SingSingSingapore

Don't just dream your life,

But also live your dreams....

It all started with a dream which was soon transformed into a wish and the rest is just antiquity. It's all about yesterday when this desire became a plan and the plan was soon materialized as bookings were done after a lot of exploration. From comparing Travel agents’ quotes, to finding excursions and planning our vacation we did it all on own. All this while there was one who trusted me, my dream and my plan and together we both made it possible; my diu (sister).

We planned a budget of 75K per person; however, managed everything (including shopping) within 50-55K. Though we saved at a few places yet we managed to spend luxuriously at others ensuring we are not excluding activities and excursions. We booked our flights through Jet Airways directly and our accommodation; Ibis, Bencoolen through MakeMyTrip. One of the most intimidating things being women travellers is a safe place to stay in an unknown land. My research helped me find a serene yet innocuous hotel. We created our own itinerary with the guidance of some friends, travel Vlogs and blogs.

We kept a constant check at currency rates and compared the rates offered by a few agents; before purchasing it. We also went for HDFC currency card which offered much better rates than currency notes. Further, we chose Klook to buy tickets for the excursions, which a friend of mine recommended. It proved to be the best guidance I received for my trip. It not only provides you the best rates but also year-round discounts as well as cash backs post-completion and reviews of the event. 

It wasn't just a normal vaccay but a destination for my birthday, so had to be very special. From counting months, to days and to hours; time just flew. Finally the day was here; 16 January 2019 when we were flying to live our dream. Super excited we started our dreamy vacation -- SingSingSingapore....

The vibes flinch the moment you arrive at the Changi Airport. It is quite huge yet can be easily navigated through the signage. All we had to do was to complete a quick immigration check, submit the completed immigration form and we were permitted to explore the city of Lions; Singapore.

Day 1 – Arrival, Basics & Night Safari

Day 1 was all about arriving in Singapore, checking in to the hotel, buying EZ link passes, sim cards and exploring Night Safari.  After collecting our luggage, we went straight to board MRT (metro) which was just a few steps from the Departure gate. We purchased the EZ-Link Card from airport itself. I find EZ-Link cards more economical than the Tourist passes. Tourists pass even though gives unlimited MRT and bus rides for the period; however, turns out to be expensive as compared to the EZ-Link pass.

After exploring the airport and speaking to our parents; we started for our homestay for the next seven days; Ibis Bencoolen which is just at five minutes’ walk from Bencoolen MRT station. The hotel stood up to our expectations as it was clean, peaceful and cosy.  It was a complete value for money with all the luxuries of a four star with only swimming pool missing; which we were anyways not looking for. 

Buying sim cards turned out to be quite a tedious task as we had issues finding the shop from where we had to purchase it. We were running in circles at Bugis yet couldn’t find the shop which was just minute away. Finally, a locale helped us finding the shop; from where we purchased the sim cards for 18 SGD each. It was the best deal at it not only provided free local and international minutes, extensive internet coverage, free messages, validity of 7 days, MRT pass with a value of 3 SGD but also offered couple of discounts on excursions and also a free cable car ride in Sentosa.

We were already running late for the Night safari and had to take a cab from Khatib MRT (closest one to Night Safari) as we couldn’t find the bus stop to board the shuttle. So we had to make last minute changes and book a Grab (Uber is no longer available) in Singapore. I would suggest having sufficient buffer time and taking the shuttle service as it costs only a SGD.

We found Night Safari pretty ordinary and felt that we could have easily evaded it. I would recommend going for it only if you have kids travelling along. Overall, it was an electrifying day throughout not only due to jet lag, trouble in finding places but also because of incessant rains. We learnt a lot at the very beginning of our trip itself.  

Day 2 & 3: Birthday, Sentosa & Meeting family

Being my birthday; we envisioned it as a day for Sentosa activities. We started our day early and boarded the MRT to Vivo city Mall and further took Sentosa Express to reach Sentosa. The Express train costs SGD 4 and one can commute between stations without any further charges. Another good alternate is a bus; which will cost you only SGD 1 and can be taken from the bus stop beneath the mall. We bought the Sentosa fun pass (120 tokens) from Klook which is valid for 2 consecutive days and covered it on day 2 & 3. It allows you access to the alluring attractions on the island basis the tokens for each activity.

We started with the Merlion; also known as the guardian of prosperity. Further we explored the 4D Adventure land at Imbiah Lookout station. It is a high-tech interactive entertainment zone which is a home to four exciting experiences. We were left stimulated by the exhilarating adventure rides. Thereafter, we went for Images of Singapore and Madam Tussauds. It starts with an illuminated boat ride; celebrating Singapore. We ended day 2, my birthday; with Wings of Time show; a multi-sensory light, sound and water show. It takes one on a magical adventure through exotic vistas through to the fabric of time. I would highly recommend this show. 

On Day 3, we head-first into this exciting marine World and spent our afternoon wandering the Maritime Museum and S.E.A. Aquarium at Resorts World Sentosa which makes a collective array. The Maritime Museum exhibits Asia's rich maritime history and Singapore's past as a trading port along the Maritime Silk Route. One just can’t leave the Sea Aquarium without being in awe with the cinema-sized ocean habitat. The best part of Aquarium is the feeding time around 3; where you see divers enter the aquarium to feed the fishes. You will be left bewildered watching the world swim all around.

