That’s right, I’ve thrown down the challenge.
I had 4 full days in Singapore at the tail end of my whirlwind #squadSQ trip with Singapore Airlines and it was nonstop. My family often laughs at my dad for never wanting to take a break when we are on vacation and this trip, that was me.
It was so tiring but was so worth it because I went from knowing nothing about this little red dot in the southeast of Asia to getting myself around effortlessly and seeing a ton. I saw a lot of the hot spots, I ate so much good local food, had some amazing drink experiences and even got out into the suburbs away from the hubbub. Some people might only spend one day in Singapore. In my view this is not enough but I suppose often your hands are tied, especially if it is a stopover. I’m glad I was able to take 4 days to explore Singapore. This is everything I did on my epic 4 day trip to Singapore.
Day 1 – An Introduction to the Red Dot
So my story in Sri Lanka ended with a 1am flight to Singapore. The flight was about 4 hours long and with the time difference of Singapore being 2.5 hours ahead, I touched down in Singapore at about 7am. I was extremely torn on the plane. Because I flew business class, I knew the food would be absolute world class but I also know I’ll have a full day exploring when I land so I want to maximize what minimal sleep I’ll get. As soon as the seat belt sign came off, I reclined fully back — which was a loooooong way — and put my eye mask on.
Since I did order food, after a few minutes the stewardess tapped me on the shoulder and asked am I ready for food. I replied don’t worry about it, but when my neighbour got his and I changed my mind immediately. I sat up and laid back down like a yo-yo dictated by the food schedule while watching 30 Rock on the large screen on front of me. It was the right call and the lobster I had was definitely worth missing sleep.
My transfer met me at the gate, I picked up my explorer pass and headed to the Swissotel The Stamford to check in. Thankfully, Singapore tourism had hooked me up with a booking from the night before so I had the room from 8:30am. I got cleaned up and had a leisurely breakfast at the buffet. I took my time in the room getting settled and preparing for the day and left the hotel at around 10:30.
If it’s your first time and you’re not sure where to stay in Singapore, first off, anywhere near an MRT station (the metro) will be fine, because the city is really well connected. Secondly, and more specifically, Chinatown and surrounds would be my pick because of its centrality to everything, followed by anything spitting distance of the Singapore River.
Sentosa Island via Cable Car
The Singapore Explorer Pass has an incredible number of inclusions all over Singapore one of which is entry to Sentosa Island via the cable car. I love a good cable car, how else can you get sick views without the effort. Obviously I love hiking too but both are fun.
The cable car is different from any I’ve actually I’ve ever seen. Usually they are a standalone station on the ground where the cars come in, slow and you hop on and it whisk you away. While most of that is true for the Sentosa Cable Car, rather than being its own station on the ground, it is actually housed on the 15th floor of a skyscraper on the waterfront. The cable car took me over the Harbour and gave a great top down view of the water park on Sentosa.
Sentosa Nature Discovery Trail
I didn’t know much about Sentosa when I arrived. I didn’t know where anything was, how it was laid out or how best to explore. So I did what I normally do in that situation; I just started walking. I saw a sign that looked interesting, which was to a nature walk and since it seemed free it sounded like a good first option to get a feel for the island.
The Nature Discovery Trail took me through some surprisingly dense forest on a dirt walking track, past 2 waterfalls, a stone dragon, and up to the Mega Adventure Park high ropes course. The adventure park is actually included in the Explorer Pass as a separate attraction to the Sentosa Island inclusions, from which you can only choose one. I didn’t realise this until it was too late. I walked back down the path, taking a few wrong turns, and ended up back at the station. A bought a coffee in lieu of the 5 hours sleep I missed and walked down to Siloso beach via the giant Merlion.
Sentosa Sandsation: Marvel Edition
The reason I was headed down to Siloso was because it was home to Sentosa’s Sandsatation: Marvel edition. In celebration of National Day each year they build a whole heap of sand sculptures down on the beach and this year it was of Marvel characters. It’s a completely free exhibition and incredibly well done.
