Another Thursday is here! It only means one thing – it’s time for a Throwback Thursday Treat! This time, I will take you to a small & progressive country named Singapore 🇸🇬. Late December 2015, my family & I flew to Singapore for a year-end trip. It was my sister & dad’s first out of the country trip so this family excursion was memorable. This trip marked my 4th time (2011, 2012 & same year, but in August 2015) in Singapore so I wasn’t really pressured to go to so many places.
View of the Marina Bay from the Helix Bridge entrance
I can’t remember what came into our minds why we chose Singapore but I think it was the best place for an ‘out of the country’ experience for first timers. We spent 5 days & 5 nights in the country. Let me share with you some details of this overseas family trip.
Colorful murals of Haji Lane
Plane Ticket
Christmas / New Year holiday season is one of the most expensive seasons to fly to all domestic & international destinations. It happens not just here in the Philippines but pretty much all over the world. Most people spend the holidays with their families in their hometowns or in popular tourist destinations.
View from my sister’s window seat on our flight to Singapore
We booked our tickets 4 months before & we paid around ₱6,300 each round-trip. This rate is already cheap considering we flew out of Manila during the December 30 holiday & we flew back Monday morning after the new year. We flew with Cebu Pacific Air; both flights utilized their Airbus A330 wide-body, twin-engine & mono-class (all economy) jet airliner.
Where We Stayed
Looking for the best accommodation during the holiday season was a bit stressful. We were a group of 8 so we had limited choices. Initially, we booked a 3-bedroom apartment near Orchard Road via Airbnb. The host cancelled our reservation 6 days before our trip due to some maintenance works in the unit. Almost all 3-bedroom apartments were fully booked. Luckily, there were still a few rooms available in Plush Pods Hostel.
My sisters & I while waiting for our turn in the Shrek 4D Adventure USS
This hostel has private & dormitory rooms. The kids stayed in a quadruple room while the adults got 2 double rooms. Each room had private shower & en suite. They also offered free Wi-Fi & free, simple breakfast of coffee, tea & toast. The hostel’s rates were still cheap (even during the holiday season) compared to the hotel / hostels nearby. Location was a plus – it’s just located at the back of the Bugis Junction Mall. It is also located near Bugis MRT Station on the East West (Green) Line & Downtown (Blue) Line.
Met with my friend, Lord of LordAroundTheWorld, who’s now based in SG
This hostel used to be really good when we were there. I checked the recent TripAdvisor reviews; looks like it hasn’t been maintained really well. Sad.
Where We Welcomed 2016
Singapore, just like any other major city in the world, has its own New Year Countdown. People gather around the Marina Bay Area & wait for 12 midnight to welcome the new year. The highlights, as always, are the light projections in the Fullerton Hotel facade & the grand fireworks display from Marina Bay. The family already agreed to welcome 2016 in Marina Bay area.
View from Concourse Skyline
Everything changed when we saw a family friend of ours after the New Year’s Eve Mass in St. Joseph’s Church in Bugis. They invited us to welcome the new year with them in their flat in Concourse Skyline. Their place had a very nice view of the Marina Bay fireworks. All of us enjoyed good food & company that night!
Happy New Year!! 🎆
How We Went Around Singapore
Singapore is a tourist-friendly country. Public transportation – train lines & bus routes – take you pretty much everywhere in the country, from one end to the other end. The airport is 30 minutes away from the city center.
Shrek’s Castle in Universal Studios Singapore
There are various tourist passes available for people visiting for 2-3 days. We opted for the EZ-Link Card because we stayed for 5 days. This is the country’s contact-less stored value card similar to Japan’s IC Card, Hong Kong’s Octopus Card, Taipei’s Easy Card & South Korea’s T-Money Pass. Basically, you load up credit in the card & just tap every time you go in & out of a train station & every time you take the bus. This card can also be used in convenience stores & some establishments.
We used the EZ-Link Card in all train rides within Singapore. It was very handy & easy to use.
Where We Went In Singapore
I’ve been to Singapore a number of times & I keep coming back to the same places / areas for sightseeing & shopping.
Bugis
Formerly a trading area of Bugis people from South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Bugis is now a known shopping area in Singapore. The Bugis Street Market & Bugis Junction Shopping Mall are two of the most visited shopping places in the area. This is one of the best places to get your souvenirs when in Singapore.
Access: Bugis MRT Station – East West (Green) & Downtown (Blue) Lines
Haji Lane
Haji Lane is a tiny alley composed of shop houses, cafes & bars (at night). It is usually the hang out & shopping area of the ‘fashionista’ young people – both locals & tourists. You will see specialty shops, cafes & restaurants in this small lane. The famous colorful mural can also be found here.
Access: Bugis MRT Station – East West (Green) & Downtown (Blue) Lines
Little India
From its name, Little India is an ethnic district where you can find the Singaporean-Indian community. The area also has some nice shops (with cheap finds) & cheap hawker centers.
