Singapore
11/09/2011
Singapore was a complete contrast to anything we had seen in Vietnam. The arrival process was simple and efficient and we arrived at our hotel (which we had booked online in Vietnam) with no problems - unfortunately though the hotel was very basic and not particularly nice. It was a good location for getting to and from the MRT (metro) taking us into the city centre and (for Singapore) it was cheap but other then that it didn't have a lot to recommend it as a place to stay. So the first thing we did was head out and explore the city centre. We got back onto the MRT and headed to the city centre. It was almost dusk as we strolled around the city streets along part of what will be the track for the Singapore Grand Prix which they were just in the process of setting up. We had no particular goal in mind as we walked but we found the central harbour area with its amazing architecture (I refer you to our photos rather then try and explain these incredible buildings).
The next day, after a bit of shopping we met up with our good friends Daisy and Hugh and headed for a food court - known as a Hawker Centre in Singapore - to sample some of the infamous Singapore food. The food was fantasic, as was the service from the nice lady who kept bringing us beer, and of course it was great to catch up with Daisy and Hugh and their news and travel adventures. Admittedly we didn't see a lot of the city but we did talk about it a lot - which I think is almost the same?
Our second day in Singapore was all about walking. We walked for miles to see various parts of the city, including going up to the top of the Marina Bay Sands and onto the boat that bridges them to look at the view - although we were told we weren't allowed to look at the view without purchasing a ticket, but we could have a drink, however at a staggering £15 for a pint of beer we didn't do that but we did look at the view...
That evening, after yet more delicious food from another Hawker centre, we set off for the Night Safari. In reality it was more of a zoo then a safari and not really what I was expecting at all which was a bit of a disappintment, but there were some good animals to see and the walk through the bat cage was good fun. If thinking of doing this trip yourselves I recommend checking the last time for trains back to the city as we managed to get lucky, arriving just as the last train was due to leave but a 2 or 3 minute delay anywhere and we would have missed it.
Finally it was a last day in Singapore and so again we met Daisy and Hugh for lunch (food is one of the best things in Singapore as many people had told us, so don't be surprised by how often food is mentioned in this update) and a final goodbye before we set off to Australia.
