I originally planned a milestone celebration abroad last year, but because of certain circumstances, it unfortunately didn’t push through. So even though my milestone birthday happened a year ago, I still pushed for a year-late milestone birthday celebration this year. My destinations: Singapore and Thailand.
Traveling to Singapore isn’t cheap as it’s popularly known as one of the countries with high cost of living. While the small country will lure you with its imposing skyscrapers, high-end structures, natural glitz and a first-world lifestyle (even though you’re still in Asia), staying there will cost you several Singaporean dollars in one night alone.
The cheapest Singapore hotel you can find costs around Php 3,000 per night, and that’s a very small, cramped room with just the basic necessities. Most of these rooms also don’t have windows (which means they’re more of a motel-type room).
Fortunately for me though, I didn’t have to worry about such things because I have a college friend, Mabs, who lives in Singapore and who basically took me in during my two-night stay in the country. That same good, longtime friend was the one who made all my birthday wishes come true during my trip, which are the following:
- Enjoy the magical lights & sound show in Gardens by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay was among the places I wanted to visit during my Singapore trip because I’m a sucker for places with “magical” lights. Haha. The colorful pictures of the towering trees you’ll find on the Internet are enough to entice you to visit the place; add to that the fact that it’s one of the free attractions in Singapore: no entrance fee, except if you wish to visit one of the conservatories or try the OCBC Skyway.
The Gardens was my first destination during my Singapore trip, and boy, was I impressed big time. Once my friend and I stepped foot in the outdoor gardens surrounded by the giant, colorful trees, I felt like a kid again in my own wonderland. Indeed, it was like the Avatar world came to life right before our eyes.
What made that night and my birthday (I flew alone to SG exactly on my birthday) even more special was when the lights and sound show started. One by one, the huge trees’ lights danced to the tune of a lovely symphony, creating an unbelievable spectacle.
While craning my neck as I watched, I was filled with the same feelings I had when I watched the fireworks show in Hong Kong Disneyland back in 2011. My heart was bursting with joy like a little kid and I wished so hard that I had my family and other loved ones with me to see the same beautiful view that I was enjoying. (Sorry, I’m emotional like that, hahaha).
After the lights and sound show, my friend brought me to the restaurant in the Gardens by the Bay premises, SuperTree by Indochine, so we could enjoy 360-degree views of the Singapore city lights and skyline over a few drinks, which was actually the second item on my to-do list in Singapore. 😀
Note: The lights & sound show takes place at 7:45 pm and 8:45 pm daily.
- Soak up views of Singapore city lights & skyline at SuperTree by Indochine
Located right inside Gardens by the Bay (hence the name), SuperTree has an air-conditioned lounge and an al fresco rooftop bar that offers a breathtaking, 360-degree view of Gardens by the Bay and Singapore Central Business District.
Before my trip, I specifically told my friend that I wanted to celebrate my birthday with overlooking views of Singapore, and SuperTree by Indochine was indeed the perfect place. We were supposed to have dinner first at their air-conditioned lounge, but they were not receiving any guests anymore since it was already late, so we headed straight to the rooftop bar and enjoyed their complimentary drinks.
For a first-time visitor of Singapore like me, SuperTree by Indochine is an ideal place to take in and appreciate the natural glitz and glamour of the rich country.
On the right side of the bar you’ll see the towering Marina Bay Sands hotel up close, while the Singapore Flyer directly faces the bar from afar, along with the peaceful Marina Bay below it that’s surrounded by the glowing lights of the city’s skyscrapers.
There, in that beautiful (though windy) spot, Mabs and I caught up on each other’s lives over drinks and truffle fries as Singapore gleamed around and below us. 🙂
- Explore Marina Bay & Marina Bay Sands Hotel on foot
To further enjoy Singapore’s city lights, my friend and I crossed over to Marina Bay Sands Hotel from Gardens by the Bay after enjoying a few drinks. There’s actually a walkway/bridge connecting the two places, which make them easier to explore by foot, though I don’t recommend it to those who are too lazy to walk :p
On the way, we passed by my friend’s favorite spot for watching the lights & sound show. According to her, it’s the ideal spot because it’s far enough to see all the trees with their dancing lights and the entire Gardens by the Bay as opposed to being under the trees, which is somehow a strain to the neck, haha.
Since we’re both used to walking long distances, Mabs and I explored the stretch of Marina Bay, with Gardens by the Bay as our starting point.
