… Singapore stopover

After planning to volunteer in Indonesia, for the summer of 2014, I booked return flights to Singapore. A gateway to travelling Asia, famous for its airport terminals. I planned to take an extended layover in Singapore of three days.

During these three days I was travelling solo for the first time and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. I quickly fell in love with Singapore’s melting pot of Chinese, Malaysian and Indian culture and it gave me a great starting block for the next six weeks travelling.

I kept a travel diary and here are some Highlights of Singapore.

• Gardens By the Bay

This place was beautiful. I woke up on my first full day in Singapore, had breakfast at the hostel and then jumped on the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) to Gardens by the Bay. Once here I walked through the public gardens enjoying the different zones, architecture and how peaceful it was compared to the hustle and bustle of the downtown areas. The main attraction is two HUGE connecting greenhouses the flower dome and the cloud forest, I bought my ticket  (s$28) and spent the morning exploring inside enjoying the exotic plants, beautiful flowers, trees and the overall design of these greenhouses. After the morning I left to tour some more of Singapore.

TIP; When leaving I got my hand stamped… This allowed me to re-enter later that night (open til 9pm). Which lead to a totally different experience and the waterfall in the cloud forest was stunning at night.

• Chinatown

When in a city it is always fun to visit the different districts, Chinatown Singapore was no different. While on my return layover I was lucky enough to stay with a friend from University living in Singapore and so we spent an afternoon in Chinatown. Had a fun time eating street food and purchasing some of those ‘Gap year’ travel pants. An example of the diversity in Singapore is located on the edge of Chinatown is the Sri Mariamman Temple which dates back to 1827 and is the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore,  it is a truely beautiful and ornate temple full of colour.

• Hop on/Off Boat Tour

After visiting Merlion Park with its famous statue on my second day,  I took a river boat tour using one of the bumboats. These greatly named low lying boats were once used to transport goods and cargo in the early days of Singapore. Originating from the 1600s in Europe, today these boats are thankfully a little different from the earlier versions which were powered by oars or guided by long poles to move them up and down the river (yes I am a history geek). I used one to take me up the river to Clarke Quay an area with lots of restaurants, bars and shops where I had a stroll around and bite to eat. Hopping back on I was able to enjoy views along the river while resting my feet before the boat took us out into Marina Bay Sands, were myself and the few other passengers were able to grab some great photos of the bay.

– Never knock a hop on/off tour when in a large city, they are are great way to get around and to see lots of sights which you other wise might not have been able to fit in.

• Night safari

One of the ‘must dos’ in Singapore and I must say it was fun to be in a zoo at night and I did make some German friends to spot animals with. Would have felt like you had broken in if it wasn’t so busy (s$45 discounts apply if you buy online).

• The Shophouse Hostel 

This was my first hostel experience, clean comfortable it gave me confidence in staying in many more the future. Great location in Little India and rooftop balcony for morning breakfast and reading. http://www.shophousehostel.com/  

• Extra thoughts

-It down pored with rained every morning when I was here in June, so keep this in mind when planning your itinerary for the days and when packing.

-There are shopping centres/malls at almost every MRT station exit which are great for finding quick food in the evening or for cooling off in during the day.  I saw David Beckham in the mall while exiting Marina Bay!

Getting lost in Singapore was a fantastic experience, full of colliding cultures from east and west. Although this island is only half the size of London it has plenty to see and do. Since I have visited I am sure that the place has grown even more and I wouldn’t miss a chance to return.

-Did I actually get lost … of course I took ad few wrong turns while wandering the streets and got of at the wrong MRT stops. 

Laura