September 5, 2017

Singapore: The Land Of Luxury

What can I say. Singapore has been one of my favourite places I have ever been to. Not only is it so clean and modern, the people are so lovely and it’s one of the few places I have said I would live.

Getting there

We took a flight directly from koh samui to Singapore Changi airport. It was only about an hour trip and although it cost us a lot it was definitely worth every penny. We took the MRT which is Singapore’s underground tram system straight to Bayfront Station at Marina Bay which cost us just $4.

Staying there

Despite our kind of tight budget, I managed to convince Andrew to let us stay in the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. This three tower building connected on the rooftop by an infinity pool is just spectacular (the reason why we chose this hotel!)

We stayed for three nights which was a bit extravagant! However, it was definitely the most luxurious place we have and will probably ever stay and it was definitely worth it.

I contacted the hotel before we arrived, as it was our anniversary while we were there, and they upgraded us free of charge to a higher floor overlooking Gardens by the bay. The view was amazing! Massive thanks to The Marina Bay Sands.

singapore marina bay sands

Singapore Marina Bay Sands

Eating there

Singapore is definitely expensive when it comes to food. While we tried to keep our costs low it was extremely difficult to do. Here are some places that won’t cost you a bomb if you are trying to cut down on your expenses.

Cold Storage Specialty

This convenience store is located in The Shoppes at The Marina Bay Sands. We headed here and picked up some bites for lunch including Mango, Salads and Sushi and ate them on the bay. I think we paid about $25 total but we were definitely full afterwards.

The Providor

This cool coffee and brunch spot is situated in the financial district. While still expensive, we managed to get brunch for two for under $40 and the coffee was amazing.

Link Mall

This shopping mall is massive and full of places to eat for less. It just a short walk on the opposite side of the bay to Marina Bay Sands.

Lau Pa Sat Hawker Centre

In the heart of the financial district, surrounded by the tallest buildings in Singapore you will find Lau Pa Sat, one of the most popular food markets in the city. This street food mall was our best find. Known to be more of a local eatery, you can eat any local dish for the equivalent of €3 euro. Highly recommend this place.

Things to do

Singapore is packed full of activities. We covered a lot of ground in our three days and I’m pretty sure there are plenty of places left to see.

Gardens by the bay

On our first night we headed to Gardens By The Bay to check out the trees and watched the Garden Rhapsody Show. I fell in love with the city right there. It was so amazing! The flowers, the views…it was like I fell asleep and woke up in Pandora. I can’t even put it into words. If your in Singapore, please go to Gardens by the bay – you won’t be disappointed!

On our last day we headed back and paid the Cloud Dome and Flower Dome a visit. Both were just beautiful. So many plants, flowers and even a waterfall all inside a cooled conservatory. One of the best botanical gardens I have ever seen.

Gardens By The Bay

Gardens by the bay night

flower dome singapore

flower dome gardens by the bay singapore

Spectra: A Light & Water Show

Each evening at 8pm and 9pm the Marina Bay Sands hosts an amazing fountain show called Spectra. It’s similar to the one at the Bellagio fountain in Vegas but I actually thought it was better! We got a glass of wine in a nearby bar called CaffeB and we were able to watch the show in comfort from a bit of a distance away from the crowds.

ArtScience Museum

The ArtScience museum is located right beside the Marina Bay Sands. The building itself is so beautiful it reminded me of a lotus flower. We got a great deal with our Marina Bay Sands Loyalty Card (which was free) which was buy one admission and get one free. It is a collaboration with Trinity College and the Science Gallery which was pretty cool and the exhibition was all about the Future of our world and Human Life. It was pretty insane to see!

artscience museum

artscience museum

Koon Seng Road

Andrew found this really cool street about 30 minutes away that had candy coloured houses. They were so pretty but unfortunately we got there on bin day! Either way it was so cool to see. Note: wear comfortable shoes! I didn’t and had blisters on my feet at the end of the long walk.

koon seng road

Haji Lane

Another street we visited was Haji Lane. It is filled with nice (and pricey!) boutique stores that literally had all my favourite things. I managed to resist temptation but definitely a must see if your in Singapore.

Universal Studios & Sentosa Island

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I am an adrenaline junkie! So, of course we had to go to Universal Studios. Universal Studios itself is on Sentosa Island which is just a short journey away from the mainland. We took the metro to HarbourFront station, and then it was either a skytrain, cable car or walk along the boardwalk to get to the island itself. It was so much fun – we had a blast! I think the Battlestar Gallactica Rollercoasters were our favourite’s at the Transformers simulator was really good too!

sentosa island universal studios singapore

Go shopping

Singapore is probably one of the best places for luxury designer shopping and shopping in general. The malls are huge and there are so many of them. I was so sad I couldn’t go raid them!

I will definitely be going back to Singapore sooner rather than later – I literally fell in love with it. For now, though, we’re off to Malaysia!