Access: Little India MRT Station – North East (Purple) & Downtown (Blue) Lines
Chinatown
Chinatown is the ethnic district for the Chinese community. This area is characterized by boutique cafes & Chinese restaurants. This is also a good place to go shopping for souvenirs; prices in this area are relatively cheaper.
Access: Chinatown MRT Station – North East (Purple) & Downtown (Blue) Lines
Merlion Park
The Merlion is Singapore’s national icon. This half lion & half fish statue is found in Merlion Park facing the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. According to the Visit Singapore website, the fish body symbolizes Singapore’s humble beginnings as a fishing village called ‘Temasek‘ (meaning sea town in Old Javaese); & the lion head represent’s the country’s original name ‘Singapura,’ meaning lion city in Malay.
Access: Raffles Place MRT Station – North South (Red) & East West (Green) Lines
The Helix Bridge
The Helix Bridge is an architecturally designed pedestrian bridge that eases the access to The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands & the Marina Bay Hotel itself from the Marina Center area. It was also in this area where we found the S$ 1.20 ice cream sandwich.
Access: Promenade MRT Station – Circle (Orange) & Downtown (Blue) Lines; This can also be accessed by a few minutes walk from Marina Bay MRT Station – North South (Red) & Circle (Orange) Lines
Marina Bay Sands Hotel & The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
The Helix Bridge ends at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. This is one of Singapore’s biggest & most luxurious shopping malls. You can find mid to high end clothing, accessories & footwear brands here. This shopping mall is connected to one of Singapore’s iconic landmarks – The Marina Bay Sands Hotel. This hotel is composed of 3 tall hotel buildings & a boat-like structure on top (connecting the 3 buildings) which contains the a spectacular infinity pool & a sky park. Visitors can pass by the hotel buildings if they are going to the Gardens By The Bay from the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.
Access: Marina Bay MRT Station – North South (Red) & Circle (Orange) Lines
Gardens By The Bay
Gardens By The Bay is a man-made nature park located in a reclaimed area in Marina Bay. This 101-hectare park consists of 3 waterpark gardens – Bay South, Bay East & Bay Central. Each garden has its own set of attractions. We only visited the part that is directly behind Marina Bay Sands Hotel due to time limitations. If you want to explore the whole place, I recommend spending one whole day in this amazing place.
Access: Marina Bay MRT Station – North South (Red) & Circle (Orange) Lines
Universal Studios Singapore
Universal Studios Singapore is one of the country’s main tourist attractions for kids & kids at heart who grew up watching movies & shows created by Universal Studios. The theme park is located within Resort World Sentosa in Sentosa Island. One should spend the whole day here from morning until the evening & make sure to try all possible rides. My favorite rides are Battlestar Galactica – Human & Cylon, Transformers 4D & Revenge of the Mummy. Make sure to buy the Express Pass if you want to “skip” the long queue in these rides.
Access: Click here to see all options of transportation to Resorts World Sentosa
Orchard Road
Orchard Road is Singapore retail & entertainment heaven. This is the best place to splurge on clothes, bags & shoes. This 2.2 km long road features a number of affordable to luxury retail shops & shopping malls. You can also find a number of famous hotel brands in this area. This is the go-to place for everyone who wants to go shopping in Singapore. I suggest that you spend at least half a day here to go around.
Access: Orchard MRT Station – North South (Red) & Thomson-East Coast (Brown) Lines
What We Missed Visiting
We only had a few days in Singapore so it was not possible to visit all nice places. Sad to say we missed a few good ones like the Singapore Botanic Gardens, National Gallery Singapore, Singapore Zoo & Night Safari, Singapore Art Museum, Clarke Quay & Boat Quay. I’ll definitely check out these places when I get the chance to go back to Singapore in the future.
Got these cute toys for free in Singapore’s Changi Airport
PS. I would consider Singapore’s Changi Airport as another must-explore in Singapore. This airport was voted the World’s Best Airport for 5th year in a row in last year’s Skytrax World Airport Awards. The airport recently opened it’s Terminal 4 featuring world class design & amenities. Make sure to go to the airport earlier to explore the airport before checking in for your flight.
Looking back, this year-end / new year trip was fun & memorable. You always don’t get the chance to welcome the new year with your family in a different country. We had endless laughs & good memories to cherish for the rest of our lives. I don’t travel with my family that much (I always go alone lol) but I think these trips are good to have once in a while. I’m already looking forward to our next family trip. Where will it be? Stay tuned.
I can stare at this view all day. Beautiful view from The Helix Bridge! 😍
Have you been to Singapore? 🇸🇬 do you think of the country? What are the other must-see places that I missed out mentioning above? Feel free to share them by posting a comment below. You can also send an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Drop me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter.
PS. Photos were taken using my HTC Re.
Nice throwback, Pao! :))
Haha, thanks! See you next week! And yes, again in Singapore! 🙂