Singapore

We spent a month in Bali and desperately didn’t want to leave but we still had some time to stop in Singapore which we were really excited about!
Flight over was only about 2.5 hours, jumped straight into a taxi and 20 minutes later we were at the hotel. Arrived about 7pm. Blimey what a culture change from beach resort to island city! We’ve been to Dubai a couple of times, that’s wealthy and glitzy but Singapore is that and some! It’s so clean, so well signposted, everyone speaks fluent English and it’s bloody expensive! Loads of the buildings look really futuristic/space like here.

We managed to wangle another upgrade here so got a nice room in a skyscraper hotel, no geckos running up the walls here! It is right along the river, about 3km up from the marina bay.

We spent a day wandering along the river (in 32degree heat) all the way down to the Marina Bay Sands hotel and the Gardens of the Bay. It’s a great walk, loads of interesting bridges, museum and monuments along the way. We popped over to Suntec City (Mall) to see the world’s largest fountain and finished the day in Chinatown rummaging through the $ store and feeding ourselves with Chinese food! Our hotel provides each room with a smartphone for your stay which has wifi usage all over the city so you can take it out and use the maps, boom taxis and attraction tickets – this was really useful to have!

The next day we were up and out early headed over to Orchard Road, a known shopping street for a mooch about, then caught the MRT tube train to Little India. The MRT is dead cheap and so easy to use, very clean and efficient. Little India is a colourful collection of streets with a market selling mainly food items but also lots of nick-nacks as well. There is an indoor mall full of beauty Indian clothing to browse through and on the way out Faye spotted a lady doing henna so we stopped to get some done.

After Little India we got the MRT round to the Bayfront, we were staying in the Marina Bay Sands hotel that evening due to a very thoughtful family friend who kindly paid for us to go, but before we checking in we went over to Gardens of the Bay which is gardens, light installations, restaurants and 2 huge dome conservatories. It was baking here so we only managed a couple of hours but we did the skywalk between the Supertrees which was fantastic and gives you a great view over the gardens and of the Marina Bay Sands hotel. From here we made our way into the Sands hotel and had a wander round, whilst waiting to check in we went in the Sampan boat rides which is a canal made through the shopping mall off the front of the hotel.

Check in for the hotel all very smooth, I’d booked for a Club 55 room which includes breakfast, afternoon tea and drinks & canapés in a private dining room. I’d requested a twin room but she said they didn’t have any so upgraded us to a ‘Marina Suite’. She said ‘it may be a bit big for you’ but I said ‘I’m sure we’ll make do!!’ It was huge. 3 x the size of our home in England, multiple bathrooms, TVs, walk in wardrobe, pool table the works! It was awesome. We had a great view over looking the Gardens of the Bay. We unpacked our toothbrushes and headed straight up for Afternoon Tea which was fab, sandwiches, cakes, scones and you could eat as much as you wanted, the best feature of the Club 55 dining room was a) the view over the Bay and b) the 8ft fridge with every drink you could imagine and you could go and help yourself! Once we’d stuffed ourselves silly we made our way to the infinity pool. This was the reason we came to the hotel, we’d been watching a programme, Amazing Hotels a few months ago back in England where we came across the Sands hotel, Faye saw the pool and was desperate to go. She also wanted a Butler but the budget didn’t quite stretch that far! The pool is on the roof of the hotel 57 floors up and has incredible views. When we arrived up there in the afternoon it was busy as I think most people go to the hotel for the same reason as we did, the pool! There was even professional photographers up there helping people get their Instagram worthy shot! If your going there for a bit of quiet time I don’t think you’d get that at this hotel pool it’s very buzzy.

A few hours swimming and then it was back to eating again! We went back to the Club 55 room and were greeted with Champagne as we got out the lift to watch the sunset. We were then seated and could help ourselves to the canapé buffet and drinks. Faye and I went all out so didn’t need any dinner after that!

From there we went to watch the Marina Bay water and light show over the Bay, very popular so you need to get there early to get a good spot. Then there was another light and music show at Gardens of the Bay which we watched from our balcony in the room. We went back to the pool for a late night swim, it was still really busy at 11pm, played pool and crashed for the night!

On our last day we got up early went swimming thinking it might be quieter and it was a little but not loads, had a huge breakfast with everything you could imagine and checked out of our one night living like Queens! It was a once in a lifetime experience for us and something off Faye’s bucket list swimming in the pool.

Last thing on our Singapore list was Sentosa Island. We got the cable car over and wandered down to the beach. There’s loads to do there mainly aimed at children. We went to a pirate ship swimming pool and then went and did a 4D cinema experience before getting the cable car home, stopping in a Central Perk Friends cafe for dinner on the way home.

Singapore was brilliant. We loved it. Despite the heat! It was hideously expensive and I spent just as much in 5 days here as 3 weeks in Bali! But it was totally worth it and I’m so glad we came here.

We’re at the end of our 5 weeks away now and it’s flown by! We’re both gutted to be going home later and neither of us want to leave. But absolutely shattered and in need of a few days in bed! Both Bali and Singapore I’d highly recommend. Bali has such a variety of scenery and the people are so lovely you can do and see so much here as well as relax and chill out. Singapore is great for a stop over for a few days it’s an incredible place.

We are so fortunate to be able to take trips like this and I adore the one-on-one time Faye and I get to spend together when we’re away because it’s much harder at home where life is so hectic. It puts everything in perspective as to who and what is important in our lives.

The countdown is on for next year as we’re already discussing where is next on our list!