Singapore

Singapore is one of my favorite places I've visited. It is a relatively new place (only officially recognized as a sovereign city-state in 1965), but there is a great sense of history mixed with modern. The thing I love the most about Singapore is their commitment to being green. Since 1992 (way before the rest of the world understood the need for green living) their goal has been to ensure that Singapore could develop an economic growth model that does not compromise its environment. Everywhere you look in Singapore you will see this on display. From the amount of flowers and trees everywhere (even on buildings!), to their cleanliness, to their recycling efforts, it is a truly a beautiful to visit. Here are just a few more reasons to add this awesome place to your list:

1. Gardens by the Bay

This has to be one of the coolest places you'll ever visit. The Gardens by the Bay is a park that sits on 250 acres of reclaimed land right next to the Marina Reservoir. The overall goal of creating this park was to further the green efforts of Singapore to add as much greenery and flora to the city as possible. From a distance you can see the giant "trees" which vary in height and are lit up at night. Once you get closer however, you will see that each tree is actually a vertical garden. The trees consist of hundreds of plant species like ferns, vines, and orchids. Their uniqueness doesn't stop there. Each tree also includes environmental technologies within them that mimic the ecological function of trees. The trees have the ability to harness solar energy which can be used for lighting, as well as collecting rainwater for use in irrigation and fountain displays. Not only are these trees environmental masterpieces, they are beautiful! Whether you just walk around them or you walk along the elevated walkway, they are definitely a "must see" while in Singapore!

The Gardens by the Bay also includes the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest. The Flower Dome features hundreds of plants from locations in the Mediterranean and other semi-arid tropical regions like Australia, South America, and South Africa. The Cloud Forest replicates tropical mountain regions found in Southeast Asia and South America. The highlight of the Cloud Forest is the 138 feet tall "Cloud Mountain"which is covered in orchids, ferns, peacock ferns, bromeliads, and anthuriums. It also includes a giant waterfall.

2. Marina Bay

Not too far from the Gardens of the Bay you will find the Marina Bay. There is so much to do and see in this area. You can walk along the Waterfront Promenade to get to all that this area has to offer. I would recommend the following: the Merlion Statue, the ArtScience Museum, the Helix Bridge, The Singapore Flyer, and The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.

The Merlion Statue represents the official mascot of Singapore. Singapore's original name was Singapura, which was in derived from the Sanskrit meaning "liontown." Merlion can be seen throughout Singapore, but the statue at Marina Bay is the best because it includes a water feature and sits across from the picturesque Marina Bay Sands.

The ArtScience Museum consists of three galleries - Curiosity, Inspiration, Expression. The exhibits from each of these galleries include pieces incorporating art & science, media & technology, and design & architecture. The best part about this museum however, is the architecture! The museum is designed to look like a lotus flower. There is a round base in the middle and then ten extensions referred to as "fingers." Each of the "fingers" includes gallery spaces and skylights at the "fingertips." I mean, how cool is that?!

The Helix Bridge is a pedestrian bridge you can walk across for all the views! Designed to look like DNA (hence the name). The bridge includes four viewing platforms for views of the Singapore skyline and the whole Marina Bay. At night, the bridge is even cooler when it is lit up. There are even colored C, G, A, and T to represent cytosine, guanine, adenine and thymine (the four bases of DNA).

The Singapore Flyer is a giant ferris wheel like the London Eye. The Flyer is 541 feet high and has 28 air-conditioned capsules, which accommodate 28 passengers. Even if you don't ride it, it is still great for pictures! It adds that extra something special to your skyline pictures.

The Shoppes At Marina Bay Sands is an awesome modern shopping mall. While you may not want to spend all of your money on high item clothing or goods, you will want to go into this mall for the other sights (and the air conditioning!). This mall includes an awesome food court (we ate there several times), several water features, and a gondola ride! If you need a break from the heat (Singapore is a very tropical climate) and a fast, inexpensive option for food, stop by The Shoppes At Marina Bay Sands.

3. Marina Bay Sands Hotel

Ahhhhhhhhh my favorite part of the trip! Ok, so full disclosure, this place is not cheap. But trust me when I tell you it is so worth the money! When people think of Singapore, this is probably the first thing that comes to mind. This hotel is designed to look like a giant boat and it is such an amazing sight to see! The complex includes three towers and the "boat" on top (aka the SkyPark) includes a public observation area with 360-degree views of the Singapore skyline, nightclubs, gardens, hundreds of trees and plants, and a for hotel guests only the world's highest infinity pool, sitting a cool 627 feet above ground! When my friends and I started planning our Singapore trip, this pool was what started it all. We also chose New Year's Eve as our time to visit and I couldn't recommend that more because we were in the infinity pool, overlooking the city and the marina, at midnight watching the fireworks! It is one of my favorite travel experiences to date.

