New to Glossaholic this year, I'll be introducing a series of travel posts to help those planning a getaway with top places I recommend as well as tips.
First for 2020, let's start with my trip to Singapore in December 19...
Gardens by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay is a nature park located close to Marina Bay Sands Hotel which consists of around 10+ different gardens such as Cloud Forest, Floral Fantasy, Flower Dome, Heritage Gardens and many more. Each attraction have their own opening hours however the majority are open from 9am - 9pm daily and the last admission is at 8pm. Bear in mind it really does get busier towards the evening, I visited during the Christmas break and you do end up having to sacrifice some gardens due to time restrictions.
During the Christmas period and any festival during the year, they tend to decorate the gardens accordingly which makes it extra pretty. During our visit we got to see the Winter Wonderland garden and see the most prettiest Christmas lights and trees.
My Favourite: The Cloud Forest & Supertree Grove, especially if you're after those Instagramable shots.
Top Tip: Allow extra time for queuing, give yourself enough time, visit The Cloud Forest during the day and Supertree Grove during the night, download the GrabCar app to avoid long waits for taxis and purchase a ticket based on which attractions you want to see and will have time for.
Marina Bay Sands Hotel & Ce La Vie Bar
Having watched Crazy Rich Asians the movie, I knew this was definitely going to be a favourite spot of mine. Firstly let me tell you something I couldn't find on the internet before visiting; don't bother visiting the observation deck/skypark unless you're all for just the views and lots of people. Tell your taxi driver you want to visit 'Marina Bay Sands Hotel Tower 3'. You will then need to queue up inside at the entrance and I would 100% recommend telling them you'd like to buy a voucher to visit the rooftop bar Ce La Vie. We paid 23 SGP dollars each which we could exchange for a drink / snacks, we had an amazing view at night and the ambiance is great as it has that real luxe bar vibe.
Opening Hours: 12pm - 2am
More information available here: https://www.marinabaysands.com/restaurants/ce-la-vi.html
Sentosa Island
If you've got enough time, I highly recommend taking a trip to Sentosa Island which is an adventure park.
Things to do include; adventure waterpark, nature park, dolphin island, Madam Tussauds, sky ride, cable car rides, a zip line experience, visit the beach, Universal Studios and much more.
My favourite: the zip line experience, visit my Instagram Stories to watch my experience.
Top Tip: Ensure you plan ahead and go when the weather is great, we got really lucky and it was around 32 degrees with a mix of sunshine and clouds. If you want to visit Universal Studios, ensure you plan a 2 day trip as your ticket allows you entrance for 2 days.
More information here: https://www.sentosa.com.sg/en/things-to-do/attractions?page=5
Mall Hopping
I've never been to so many malls in my life and on holiday. One thing Singapore is known for in my eyes are malls.
If you're looking for a bargain on trainers, Singapore is great for that. I'd say visit the malls most closest to where you're staying as it only makes sense unless you're going to buy something specific.
My favourite: Orchard Road.
Temple(s)
Singapore is home to many different places of worship, so perhaps visit one of the below whether you're religious or not because it's such a beautiful experience.
Thian Hock Keng Temple which is located in Chinatown is a traditional and ancient Chinese temple. Entrance is free to most temples however you should make a small donation as with other temples. It's a beautiful colourful temple which is super peaceful and pretty. I particularly loved the little wish well where you simply ring the bell and throw a coin in the well.
If you have no idea what to do, simply just watch other people and go with the flow. For example we noticed in another temple we visited in Malaysia (will post this separately) they did the same thing in this temple. Simply make a donation, light some incense, hold the incense sticks back and forward around three times and place it next to the others.
Sultan Mosque is another place of worship for muslims which is located near the Arab Quarter (Haji Lane) which is another beautiful temple. They also have some really great Lebenese food there after if you get hungry.
Silat Road Gurdwara is another place of worship for sikhs, and is a beautiful small gurdwara.
Top Tip: Ensure you dress respectfully as with all temples you visit. You can show your legs, just make sure you don't wear short shorts / dresses.
Chinatown
After visiting the Thian Hock Keng Temple, we walked down to China Town and visited the unlimited amount of market stalls. Great for a souvenir pick up, if you're after anything like fake bobble heads, money cats and a fridge magnet.
I'm not into street food therefore we didn't walk down to the Hawkins Street Food Centre but that's not far, so if that's what you're into, I'd recommend fitting that in at the same time.
