It had been almost a year since the four of us had gone on a vacation somewhere. We thought of Singapore and almost immediately booked a four-day trip to the Lion City, during the first week of May.

 

Day 1

On Friday, May 3rd we landed in Singapore at 8 am. We had taken the midnight flight on FlyScoot, which was the cheapest flight available but was comfortable. 

We decided to have breakfast at the airport but were surprised to find all the shops closed. Only a coffee shop was open, where we drank a latte. We were too tired and hungry to take the subway, so we took a cab. There were different cabs, and we chose ‘Tada’, which was the least expensive cab. 

After a twenty-minute drive, we reached our hotel, ‘Serangoon House’, in ‘Little India’. Our room had a bunk bed, with two king-size beds, which four adults could comfortably sleep in. The restroom, however, was quite small, which proved to be a little challenging.

         

After freshening up, we had our brunch at around 11, in ‘Saravana Bhavan’, right opposite our hotel. This ‘Saravana Bhavan’, was much better, in terms of ambiance and quality, compared to the ones back in Chennai.

We went to the Merlion Park at around four. It was a bit cloudy, but the weather was quite pleasant. We enjoyed the walk around the lake and clicked pics near the iconic Merlion and in front of the Marina Bay Sands. It was amazing to see the tall white statue of the Merlion, with a mermaid tail and the head of a lion, from which the country got its name. You can learn more about the Merlion from https://www.visitsingapore.com/neighbourhood/featured-neighbourhood/marina-bay/merlion-park/.

We went to the Marina Bay Sands Mall, via a bridge that connected the park to the mall. The mall was huge, had several shops, and even had a small lake at the center with boat rides. Most of the shops, however, were expensive brands such as ‘Gucci’, ‘Prada’, and ‘Louis Vuitton’, from which we didn’t buy anything, but we enjoyed walking around the mall. 

We wanted to go to the observation deck at the top of the ‘Marina Bay Sands’, but unfortunately, all the tickets had been sold out and weren’t available for the next three days. We returned to our hotel, ate dinner in ‘Saravana Bhavan’, and decided to call it a day. 

 

Day 2

The next day, Saturday, May 4th, we went to Sentosa Island. We had booked tickets for the Sky Luge, which had many outdoor rides. However it was raining very heavily, and we couldn’t go for it, though we got full refunds for our tickets, as we had booked them directly through the website. 

We went to Madame Tussaud’s, as it was nearby and indoors, though it was not on our schedule. We saw wax figurines of a few celebrities such as Karan Johar, Ranveer Singh, and Michael Jackson, though all the wax figurines didn’t resemble the celebrities. There was also a section that described the history of Singapore and there was a short boat ride as well. 

There were a few food stalls, and we had frankies and pav bhaji in ‘Kailash Parbat’. My brother and I went on a ten-minute 4D ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ ride. The seats moved, and water and mist came out from under them, and it was kind of fun, but not worth the money. 

Afterward, we went on a zip line ride. We wore the safety harnesses, and zip-lined at a height of about 45 feet, across a small stretch of trees and the sea, for about half a km. The whole ride lasted only for a minute but was worth it. It was a one-of-a-kind experience. 

We landed at Siloso Beach after the zip line ride and walked around for a while. We went to Fort Siloso and spent around an hour there. The fort had been used by the British and Japanese before Singapore got its independence. There was a lot of greenery around, and as it wasn’t very hot, it was quite a pleasant walk. There were also a few buildings that were like small museums, which had weapons used in war, newspaper clippings, and descriptions about the condition of soldiers and people in the pre-independence period. 

We were surprised to know that the huge Merlion, iconic to Singapore, that used to be on this island, had been removed. We had wanted to go there and spend some time. We then took the shuttle service back to the place where the sky luge was, had a few snacks, and rested for a while. 

Our last stop for the day was the Wings of Time show for which we again took the shuttle. This was a fifteen to twenty-minute light and water show on the beach. There were around two thousand people seated in several rows. There were fountains of water, illuminated by bright lasers, and fireworks burst from time to time. There wasn’t a second that was dull or boring; the show is definitely something no one should miss.  

Day 3

The next day, Sunday, May 5th, we went to Cloud Forest and Gardens by the Bay. After breakfast, we first went to Cloud Forest at around 11. Cloud Forest has several types of plants from all around the world. All of them were maintained at desired temperatures, and sunlight came in through the glass windows. I especially enjoyed the Himalayan flower garden, which had plants that grow in the Himalayan region of India and Nepal. 

We also went to Flower Dome which was nearby. The setup was similar to Cloud Forest, but had flowers from all over the world, including several rows of tulips from the Netherlands and various types of cacti from Mexico. It was amazing to look at and learn about different plants. There were also several spots for taking Insta-worthy pics.

We had pizza for lunch at ‘The Garden Cafe’, and my mother met a friend there. While my mother chatted with her friend, I walked around, and was lucky to spot a few otters running about! We then went to Gardens by the Bay, a park, with huge tree-like structures supported by colorful metal structures. We enjoyed the view from the observatory above, which was a bridge, connecting two ‘trees’. We still had two hours before the light show began, so we walked around the park. It was not possible to cover every spot in the park, but it was a pleasant walk. 

Once the sun began to set, we went back to the ‘Supertree Grove’, the place with the huge tree-like structures, to see the light show. We were surprised to find it very crowded, as opposed to how deserted it had been two hours ago. The laser show lasted for around twenty minutes, with different colored lights illuminating the trees. Songs, such as the theme song of Star Wars, were played, and it was a very entertaining show.

Day 4

On the last day, we went to the ‘Bird Paradise’ after visiting a few temples that were on the same street as our hotel. We went to Varadharaja Perumal, Varabhadra Kaliamman, and Raghavendra Swamy Mutt. The temples were almost similar to the temples back home in Chennai.

