Singapore— More Than a Stopover

First Impressions

We have arrived — and we’re excited to see what Singapore has to offer. Russ is probably more concerned about whether he’ll find anything to eat. Amongst his many anti-travel traits, he’s quite a fussy eater. In his words: “I know what I like.” Remember, since he doesn’t fly, this is also his first overseas trip.

Immediately, Singapore feels different. First, there’s the humidity — sitting just one degree north of the equator, the heat wraps around you the moment you step outside. Secondly, everything feels clean, organised and surprisingly safe.

Learning Not to Rush

It’s a good thing that we have two weeks here in Singapore before the next cruise takes us closer to our final destination — Switzerland for Christmas.

It means we don’t have to rush to see everything in a couple of days. In the heat and humidity, we could head out for a few hours either in the morning or at night, then retreat back into the air conditioning or hotel pool in between. This was especially ideal for Gardens by the Bay as they have a night-time light show which is a must see.

This slower style of travel is working well for us. While I want to get out and explore, Russ is less interested in shopping centres and markets. Being here longer means I can venture out alone sometimes and take my time just wandering. If this had only been a quick stopover, I probably wouldn’t have had that opportunity.

Getting Around Singapore

The driverless, automated Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system in Singapore is amazing. It’s always on time, costs very little, is beautifully air-conditioned, well mapped out and easy to navigate.

The local bus system was equally as easy. It took us to the airport, which friends had told us was a must-see, and of course cruising meant we wouldn’t be going there otherwise.

With a population of around 6 million, we were amazed by how courteous and friendly people were. Singapore’s public transport etiquette made us realise Australia could learn a thing or two. On busy escalators people kept left to allow others to pass, and they calmly waited to the side on train platforms to allow passengers to get off before entering the carriage.

Transport to Sentosa Island was a little different from what we’re used to at home — we took the cable car. While it challenged my fear of heights a little, it was a great experience. Some cable cars even had glass floors, but there was no way we were choosing one of those.

Singapore Botanic Gardens

At first, we wondered whether we really needed to visit the Singapore Botanic Gardens when Gardens by the Bay already existed. Surprisingly though, it was quieter, calmer and beautiful in a completely different way.

There were some unexpected things too — automatic lawn mowers, reflexology pathways, a Chopin sculpture that plays music and much, much more. It was a lovely relaxing walk for a few hours in Singapore, and the soft rain cooled us down.

Unexpected Moments

There were a few things we weren’t expecting in Singapore, both good and not so good.

On arriving at our hotel, we had a little glitch; somehow, we arrived two days earlier than our hotel booking. While it could have been a drama, it was all part of the experience and was fixed easily by the hotel staff. The location of the hotel was perfect for public transport and shopping access.

Some lovely people we met on the Coral Princess, Heather and Dale from Adelaide, were staying for a couple of days in Singapore as well. They kindly invited us to join them at an Aussie-owned “Boomerang Cafe” to watch the Australian AFL Grand Final. The atmosphere was awesome, and we loved it even though we are Queenslanders and follow Rugby League more.

We went back to the café by ourselves the next week for the NRL Grand Final too. These were totally unexpected, wonderful experiences that probably wouldn’t have happened had we not connected with Heather and Dale on the cruise.

Breakfast was a little odd. Bacon isn’t actually bacon everywhere in the world. Our hotel offered a buffet breakfast each morning. While we expected some Asian breakfast dishes, we were also hoping for a familiar bacon and eggs option.

The bacon offered at our hotel amused quite a few of us who were not Asian. It was called chicken bacon, and it reminded me of an Iced Vovo biscuit minus the coconut.

Luckily, we’d packed Vegemite, which helped other Aussies identify us, and we could share it too.

The buffet also gave us the chance to try things that would never normally appear on our breakfast menu.

Facing Fears and Trying New Things

One thing you will see recurring throughout our journey is both of us getting out of our comfort zones, trying new things (or not), and me facing my fear of heights.

Heights were going to be an issue at a few places — Gardens by the Bay, the Sentosa Island cable car and Marina Bay Sands. We had to remind ourselves we might never get here again and not to “let the old person in.”

So … we cautiously walked out onto the OCBC Skyway, a 128-metre-long aerial walkway suspended 22 metres (about 7 stories) above the ground at Gardens by the Bay. While I was shaky and had to walk closely behind Russ sometimes, I loved being up near the top of the Supertrees and seeing the gardens around and below us (although I couldn’t look down much).

Catching the cable car to Sentosa Island, suspended at least 60 metres (197 feet) above the water, was another challenge, but we were so pleased to have done it. As I said before, we opted out of the glass floor.

While at Sentosa we channelled our younger selves and caught chairlifts to go on the Skyline Luge — exhilarating and a lot of fun. Remember, we are in our 60s, and I must say I think we did okay.

The “Must-Do” Singapore Experiences

Of course, we also made time for some of the classic Singapore experiences — the places that seem almost compulsory on a first visit.

One of those was visiting the famous Raffles Hotel for a (rather expensive) Singapore Sling. Tourist cliché? Probably. But sometimes those iconic experiences are worth doing simply because they are part of the story of a place. Sitting there in the elegant surroundings, cocktail in hand, peanut shells on the floor, it felt like stepping briefly into old Singapore.

Another must-do was Gardens by the Bay. Even after seeing so many photos beforehand, it still felt surreal walking beneath the towering Supertrees and through gardens that somehow managed to feel futuristic and peaceful at the same time.

The Flower Dome and Cloud Forest were also incredible and definitely worth paying extra for. The Flower Dome, apparently the world’s largest columnless glass greenhouse, somehow recreates cool Mediterranean-style climates inside Singapore’s tropical humidity.

The Cloud Forest felt completely different again — lush, misty and built around a huge indoor mountain and waterfall. Wandering through the tropical vegetation high above the walkways felt a little like stepping into another world.

It was one of those places where we found ourselves slowing down naturally, wandering without much plan and simply taking it all in.

Our Last Day in Singapore

There were long lines of people buying tickets to go up to the viewing deck on Level 56 at Marina Bay Sands. Fortunately a friend had warned us before we arrived not to do that. For the same price you can visit the bar on Level 57 where you could enjoy even more spectacular 360 degree views, and receive food and drink credit to the value of the ticket, and rather more comfortable too from all reports.

Neither of us are especially good with heights, so at first we kept a very safe distance from the edge. But with each drink, I became a little braver about stepping closer to admire the view properly. Russ was a little braver and got to see our ship waiting for us in port ready to depart tomorrow.

Until then, we realised we had mostly experienced Singapore from street level and from the ship deck, so seeing the city stretched out beneath us gave a completely different perspective. The skyline, the harbour and the tiny ships waiting offshore all looked almost unreal from that height. We had that feeling where you realise, “We’re really here.”

It was our final day in Singapore too, so we’re very glad we didn’t miss it.