October 20-22, 2012 – After booking my plane tickets on mid-July I was then wound up for my next trip, destination – Singapore! I know it was a very short visit so I anticipated the itinerary to be hectic – thanks to my tour guide, my good friend, Adel who was very organized with our day-to-day schedule. First stop was at the renowned
Orchard Road, where the centre of commerce is, and where people from different walks of life merge. From Orchard I was brought to not only see but enter the lobby of the most famous building in the city, the Marina Bay Sands. Inside is a spectacular architecture of modern concept savored with shops of the most expensive brand names. The Casino is amongst the highlights of the structure, and I was privileged to go inside where complementary bottled water is everywhere!
Move on to the second day – a roam to the Resort World Sentosa! Took the hop-on hop-off tram, I went to see the beauty of Singapore’s coast featuring the Palawan and Siloso beach resorts. As I recall, the weather wasn’t wonderful that very day and so we got caught in the rain and off we headed to the Waterfront, just next to the Universal Studios. Hard Rock Café was very tempting where me and my buddy ended up eating our lunch at that spot. Shopping inside the café was also a one-of-a-kind experience for me – I got souvenir shirts and a cap for an amount that I do not want to learn how much the equivalent in Philippine currency. The rest of the day was spent in Vivo City and it was a shopping spree for the shopaholic me!
Last and final day – we arrived at the Marina Bay Sands Sky Park and enjoyed a fascinating view overlooking the city. What we missed was the guided tour to the infinity pool – my ultimate goal, but it was all okay, I was able to sneak at it and snapped some shots. After the sky-hopping activity, we took a walk with another grade school friend at the Sentosa Boardwalk and headed to the
Universal Studios. We were there just on time so we took our stuff off and jumped in the most crucial rides – the Battlestar Galactica and the Revenge of the Mummy – all worth screaming rides! I walked around the theme park alone while my buddy took a rest that lead me to capture some good shots of the Far Far Away Land, the Madagascar, and the rest of the attractions. Of course, shopping is always part of the trip so here we go – souvenirs, yay!
My final hour in this lively city wasn’t over yet. I needed to web check-in so I can be at the airport even an hour before my flight, and to close the wonderful deal, we got free passes to the Singapore Flyer, courtesy of Uncle Noel – what an awesome night to be seeing the colorful lights of the tall and awe-inspiring buildings in the surroundings. To sum it up, my Singapore short visit was as amazing as ever. I missed some great places such as the Gardens by the Bay, Clark Quay, Botanical Garden, and Merlion but overall it was a superb experience. Until next time, SG! Some tips when visiting Singapore:
- Try not to convert every SGD to PHP, you will end up not wanting to buy even a bottled water.
- Go to big supermarkets and find the Cadbury chocolate bars, they are five times cheaper than those being sold at the Duty Free shop.
- Prepare an EZ Link card for easier transportation mechanic, it works both on bus and train.
- Never forget to load your camera with at least 4GB memory card, everything in SG is worth taking picture of.
- Do not crave for a chewing gum especially when in public areas such as park, mall, and transpo if you don’t want to get caught and fined.
- Always address the taxi driver with respect, call him "uncle" [as if you are kins lol].
- Finally, no worries about pick-pockets, there is NONE in Singapura.
