October 30, 2016
Singapore feels so different than the rest of Southeast Asia. It’s clean, orderly with perfectly manicured bushes. It’s vanilla and lacks the grit and edginess of Hanoi or Bangkok. Even the subway is pristinely clean. You can feel the wealth with the intense presence of consumerism. Singapore also comes with a price tag that the rest of the region lacks.
The Botanic Gardens is a nice place to spend a few quiet hours. The highlight is the thriving orchid garden with more than 1,000 species and 2,000 hybrids of orchids.
ArtScience Museum is downtown on the water at Marina Bay. I checked out the Future World Exhibit which had cool light installations to walk through. You have to pay separately for each exhibit so I skipped Escher exhibit since I didn’t want to pay again.
When in Singapore, swing by Long Bar in the Raffles Hotel for a Singapore Sling. It’s a $25 cocktail that tastes like fruit punch. One and done!
The iconic Supertree Grove is fun to explore but hot in the afternoon. Wish I had gone in the evening to see it lit up but it was cool nonetheless. The trees range from 25 to 50 meters and were designed to enhance greenery in the city.
Sri Mariamman Temple is in Chinatown and is filled with colorful sculptures on the temples. The Hindu temple is the oldest in Singapore and is dedicated to the goddess Mariamman, known for her power to cure illnesses and diseases.
Lau Pa Sat Market is fun for cheap eats and the famous chili crab, which of course ended up being expensive. Messy but delicious!
Tiong Bahru Market is fun area with cool cafes. Nice place to relax after a day exploring the city.
