Off to Singapore

The next stop on my big trip was Singapore. Before I went on to Bali, I made a four-day stopover there.

I left Bangkok in the afternoon, so I landed in Singapore in the early evening. Through the immigration control I was pretty quick through and I also got my luggage very fast. However, I didn’t go straight to the exit, because I still wanted to visit the airport. After all, it is one of the most beautiful airports in the world. I was lucky to get out right at the famous waterfall. There I stayed for a while.

Afterwards, I got money from the atm and bought a bus ticket, which was valid for three days and which allowed me to travel anywhere in the city. But then I called myself a taxi, because with all the luggage driving bus and train in a foreign city was too much for me.

Around seven o’clock in the evening I finally arrived at the hostel. During the ride I had a nice chat with the taxi driver. He gave me some tips, what I can do here in the city and also what I can do in Bali, since he has been there often.

In the hostel I checked in and then went to a supermarket to buy me something for dinner. After I didn’t enter a real supermarket in Thailand for four weeks except a small 7/11, I felt like I was in paradise with all the food choices.

Struggling to get a SIM Card

The next morning I couldn’t go straight to the city because I didn’t have a SIM card yet. Without reception it would have been difficult for me to find my way by bus and train.

At the reception of the hostel I then inquired, where I get the best SIM card. There I was told to go to 7/11 right across the street. There, however, they did not have SIM cards anymore. Since I had to shop anyway and I knew that another 7/11 was right next to the supermarket, I went there. However, it was closed, although a sign hung on the entrance door saying that the shop is open daily from 7 to 11 pm.

So I went back to the hostel and had breakfast there. Meanwhile, I looked on the Internet, where there might be a 7/11 nearby. Two streets down there was another one. However, they didn’t have SIM cards there at the moment. So I walked further down the street and passed a small shop, where I was finally able to buy a SIM card.

The famous Marina Bay Sands

Around 1 pm I finally took the bus to the city. My first stop was the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and the promenade. I walked along the promenade at 30 degrees and bright sunshine and enjoyed the view of the city.

After a short time the sky closed and in the distance it started to thunder. Although it was then at least cooler, but I was not sure if I should go back to the hostel, because I did not want to come into a thunderstorm. Since it wasn’t raining yet, I walked a bit along the promenade and also over the Helix Bridge. After that I visited the mall “The Shops at Marina Bay Sands”. The mall was really nice, but there was also a luxury shop next to the next.

Sightseeing in Singapore

When I got out of the mall, it was still thundering, but it wasn’t raining. So I decided to make my way to the Gardens by the Bay, as they were not too far from the mall.

During the day, the Supertrees in the Gardens by the Bay are not as interesting as in the evening, when the light show takes place there. From the Gardens of the Bay I had a great view of the back of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel.

Although it was still cloudy in the meantime the thunderstorm had probably continued. So I took the bus to Merlin Park. This is the official mascot of Singapore, which has the head of a lion and the body of a fish. There I was able to take some photos with the camera. I was also able to see the Marina Bay Sands Hotel from afar.

Singapore at Night

From Merlin Park I took the bus back to the hostel. There I took only a short break to charge my camera and my mobile phone, before I took the bus back to the city at 6.45 pm. There I wanted to see the lightshow in the evening at the Gardens by the Bay.

Already a lot of people went to the Supertrees. These looked much more interesting in the dark illuminated than in the day.

The park was quite crowded at that time, as everyone wanted to see the lightshow. The fifteen minute show was also very worth watching.

After the light show I went to the promenade again to see the city at night. I have to admit that I liked Singapore much better at night than during the day. Even if the city is very beautiful during the day.

At about 9:30, I drove back by bus. Before I went back to the hostel, I was still at the supermarket to buy something for dinner.

Arab Street, China Town and Little India

The next morning I went back to town after breakfast. My first stop was Arab Street. The Arabian quarter was really interesting to see and I personally liked it very much. I also walked through Hija Lane. This is a small street in this suburb with many colourful houses painted with street art.

From Arab Street I took the bus to China Town. Although it was very interesting to see the suburb, I liked Arab Street better. I didn’t stay long in China Town either, because it was just too warm in the blazing sun.

Then I went by train to Little India. Here it was the same as with China Town. It was interesting to see the suburb, but I still liked Arab Street better. There was just so much more to see.

From Little India I drove back to the hostel and spent the rest of the afternoon there. It was just too warm for more sightseeing.

Singapore from above

Towards evening I got ready again and went back to the city. In the morning I had ordered tickets for the Skydeck of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. Here I went in the evening to see the sunset over the city. Unfortunately, some clouds were raised over the afternoon, so you couldn’t see the sunset as I would have liked.

It was pretty crowded on the skydeck at that time. In total, I spent two hours on the skydeck. When it was dark I was able to watch the lightshow at the Gardens by the Bay from above. However, this was not the same as watching the show directly on the Supertrees. When the show ended at 8 pm, I actually wanted to go down again. But then at the Marina Bay started another light show, which I then of course watched from above. When this was over, of course, everyone wanted to go down, so that a huge queue had formed at the elevator.

Little Photoshot with the Marina Bay Sands Hotel

When I finally got back down in front of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, I took the bus to Merlin Park again. Here I was able to take some pictures with the camera of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. When I come to a really good photo spot I spend ages there and doing as many photos as possible to get the best one. So I spend a long time at the Merlin Park. At 10 o’clock I was finally back in the hostel.

Marina Bay for the last time

I started my last day in Singapore quite relaxed. After breakfast, I did some exercise, so I didn’t leave for the city until 3pm. I had already seen everything that interested me in Singapore, but since I liked it so much on the Marina Bay Promenade, I went for a walk there again.

From there I finally made my way to East Coast Park. This is a small park for sports, barbecue with friends or swimming in the water. When I finally arrived in the park after a long bus ride, it had cooled down a bit. I was also very grateful for that, because walking longer distances in the heat is incredibly exhausting.

In the park itself I went for a walk by the water. Of course, I’ve seen more beautiful beaches than the one in Singapore, but I have to admit I was really positively surprised. I didn’t think the park was so beautiful. Before I had also thought about whether I really still drive to this park but in the end it was really worth it.

I would have liked to stay longer but I had to go back to the hostel, because my bus ticket was just about to expire. In addition, I had to pack all my things together, as I had to get up at three o’clock the next morning, as my flight to Bali left very early in the morning.