Ever since seeing the Gardens by the Bay featured on Planet Earth 2, Singapore has been near the top of my list of places to visit. I loved the idea of a city built to be a fusion of modern buildings in harmony with nature, and I was also eager to experience a place known for being a cultural hub/melting pot. It was also a great chance to escape the cold weather in Melbourne and best of all catch up with Candice's Mom, which we all loved - especially Arden.
train selfie!
The food in Singapore was as fantastic and diverse as I'd hoped. We had amazing Indian food in Little India, Thai food at Clarke Quay, Chinese in Chinatown, and some other great fusion places. We also stayed at a really nice apartment hotel that Candice's Mom had arranged, which included a full buffet breakfast every morning, complete with all sorts of cuisine and local delicacies (like dragon fruit).
Chinatown feast.
the pool at our apartment hotel - not a bad place to escape from Melbourne winter!
Our first full day we wandered around Marina Bay, and were able to spend some time by the iconic Merlion sculpture, exploring Marina Bay Sands (a massive hotel and huge shopping mall with a river running through it) and then spent the evening at Gardens by the Bay. It was everything I hoped it would be: beautiful gardens, great views of the city, a treetop walk, and an excellent light show (set to well known opera music). Arden also made friends with a group of little girls, so she was in heaven.
Merlion selfie!
the treetop walk
amazing light show.
The next day the sun came out so we decided to visit Sentosa Island. We didn't really know what to expect except some resorts and theme parks, but it was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. We loved riding the monorail, seeing another Merlion (this one was huge!), exploring some incredible art fountains/sculptures and enjoying the resort vibe of the island. That night we visited Clarke Quay, a cool area located on the Singapore River. It had a great vibe with street performers/musicians, lots of restaurants, and looked beautiful at night as all the buildings and bridges were lit up with different colours.
Arden loved the little water garden
Our last full day we spent wandering through the Botanic Gardens, which also feature an interactive children's garden, and the National Orchid Garden. The orchids were stunning and had an incredible variety of colours, and the garden had all these marked photo spots that were pretty fun to pose in.
National Orchid Garden
For our last night we went to Chinatown, which definitely had a different feel from the Chinatown in Melbourne. It was packed with stalls selling all kinds of things, including a few stalls selling nothing but durian. After hearing stories about durian, I have to agree - it smells absolutely disgusting. How anyone can eat it is beyond me.
a durian stall.
durians aren't even allowed in train stations and on trains..!
We had a great dinner in Chinatown, and while we were there Candice's Mom had a scroll of Arden's Chinese name made for her, to match the one that Candice has. It was a great way to end our trip and gave us a beautiful gift to remind Arden of our adventures in Singapore.