The exhibition was actually so cool, I mean, it would have been cool whatever the theme because it’s just so impressive that they can build clearly definable structures from sand. Having had some experience in sand castle building throughout my childhood (and adulthood) I could appreciate how much work goes into something like this.
Sentosa Tiger Sky Tower
The flight, the sun, and 10k steps had caught up to me well and truly by this point. Mercifully, there was a cable car station right near the sculptures so I caught it back up to Sentosa Station where my Explorer Pass took me up the Tiger Sky Tower. The Sky Tower is a free-standing observation tower where the observation deck is lifted up the tower and rotated around so everyone gets a 360-degree view of the island including the Adventure Cove Water Park and Universal Studios Singapore, downtown Singapore, the harbour, and hundreds of ships waiting off the coast.
On the way into the ride they had one of those photo booths where the guy takes your photo in front of a green screen and they transpose you onto something related to the ride. I usually pass, but there was no line so I obliged. As usual, I didn’t any effort into the photo. For example, I simply held out my receipt, being the only thing in my hand, like a certificate. The guy then asked for a thumbs up, so I obliged again and gave the cheesiest thumbs up I could muster.
Since I was actually the only person on the ride, after maybe 8 or 10 revolutions the operator came around and asked if I’d like to go again — since the Explorer Pass gives you unlimited rides. Even though it was well worth doing, I passed up the opportunity because I wanted to get back into town. On the way out they told me the Explorer Pass also got me a bonus: either a snack, a beer, or a souvenir photo. I didn’t really feel like a beer, and I was still full from breakfast so my last option was the photo. I now had to choose between the ridiculous receipt photo or the hilariously cheesy thumbs up. Thumbs up won and it will never see the light of day.
Having felt satisfied I had explored Sentosa Island adequately I jumped back on the cable car for the mainland bound for Little India.
Little India
Little India is well known for its many small Indian restaurants and colouful buildings. The centrepiece is the House of Tan Teng Niah. Tan Teng Niah was a well-respected businessman at the turn of the 20th Century and the last remaining Chinese settlement house in Singapore.
I poked around the Tekka Centre — a well-known hawker centre and a great place for lunch before walking down to the Abdul Gafoor Mosque, just out of Little India. I wrote about in a previous article about Colombo how different the mosques in Sri Lanka to the ones I’ve seen elsewhere (especially Europe). The Adbul Gafoor Mosque was different again. Coloured yellow and green featuring many short spires and curved arches on the balconies, it was not at all what I was expecting.
Trishaw ride around Singapore
The mosque was on the way to the Albert Mall, where Singapore Tourism had hooked me up with a trishaw ride with Trishaw Uncle. The trishaw took me back around parts of Little India, through the city and finished at Clarke Quay. We were pretty slow going through traffic (we had to jostle with actual cars) but it was certainly a unique way to see a bit of the city.
Clarke Quay
The afternoon was taking hold and the sun had drained a lot from me so it was time to recharge with some amber gold. Clarke Quay Seafood Restuarant had just opened their doors and I ordered a beer while overlooking the rier. Having just opened for the afternoon I had the place to myself and it was the perfect location to relax for a few minutes getting refreshed.
Sunset Cruise on Marina Bay
Clarke Quay happened to be the launching point for sunset cruises around Marina Bay. So with my Explorer Pass, I booked a ticket on the next bumboat cruise, which also happened to be around sunset. The cruise went past the eclectic shopfronts of Boat Quay, the Fullerton Hotel, and went under no less than 6 bridges. The boat also cruised past the Merlion, which was very handy as it saved me from actually visiting by land (let’s be honest, it’s a bit gimmicky so I probably was not going to anyway). The boat does a U-turn by the epic Marina Bay Sands and heads back to the dock via the Esplanade Theatres (the big durians). It was a most pleasant way to spend part of the evening.
Lau Pa Sat For Dinner
Dinner was more hawker centre food at Lau Pa Sat (AKA Telok Ayer Market), because it is so damn cheap, so damn filling, and most importantly, so damn delicious. Because the meals are only a few dollars, you can buy multiple dishes to try different things (like I did) and still have enough budget for dessert. Lau Pa Sat is steeped in history as it was built in the 19th Century and became a national monument in 1973. It’s a beautiful Palladian style, open plan building with green steel frames, high ceilings and enormous ceiling fans to fight off that Asian humidity.
