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3 days to see Singapore and 10 things to fit in

I visited Singapore last February to latch on to the end of my husband being over there with work.  For the first 2 days I did next to nothing – jet lag and humidity were enough to deal with that – I just parked myself at “Privé” in Keppel Marina while my husband worked nearby.  They do great coffees and breakfasts and being on the waterfront there was more breeze than in the city so it worked out as rather a good base!  Quite a stunning view from the marina to some apartment and hotel tower blocks called ‘ReflectionsÂ’ that really are staggeringly large and in a way similar to the Shard (but the look was more ‘normalÂ’ in Singers). Singapore airport is a great first taste of the city – so swift, bags appear in seconds and being one of the first off the plane I was through immigration in minutes and off in my taxi!  The drive through the city is quite jaw-dropping – having been to NYC before this just takes it to another level, as the buildings are of course massive, but they are also really quirky – for example Marina Bay Sands which is a 3 storey hotel with a ‘boatÂ’ across the top! Marina Bay Sands I would say that you should make sure you know where you are going – the taxi driver didnÂ’t really know where Keppel Bay Marina was and so I probably would have been less flustered had I done a bit more research (I was leaving that for the 2 days I had planned to do nothing!) After 2 days of doing next to nothing, holiday finally started – I left my husband to finish work and checked in early at Naumi Hotel.  The room wasnÂ’t ready but they were more than happy for me to sit by the pool and I was more than happy to oblige.  Naumi is a small hotel by Singapore standards, and it is very near to Raffles – in fact the stunning view from the rooftop pool looks down on Raffles as well as across to the larger and more epic skyline that makes up the city.  Having stayed a night at another hotel without a pool, the pool is critical in Singapore – the climate is so humid that being able to have a dunk in the pool really is rather restorative!  (There is a second Naumi now but I donÂ’t think it has a pool or is so central – but not sure.) Naumi is a lovely hotel. Our room was a garden suite, but to be honest we didnÂ’t use the garden – so paying the extra for that wasnÂ’t necessary.  The bed was incredibly comfortable and for a city hotel there really was a lot of space with a good lounge area to spread out.  Breakfast was buffet style and not bad, IÂ’m not sure that many hotels include breakfast and I donÂ’t think we realised we had it so that was a nice surprise.  The best bit of the hotel is the rooftop pool – it isnÂ’t big, but it is cool and you can phone down for bar service at any time. 10 top things to do Cocktails at Raffles – they set you back about £20 each, but when in Rome… not sure I am a fan of the Singapore Sling but the colonial bar is a must see (peel to their mojito as quick as you can) Drinks at the Fullerton Post Bar – another expensive spot but then another part of the ex-pat experience.  Lovely drinks.  We didnÂ’t get a chance to do the Sunday brunch here, but IÂ’ve heard it highly recommended from countless sources Food – Chijmes is a safe bet for anything and everything, Chinatown to get something a little more ‘realÂ’, downstairs in the shopping centres you can get a tasty bento box of treats for about £5 tops.  Boat quay has lots of gaudy looking places that are probably perfectly good, but friends of us met us for supper and took us to one of the upstairs restaurants away from the tourist prices and busyness – Punjab Da Dhaba is a great curry house with a good view over the CBD.  Clarke Quay is more hip/expensive dining – every choice and not really that expensive. Sentosa – quite random, but good to visit.  We avoided the theme park bits and headed for the beach.  The view of hundreds of ships moored at sea is quite random, but you forget that quickly – it is pretty idyllic.  We based ourselves near to the little island that is the southern most point of continental Asia and it was quiet there.  There is also a beach bar on Sentosa where you can ‘wave-rideÂ’ on a surf machine, my husband loved this and itÂ’s next to quite a nice beach bar and restaurant. Equinox restaurant – 76 or so floors up the Stamford Hotel tower – the most epic views of the city.  You need to book a table, we went early so we got to see it go dark.  This is a bit of a splurge of an evening but was unforgettable.   There is also a bar up there which is probably the cheaper option but the view isnÂ’t quite so good as it looks the other way, away from the city. Orchid gardens and botanic gardens – a complete sanctuary and well worth the traipse over from the nearest train station, well worth a visit and a totally different side to the city – easy to lose hours just pottering around and relaxing on the grass.  And you can easily take in Orchard Road shops (and “clubs”) en route to the station Take a trip to Chinatown at night and Little India in the daytime – stunning places, completely different to each other and a real cultural feast Marina Bay Sands – wouldnÂ’t want to stay there, or anywhere near it, but pay to go up top and take in the view – incredible vista.  We didnÂ’t stop for a drink at the bar on the roof, but it looked good.  I donÂ’t think the shopping centre here is the biggest but it is super fancy – it has a river and rowing boats, you wonÂ’t find Primark here thatÂ’s for sure! Even at the airport it is quirky – orchids everywhere and an open air bar – interesting plane fuel scent, but a good change from normal airports and lounges! Didn’t go to night zoo and were there before the newly opened gardens near the Marina Bay Sands – that would be on my list for next time I imagine Singers is the sort of place people either love or hate – IÂ’m not a big fan of city breaks, but the safety and cleanliness was striking and with such a mixture of different cultures and things to see, and 15 minutes on the train to get to the beach, 3 days of downtime there is almost not enough!  Would love to go back!

