I look at Singapore as a model city-state, because of its
consciousness in preserving its land and resources, integrating nature as a
garden-city against its highly urban setting. Safety, fairness and convenience
are the themes that regulations bring to all of its people. One needs to know
the city very well to determine the balance between save and splurge, luxury
versus being content with the common choices there are. Plus, it may be a bit
pricey to do everything at once in SG, but we keep talking about going back and
doing what we missed.
For someone who has a long weekend and can endure a four-hour midnight
flight to SG, here’s what you can do in metropolitan Singapura:
Gardens by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay is a popular complex for both young and old to
explore and learn about various species of plants. My favorite spots are easily
the cacti and succulents. Obviously, my mother’s favorites are the orchid
displays. The waterfalls inside the Cloud Forest is refreshing too. The complex
is divided into two: The Cloud Forest features a waterfall with many jungle
plants, rainforest species and a stalagtite display. The Flower Dome is also a very
beautiful place to experience different flower species cleverly arranged inside
the largest indoor garden. For this particular Sunday, there were so many
visitors, must also be because of the long weekend.
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| The waterfalls inside Cloud Forest and display of Lego structures by the pond |
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| Venus Flytraps growing in a terrarium |
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| The terrarium collection in the Cloud Forest |
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| Marina Bay Sands from the Cloud Forest canopy walk |
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| The stalactite display in the Cloud Forest |
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| Inside the Flower Dome with succulent displays |
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| Collection of colorful tin canisters in the Flower Dome |
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| Garden display in the Flower Dome |
Marina Bay Sands Roof Deck 56th
Floor
Yes, that’s
the 56th Floor of the most luxurious hotel and mall in SG. For an entrance fee,
we were able to go to the highest viewing deck and café and see the city from a tall vantage point. I also got to see a glimpse of the seaport that has interested me. Here in
the deck, I realized that although we share the same time zone with SG, the sun
at 5:00 PM is like 3:00 PM heat, and that it sets late in the evening and rises
late in the morning. Unlike in the Philippines, by the time 8:00 AM rolls in,
the sun is up already.
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| View from Marina Bay Sands 56th Floor Deck and Cafe and Seaport |
Sentosa Island + Universal Studios
No visit to Singapore is complete without going to Sentosa and
Universal Studios. Sentosa is an island destination filled with amusement parks
and resorts, it’s really a family getaway. We took the cable car from Faber
Peak just across Vivo City to Sentosa and from the Merlion Station in Sentosa,
took the short tram ride to Universal Studios.
Universal Studios features a lot of studio sets, from Jurassic World,
to Waterworld, Transformers, Far Far Away and Madagascar. My personal favorite
is The Mummy and the studio set where we visited offered a really cool experience
of seeing how it all works behind the cameras. Steven Spielberg’s walk-in
Lights, Camera, Action is a must-visit. There are a lot of shows to enjoy, but queuing
up for the rides can take a up a lot of time, not to mention that some faster
rides don’t allow people with high cholesterol and heart disease to ride them,
so it’s better to turn around while it’s still early. I regret not getting the
express pass for all rides and shows to beat the queues. Lesson learned for
another day then.
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| The round trip cable car to Sentosa Island from Faber Peak |
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| Universal Studios Gate, Sentosa Island |
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| The Mummy set in Universal Studios |
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| Far Far Away, Universal Studios, Sentosa Island |
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| Waterworld Show, Universal Studios, Sentosa Island |
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| The Popcorn Truck, Universal Studios |
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| Palawan Beach, Sentosa Island |
Jurong Bird Park
Jurong Bird Park was my idea, so it took us a couple of bus rides from
the condo where we were staying to take the buses to Jurong District.
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Lorry Loft, Jurong Bird Park
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It’s a good attraction for both young and old, and the one-way tram
ride is enough to let you encircle the whole park. Different stops also mean different
shows. Lorry Loft allows you to feed lorries so that you can get up close and
personal with them while you feed them. Waterfall Aviary lets you experience
different birds that dwell near bodies of waters, from waterfalls to ponds. There’s
also the Pelican Show nearby. The High Flyers show is in the amphitheater and
it’s all about colorful macaws, with various talents. Of course, the show isn’t
complete with games and a show of dancing flamingoes because …. Piiiiiiiiink…
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| Pelican Cove, Jurong Bird Park |
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| Flamingo Pool, Jurong Bird Park |
Lastly, there’s a show of predator birds, from hawks, eagles and (gulp) vultures. Even one white vulture named Kevin has a story of his own, flying from the Himalayas in search of food, he arrived in downtown Singapore so exhausted. Staff from the Bird Park took him in and helped to rehabilitate him back to health.
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| Botanical Gardens, Singapore |
Botanical Gardens
The Botanical Gardens are for you if you love growing orchids and
enjoy Old English gardens, and if you have the energy to walk around. Admission
is cheap, at only SG$5 per person, but during our visit, it poured so we
scurried to the top of the hill. It’s really a relaxing place to walk around
in, plus it’s therapeutic with various landscaping all over the place, there are
a lot of zen gardens you can find in the sprawling area. It’s a Unesco World
Heritage Site and great for weekend walks and just recharging with the help of
nature.
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| The Botanical Gardens Clock Tower |
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| It said photo spot so...... |
Chinatown
As anybody knows, Chinatown is the place for food and pasalubong so here’s where one is allowed to splurge. And because mooncake season is up, anybody who’s exposed to Chinese culture know that they can just keep showing up before Autumn Festival in all shapes and sizes, for example we found the piggy shaped and merlion mooncake.
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| Getting off the crossing to Chinatown, (you know you're in Chinatown because of the lanterns) |
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| I'm curious as to how long these structures have been here and how many generations have passed through |
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| Merlion mooncake |
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| Piggy shaped mooncake |
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| There are endless shops in Chinatown, so many shops, not enough SG$ lol |
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Chinatown square
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Looking back at our quick escape, a week is not enough in Singapore. There
are still so many things to do and see. We did agree to ourselves that we can
always come back one way or another. In the meantime, here’s an interesting
mural to conclude our Singapura trip. Ciao!
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| Mural in Chinatown |