Drink at Freehouse
Just a 5-minute walk down Boon Tat Street is this awesome craft beer bar. As you enter, you walk up the stairway to beer heaven and enter a small, pinkly lit bar with a beer menu more expansive than most I’ve ever seen.
Drink at TAP Craft Beer Bar
I would stayed longer, but I was due to meet up with Chris of the Curious Collection and fellow member of #sqaudSQ for another couple of beers. Our choice was TAP Craft Beer Bar, housed in a shopping mall and not far from the Swissotel. It also had a very impressive list of rotating taps. A few IPAs later we called it a night and retreated for a well-earnt sleep.
Day 2: The Hidden Side of Singapore
Breakfast at Kalling Estate Food Centre
This morning I was privelaged to be escorted around town by a local from Dakota Adventures called Cai Yinzhou. It was Zhou’s mission to show myself, Chris, and Phoebe of the Curious Collection, a different side of Singapore to the high-rise and the cocktails, even the temples. We started with breakfast at the Kalling Estate Food Centre, a hawker centre in Mountbatten. I was glad I didn’t have much breakfast because this would not be the last food stop of the day.
Between the four of us we ordered Meepok thin noodles, Vegetarian bee hoon with spring rolls, Non vegetarian bee hoon (economy) and butterfly buns (green bean, red bean, and sweet potato). Although I’d eaten local food before, it was great to have a local show me some of his favourites.
Mountbatten wet market
Connected to the Food Centre is a wet market. We browsed various fresh fruit, vegetable and fish stalls and observed locals going about their business buying food with which to feed their families. The people who shop here will come back a few times per week to stock up on fresh goods and even though there will be multiple stores selling the same produce, a local will generally have a relationship with one in particular and will always shop there.
Dakota and its locals
Nearby was a large housing development full of tall, ubiquitous buildings, painted white with a splash of pastel. This one of many of the sort in Singapore and will contain small apartments which the government subsidises for some of Singapore’s poorest people. Zhou introduced us to one such family. They live in a one bedroom apartment as big as my living room and while it is “cosy”, this space houses the mum, her partner and 5 kids. I’ll never complain again as long as my family of 4 live in my 4 bedroom house that has a yard. A little perspective goes a long way.
These families were actually relocated not that long ago from a project not far away. Because it was a much smaller (i.e. inefficient use of the land) this project is now abandoned and its fate is yet to be decided. It was originally slated to be demolished to be replaced with larger, more space efficient apartment blocks, but since it was one of Singapore’s earliest housing projects there is a bit of history about it there has been some resistance. The Curious Collection explored the abandoned complexes for a while trying to get a small glimpse what life must have been like for these families is and was.
Lunch Feast at Old Airport Road Food Centre
Lunch was at another nearby hawker centre and this is where the fun really ramped up. For breakfast we split 4 meals between 4 people. For lunch we split 8 between us. Are you ready for this? This is what we ordered:
- Chili crab
- Black pepper crab
- Garlic vegetables
- Fried kway teow
- Prawn broth
- Dried chili frog
And for dessert:
- Chendal with red bean
- Soya bean curd,
I had no idea it was actually possible to spend so much money at a hawker centre in Singapore. Though I think that was mainly blamed on the 2 crabs we bought at around S$40 a pop. Messy and delicious.
This ended the tour with Dakota Adventures and it was back to the Swissotel to freshen up (and have a good hose down after the crab!)
Gardens by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay has become synonymous with Singapore. Tall artificial trees reach toward the sky and can be seen from most high-rise buildings nearby. The trees, covered in lush foliage, and spindly, artificial fingers effortlessly blend the natural with the artificial. It is a beautifully subtle representation of not just the city of Singapore — with its concrete jungle surrounded by parks, forests and wetlands — but also the park itself. The land on which Gardens by the Bay sits is all on reclaimed land and the two temperature controlled greenhouses Cloud Forest and Flower Dome house an incredible array of plant life of both local and foreign original. As I said, the line between natural and artificial nature has been blurred and I for one love it.