In addition to the amazing pool, which if I'm honest I could've spent the whole stay at the pool, the rooms were so nice, the huge shower had amazing water pressure, and we were on the side of the towers overlooking the Gardens by the Bay, so our view was spectacular!!!

4. Little India

If you hop on the MRT (Metro Rapid Transit) from Marina Bay Sands (the Bayfront stop), you can get on the "Downtown" line (purple) to the Little India stop. It's about 8 minutes and the MRT is so modern and clean! I'll discuss more about getting around on the MRT below. Little India features some awesome Indian style architecture, amazing colors, and of course Indian food. I love to explore the fun and unique neighborhoods in cities and this was just that. I haven't been to India yet, so it was the closest I've felt so far. It was also nice because there's always a Chinatown, but rarely anything else in major cities. I liked seeing something different.

5. Chinatown Complex Food Centre

Speaking of Chinatown, this one is worth the visit for an entirely different reasons than most. The reason: you can eat a Michelin star meal for $1.85! Yes, less than TWO DOLLARS!!! Hawker Chan Liao Fan HK Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle won a Michelin star in 2016 for their signature chicken rice dish. People will wait in line for a LONG time, so when you go make sure you get there early! It's a fun open-air hawker center with tons of food and beverage stalls. It is quite the experience! In addition to Chan Liao's stall, we had some delicious fresh squeezed juices for less than $1.00. It was an amazingly tasty meal for less than a bagel in NYC!

6. Sentosa

While I didn't get to visit this island while in Singapore, it is high on my list when I go back (yes, will definitely be going back to Singapore!). This island is just a 1/4 mile from the main island of Singapore and features a beach, Fort Siloso, two golf courses, 14 hotels, and the Resorts World Sentosa, which includes Universal Studios Singapore and a casino. There is also a cable car that will get you there! I'm a sucker for a cable car and try to ride one everywhere I visit. I saw the ads for this cable car and Sentosa all over the MRT, but unfortunately just didn't have the time that visit. Must go on the next visit!

photo cred: Sentosa

*Tips*

Getting Around - As stated above, the MRT is a great way to get around Singapore. Not only is it convenient with stops all over Singapore close to everything you want to see/do, it is also inexpensive, clean, and easy to navigate. The maps in the stations are super easy to read and every line is a different color, so you won't get confused. They also have the funniest ads throughout the stations and on the trains aimed at making sure everyone has a pleasant experience by being courteous riders. We honestly could not stop laughing on our trip every time we thought about Stacey ("Stand Up Stacey") and Benny ("Bag Down Benny")! haha The other characters were Martin ("Move-In Martin"), Hannah ("Hush Hush Hannah"), and Glenda ("Give-Way Glenda"). If only we had that in the States for man spreading! Another great option to get around is the car service Grab. It's just like Uber and Lyft, so make sure to download the app before you leave or from the free wifi you can easily find throughout the city.

Airport - Singapore Changi Airport is continuously ranked as the top airport in the world and there is good reason why. From countless shops and restaurants, to a free movie theater, to a butterfly garden, to the new indoor water feature "The Jewel" there is so much to do and see. I had an overnight layover and I found plenty to do until my 7:00am flight to Phuket (the first part of our trip). It is quite easy to get to Singapore from the U.S. with just about every airline offering connecting routes either on their carriers or their partner carriers. I connected through Tokyo on a direct flight from Washington DC to Tokyo. Overall, it was a long but easy route to get there.

Climate - Let it be known before you arrive that Singapore is hot and humid! From the moment we exited Changi Airport, the tropical climate hit us hard. It's not overbearing, but just know that you will sweat. When you're packing, make sure to pack lots of loose clothing and nothing too hot. You will have plenty of opportunities to cool off in the A/C, but walking around can be quite sticky. It's totally worth it though once you see the beauty of Singapore!

Local customs/laws - So many people reacted the same way when I said I was going to Singapore: "Aren't you afraid of their crazy laws? You can't chew gum there!" Singapore prides itself on its cleanliness, so it imposes laws and regulations to maintain this. Chewing gum is the big one people know and that's because in an attempt to keep Singapore clean, chewing gum is banned. There is not any current set of regulations with provisions for carrying gum for personal use, but improper disposal of gum and carrying large quantities of the banned product will cost a hefty fine of up to $1000 for first time offenders. Better to just leave the gum at home! Likewise, littering and smoking are also heavily regulated. First time litterer offenders who throw cigarette butts or candy wrappers on the ground are fined $300. As always when traveling, just use common sense and respect the land you're visiting!

Perjalanan yang baik!