’. That was a Night Safari at the Singapore Zoo.
Singapore Zoo’s night Safari is world famous among travellers. Shane booked us into the 8:15pm tour which lasts about an hour. This then gives you till midnight to wander on foot along the zoo trails checking out the animal’s nocturnal habits. I apologise for the poor photos but flash photography is frowned upon and so low light shots are all you’ll get here. Just the same, live, this is a real good attraction well worth the money. We were impressed all the exhibits but the one that blew us away was the two leopards prancing around just inches from us with only a pane of glass between us. We also saw the “Night Animal Show” in their amphitheatre.
So that’s it for this post. Watch here for more from Singapore. The best is yet to come.
Cheers
Garry & Shane.