Satay by the Bay and Supertree Grove light show
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Singapore area without a hawker centre and Gardens by the Bay does not disappoint. By the time I’d eaten my chicken and rice, satay chicken and chendal the sun had gone done and the light show was close to starting.
At night the trees in Supertree Grove take on a whole new life form. The green leaves on the trunks are illuminated brightly and the fingers turn gradients of purple. At the stroke of 7:45 and 8:45 each night the trees come alive in song with a light show to varying tunes. Not even the drizzle could deter the many onlookers.
Have a drink at 28 Hongkong street
As I was leaving, Chris made contact and we organised to get a drink at 28 Hongkong Street, which is both the address and name of the bar. A small, modern speakeasy hid behind a nondescript door on Hongkong Street, betrayed only by the comings and goings of thirsty or satisfied patrons. The bar is dimly lit with a long list of cocktails and a few good beers for good measure. The staff were most accommodating to me, a guy in his walking around day clothes, runners, and waiting for friends. It’s a great place for a drink, especially if you’re trying to impress someone.
Day 3 – A Preanakan Tour with #squadSQ
But first: Symmetry for breakfast
My third day in Singapore began at Symmetry, a cafe with easily the best coffee I had in Singapore, and close to some of the best I’ve ever had, no exaggeration. I don’t often order two coffees at breakfast, but this was the rare occasion that I did. The pancakes were thick and crunchy and ice cream a perfect complement. It was a great recommendation and I’ll definitely be back next time I’m back in Singapore.
Peranakan Museum
A short drive away was the Peranakan museum. A small museum that gave a history of the Peranakan people in Singapore across 3 levels. As a people group, Peranakans are mostly of Chinese descent who moved to the Malay Peninsula including Singapore. Galleries explore everyday life of early Peranakans including religion, fashion, language, weddings, death, cuisine, and there was even a temporary exhibition on the rise of photography, which I found particularly interesting.
The Peranakan museum is included in the Singapore Explorer Pass.
Peranakan Houses on Joo Chiat Road
If you’ve seen photos on instagram of any Singapore neighbourhood, it will be this one. Joo Chiat is obviously an area where a lot of Peranakans settled in Singapore’s early days and their town houses are characterised by thick pastel colours, not one the same combination as another. Even the Google Maps Street View shows people taking photos of the houses.
Drink at CE LA VIE
In the afternoon I ventured back down to the Marina Bay area to CE LA VIE, the restaurant and bar at the top of the Marina Bay Sands hotel. The hotel stands on its own by the Gardens and the opposite side of the harbour to the CBD so the view is incredible. There’s a $20 cover charge to get in, but you get this as a credit on any purchase. But don’t worry, you’ll rip through that pretty quickly (my beer was $21!).
On the same level is the infinity pool but unfortunately, this is only open to guests. If you just want the view without the bar, there is viewing deck that the bar overlooks from which you can get your photos without the observation deck in it. You can’t do both without buying a ticket for both and the ticket for the Observation Deck is $23.
Level 33: Craft Brewery in a Skyscraper
To the south of the harbour, in the heart of downtown are many skyscrapers. On one particular building, on the 33rd floor, there is a microbrewery. This fascinated me because I love boutique beer and I’ve never heard of a microbrewery being housed in a skyscraper before. Sure enough, as I entered I walked past 6 large stainless steel fermentation vessels that looked like they almost could have connected directly to the bar. I had a couple of beers overlooking Marina Bay and it was absolutely magic. One of my favourite spots for a beer in the city without a doubt.
Epic Cocktails at Tippling Club
But if I was to recommend one place for cocktail hour it would be the Tippling Club. The whole #sqaudSQ had reunited here for drinks before dinner on our final night together. Personally, I’ve never been a big fan of cocktails; given the choice, I’ll alway opt for a good beer. So for me to order a cocktail it has to be either a really special occasion or a really special place (or by a pool in the sun for cents on the dollar — but that’s beside the point). The Tippling club was both.