Bird Paradise was a bird park, and we spent around three to four hours there. We saw birds from different parts of the world. There were a variety of colorful birds indigenous to countries around the world. There were quite a few endangered birds as well. To ensure that the birds didn’t fly out of the parks, and give them a lot of space to fly around at the same time, nets were erected at a height of about 20 to 30 feet above the ground. It was very sunny and hot, but fortunately, there were several AC rooms along the path, where people could rest and also get information about the birds from the displayed boards. There was also a place where penguins were inside an artificial cold environment, which we unfortunately missed.

We also watched two bird shows, Wings of the World and Predators on Wings in an amphitheater, where we got to see birds eat food, and perform cool tricks. It was fascinating to see huge predator birds like eagles and vultures. We even saw a parrot that could sing the ‘Happy Birthday’ song! Each show was for about twenty to thirty minutes, but we couldn’t even feel time pass by! 

After having our lunch at ‘The Banana Leaf’, an Indian restaurant inside the park, we went back to our hotel to collect our luggage and then went to the airport. After checking in our luggage, we roamed around the airport. The Jewel Changi Airport of Singapore is considered the world’s best airport, and we wanted to see the various attractions it had. We first had a coffee at Starbucks and a sweet almond pretzel from Auntie Anne’s, because, of course, no one can function on an empty stomach! We then saw the waterfall, which is the main attraction of the airport. Water fell from a circular opening at the top, down into what appeared to be a circular void. At night, the waterfall kept changing colors, and the tropical greenery made us feel as if we were inside a jungle! My brother and I went in a maze. It was a little small, but exciting at the same time. At one place, artificial flowers came out from the hedge, when we moved near it, which was pretty cool. 

There were other attractions like a butterfly garden and a sunflower garden, but we didn’t have time for that. We had our dinner at Subway, and got on our 11 pm flight, bidding adieu to an amazing, fun-filled trip.

 

Travel Tips

• If you’re traveling alone, the metro is the best option, but as we were traveling as a family of four, taking a cab was a better choice. Taking the cab costs around the same as the metro for the four of us. The cab is also faster and saves time, especially if you’re going to places that involve changing two or three metro lines. If you’re traveling by a cab, it’s advisable to use the ‘Tada’ app, as it works out to be the cheapest. 
• Not all restaurants provide drinking water. Usually, hotels provide complimentary water bottles, which you can carry around. If not, you can bring water bottles, and refill them at water fountains, that are present near almost all public restrooms. 
• The Merlion Park, the Marina Bay Sands, Cloud Forest, Gardens by the Bay, and the Siloso Beach and the ‘Wings of Time’ show in Sentosa Island, are must-see attractions that you shouldn’t miss.
• Make sure you book tickets for ‘Sky Luge’ and ‘Wings of Time’ one or two weeks in advance because they get booked quickly. Tickets also have to be booked in advance for ziplining and bungee jumping. For ‘Sky Luge’, book directly through the Sky Luge website. This is cheaper, and in case you want to cancel your ticket you’ll get a full refund. If you want to go to the ‘Marina Bay Sands’ observatory, book at least three days in advance.
• To explore Sentosa Island, you require a whole day. This island is situated quite far from the mainland, and it is difficult to see other attractions on the mainland on the same day. 
• If you’re going to the ‘Universal Studios’ theme park, you require a whole day exclusively for this. Though this is also situated on Sentosa Island, it can’t be clubbed with other attractions on the island. Book your tickets in advance and you can buy the express pass to avoid long queues at rides. 
• Cloud Forest and Gardens by the Bay don’t require a whole day. You can visit the ‘Art and Science’ Museum in the morning on the same day, which is located nearby.
• In ‘Bird Paradise’, note the timings of the bird shows so that you don’t miss them. The tickets for ‘Bird Paradise’ can be booked on arrival. The ‘Bird Paradise’ is a part of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve. Other parks in this reserve include the ‘Singapore Zoo’, ‘Night Safari’, and ‘River Wonders’.
• Singapore Botanical Garden is another famous attraction you can go to.
• You can book tickets for many attractions through a website called ‘klook’.
• If you’re planning on using the metro, make sure you book a hotel near the metro.
• If you’re a vegetarian, booking a hotel in ‘Little India’ is advantageous, as you have many Indian restaurants that are vegetarian and have many options. 
• The hotel we stayed in, ‘Serangoon House’, was situated in Little India. The restaurant, ‘Saravana Bhavan’, was right opposite our hotel, and there were also other Indian restaurants like ‘A2B’ and ‘Komalas’ nearby. We had our dinner at ‘Saravana Bhavan’ on all three nights, after sightseeing, and it was advantageous that our hotel was nearby, as we didn’t have to take another cab back home. It was one of the few hotels that allowed four adults to stay in one room and wasn’t very expensive either. However, the room and the restroom were quite small, and there weren’t many options for breakfast. There wasn’t any breakfast buffet, and we could only choose from dosa, idly, aloo paratha, bread, continental fruit, orange, mango and apple juice, tea, and coffee. There were also croissants and pancakes, but these weren’t vegetarian so we couldn’t eat them. The food tasted good, though.
• If you’re planning to spend two to three days in Sentosa, you can book a hotel here, though there may not be many food options if you’re a vegetarian. 
• For a good price, make sure you book the plane tickets two to three months in advance. We booked the tickets three months before on FlyScoot, and it was pretty cheap, though the fares may be higher if you book tickets later. The plane doesn’t have TVs, and everything, including water, is not provided for free. However, the flight was quite comfortable, as it was just a three-and-a-half-hour flight from Chennai, and it was at night (we were just sleeping throughout the flight).
• If you’re an Indian national, make sure you apply for a visa before going.