Flying around the world takes some planning of course. The time changes sometimes seem irrelevant and other times leave you exhausted. When I had the time and the flexible travel benefits to visit Singapore and Hong Kong, I grabbed the opportunity. It required a Newark to Hong Kong flight - a massive one - and then another four hour flight into Singapore. It worked just staying awake the entire flight and sleeping the short flight. I arrived around midnight in Singapore.
Arriving in a semi-dazed state to the airport after only a few hour rest, I walked out into a grand, relatively quiet, airport. The customs and immigration went pretty quickly and then I was in a nice organized taxi line. Taxis are a big thing in Singapore since the cost of owning a car (the registration fees) are so high. There actually is an option to have a weekend driving only license plate. Once en route the taxi driver pointed out the lit-up landmarks downtown and shared a few ideas with me when he found out it was my first visit. The taxi made it easier than the metro to get to my friends place and back asleep so I could wake up adjusted and ready to explore. But the metro connects as well and is a simple ride.
Singapore is an easy city to explore with public transport (metro) to take you to most of the downtown and local sites. The city wraps around Marina Bay and the Southern sections are all reclaimed/created land. The Marina Barrage (Where the Bay lets into the ocean) has some panels that discuss this process. From there you can view the industrial container ships off the coast. The Bay is lined in gardens, walking paths, shopping, restaurants, hotels, museums, and iconic buildings. I ran the roughly 6 mile loop to get acquainted with the area before I leisurely strolled by the quay and marina. This is definitely a place for everyone. The Botanic Gardens and the Gardens by the Bay are a beautiful compliment to the city-scape and vibrantly lit at night. Sentosa Island to the South is a nice gondola ride to get too and a calm beach-side dining experience.
The area feels very planned and organized to be brilliant, but the proximity of and uniqueness of each building and attraction are what makes this area such an unparalleled place to visit. Like Disney for adults, its all within a relatively small area but with a growing population and a growing skyline. This leads to some interesting views that have cranes, new developments, past sky-scraping residences and empty plots of land all side by side. While living here is expensive, visiting and eating here is not. Once off the main quay, casual restaurants and street-side dining are inexpensive and tasty featuring a variety of South Asian cuisines.
Arriving in a semi-dazed state to the airport after only a few hour rest, I walked out into a grand, relatively quiet, airport. The customs and immigration went pretty quickly and then I was in a nice organized taxi line. Taxis are a big thing in Singapore since the cost of owning a car (the registration fees) are so high. There actually is an option to have a weekend driving only license plate. Once en route the taxi driver pointed out the lit-up landmarks downtown and shared a few ideas with me when he found out it was my first visit. The taxi made it easier than the metro to get to my friends place and back asleep so I could wake up adjusted and ready to explore. But the metro connects as well and is a simple ride.
Singapore is an easy city to explore with public transport (metro) to take you to most of the downtown and local sites. The city wraps around Marina Bay and the Southern sections are all reclaimed/created land. The Marina Barrage (Where the Bay lets into the ocean) has some panels that discuss this process. From there you can view the industrial container ships off the coast. The Bay is lined in gardens, walking paths, shopping, restaurants, hotels, museums, and iconic buildings. I ran the roughly 6 mile loop to get acquainted with the area before I leisurely strolled by the quay and marina. This is definitely a place for everyone. The Botanic Gardens and the Gardens by the Bay are a beautiful compliment to the city-scape and vibrantly lit at night. Sentosa Island to the South is a nice gondola ride to get too and a calm beach-side dining experience.
The area feels very planned and organized to be brilliant, but the proximity of and uniqueness of each building and attraction are what makes this area such an unparalleled place to visit. Like Disney for adults, its all within a relatively small area but with a growing population and a growing skyline. This leads to some interesting views that have cranes, new developments, past sky-scraping residences and empty plots of land all side by side. While living here is expensive, visiting and eating here is not. Once off the main quay, casual restaurants and street-side dining are inexpensive and tasty featuring a variety of South Asian cuisines.
For More, Check Out:
Map and Info: Singapore’s proposed land use plan for 2030
