Marina Bay, Singapore

It’s been a fair few years since we last did a long haul flight. But the opportunity of Singapore presented itself and I grabbed it with both hands! A wonderful treat from my parents that gifted me with memories that will last my lifetime.

1 – Green and lush landscape

The Singaporean landscape was green, lush and utterly beautiful.

2 – Chilled way of life

Everything about Singapore was still, calm and chilled. The places, the people, the way of living – everything we saw and did was just chilled.

3 – Tropical climate

Finally, one of the most notable things for me this trip was the climate. Being so close to the equator comes with lots of rainfall and lots of humidity. The tropical climate takes some getting used to, but the downpours serve as welcome relief rather than an inconvenience!

Hotel: Marina Bay Sands 

Wow. Just wow. Marina Bay Sands, or MBS as it’s referred to locally was like no hotel I’ve ever experienced. Now whether it’s more like a shopping mall, museum or work of art, I can’t decide. But MBS is not your average hotel – in fact I don’t think anywhere else I stay again will top what this amazing structure has to offer.

Shots from the inside:  

Walking inside MBS for the first time took my breath away. And leaving MBS for the last time brought tears to my eyes. It’s not just a hotel, it’s an experience. At times I felt I was Alice in Wonderland, with giant plantpots lining the corridors (three times the height of a person) chandeliers that look like museum masterpieces. The vast expanses and angles or lighting is like no place I’ve stayed before.

Shots from the outside:

This iconic and fascinating piece of architecture is recognised across the world. Close up you realise it’s an engineering masterpiece. No two angles are the same.

The main restaurant (RISE) for breakfast:

RISE must dine thousands of guests every day. I’ve never known so much hustle, footfall, and of course FOOD, in any hotel I’ve ever stayed at. How the catering team put on this exceptional service every day to such clockwork standards is orchestral. The waiting staff are grafters and they do not stop in serving, cleaning and taking care of guests.

I must call out the food too. It was all to a very high standard. The volume of diners does not detract from the quality, presentation and service of food.

In my write-up I should add that we are early diners, so we often arrived in the dining room about 7:30am to 8:00am and we never had to wait for a seat. As we left at approx 10am it wasn’t quite the same story though, not sure how I’d feel about having to queue for brekkie!

Deluxe room – Garden by the Bay view:

We upgraded rooms to have a garden view, not only for the actual view, but because it comes with a garden balcony too which is a must for me on holiday.

Rooftop:

MBS rooftop must have been seen by anyone who owns a mobile or has a social media account. The Infinity pool is an insta haven and I’d seen hundreds of pics before my visit. But nothing prepared me for being up there, seeing the city through my own cortex.

(Overall rating 99/100)

Gardens By The Bay (GBTB)

Gardens By the Bay was on our hotel doorstep, so we were furnished with sights, sounds and views of this stunning area day after day. For anyone wanting to visit, it’s primarily free and well worth a visit. The tough decision you’ll have to make is whether to visit by day or night. If possible, I’d highly recommend doing both.

GBTB – By day:

By day time the gardens that fill this visitor attraction is exquisite. How it’s possible to erect metal structures in a garden and have them feel as though they belong would have puzzled me. But that’s until I came here.

GBTB – By night:

When the sun falls and night takes over, GBTB is a transformation like no other.

(Overall rating 93/100)

Flower Dome, Cloud Forest and Floral Fantasy

Nestled in the landscape of the gardens are two chrysalis like domes. At first, we didn’t realise these were part of the GBTB complex, but after a bit of googling we found a site that sells package tickets so we decided to visit both domes, as well as Floral Fantasy which is a short walk away.

Flower Dome:

Flower Dome was the first of the three domes we visited. I imagine that every type of tree and flower species can be found in this stunning dome and it was both playful and interesting at the same time. If you want to learn about plant life, see and smell their habitats, then it’s a must visit

Cloud Forest:

Inspired by Avatar (we think) Cloud Forest was like entering another world. I’d say this was the best of the three domes, the waterfall that greets you as you walk in is breathtaking. As you walk the full length of the dome in circles, the waterfall remains a constant feature, but you just see it from different angles and heights. I’d highly recommend this place.

Floral Fantasy:

The smaller of the three domes, but certainly not one to miss out. This place was fairytale and the flowers hanging from the ceiling were hard to pull away from.

(Overall rating 93/100)

City by foot

We walked the city on foot over a few days. It’s worth noting though that the heat and humidity don’t allow pavement exploring for long periods of time. We were amazed by the streets and buildings domaneering this city – many of them were a mixture of glass and greenery. And a few special buildings remianed from the colonial era. Raffles and the Fullerton to name a few.

Raffles:

Of course we couldn’t visit Singapore without a visit to Raffles. It’s unheard of! And it didn’t disappoint. Just as you’d expect, Raffles was a first class, boasting the quintessential amenities of a world renowned luxury hotel – probably the way it’s been described for the last century. How they’ve kept it so tip top shape is outstanding. We had the obligatory Sinapore Sling cocktail, throwing our peanut shells on the floor as we went. Oh how satisfying, we lost a couple of lovely hours in this place…

Chinatown:

Chinatown, to the east of the city centre, is made up of low-rise, traditional buildings and covers an area of circa 20 streets. Every street is decorated with bold and bright lanterns, graffiti and lighting that adds to the vibrancy of this place.

Arab Street:

Similar to Chinatown, Arab street is also full of bustle and vibrancy. Although its religious undertones are present, the streets are welcoming to people from all walks of life. The Temple is particularly striking.

