Three Days in Singapore!

Three days in Singapore is NOT enough time to fully explore this amazing island city off the tip of Malaysia. I recently visited during July 2019 while in route to my friend's wedding in the Philippines. Here's my breakdown of this small and thriving nation.

FAST FACTS

• HISTORY: Former British trading colony that became part of Malaysia in 1963. Singapore then gained independence from Malaysia two years later in 1965.
• POPULATION: Roughly six million
• LANGUAGE: English (37%) and Mandarin (35%) are the two predominant languages
• RELIGION: Buddhist (33%), Christian (19%), and Muslim (14%) are the three most common among  Singaporeans.
• CURRENCY: Singapore Dollar (SGD). As of this post, 1 SGD = 0.72 USD

 TRAVEL

I don't do well with long flights anymore, so my solution (coming from Chicago) was to spend a few days in Hawaii on the way to Singapore. Even from Hawaii, it was a long day of traveling. It was about eight hours to Tokyo and another six to my destination. While in Singapore, my main mode of transit was using the app Grab (the country's version of Uber). Grab was  consistently reliable in Singapore without any issues. The drivers were generally very kind and helpful with suggesting local spots.

The picture above is the world's largest indoor waterfall located at the Jewel in Singapore's Changi airport. The massive airport have been ranked as the best airport in the world for seven consecutive years!


ACCOMODATIONS 

Since I had a long flight to southeast Asia from the United States (including the rough time change), I made sure to arrive in Singapore at night so I could appropriately sleep off any jet lag. I stayed at the Rendezvous Hotel Singapore, which is centrally located for a reasonable price. The hotel itself was great! It had a pool (pictured above) that was never busy, which made it perfect to cool down during the humid southeast Asian summer. They also had a  7-Eleven just outside the lobby, which made it super easy to grab snacks or cold drinks before my adventures.

FOOD

I'll keep this very simple: eat local! Hawker centers like the one I've featured above are the best places to find cheap and excellent food. They tend to be more lively at night (there are also more food stalls open in the evening), but you can find some great Indian, Chinese, and southeast Asian cuisine in these food centers. 

TREE TOP WALK

When I woke up refreshed the next morning, I decided to tackle the Tree Top Walk hike at MacRitchie Nature Trail and Reservoir Park. The hike was about four miles roundtrip and not very difficult. The Tree Top Bridge (pictured above) offers a wonderful view. Keep your eyes open for monkeys as they're quite common in the park and not very shy around humans.


SINGAPORE ZOO

Singapore Zoo is one of the top ranked zoos on Trip Advisor and definitely earns that distinction. The zoo offers a wide variety of animals combined with stunning jungle-like scenery. My personal favorite attraction was the sea lion show that they had, which was highly entertaining. Crowds can be an issue, especially for some of the specialty attractions that the zoo offers. For example, the Night Safari attracts large numbers of people, so get your tickets early, and be prepared for long lines.

SENTOSA ISLAND

Sentosa island can be a crowded tourist nest full of chain restaurants, hotels, and shops, unless you know where to escape for some relaxation. There are three main ways to get to Sentosa: by car (use Grab app), walking the long bridge from Vivo City (large shopping mall), or taking a monorail from Vivo City. I took the monorail to and from the island; while it wasn't very pricey, it was quite crowded. 

If the beach life is what you're after, I visited both Siloso Beach and Palawan Beach. Although it's smaller in size, Siloso tends to be more populated since it's closer to all the restaurants and shops. However, there are cheap lockers conveniently nearby. Palawan Beach (pictured above) is a larger beach with beautiful scenery and would be my personal recommendation.

GARDENS BY THE BAY

Next to the iconic Marina Bay Sands Hotel sits an expansive park that is a prime example of green reusable energy. The most recognizable image from the park is the SuperTree Grove (pictured above). These epic towers of greenery also serve as solar power conductors, helping to power the magnificent light shows that take place every night! If you don't fear heights, you can walk among the tops of these magnificent structures along a narrow bridge. 

Also in the Gardens by the Bay are the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest (both pictured below). Stunningly arranged floral displays amaze in the Dome while a towering man-made rainforest takes center stage in Cloud Forest. One could easily spend a full day exploring the photography paradise that is the Gardens by the Bay.

BEST PLACE TO REFLECT ON YOUR TRAVELS

The bridge directly next to the famous Merlion fountain in Singapore was my choice to settle down. As I looked out on the bay and the magnificent Marina Bay Sands, I thought about how lucky I was to be able to see such a wonderful place. The Marina Bay Sands has a light show as well on the weekends. It's a great location for looking over the water while the city sits behind you. As you gaze, you can't help but revisit the adventures you've experienced in this wonderful country.


If you like my photography in this post, check out my Instagram: @Daniel_Allen44