Singapore

Our stopover between Bali and Koh Samui last weekend in Singapore was fast and furious. With just 2 nights and 1 full day in the Lion City, we tried to fit in all that we could and I think we did a pretty good job!

Upon arrival, we instantly hopped on the MRT and headed to Chinatown for dinner. We’d been obsessed with the idea of eating at a hawker center since we watched Anthony Bourdain devour unfamiliar dishes from numerous food stalls in his The Layover Singapore episode. While we weren’t as adventurous as Anthony (I don’t think anyone ever is), we did try and LOVE Hainanese chicken rice, chili crab pau/dim sum and coconut kaya pau. Our one mistake was ordering ice kachang. What looked like a refreshing snow cone topped with fresh mango ended up being shaved ice with red beans, agar agar and a heap of creamed corn. You may like it, but no thank you, ha!

After stuffing ourselves at the hawker center, we headed to Level 33 for beers with a jaw dropping view of Marina Bay and the iconic Marina Bay Sands hotel/casino. Singapore has loads of rooftop bars, but Level 33 is the tallest with the exception of Marina Bay itself. No matter where you are gazing at Marina Bay from, Marina Bay Sands is monstrous, grandiose and such an architectural phenomenon… you have to see it for yourself.
The next day was action-packed before our departure early Monday morning. Here are a few highlights:

• Let’s Go Bike Singapore – In my opinion, cruising around on a bike is the ideal way to discover a new place. Our guide Alfie took us to ride on the F1 track, through Tiong Bahru, Kampong Glam, the museum and civic districts, past speaker’s corner, around all the city’s quays on the Singapore River, and past the legendary Raffles Hotel. All of this in 4 hours. Singapore is quite a city of contrast. One minute you’re biking past a contemporary skyscraper like the Park Royal and the next you’re caught off guard by a street crowded with worn shophouses.
• Gardens by the Bay – Singapore’s vision is to be The City in a Garden. The visionaries of Singapore took this quite literally when they built the Gardens by the Bay, finished in 2011. While the gardens are vast, the most popular sites to visit are the Supertree Grove, Flower Dome conservatory and the Cloud Forest conservatory. We were lucky enough to visit during their Lilytopia and Retro Fever exhibits! They were UNBELIEVABLE! You can only explain them through pictures…
• Marina Bay Sands – After the Gardens, we walked right over to Marina Bay Sands for a sunset drink at Ce La Vi on the 57^th floor next to the infinity pool. Wow, just wow. Totally worth the $25 SGD aperol spritz. This is also a great place to view the water and lights show that happens twice every evening in the bay. What a city!

I’ll leave you with one interesting tidbit I learned: Singapore’s airport, the gardens, Marina Bay, the Singapore Flyer Ferris wheel and many other popular parts of the city are on reclaimed land. In fact the city has expanded by 50 square miles since its independence in 1965 and its not stopping anytime soon. You can watch it grow here in this neat time lapse video. Visiting Singapore soon? Go to the Raffles Hotel. This property was once beach front which is hard to believe!
Next up – a post from our time in Koh Samui, Thailand. Until then!
XO, HUTTON B.