Their menu consists of 12 drinks, each named for a particular Dream or Desire. The drinks have been designed in such a way like the mixologist imagines how they think each dream or desire would taste, if you could taste it. And the idea is that you order what you desire most. Obviously there’s a fair bit of creativity at play here but I’ll be damned if they weren’t some of the best and most interesting cocktails I’ve ever had. I think most people just order what they like the sound of, which is what I did, but despite this I still ended up ordering the Knowledge and the Success. Some things just can’t be helped. ;)
National Kitchen by Violet Oon at the National Gallery
Deep in the heart of the National Gallery is a high-end restaurant called the National Kithen by Violet Oon. We ordered an array of share plates to start and I ordered the beef cheek as a main and it just fell apart on my fork. It was simply divine. It’s an incredible place to eat because not only is the food sensational, you get the pleasure of walking through the National Gallery in the still of night (and also after a few drinks). Now there’s not a lot of scope to wander off into the exhibits, but it’s still a pretty cool experience.
Day 4 – Singapore in Film
Exploring Tiong Bahru on foot
As this was my fifth day in Singapore (including my stopover at the start of the trip) I was keen to get out of the CBD again and see some cool neighbourhoods. I took myself out to Tiong Bahru and as an added element of adventure I left my DSLR in the hotel and took only my film SLR. The generation above me probably don’t see the significance of this as this was simply how your traveled 30+ years ago. But without the safety net of my ability to take 1000 backup photos of everything in sight, I was forced to think about every photo. There’s no such thing as “auto mode”.
The camera I’m using is a 1975 Olympus OM-2 with my granddads 35m prime lens. While a bit grainy at times, the quality is remarkably good for a camera that is 43 years old.
I started at the markets but just as I went to leave the heavens opened and the heaviest rain I’d seen all trip poured down. I gave up waiting after about 15 minutes and braved the rain. I bolted from awning to awning, taking in what I could from the art deco apartment blocks surrounding me.
I stopped at the first cafe I found, called PS Cafe Petit and had a coffee while I waited out the storm. Then I had a coffee at the second cafe I found, which was in fact the cafe I was aiming for all along, which was called Forty Hands. A very cool joint if you’re in the area and they even had cold brew on hand – great for those hot days.
The Murals of Tiong Bahru
By now the rain had dried up and I snaked my way around the apartment blocks in search of the many murals painted on the white walls. It was a fun game and I think I found 3 of the 5. These murals were painted by a young local who grew up in the area and wanted to give something back to represent the history of the Thing Bahru area.
Even though I got the MRT out there, I realised that from Bird Corner — where my walking tour had led me — was not actually that far from Chinatown — maybe a 15 minute walk. It had turned into a nice day for a walk and I wanted to get a few more photos of the area so off I took.
Chinatown in film
I was headed toward the Sacred Tooth Relic Temple and Sri Mariamann temple but happened upon rows upon rows of beautiful Victorian townhouses. I could have explored for a few hours, walking up and down look at the architecture but I was due to meet the rest of the #squadSQ shortly.
Singapore Heritage High Tea at Clifford Pier
As the clock struck 3, we took our seats at the grand Clifford Pier. Once an active pier on Marina Bay, the renovated building now serves as an upscale restaurant as part of the Fullerton Bay Heritage Hotel. We were being treated to one of Singapore’s peak dining experiences: high tea at the Clifford Pier.
We chose our tea from a wide variety of teas before setting out on the first of many trips to the buffet. More than just tea and scones though, the Clifford Pier high tea is an homage to Singapore’s culinary roots with creative twists on 8 savoury and 8 sweet dishes. And I can honestly say I’ve never been that full after a “simple” afternoon tea.
The high tea marked the end of the journey. It had been a whirlwind and I hadn’t stopped for 16 days, but it was good to be getting home to my family. The #squadSQ debriefed in the Singapore Airlines Krisflyer lounge over a cocktail, said farewell to our new friends, and began the journey home.
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Great article