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.