I was able to step inside Marina Bay Sands Hotel itself and see the huge high-end boutiques in its shopping mall. From the mall, we stepped outside onto the bay to further soak up the views of Singapore at night.
We walked all the way to the Helix Bridge, which I found fascinating because of its extraordinary spiral design illuminated by little lights.
The bridge also features wide viewing platforms at strategic locations so pedestrians can enjoy the view of Singapore River and Marina Bay.
From the bridge, we crossed over to the other side of the bay, where we passed by the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre where my friend sometimes watches concerts, and paused here and there for a picture of the bay and the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, which is imposing from every angle.
We then went all the way to the famous Singapore landmark, Merlion, and capped off the night with a taste of thick Singapore ice cream (sandwiched between two wafers) that’s sold on the streets.
- See a panda in River Safari
Another item on my to-do list in Singapore was to see a panda. I first saw a panda in Hong Kong back in 2011 during a family trip, and I wanted to see one again while I was in Singapore since there are no pandas in my country, the Philippines.
So on my second day in Singapore, Mabs and I traveled all the way to River Safari, which is a one-hour bus ride away from the city, though the bus ride going there seemed forever. Haha. River Safari is right next to Singapore Zoo and Night Safari.
River Safari is home to various freshwater creatures found in the Amazon River. Among the notable creatures we saw upon entering are the fish with its seemingly hollow mouth, the scary, lifeless-looking sea alligator, and the manta rays, which swam closer to the edge of the aquarium every time we approached.
After that is the Giant Panda Forest, where red pandas, which look more like red squirrels, could be found. One of the red pandas seemed to be in a bad mood; it had a scowl on his/her face and hardly moved at all.
Meanwhile, the other one was very rowdy, which made taking pictures difficult 😛
Of course, the highlight of my River Safari trip was the giant panda, Kai Kai. The two pandas there, Kai Kai and Jia Jia, are said to be gifts to Singapore by China.
Kai Kai was smaller than the ones I saw in Hong Kong, but I found him cute and highly entertaining as he gave an acrobatics-like show during our visit because he was attempting to scratch himself against a tree.
Another highlight of our trip (though unexpected) were the manatees at Amazon Flooded Forest. The creatures were sooo huge; Mabs and I were so amazed just by looking at them.
We actually sat in front of the aquarium for a good couple of minutes, probably almost an hour, haha, just watching the manatees. Fortunately, we also made it to their feeding time while we were there.
Besides the amazing creatures, River Safari also offers beautiful, peaceful scenery along the way.
The sight of the river surrounded by lush trees was a sight to behold during our trip.
- Experience a cable car ride in Sentosa
For my last day in Singapore, Mabs and I went to one of SG’s most famous parks, Sentosa, just so I could ride a cable car again, which was also one of my birthday wishes. Haha.
There are various ways to get to Sentosa, but we took the Sentosa train going there. Upon entering, we had “mandatory” pics by the Universal Studios globe and candy land.
Along the way, we also passed by the huge merlion by the Sentosa sign (which I think is better and fiercer-looking than the merlion on Marina Bay :p). We then proceeded to the cable car station.
Just like in Hong Kong, the cable car in Sentosa passes a body of water, which offers a nice view from inside the cable car.
You can also see the entire park during the ride—the lush villas, each with its own pool, the swimming pools and water park, and even the highway outside the park.
What made the ride fun were the masks that came along with the Fly with the Superheroes package, which Mabs and I wore while we were laughing our nerves off as our cable car swung along to the wind. Haha.
We then explored the other side of the park where we saw bells hanging from a terrace, which bore the wishes of the people who have been there.
Since we didn’t have a lot of time to explore because we needed to catch our flight to Thailand that afternoon, we went back to our starting point after a couple of hours via another cable car ride. 🙂
Other Singapore Attractions
- Actors Jam Bar
This is a nice hangout/drinking place for Filipinos in Singapore. Here you’ll get to watch Filipino indie bands perform. Obviously, most of the people here are Filipinos.
- Clarke Quay
A popular drinking spot in Singapore, Clarke Quay is home to various bars, some with live music, located by the riverside.
This is also where you can try the insane bungee jumping ride, the G-Max Reverse Bungy and GX-5 Extreme Swing. No, I didn’t try them. Haha.
*Travel Date: March 2015
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