This had been on the bucket list for a while so Bristolians Abroad went for it, the first stop in our 2 centre trip !
We flew with British Airways direct from London Heathrow to Singapore and actually the 13 hour flight wasn’t too bad, a few drinkies in the lounge beforehand and on the flight helped 😉. We flew on the A380 and paid a bit extra for the upper deck in a twin seat, still in economy but with no one else next to you made for a much more comfy flight. You can pay less for flights if you don’t mind a stopover on the way but we just wanted to get there !
We booked and pre paid for a taxi using Booking.com which was a blessing as the driver met us in Arrivals and took us straight to the hotel.
We stayed in the Holiday Inn Express Clarke Quay which was in a great location and the roof top pool was a bonus, specially after a day’s sightseeing in the hot and humid climate. The breakfast was plentiful and lots to choose from, just be aware there is no restaurant in the hotel but Clarke Quay with its lively atmosphere and abundance of eating places is just a few minutes walk away.
Singapore is so clean and you always feel very safe and all the locals we met were very helpful. Getting around is so easy and very cheap with its efficient MRT metro system, easy to follow route maps, plenty of stations near all the go to sights and trains that run literally every 3 minutes. You just swipe your Monzo card (other bank cards are available 😁) at the MRT platform gates when you enter and leave the station, simples ! You can also use the Grab App to book a taxi but unlike Uber you pay the taxi driver.
Our first visit was to Chinatown which was really buzzing, lots of really beautiful temples and stalls in the streets where you can buy anything from weird and wonderful fruits to “real” designer handbags ! So many restaurants where if you’re feeling adventurous you could try frog porridge, crocodile with noodles or even chicken feet soup 🤣and Hawker Centres where the locals tend to eat offered lots of choice and at reasonable prices. We found a place where we visited twice during our stay called Hao Lai Wu restaurant and the food was great.
Second day we booked the cable car from Mount Faber to Sentosa island, a good tip is to use one of the travel sites such as Headout.com for tickets as they can be considerably cheaper than paying on the day at the cable car ticket office. Sentosa has lots to do and see including lovely beaches, forest walks, water parks and of course Universal Studios.
A trip to Singapore had to include a visit to the Long Bar in Raffles Hotel for a Singapore Sling cocktail and as many monkey nuts as you want !! Be aware though that the drinks are very expensive but then for a special experience you just have to bite the bullet. Dress code was relaxed and the atmosphere was great.
Next day we visited Merlion Park and the Merlion which is the symbol of Singapore, lots of tourists there but this did not ruin the incredible views across the bay. From there we hopped on to the MRT and went to Gardens by the Bay where we visited the Cloud Forest. Incredible forest under a huge glass dome with tree top walks and interactive attractions. Also in this area are the Supertrees where twice every evening a spectacular light show happens, well worth the visit !
We wanted our last night in Singapore to be memorable so we booked a table at the Spago Bar & Lounge on the roof top of Marina Bay Sands Hotel where we were treated to amazing views over Singapore and even witnessed the Supertree light show from above…great memories !
After a few very hot and humid days, lots of miles walked and memories made we headed off to the airport for the next leg of the trip……Bali here we come 😀😎
Bristolians Abroad 