Marina Bay area and river quay:

Marina Bay is a vast area of the city and boasts some of the most iconic landmarks. Not only did we overlook the bay from our hotel, but we also spent many days walking around it on foot.

(Overall rating 92/100)

Windsor Nature Park

Appox ??? kilometres from Marina Bay is Windsor Nature Park, a relatively untouched landscape full of trees and wildlife. We took the Metro from Marina Bay and arrived at ??? station just 30 minutes later. It’s a short 10 minute walk from the station to the start of the trek we decided to take so very accessible for people wanting to get out of the city without needing to pay for a taxi.

(Overall rating 93/100)

Zoo and bird paradise

We decided to buy a bulk ticket that covered both Bird Paradise and the zoo. Both were fantastic tourist attractions.

Bird paradise:

Bird paradise was newly built when we arrived and building work around the periphery were still going on, although that didn’t impact our visit. The baking sun and heat though unfortunately did! The attraction itself is beautifully constructed, sympathetic to natural habitats and spread out across a huge area. Another plus point is the covered walkways and periodic air-conditioned huts so you don’t need to walk too far in the heat without cool resting zones to stop you overheating.

Zoo:

We went to the zoo after bird paradise and really enjoyed the slow walk around the park. There is a passenger train that can transport those who would find the walk too much, but for most people, it’s a very walkable thing to do (all dependent on the sun and heat of course.

(Overall rating 93/100)

Satay Street (Street Food)

“Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Satay Street” – Yes I can! And yes you must go!.

Satay Street, or Lau Pa Sat was recommended to us by work colleagues who live in the city. It comes to life at about 7pm every evening when ??? road is closed to traffic and turned into an outdoor barbecue and dining area. ??? road runs alongside the Lau Pa Sat hawker centre, a traditional street food market that are plentiful in Singapore.

The authentic of this place is what makes it so special, the smokey, spicy aromas that fill the city do nothing but lure you in – and once you’re in, the only thing youll have to complain about is the fact you’ll have to choose.

(Overall rating 93/100)

Sentosa Island 

Island overview:

The island of Sentosa is separated from the mainland by ?? kilometres. It can be accessed by road or cable car. And we were fortunate enough to do both. We stayed on Sentosa Island for a week, splitting our time between Shangri-La and the Capella.

The images below don’t really capture too much of the island, but that’s only because we didn’t visit it all. If I were to describe Sentosa to someone who’s never been – I’d say it’s an amalgamation of so many different things that it brings something for everyone. It has theme parks, raving nightlife, tranquil beaches, historic landmarks, luxury hotels and an abundance of local wildlife. WOW!

Fort Siloso:

To the Eastern most point of Sentosa island, and within walking distance of the Shangri-La hotel is Fort Siloso. This former military hideout has been renovated and converted into a visitor museum. What really delighted us during our trip was the untouched nature of the former barracks. It’s got that ‘untouched’ feel to it, which really helps to cast you back to the early start of last century when it was probably at its height – when colonial Singapore conceded to the Japanese. The museum tells the story of this invasion, and mannequins are used to imitate people and things that would have been around at the time. We loved our 2-3 hours meandering around the site – it’s one of the best wartime museums I’ve ever visited.

Palawan Island:

Although disputed, Palawan Island claims to be the southernmost point of continental Asia. It’s situated on the door of the Capella so we decided to leave the grounds for a trip across the road, across the bridge and up the viewing tower to take a look.

Hotel: Shangri La

We’ve stayed in Shangri-La hotels previously so felt very at ease booking this place for half of our second week.

Complex and accommodation:

The complex provides a good mix of a tropical environment along with the feel of a hotel resort, making it ideal for families who appreciate quality destinations.  

Main restaurant:

I have to give 10 out of 10 for the quality of food at Shangri-La. Whilst the interior wasn’t quite to the standard we’ve experienced previously, there were no holds barred with the food on offer. It was both top nosh and in abundance. We all were delighted with the variety, display, quality and ultimately taste – pass on our thanks to the chef.

Hotel: Capella

The Complex:

No photos will do the Capella justice. Ours included.

The Villa:

We were upgraded to a villa on arrival so had the unexpected bonus of this lavish accommodation for our stay. Each villa comes with its own private pool, spacious luxury interiors and outdoor bath and shower.

Fiamma for breakfast:

Breakfast at Fiamma was everything we expected it to be, and more. It boasts a number of buffet service stations as well as a sit down menu to order from as well.

The Living Room for Afternoon Tea:

Between 2pm and 4pm daily, complimentary afternoon tea is laid out in The Living Room. We took advantage of this every day. Not just for the delicious sweet treats and nibbles, but also to soak up the ambience.

Fiamma for Dinner:

We had evening meal at Fiamma, the Michelin recognised Italian restaurant all three nights. A selection of our servings are shown below. The quality of every dish was impeccable and the service was next to none.

Changi airport, including Crowne Plaza hotel 

I’d seen photos of Changi airport but nothing prepared me for actually being there. I should have know when I’d read recommendations for people suggesting visiting Changi airport as things to do when in Singapore – and I now know why. The fountain that dominates the main tropical hall is invigorating. We were lucky enough to see it by day and into the night.

Remnants of F1

We knew we would be visiting Singapore the week after the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix, but didn’t expect to see remnants of it during our stay. As F1 fans, of course it was great to see some of the track infrastructure and we made it in our way to soak up some of the left over fumes.

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Date of visit: 23 September 2023 to 07 October 2023