We got lucky that we had the opportunity to book a long trip with the family. And when such a chance presents itself, you must grab it. Two months ago we booked our trip to the other side of the world. Over a period of six weeks we planned our destinations: Singapore, Australia and Bali.
The first 3 days we spent in Singapore, a modern city with towering skyscrapers, authentic colourful houses, hawker centres and picturesque streets to stroll around. We stayed in Citadine, a hotel centrally located in the city and only a half hour drive from the airport. In addition to hotel rooms, Citadine also offers serviced accommodations, ideal if you are staying in Singapore for a longer period by example for work. Because that’s Singapore, a modern city, adapted to Western culture and where many Europeans work for a certain period. But we weren’t there for work, it was our stopover to Australia, as we didn’t want to have two long flights in succession for our daughter. And we also thought that it would be nice to get to know Singapore a bit better. And so we did.
Hawker Centres
As you may know, we’re real food lovers. Perhaps we’ve spent most of the time in the many hawker Centres that Singapore is known for. You could say Singapore’s cuisine is a mix of Chinese, Indian, Malaysian and Indonesian and all of them are divided into large halls with many stalls where you can eat a local dish for just $3 SGD (less than £2). There are hundreds of hawker centres in Singapore and we would have preferred to have visit them all, but given the time that wouldn’t be realistic. We paid a visit to some of them and made a top 5 of our favorites, which you can read in my other blog post here.
Districts
Singapore is divided into different areas where you can go for good food, shopping and sightseeing. For example the popular street Haji Lane. This street in Singapore is one of the hottest spots in the city where you can spot funky murals, stroll into nice boutiques and have a coffee in one of the many cafes. Like Selfie Coffee, a coffee bar where you can print a selfie on your cappuccino or ice cream. Lara tried it out and thought it looked damn good and tasty. – 11 Haji Ln, Singapore 189204 / open Mon till Thur 9am till 7mp – Fri till Sun 9am till 9pm
Another popular district to visit is Tiong Bahru. With an abundance of hip cafes, indie boutiques and iconic wall murals, it’s no wonder that this area is a favourite haunt of many local artists, creatives and culture lovers. It’s a nice part of the town to stroll around and have a look in one of the many design shops or just to have a sit at one of the coffee bars. Such as Tiong Bahru Bakery aan de Eng Hoon Street, an artisan bakery who is famous for its fresh bread, butter croissants and delicious pastries. Definitely worth a visit. – 56 Eng Hoon St, #01-70, Singapore 160056 / open 8am till 8pm
Red lanterns, traditional houses, shopping streets and temples on every corner of the street, China Town is an unmissable stop during your visit to Singapore. Known for its colorful facades, many restaurants, cheap food stalls and little boutiques with Chinese gadgets. A nice place to stroll around, have some lunch and buy some souvenirs.
View
At Marina Bay Sands you can go to the top floor for a dive in the infinity pool and breathtaking view over Singapore. The admission isn’t free, but it’s a nice place to relax a bit and drink a fancy cocktail of glass champagne. – 10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956 / open 6am till 10pm
If you prefer a more easy seat and a local brewed beer, then move to the nearby building where you’ll find the world’s highest beer brewery on the 33rd floor. Take a sit on the outside terrace and enjoy an amazing view of the city and Marina Bay Sands. Nice to know: in the evening there are light shows over the Bay and Botanical Gardens, from Level 33 you can have a great view on this spectacle. – 8 Marina Blvd, 33-01, Singapore 018981 / open Mon till Thur 11:30am till 12am – Fri till Sat 11:30am till 2am – Sun 12pm till 12am
The Bay
There is plenty to do along the Bay, it’s a wonderful place to relax, skate or walk, you can visit the Art Science Museum or Red Dot Design Museum and there are regular events on the nearby grass field. Lara got very lucky as there was a funfair during our stay. – Art Science Museum: 6 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018974 / open 10am till 7pm – Red Dot Design Museum: 11 Marina Blvd, Singapore 018940 / open 10am till 8pm – Fri till Sun 10am till 11pm
One of the biggest attractions there is probably Gardens by the Bay, an artificial park in Singapore with an area of 101 hectares. The park is characterised by the Supertree Grove, a number of metal tree-like objects, which vary from 25 till 50 meters in height, and house different exotic flowers and plants.
As a visitor you can have acces to the walkway between the Supertrees which offers a beautiful view over the park, Marina Bay Sands and part of the city. A visit to the park is also certainly worthwhile in the evenings when there are light shows at 7:45pm and 8:45pm. The trees are then illuminated in all kinds of colors which gives the gardens a fairytale appearance. – 18 Marina Gardens Dr, Singapore 018953 / open 5am till 2pm
When you have attended the light show you can continue your way towards Marina Bay Sands. Via a footbridge you gain access to the massive building where you’ll arrive at the shopping centre on the ground floor. An architectural sight and definitely worth a visit. – 10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956
We closed our route at the front of the building, where we joined another light show: Spectra, which is held every evening at 8pm and 9:30pm. A sensational attraction with music, lasers and the illuminated city skyline at the background. A perfect end of our visit to the beautiful city of Singapore.
