The past five weeks have been completely chaotic. On a whim, I decided to spend the long holiday weekend in Southeast Asia. As always, the timing could not have been any worse – I was leaving the country the day after my offer to purchase investment real estate was accepted and officially under contract. This meant that the five-day review period had already begun and that I would be reviewing inspection reports, financials and building documents en route or poolside.
Singapore
Since gaining its independence, Singapore has transformed into a global finance and commerce hub. Not only does this sovereign city-state attract business from all over, but it also has developed into a vacation destination. Indoor gardens. Man-made waterfalls. Night safaris. Despite its size, the tiny nation does have enough to see and do to fill a quick stopover itinerary.
After a total flying time of over 21 hours, I arrived at Singapore Changi Airport early in the morning on Saturday, May 26, 2018. I dropped off my backpack at the hotel and headed out to explore the city. The city is connected by a rail network called the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), making it quick and easy to get around. I boarded the train to Chinatown at the Bayfront MRT station after deciding to begin my day in the Central Area of Singapore, and later, working my way back to Marina Bay on foot.
After breakfast, I walked towards the river.
Colonial architecture fills the streets between the towering skyscrapers.
En route, I stopped and entered random temples along the way.
I spent some time people watching in Boat Quay while attempting to cool down.
Afterwards, I walked around the Fullerton Hotel to the famous Merlion statue.
In the distance, the Marina Bay Sands dominates the city’s skyline. The pier was filled with people attempting to capture the iconic image of the Merlion statue spitting water over the Marina Bay Sands.
Next to the hotel, Gardens by the Bay attracts locals and visitors from all over.
Prior to arriving in Singapore, I purchased an entrance ticket online. The two conservatories include the Flower Dome (the largest glass greenhouse in the world as listed in the 2015 Guinness World Records) and Cloud Forest (houses the world’s tallest indoor waterfall).
Next to the conservatories is Supertree Grove (iconic tree-like vertical gardens). Here, an aerial walkway connects two of the Supertrees, which offers an opportunity to see the Gardens from a different perspective – weather permitting, of course. Unfortunately, due to the day’s sporadic storms, the OCBC Skyway was closed each time I approached the entrance.
Marina Bay Sands
My bucket list included swimming in the world’s largest (and once highest?) rooftop infinity pool at the Marina Bay Sands hotel. Unfortunately, access to the Infinity Pool is restricted to registered hotel guests, which meant that I had to pay for the outrageously expensive one-night stay to enjoy this famous attraction.
I spent the rest of the afternoon getting my money’s worth.
Well, until the weather told me otherwise. The sporadic storms temporarily caused the pool and deck to close throughout the afternoon, forcing guests to wait poolside.
In between storms, I enjoyed a Singapore Sling while gazing down at the skyline from 57 levels above before returning to the Gardens by the Bay to experience the illuminated park at night.
The next morning, I left Singapore for a quick trip to Malaysia. Prior to departure, I bought a one-way bus ticket from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur with Sri Maju Group. There are many companies that offer transfers to Kuala Lumpur from the Golden Mile Complex in Singapore. I chose to book with Sri Maju Group based on the company’s relatively good reviews for $27 SGD, which was a little bit more than the other companies were charging. The journey took a little over six hours and left me in Kuala Lumpur early in the evening on Sunday, May 27, 2018 [see post: Two Days in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia].
