Singapore
When I initially booked my flight to Tokyo, I had bought a one-way ticket and had planned to travel around afterwards. In my mind, I was thinking Japan, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Vietnam - casual trip, right? And then I discovered it was way more expensive to bop all over Asia than I expected AND I needed much longer than a month. Thus, the dilemma began — where to travel after Japan?! Singapore had been high on my list for ages and I had not one, not two, but THREE friends there so it was the clear winner.
From Kyoto I took the train to Osaka, where I got a flight on Scoot Airlines to Singapore. Scoot is a low-cost Singaporean airline, a bit like Spirit Airlines. I paid $240 for my ticket and splurged on an assigned seat for $12. I had originally planned on staying at the trendy Clan Hotel, but then opted to save the money and spend it on a business class ticket home instead. Thus, I stayed in a budget hotel where I ended up having ants in my bed! LOL The location was good though so I was forgiving.
My first order of business in Singapore was to get a new wardrobe suitable for the hot and humid climate (sup monsoon season). Luckily there are malls on every corner, so I picked up some linen before heading onto my next adventure at the famous Marina Bay Sands. Read my full review of Marina Bay Sands here.
View of Gardens by the Bay from Marina Bay Sands
After my Marina Bay Sands experience, I met up with my friend Kevin who has been living and working in Singapore for ~5 years. We walked around Haji Lane and Arab Street so I could check out the street art and fun lil shops, then we stopped for fancy mocktails at a GORGEOUS art deco bar, Atlas. Afterwards, I headed off to dinner with my family friends who I hadn’t seen since I was about 10. It was fun to hang out with them now that I’m now an adult too. They graciously gave me a tour around Singapore via car - way better than my silent Uber rides!
The next morning, I walked over to Glasshouse in Chjimes to grab brunch. Chjimes was a church but is now filled with loads of cafes, restaurants, and bars. I love renovated churches so this was a VIBE. After brunch, I went to a party at Tanjong Beach Club on Sentosa Island. This man-made island was pretty and worth the little excursion for the day.
A highlight of my trip was definitely my visit to Mount Faber Park and Henderson Waves Bridge, the tallest pedestrian bridge in Singapore. There were paths there that led to exercise equipment scattered throughout the greenery. It was quiet and not crowded. The bridge is really cool looking and had some excellent views of the city. It eventually started pouring which cut my time short but I LOVED my stroll here.
I was pretty stoked to see Gardens by the Bay, the massive nature park, and was super impressed with the free outdoor gardens. There was also a free light show set to music that was pretty spectacular (7:45pm and 8:45pm daily). I bought a ticket to see the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome, but was a bit underwhelmed with them. It’s known for being one of the best things to do in Singapore, but ehhhhhh. Maybe I’d like the paid exhibits more if I was a small child or into Avatar or botanical gardens… It was just really crowded and I was very hungry!
I enjoyed my time in Singapore and can imagine it would be really fun to live there as an expat. Though my visit was a bit rough given the humidity and rain, I appreciated the abundance of malls for the free air-conditioning!
Singapore info
Tipping: Not customary though a 10% service charge might be included on your bill
Water: Safe to drink
Outlets: Plug type G (same as UK); 230V
Credit Cards: Widely accepted
Language: English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil
E-Sim: I bought one from Airalo that covered 18 countries in Asia, including Singapore and Hong Kong. Shameless plug: use my referral code HANNAH8604 to get $3 USD off your first eSIM purchase.
An 11-hour layover in Hong Kong turned into a trip highlight. Explore Victoria Peak, the city's towering skyscrapers, and the renowned airport lounges. Despite a major phone mishap, Hong Kong's friendly locals and stunning views made this brief stopover truly memorable.