Singapore

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Singapore, March 7-10, 2016



After I left Korea, I had the chance to travel through Singapore and Malaysia for a couple of weeks. I started the trip with four days and three nights in Singapore. The city center is compact, but nicely laid out. I greatly enjoyed walking the streets and eating some wonderful food—which was a treat all throughout both countries.



The first full day in Singapore I started by exploring the Gardens by the Bay. The whole area is beautifully designed. I enjoyed the Cloud Forest—a dome that houses fauna from tropical rain forests. The walk from the top to the bottom of structure is nice. After the visiting the Cloud Forest, I headed over to the Supertree Grove and walked along the elevated walkway which provides amazing views of the city center.



After spending the morning walking around the Gardens by the Bay, I headed over to the marina to travel around the city center. I started at the Marina Bay Sands, an impressive three building hotel. The hotel is on the marina itself, so I strolled around the marina looking at the different views of the skyline of Singapore. Though compact, the skyline is beautiful. I spent the early afternoon walking the streets of the city center and relaxing by the riverfront.



I finished the first day by visiting Chinatown. The streets are nicely laid out, with stunning architecture. The Buddha Tooth Relic temple is a must see if visiting Chinatown. The temple has multiple floors, each providing something interesting and worthwhile. Across the street—behind some construction—one can find the Maxwell Food Centre. Here I found numerous food stalls, providing all types of amazing food from all over, at amazing prices. In the end I picked the Hong Xiang Hiananese Chicken Rice #1-52 food stall: It was mouth-watering.



The second day, I decided to do the Southern Ridges trail. The urban hike is relatively easy, and provides wonderful views of the city. I walked over 7.5km of the trail, and I loved every bit of it. The integration of the numerous parks with one another was great. The highlight for me was the Henderson Waves near Mt. Faber. I was highly impressed by the walkway and its design. After a quick rest, I headed to Orchard Road, Little India, and the Arab Street area for the rest of the afternoon. In these areas I walked the streets and had lots of delicious food. In the early evening I headed back to the marina to see the skyline at night.



I like Singapore, though I stayed in the city for a short period of time. There was a lot to do and see. One of the highlights was definitely the food. The neighborhood where my hotel is located had an amazing array of choices. From Singapore, I jumped on a bus from Queen Street Terminal in the early morning on my final day and headed to Malacca. The border crossing between Singapore and Malaysia was hassle-free, and I arrived into Malacca around 1:30 in the afternoon.

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