singapore – Travels with Billie

Disembarking our ship in Singapore, I was facing a full day before my late evening flight. My friend Judy and I decided to do what I’ve done many times in the past: take an excursion that would end up dropping us at the airport in the afternoon. When I booked the excursion, however, I hadn’t counted on the heat and humidity. We did have a nice tour, although it was again a day of ending up with clothing wet from perspiration. Not the most comfortable way to begin a 22 hour trip; I’m heading to Malta from here. If you’re anywhere near as old as I am, you probably remember the TV program “Sweating to the Oldies” with Richard Simmons. Well, this was sweating WITH the oldies (fellow passengers) from my cruise.

Let me advise you from the start: the Singapore airport is a destination in itself. Had I realized this before (I arrived in Singapore at midnight and didn’t take much time to look around) I would have just gone straight to the airport. More about that later.

Our first stop was the National Orchid Garden, which, of course, was nearly all outside in the heat. The garden is big, with many winding paths. Since it is an easy place to get lost and we had limited time, our guide offered to take us through if we wished. I’m glad we stayed with him, since his knowledge of the various orchids made it more interesting. There was one place in the garden that was my favorite: the cool room. Have I mentioned that it’s hot in Singapore?

These orchids made me smile: don’t they look like they are smiling back?

Our next stop took us to Chinatown, which was great since we missed it when we were there before the cruise. We were given time to have lunch in the hawker mall, which was a maze of dozens of food vendors, all delicious. With the Chinese New Year approaching, the area was awash in red decorations and people making purchases for the coming holiday. After our lunch I went to explore the temple nearby.

We then headed to the Bay for a river cruise. We made a stop at Raffles, which was essentially an opportunity to peruse their (very expensive) gift shop. Then down to the river. It was a different perspective on the area we have visited before, with another look at the Merlion from the water. What I found the most interesting were the historic former warehouses along the waterfront. Built mostly by Chinese merchants, they were situated on the river before it was made into a bay.We were told the size of the building reflected the wealth of that particular merchant. Today they are restored buildings with shops and restaurants.

The contrast between the former warehouses and the skyscrapers show the history of Singapore’s growth.

We were finally off to the airport, and relieved that we would be in air conditioning again. When I had a long wait in the Buenos Aires airport, I got into a conversation with a fellow traveler who told me about the Singapore airport. He encouraged me to set aside some time to explore when I flew there. I’m so glad he did.

When we arrived a the airport I learned that the airline I was flying, Emirates, would allow me to check my bags up to 24 hours ahead of time. Not all airlines do this, but it’s a nice perk. If that isn’t possible, there’s a luggage storage desk right next to the early luggage drop. I checked my bags and friend Judy went to check in to her hotel room, which was also in the airport. Then we enjoyed a refreshment break at one of the many little cafes, and wandered through the gigantic shopping mall attached to the airport. And there in the middle of the mall is a lovely green space with a waterfall.

And there’s even a Disney-style ride!

All in all, this trip to Singapore and the cruise has been a great adventure. Next I’m off to Malta to hang out by the Mediterranean for a month.

I arrived in Singapore at 2 am local time after 22 hours of travel. How wonderful it was to have a driver waiting to meet me and whisk me off to my hotel!

My reservation was at the Quincy Hotel, just a couple of blocks off the famous Orchard Road shopping street. I originally wanted to stay in the Marina Bay Area, but the prices were more than I wanted to pay. The Quincy was a good option, since there is a metro stop within walking distance. The Metro is so easy to use: just tap your card or your phone going in and out. Signage is good, and the staff was always willing to answer questions.

A big shout out to The Quincy. The staff was responsive, answering my email questions before arrival very promptly. They were friendly and accommodating, and the breakfast was exceptional. When we got ready to leave, I asked if I should use my Grab app (like Uber for Asia) or have them arrange a taxi. Not only did the desk manager arrange a taxi, he told me it was no cost to me!

My travel friend arrived in the evening of the first day. While waiting for her to arrive I decided to explore the Orchard Road shopping area. It really is a shoppers paradise, with dozens of designer stores and shopping malls, all interconnected.

Singapore is famous for its hawker malls, and Orchard Road is no exception. I ventured into the basement of Tangs, a long-established department store, and found several dozen hawker stands offering a wide variety of foods from different cultures. I chose a delicious noodle dish and a yummy drink made with lime and mint.

The next day we tried to fit in as much of Singapore as possible. First we took the metro to Little India and visited a temple that was quite busy, as the following day was a holy day. As we walked around the area we realized most of the shops were selling gold jewelry-a lot of it!-and clothing-mostly saris. We did browse one area of clothing shops but realized their idea of a large size is quite different from ours.

Then we again took the Metro to the Marina Bay area to visit the beautiful gardens that were created on reclaimed land. We visited the domed Cloud Forest, with the highest indoor waterfall in the world. They had a special exhibit that incorporated Jurassic Park creatures into the gardens, so you never knew when you might come across a dinosaur.

Then we went across to the Flower Gardens, which were all dressed up for the coming Chinese New Year-the year of the horse. Actually, signs of the coming new year celebration were everywhere-beautiful decorations and lanterns, and red clothing to bring good luck.

Singapore is such an interesting meld of cultures, and it makes for a fascinating city. British, Chinese, Indian, Malay, Japanese-they all contribute to the culture of Singapore.

After walking through the Supertree Forest, we headed to the Marina Bay Towers for our dinner reservation at Lavo, a lovely restaurant at the top of the hotel. The views were incredible, the food delicious, and the service great. I’m so glad my friend Judy had the foresight to make reservations well ahead of time. We had hoped to be able to see the evening light show from the towers, but our timing was off and we didn’t think they wanted us to camp at our table for another couple of hours. Note to self: next time look up the time of sunset.

The next day we had a few hours before boarding our cruise ship, so we again took the Metro down to the bay. We wanted to visit the Merlion, the fountain/statue that has come to symbolize Singapore, and then go to the Long Bar at the historic Raffles Hotel for a Singapore Sling. Unfortunately, we weren’t the only people with that idea, and there was a line at Raffles. We were told it would be at least a half hour before we could enter. After doing the math and realizing we had to return to our hotel for our luggage and get to the port before our ship sailed at 3 PM, we decided to save it for another time.

We did make the ship on time (the Diamond Princess) and we were off to our next adventure.

Tag: singapore

Exploring Singapore Before Your Flight