Thereafter, we met my cousin (who resides in SG) for dinner at Marina Bay. On their recommendation we went for Clark Quay area. Although Singapore sleeps quite early as most of the restaurants were closed by 11. However, Clark Quay and Boat’s Quay was all vibrant and buzzing at 11 being a Saturday night. From charismatic bars and alfresco restaurants to Bollywood nights and crowded roads; it was a different sight altogether. Crossing these all; we reached my favourite place - Boats Quay; the river side. This is what I was looking for; a perfect tranquil; to sit back, unwind and enjoy nature. We had some deep conversations along with some photography before we walked to our hotel around 3 in morning.

Day 4: A Day to relax and local shopping

As the last three days were all packed; we wanted to keep this day light and relaxing. So we started our day with some shopping at Bugis where we shopped bags and purses. We also explored the local temples to know the local culture. Thereafter, we spent the afternoon and evening chilling in our hotel.

                                     

 Now was the time we were badly craving for our desi delicacies. And our yearning brought us to one of the best vegetarian restaurants in Singapore; Kailash Parbat; Indian vegetarian chain of restaurants. Being choosy about food and restaurants along with vegetarians; we were bit sceptical at first. However, the lip smacking and mouth-watering food not only brought a smile on our face but also made our taste buds exultant and content in foreign land and made us visit them throughout our trip.

Day 5: My Dream come true – USS

As a child I had always fancied of visiting Universal Studios and Disneyland. Finally the day was here when I was going USS. Despite it being Monday; USS was over-crowded which made me wonder if it was this crowded on a Monday; what would be the sight on weekends.

The rotating globe outside USS is so exhilarating; getting clicked in front of it was living a dream in its own. We did not take the express pass as we decided we would cover the studio in single rider’s line; though it wasn’t as easy as we thought. It was way much crowded and it rained as well during the day because of which we were stuck for a while.

Plausibly USS is all about rides, shows and attractions yet it has lot more to offer and satisfy your thrill. It features around 18 rides and attractions including a pair of duelling coasters. Exciting loops, sudden turns, breath-taking drops and thrilling near-collisions will make you scream your heart out at Galitica. USS offers an experience that one will never forget.

We were thrilled to enter the Sci Fi City; where we experienced The Transformers ride. Next we headed to Ancient Egypt where we were greeted by two massive guardian statues and absolutely adored Revenge of the Mummy ride, a must for adults. I was so overwhelmed by these rides that I went to experience them not just once or twice but thrice.

Lockers are essentially required for rides like Galactica, Mummy and Jurassic Park. I had researched online regarding the charges for locker; however, couldn’t find much detail so I’m including it in my blog. The good part about these lockers is that you get them free for an hour approximately and have to pay only if you have exceeded the time. One can always be mindful of the timings and replace lockers to save themselves from these charges.

We were in much awe with the place that we didn’t even want to exit but had no choice as the staffs was running pillars to vacate the premises.  Then was the time to explore the free cable car ride so we reached the Imbiah Lookout station to board the cable car. Though the cable provided us with spectacular views as it was also a full moon night however, it was way too windy that night which exhilarated the entire ride. We also spared sometime to shop at Vivo City before we ended our day.

Day 6: China Town, Mustafa & Garden’s by the Bay

We felt that our trip was running way fast; may be because of Singapore’s proximity to Equator or we had too many dreams to be cherished.  So we started our day of travelling solo as we both wanted to explore different sides. I went for China Town; where I had another magnificent experience as I sauntered by the streets of China Town all alone; showing my father the streets through video call. The market had some awesome collection of souvenirs at economical rates and my bargaining skills helped me a bit more to crack a good deal. My sister went to meet her friend for brunch.

                                        

As planned we went for Gardens by the Bay; a colorful futuristic park in the bay area of Singapore in evening. It is a splendid attraction not only for kids but also for grownups, especially for those looking for a respite with stunning views. It offers a space to explore horticulture from around the world. The Super trees, Cloud Forest, and Flower Dome bring plants to life in a way you’ve probably never seen before. The best part is the free light and sound show in the night which is spectacular. I was in awe with the Singapore Flyer which was shining bright. 

Day 7: Some last minute shopping

Our last day in SG was all about packing our stuff, checking out from the hotel, going to Mustafa yet again to shop for perfumes and relishing our last meal before we head to airport.

Being shopaholics; we didn’t realize the time and were running behind schedule so we chose to take a taxi from hotel to airport. As soon as we reached airport; the first thing we did was to start the process of reclaiming the GST we paid at Mustafa; whoppiie! we successfully reclaimed 14 SGD at airport. Changi airport is way enormous and we were much tired with only half an hour or so to explore. Soon we boarded the wings to fly to our homeland with a collection of splendid memories for our life.

We not only had an astounding experience but also made some beautiful memories for life. It also brought the best in both of us as we not travelled and adored the places but also interacted with locals as well as fellow nomads. It is not the money you spend on travel that matters but the experience and memories you carry that matters; money can be made throughout life but experience is what you carry with you always. This experience of mine even stimulated me to write my first ever blog which I would like to dedicate my diu who bolstered me in chasing my dream #SingSIngSingapore. I strongly believe that dreams are seen only to be materialized; I’m yet again dreaming to sail my ship to a new destination soon. Until then go, go and dream and leave no stone unturned to chase them.