The Great Singapore Sail

Come, join me and let’s embark on the ship to sail through the glimpses of Singapore my way. Packed within this island city is a vibrant mix of sounds, sights, tastes, cultures and attractions. This city offers a wealth of enriching experiences to discover. It’s a shopper’s Paradise, full of sightseeing & nightlife entertainment and a fiesta for food connoisseur.

India’s outbound travel for leisure has grown enormously over the years, as people’s standard of living has improved and they have opted to globe trot. One of the hot selling and popular destination in Far East packages is Singapore! With every travel company offering standard packages for Singapore, I choose to unveil the Lion City – ‘Singapura” from where the current name originates, in my own way.

One of the most remarkable aspects of this country is the ubiquitous collage of cultures. Let’s not discuss the demographics or key facts of the city but just sit back and enjoy the journey through my experience. Planning a trip to Singapore, is not just about sightseeing options like the Sentosa, Night Safari, Universal Studios, City tour etc but there’s much more to all of this that the city offers. Though being the smallest country in terms of land size, people marvel at her progressiveness and she commands an enormous presence in the world. The city’s sound infrastructure is an add-on.

It’s amazing how this small country has something or the other to offer to each one’s choice. Be it a nature lover, a foodie, a sports enthusiast, an art n historic buff, an adventurous person or a family trip. Let’s begin cruising through the Singapore River when we take a bumboat ride to travel around Little India, Kampong Glam and Chinatown on a trishaw. These are the ethnic areas, where the ethnicity is displayed by the architecture, places of worship, prevailing customs and the little shops that sell typical ethnic stuff. The local transport here is quite cheap. One can take a MRT or a taxi to whisk through the city in minutes. The Merlion is the official mascot, a large mythical lion with a fish tail and is a famous tourist icon.

While we have a look at a few key attractions like the Resort World Sentosa (including Universal Studios), Jurong Bird Park, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore Flyer etc, I would like to go off the beaten path and visit the Changi Village, a quaint beachside commune or head out to Pulau Ubin, a sleepy island that offers a peek into what Singapore was like 30 years ago. To get to Ubin, hop onto a bumboat from Changi Point Jetty at Changi Village. The boat ride takes about 10 minutes. The little village, ramshackle yet charming completes with police post, provision shops, community centre, temples and has a pace so slow you'd think your watch has stopped ticking. Biking is the best way to see Ubin. 

Another option would be a trip to Bintan Island. Bintan is easily accessible via a 45-minute ride on a high speed catamaran from Singapore's Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. To get to the southern part of Bintan, ferries also depart from the World Trade Centre and take 90 minutes each way. Despite Bintan's proximity, you will need your passport and, for Indians, a visa on arrival is available. Unlike any other island, this too gives you a scintillating experience whereby one enjoys the pristine beaches, luxurious resorts, water activities and can pamper oneself with a spa treatment. One should try the range of local colorful fruits like the rambutan, salak, durian and mango. Enjoying snorkeling off the coast or taking an adrenalin ride on the ATV through the bumpy mountain trail is so much fun. An evening walk by the shores to enjoy the sunset is a bliss!

Once you are back from the picture perfect tropical holiday of Bintan Island, we again get back to the bustling city of Singapore to enjoy the Nightlife and entertainment. We are thus now on the other end of the spectrum to experience luxury at its zenith. A must do is the ‘1 Altitude’ – Restobar, situated on the tallest building of Singapore at Raffles Place, located on level 63, making it the highest rooftop bar in the world. It has an unobstructed 360 degrees view and an awesome place to hangout. Next jaw dropping site is the Marina Bay Sands. Situated at the Marina Bay, this landmark building is a world class luxury hotel. The infinity pool on the top of the hotel is breathtaking and views the skyline of the city. Also enjoy the Sands Skypark, observation Deck and The Shoppes at MBS which includes the casino, is a home to so many brand stores and fine dining gourmet restaurants & bistros. Don’t miss the Louis Vuitton Maison, a glass and steel Crystal Pavilion which floats on the marina bay near The Shoppes. Also one can enjoy the laser shows which are showcased every evening at the MBS. One can enjoy the MasterCard Theatres @ MBS where recently world’s most beloved movies like Dirty Dancing comes to life on stage and it will also host the longest running musical of all time - Phantom of the Opera. The next stop is Singapore’s one of the top nightspots – Clarke Quay. Here the emphasis is not just on partying but living it up in style, class and sophistication with many posh restaurants offering a variety of cuisines. Did you know the well known Fullerton Hotel in Singapore was earlier home to the General Post office which has now been converted into a luxury hotel whilst maintaining its rich heritage.