Raffles Hotel
Located on Beach Road, the Raffles Hotel is unmissable. It's such a stunning historic hotel with the iconic Sikh doorman who we got to meet who has met Royalty, many celebrities and even made a cameo in a movie in the 90's.
There are several restaurants / bars inside Raffle's, we got to visit The Long Bar on New Years Eve which offers a casual drinking experience in their old school but newly renovated Long Bar. If you're severely allergic to nuts or hate nuts, this is one place to avoid because there are nut shells everywhere in this bar. I'm not sure what the history is behind it but you're encouraged to eat nuts and throw the shells on the floor. From having a quick search online, there are various reasons why this is done but I can't say if it's a fact or not...just go with it.
The drinks are fabulous, if you're into beer, the beer is incredibly displayed. They offer the classic Singapore Sling as well as a range of mocktails. It even has a snooker table inside of the bar.
Top Tip: Visit the Gift Shop! I purchased some special Raffles Green Tea for my mum and she loved it! Said it's the best green tea she has had. They also have so many cute souvenirs, I'm gutted I never got more!
Merlion Park
This wasn't on my list of top things to do in Singapore, it just happened to be en route to where we were heading so we thought why not.
The Merlion Park is a famous landmark in Singapore and a major tourist attraction. The status is a lions head with a body of a fish which is very unique. There are also some incredible views of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Marina to view. Full of tourists but a very good spot if you're after a fresh juice in the park, there are food stalls and coffee spots if you're after a quick, healthy bite to eat.
The Merlion landmark isn't there for long, apparently they are planning to take it down from October 2020. Not sure why, but if you're planning a trip before then, add it to your list before it goes!
Jewel Changi Airport
Last but very not least! The airport. The 'airport'
When we arrived, we could easily walk to the Jewel Terminal, however on the way back Jewel was located across the road from Departures. Either way, it's really easy to find and definitely worth spending some time in the airport before your flight.
Things to do include the infamous Rain Vortex which is a beautiful waterfall in the middle of the freakin' airport. They do a light show in the evenings from 7.30pm which is definitely worth catching as I'm sure it looks even more stunning at night than in the day.
There are many things to do such as a Canopy Park, Canopy Bridge and other experiences such as a Hedge and Mirror Maze. But for those you do need to buy a ticket for as they aren't free. I would say definitely allow a couple of extra hours before your flight to explore the airport or get a bite to eat at Shake Shack, oh yes.
Top Tip: Visit the Starbucks Reserve Store. I bought the cutest Starbucks Coffee Cup and it was way cheaper than it would be in the UK.
Other things to know:
- Don't chew gum.
- Download the GrabCar app for taxis.
- Be respectful.
- Allow yourself enough time to fully enjoy the experience.
- Be prepared for rain (can happen at anytime).
- If you do a lot of shopping, you'll notice a government tax on your receipts which you can claim back. Simply speak to your salesperson when you're paying and let them know you're a traveller, and you'll be able to claim this back at the airport.
If you're visiting Singapore for New Years Eve:
Stay close to wherever you plan on viewing the fireworks. I've learnt this lesson from all of the times I have travelled to Dubai for NYE (which has always been a nightmare) because the roads close at a certain time. Also, it just makes the night easier and less stressful.
We stayed at Pan Pacific Serviced Suites which is located in the Arab area but was really easy to get to the Marina Bay area for NYE. It was a nice apart hotel, however breakfast was a real let down as it's SO small. You're almost sitting with strangers for breakfast which isn't exactly ideal first thing in the morning. They had a rooftop pool which closed most evenings at 11pm however for New Years Eve they did mention you can see the fireworks. If you're on a budget, stay there for NYE however I don't fully believe you can view the fireworks.
On New Years Eve, we headed down to Star Island as we purchased tickets before we flew there. And oh my god, it was the best firework display I have ever witnessed. We saw a 500 drone light show, incredible fireworks for around 2 hours and of course witnessed a lot of annoying people who we're selfish enough to block your view to get a couple, triple, quadruple selfies. Nevertheless it was a great night, we sat in the 'light blue' area which honestly gives you the best view of the fireworks. I wouldn't bother paying for the other colours (that get pricier) because you see more stage than fireworks. So definitely sit in the second to last colour row for the best view and best end to the year.
There are food stalls and bars downstairs, just expect a lot of queueing for each one. We got there around 8pm but the show doesn't start until 10pm, the tickets do state you have to enter by 8pm but we saw people rolling in after so don't stress.
I hope you enjoyed this post and it helps when you plan your trip to Singapore!
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