I enjoyed my visit to Singapore!

I flew into Singapore from Bangkok and the flight cost about $70 one way. Flights within Asia are generally cheap so its best to take advantage of this by visiting more than one country while taking a vacation in the region.

The hotel I stayed is called Fragrance Hotel- Crystal. The hotel cost $138 for a 3 night stay but keep in mind that I booked the hotel in July for a trip that took place in April. At the hotel front desk, the double room which I got was selling for $120 a night. WAY more than I paid. The price increase in hotels is very common especially for last minute travelers so I always advice people to book hotels in advance. Booking hotels last minute might work for some destinations like Thailand which has a multitude of affordable hotels to offer but it will might not work out for Singapore or Europe.

I like to consider myself a practical traveler so I don’t stay in expensive hotels when I am abroad. I stay in affordable hotels so that when people ask about my itinerary, they can easily emulate what I did without breaking their bank.

Singapore is as beautiful as people say. It is also as expensive as people say. I spent few days in Singapore when I visited Southeast Asia. Even though I enjoyed my stay and I wish I stayed more, I was content with the amount of time I spent there. I got to see a lot of things and I had enough fun to leave me wanting more.

I consider myself a foodie, but I was not much of a foodie in Singapore. It was difficult for me to find an affordable place to eat. I did not research places to eat prior to visiting Singapore either which is very unlike me. I wanted to freestyle my food ventures. It definitely was not the best idea because I realized with Singapore, you have to know exactly what you are doing and where you are going. It is such a small country with alot of things to do and see so I advise planning an itinerary before visiting.

I did come across Miss Tam Chiak’s blog while researching things to eat in Singapore. I will advise visiting her blog prior to visiting Singapore because she has a wealth of information. SETHLUI is also an informative blog for food in Singapore.

Here are 10 fun things I did in Singapore and they should not be missed:

Marina Bay Sands:

Marina Bay Sands is that beautiful building that looks like a boat is sitting on top of three skyscrapers. It is a hotel but the architectural design of the hotel is more popular than the hotel itself. One of the reasons why I wanted to visit Singapore was to see the building but I was not aware it was a hotel. For the sake of practicality, I would have skipped staying in the hotel even if I knew about it because it cos $300 a night for a deluxe King room. The rooms are basic in my opinion when all I really care about is the view.

For a panoramic view of Singapore, you can get a ticket to the observation deck of Marina Bay Sands which is the boat structure at the top of the hotel. The other side of the observation deck has a swimming pool which is only open to hotel guests. The observation deck cost $23 SGD for adults (~$17 USD). Tickets can be purchase inside the hotel lobby by the elevators leading to the deck.

I loved the observation deck because it is huge and there was enough space for everyone. I did not feel rushed either but once you leave the deck, another ticket needs to be purchased to get back inside.

The beautiful Marina Bay Sands. I took so much pictures of this building because I could not get enough

Views of Gardens by the Bay from Marina Bay Sands observation deck

Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

If you enjoy shopping as much as I do then you will definitely love shopping at Marina Bay Sands. The mall is huge and it offers a variety of stores. The first floor of the mall has a river and boats. This activity was closed when I visited the mall around 9:30pm. I enjoyed walking about the mall and window shopping. The mall closes at 11:30pm which is later than any mall I have ever been.

Merlion Park

Merlion Park is kinda cool. The half fish, half lion sculpture that serves as a water fountain is the main attraction at the park. There is nothing too special about the park you can get beautiful pictures of Singapore’s skyline from the park.

Singapore River Cruise

Merlion Park is close to the waterfront of the Singapore river. Tickets for the Singapore river cruise can be purchased from a stall by the bank of the river. The Merlion Park pickup point is called Merlion Park jetty, and there are several jetties located around the Singapore river.  The cruise was about 45 minutes long and it was very informative. I believe it is worth it and it should not be missed. I saw different sides of Singapore which I probably wouldn’t reached on foot. The cruise cost SGD $25  (~$20 USD) per person.

Ticket for Singapore river cruise

Singapore river taxi

Beautiful view of Marina Bay Sands while heading back from the cruise

Singapore Flyer

I thought Singaore flyer was an expensive activity. I took a ride on the flyer for the experience. If i visit Singapore again, I will definitely admire the flyer from a distance but I don’t think I will pay to get on it again. I think people visiting Singapore for the first time should definitely enjoy the experience. The flyer offers panoramic views of Singapore, similar to Marina Bay Sands observation deck, but more expensive. It is said to be Asia’s largest observation wheel and I don’t doubt this fact because it is huge. A ride on Singapore flyer cost SGD $33 (~$25 USD). I think this is expensive considering the fact that the flyer in Chicago’s navy pier cost $15.

Views of the flyer from Marina Bay Sands

Take in Singapore’s sky line

Singapore has one of the most beautiful sky lines I have ever seen. It seems so isolated from everything because it is on the other side of Marina Bay Sands and Merlion Park but it is so beautiful. The skyline is very unique because it is surrounded by the river. I had a great tie walking in the evening and taking in the skyline. The view is definitely something to behold.

Haji Lane

Haji lane is a street in Singapore that has a large number of colorful murals, fashion boutiques and colorful buildings. I stumbled upon Haji lane by accident while looking for food. It is really close to the hotel I stayed. I had a blast walking around and taking pictures of the murals.

Colorful Mural 

Beautiful ornaments for sale in Haji Lane

Universal Studios

I had a BLAST visiting Universal Studios and Sentosa Island. It is a whole day event and I have a blog post about it

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay is beautiful and it should definitely not be missed. I saw different variety of flowers and it was relaxing to see those beautiful colors in one building. I wrote a post about Gardens by the Bay and it can be seen

Gardens by the Bay cloud forest

Beautiful flower at Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay light show

Gardens by the Bay lights up at night. The light show is very entertaining to watch because the lights of the supertrees comes to life.  I enjoyed the night show and it occurs daily at 7:45pm and 8:45pm.

Gardens by the Bay light show

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