Marina Bay Sands

Sands Skypark

Fullerton Hotel

Art & Science Museum

The Skyline

The infinity pool @ Marina bay Sands

The Singapore Flyer is a replica of the London Eye. Once you embark the capsule you can get a panaromic view of the Marina Bay and the island city. Who would want to not take a chance to experience an ultimate drive and make driving a Supercar a reality? Yes! You get to experience the thrill of driving on the official F1 circuit in a Ferrari or a Lamborghini. Rite next to the Singapore Flyer stands the prancing Stallion for you to enjoy the thrill. You could even bring someone along and each take a car on a double tour. At the end get a memorable recording of your trip captured by the onboard camera and bring back home memories forever. Get set n Gooooooo!

The Singapore Flyer

The Capsule

Now let’s take a sneak peek to the family entertainment. With kids, places to enjoy and spend the day are Resort world Sentosa where the Universal studio is co-located. One cannot do both universal and Sentosa Island together on the same day as each one has its own set of activities and shows to explore. 

Many choose to have a short stay at resort world sentosa and experience the resorts like Hard Rock Hotel, Shangri-La resort, etc. At Sentosa, one must do the Songs of the seas evening show, the crane show, 4D Adventure Land, Segway Fun ride, Wave House and take a Cable car ride. Kids would have fun at the Under water world while they discover the marine life at the S.E.A Aquarium as well as enjoy the thrilling rides and activities at the Adventure Cove Waterpark. There are day pass and multi park passes available to save on burning a hole in your pockets!

At the Universal Studios, it’s a really smaller version of the one in LA but it has replicated few of the themes. Families with kids have much more to do here, but I really enjoyed the Jurrasic Park Rapids Adventure, be prepared to get soaked and the roller coaster rides. The Revenge of the Mummy, and the Battlestar Galactica are crazy rides. Zooming at a speed of 82km/h this ride turns and propels you over few storey in the air. One can meet and greet the characters on the way and of course on weekends enjoy the Hollywood Dreams Parade! The Shrek and Transformers 4D shows are also good fun. And please don’t miss the Hersheys Chocolate World. The Candy store – Candylicious! is the cherry on the cake. Yummmm…the gelatos are to die for. One even enjoys Ben and Jerry’s mouth watering ice creams and sorbets…every kid and adult would relish it!

Candylicious

Universal Studios

Street Show

The Jurong Bird Park is a Bird Paradise! It has one of the largest collections of birds in Asia. Here at the Lory loft you get flocked by one of the prettiest birds in the park and you get the opportunity to perch them on your arms while you feed them. One can witness penguins, hornbills, Toucan, Pelicans, Hawks, Eagles, Falcons, Flamingos and many more species.

Lory Loft

The kids would really enjoy the Science Centre. You can experience Asia’s largest seamless dome screen IMAX theatre. The kids bundle up and get ready to enjoy the sub zero climate, a snow slope at the Snow city. All of this along with a variety of exciting exhibits form a part of the Science Centre.

For the nature lovers, the Gardens by the Bay is a must see…… these botanical gardens have two huge conservatory complex that showcases a Flower Dome and a Cloud Forest. It’s a home to thousands of rare plants. It’s located at the Marina Bay and is spread in 101 hectares. You will find huge 15-16 storey tall Super trees and there’s a suspended long walkway between two Supertrees known as a OCBC Skyway.

Gardens by the Bay

Supertrees

Cloud Forest

Glimpses of the Flower Dome

Would anyone like to try the Fish Spa or foot reflexology? While I find it creepy there are so many who soak their feet into the fish tanks, where the tiny fishes come and nibble onto the dead skin on your feet thereby giving you a foot spa. This is something new and popular in Singapore and Thailand.

Of course for the Shopoholics, the Champs Elysees of Singapore is the Orchard Road. It is a retail hub and has a lot of 5 star hotels based in and around this area. The malls like Takashimaya, Ngee Ann City, Robinsons, Madarin Gallery, Orchard Plaza, Center Point are massive stores and one can spend an entire day strolling through the shops. Girls…its shopping time!! The best place to pick electronics is the Funan Digital Life mall. You could grab a good deal! Tourists have shopping privileges at the Vivocity and Harbour front Centre.

Raffles City Mall

Last but not the least, at the Changi International Airport, I bid Goodbye to this charming city. As usual a busy airport, I am impressed with the speed at which one clears immigrations, no queues, excellent lounges and quick services. If something’s left out, one can do last minute duty free shopping at the airport, while collecting your GST refund. Not to miss the butterfly garden at Terminal 3. It’s beautiful!

This city thus gives an exhilarating experience and is always welcoming! Every time you come it has something new to offer. I hope you too explore these places and enjoy your trip the next time you visit Singapore just as much as I enjoyed my stay.