Anna Parker

I am happiest when travelling in style with my husband, enjoying the outdoors and taking photos to keep the memories! On the lookout for luxury and unique stays. Based in the UK. Find me on twitter @aeparker81 or at www.travelwithpenelopeandparker.com

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13 Comments

  1. A visit to Clark Quay, Holland Village and walk down the Orchard Road wouldn’t be in the list?

    Singapore zoo would be a nice place to visit and also the night safari nearby. I went to the night safari last year during the halloween season and it was quite a stunning experience. The newly open garden is “Gardens by the Bay”.

  2. This city just acts like a magnet for shopping lovers. One should visit Orchard road as it gravitates the tourists because of its charm. Secondly, according to my experience, botanical gardens in Singapore is a place where one should definitely pay visit.

  3. One caution, many stores in Chijmes sell goods from Myanmar/Burma.

    Illegal to import those back to USA, so take some care shopping there.

    And yes, Orchard!!! A must see must do must visit area. Personally though, Serangoon Rd and little India is even more interesting and enjoyable. But that is just personal taste.

  4. I like Loof for drinks – it’s cute, looking on to Raffles. Cycling in Pulau ubin is a must and haw paw villa is hilarious (and historic too). Ann liang hill is cute for bars & restaurants.

  5. Love Singapore. There now.
    I think you meant “3 tower” instead of “3 storey” though…

    Why would you not want to stay at Marina Bay Sands? I mean, its a luxury hotel :-). Confused.

    A boat tour is also well worth it; the boat takes you up the river towards Clarke Quay.

  6. Hi Kerwin! Marina bay sands is big and brash and that isn’t the place to get personal attention and true luxury! There are some beautiful discreet and stylish places in the city that meet the definition of ‘luxury’ far better in my opinion! If I went now I would stay at Capella on Sentosa as an example?

  7. I don’t know about that though, maybe you should stay there and see how they are. Not sure if you’ve stayed there before.

    I’d classify the Sands in the true definition of luxury category :-). I guess luxury is in the eye of the beholder.

  8. Great Post ..!! I’m also going to Singapore 28th December 2016 with my Friends i love Singapore is a beautiful, clean, and organized country.
    thanks for sharing your good experience.

  9. Fun List, I think I would stay at either the Fullerton Marina Bay Sands as both are amazing hotels. Sentosa is a true gem, love having the beach so close to the city.

  10. It is great to hear some many things about Singapore. Now, there is a new shopping Centre at the airport. It is the Jewel Shopping Centre, is a nature-themed entertainment and retail complex on the landside of Changi Airport, Singapore. Linked to three of its passenger terminals, the centrepiece is the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, named the Rain Vortex, which is surrounded by a terraced forest setting.

    Personally, as a local Singaporean, I have visited it numerous times.

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