I found myself wandering around my neighboring countries again, savoring its magic&charm. W/ MJ, we strolled the streets of Singapore, KL, Penang, Bangkok, Lopburi and Ayutthaya, while I’ve gone solo in Vientiane. At the end of it all, I got sensory overload w/ new&exotic flavors, old&distinct scents, stunning architecture&historical landmarks, loud&quiet sounds, busy&serene air – but still I want MORE. I simply can’t get enough of Asia.
With just 48 hours in Singapore, we can’t afford to waste our precious time so after we checked in at The Hive and took a shower, we explored the city.
With my previous travels abroad, I often preferred Do-It-Yourself Walking Tours than joining group tours as the former would allow me to explore a city/town at my own pace.
The Molestation of Baby Merlion...Photo credits: MJ
But as we were pressed for time, we decided to join Singapore Duck Tours’ Hop On-Hop Off.Well, actually, I was just not in the mood to walk and to lazy to read the map.Anyways, as it turned out, this was a good idea as we were able to see most of Singapore’s attractions at SGD33!The Heritage HiPPOtours allowed us to see the Little India, 24-Hour Mustafa Center and Kamping Glam, Chinatown, etc.We then hopped on with the City HiPPOtours and got to see the Botanic Garden (just the gate of it actually!), Singapore Flyer, Esplanade, Raffles Hotel, and Orchard Road.We couldn’t resist not hopping off at the MerlionPark.We got up close with the Mother Merlion and baby Merlion and did the SG tourist clichés!
A trip to Singapore isn’t complete without a river cruise at Clarke Quay so we hopped on with the HiPPO River Cruise.The 30-minute ride allowed us to catch a glimpse of the life along the SingaporeRiver.
The popular SentosaIsland resort was not part of our IT.The idea that it was just an artificial and reclaimed island didn’t sound appealing to me.But when it was part of the Sightseeing Pass of Singapore Duck Tours, who am I to resist a free ride and a chance to see Big Daddy Merlion!
We ended our first day in Singapore with a tour in the all-lit up and heavily decorated with candy cane street lamps Orchard Road with this year’s Christmas theme of Sweet Christmas.It was definitely a sweet way to conclude our Singapore sightseeing.
Since we’re traveling on a budget, we found ourselves at the Budget Terminal of Changi Airport.What a disappointment.I was looking forward to set foot on one of the world’s best airports.Really wanting to experience Changi, we asked around how to go there and luckily, there’s a free bus that transports passengers to the ‘real’ Changi.
A few minutes later, we were in Changi -- shops closed, a few restos opened, empty, and dark.So we did what we came here for -- sleep -- while waiting for the train (MRT) to open, the fastest and cheapest way to get to the city proper.(FYI:We’re on a budget; Singapore taxi never crossed our minds.)
With just a few minutes of shut-eye (and we couldn’t actually sleep because there were janitors all over the place polishing the floor!), we decided to roam around and look for the MRT Station.After a few escalator rides and wrong turns and with the help of a friendly Espanol guy, we were at Changi Airport MRT Station.
