I’m still working through a few blogs and catching up on them. I expect to finish off last year’s travel blogs in the next couple weeks (with only Taiwan and Kuala Lumpur left after this one). Currently I’m chilling in Siem Reap while waiting to get picked up for my flight down to Phnom Penh.

Quite a few of my friends have seen the movie Crazy Rich Asians and I went into visiting Singapore with a an open view as we all know movies tend to exaggerate or colour perceptions incorrectly. With a bit of research, I found that you definitely don’t have to spend an exorbitant amount of money to enjoy the world’s most safest country/city. I was also in town for an event and to meet up with some friends but I padded a few extra days at the beginning of the week to check things out for myself. Singapore, being near the equator and surrounded by water, was understandably hot and humid for the entire time and also included hits of rain.

My itinerary for the trip included:

• November 26th: Caught the light rail from the airport to the city. The metro system is well run and has frequent enough trains. Checked into the hostel I was staying in for 4 nights (Fisher BnB) and found a great open air food court just across the road.
• November 27th: Spent the morning exploring the Chinese and Japanese Gardens under a threat of rain. Visited the National Museum to check out some local Singapore history. Finished off sightseeing with a walk through Fort Cannon Park and a quick stop to check out Sri Thendayuthapani Temple.
• November 28th: Met up with Canadian friends for Thai food lunch which is hilarious as I had just left Thailand a couple days before. We all ended up going to the Maritime Museum and Aquarium. Also, got my replacement credit and debit cards from one of my friends – thankfully I wouldn’t have to pull cash with my credit card anymore!
• November 29th: Picked up my event badge as well as tasted some Michelin star Hawker Chan chicken rice. It did not disappoint! Spent the afternoon exploring Chinatown and the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple before heading down to the Gardens by the Bay for the evening.
• November 30th: Event day. Checked into the Fairmont Singapore with the friend I had met up with back in Bangkok. As he’s a travel agent, he got us a really good deal for 3 nights!
• December 1st: Another event day.
• December 2nd: Spent the morning and early afternoon with some friends from Japan (along with the travel agent friend) to head out to western Singapore for a visit to Jurong Bird Park. Ended the day first getting a drink and checking out the view from the 71st floor Bar Rouge before joining friends at a fantastic seafood restaurant and having a most amazing chili crab.
• December 3rd: So long Singapore! Time for Taiwan. A side note: the airport is a fantastic destination unto itself with a movie theatre, a butterfly park, a huge variety of food options, and when I visited, Harry Potter themed interactive exhibits.

The first place I stayed at, as mentioned above, was Fisher BnB. It’s a serviceable hostel with excellent lockers as well as a convenience store right by it with a large open air food court just across the road.

 

The last three nights in Singapore I ended up at the Fairmont Singapore as: 1) splitting it with a travel agent friend was pretty cheap as he got it for a good deal and 2) it was near the event I was attending. There really is no reason to review it as it is as opulent and amazing as it sounds.

Singapore is a great city to visit for a few days, especially for the hawker culture, but I wouldn’t do an extended vacation here. I’m sure living here is great as it’s a world class city with all sorts of amenities but it’s not a exactly a traveller’s paradise.