Singapore Stopover

We have transited through Singapore Airport on several previous occasions but this time we decided to do a brief stopover. The flight from Helsinki to Singapore was ( thanks again to Frequent Flyer points) in Business Class. Nice to have the preliminary bubbles and the lie flat bed for an overnight flight of roughly 11 hours. I eventually slept OK ( with earplugs) despite the very rowdy cabin. There was a lot of loud chit chat during the meal which was fine but one couple in particular continued having a VERY loud conversation even after the lights had gone down and people were trying to sleep. And I mean LOUD. When it got to 2.45 am Helsinki time I walked back a couple of rows and politely asked them to lower their voices…which they then, fortunately did!

We arrived about 4pm Singapore time but with the usual queues etc it was after 5.30 when we arrived at the Park Regis and close to 6 and the sun was just going down when we walked down to the river at Clarke Quay, about a block from the hotel. We strolled along the river as far as we could before we reached some barriers. When I booked our flights I’d had no idea we would be here for the weekend of the Singapore Grand Prix. This means the crowds are up, the hotel prices are sky-high and there are several areas of the city that are off-limits unless you have access tickets. However, we’ve still managed to see the things I really wanted to on this first trip ( I’m sure we”ll be back!) As we walked along we passed the statue of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles at the very spot where he first set foot on the island, as well as the Singapore Parliament building. The river looked so pretty when the sun went down and all the lights came on with the little tour boats plying their busy way up and down.

We made a rookie error and didn’t grab a table by the river early on, thinking that there were soooo many restaurants that wouldn’t be an issue. However, by the time we’d walked down past Boat quay and back up around Robertson Quay, the crowds were heaving, waterside tables were impossible to find and the blister on my heel was making me keen to sit down ( another error, breaking out the sandals for the first time in several months when my feet were swollen from the flight and sticky with sweat!) . We finally spotted a seat at a small Chinese restaurant and, yes, we got the riverside seat but we paid sky high prices for a  Red Curry and  Mixed Beef Stirfry with fried rice, ah well, the breeze off the water was nice.

The fish tank of our restaurant..pick your crab!

Back at the hotel we had a drink in the bar before heading to bed in our room, which had its aircon set to arctic! It’s ironic that in several places in Europe where the outside temp was freezing we cooked in the hotel rooms and were desperately opening windows to cool down. Here, we melt on the footpaths outside but the icicles drip off our noses in the room 🙂

We slept in a bit later this morning, still adjusting to the time difference I guess and after a nice breakfast we set off to Chinatown MTR station to catch the train down to Bayfront so we could visit the Gardens by the Bay.  Along the way we saw some amazing buildings with fabulous gardens, so lush.

The Gardens by the Bay  really are extraordinary! Aside from the grove of “Supertrees” which tower over you, there are two enormous conservatories, the Cloud Forest and the Flower Dome which were an absolute joy to walk through ( not the least because they are both air conditioned!)

The Flower Dome is the lower but larger of the two. It replicates a mild, dry climate and features plants found in the Mediterranean and other semi-arid tropical regions (e.g. parts of Australia, South America, South Africa). There was a special exhibit at present of many varieties of sunflowers set in a garden representing the Yellow Brick Road from the Wizard of Oz.

However, my favourite was the The Cloud Forest. It replicates the cool moist conditions found in tropical mountain regions , found in South-East Asia, Middle- and South America. It has a 42-metre high “Cloud Mountain” in the middle which you get to by going up an elevator and then descend  via a circular path. At the entrance was a gorgeous waterfall .

The “Cloud Mountain” itself is spectacular! Completely clad in orchids, ferns, and swathes of gorgeous greenery of all types. It consists of a number of levels, each with a different theme, including The Lost World, The Cavern, The Waterfall View, The Crystal Mountain, The Cloud Forest Gallery, The Cloud Forest Theatre and The Secret Garden.

After we left the gardens we walked back through the shopping mall under the Marina Bay Sands hotel to the MTR station and on back to Chinatown. We had a wander around the packed streets and I popped in to see the Hindu Temple.

Finally, after a brief stop back at the hotel, we walked back over to the river to have a very late lunch/early dinner. This was great timing, we got the excellent waterside seat I’d wanted last night and relaxed over our meal without the heaving crowds of yesterday. I also finally got the Singapore Sling I’d wanted… in fact I got two because they were having a two-for-1 offer! Yay 🙂

Back to the hotel for a refreshing swim before we have to face the final pack up before we head home tomorrow. I’m sure we’ll be back to Singapore someday, probably on another stopover, as there’s so much more I’d like to see here. Raffles Hotel is currently closed for refurbishment and so is the museum at the Changi Memorial. I’d also like to see the gardens at night time but don’t have the enrgy to head back there this evening!

We’ve had a fabulous holiday, an extra special one because it included our much longed for reunion with Simon and Jatta in Finland. Iceland was absolutely stunning and really deserves all the hype that it’s receiving these days. If you get the chance, just go!  Northern Scotland was a joy, especially our wonderful meeting with the Historical society people in Dalmally who were so interested in Neil’s grandfather. Ireland was wonderful , to see the land where my Clancy family came from and to meet so many people who were so interested in where we’d been and where we were going.  Singpore has been a brief but lovely stop on our way home, we will be back!

We sat upstairs a little while ago on a little balcony overlooking the pool, looking at the lasers lighting the sky from Marina Bay Sands , sipping a nice cold white wine and reminiscing about the last four weeks…and planning ahead to next year. It’s a wonderful world … and worth seeing!!