I have always had very fond memories of Singapore from our last trip around the world in 2012-2013. At that time, Singapore served as a very easy introduction to Asia for me, and I think that’s part of what I loved about it. I don’t think our trip would have been quite as smooth if we had just jumped into Guangzhou directly!
So, like seeing an old friend that I hadn’t seen in a while, I was looking forward to meeting back up with Singapore. En plus, we planned to slow down our pace a bit and spent nearly a week in the city-state. After our visit, I am happy to report that I’m still in love with Singapore. We’re travelling on a budget, and Singapore is one of the more expensive cities in the world. That’s the downside. But we stayed in a dorm, forewent drinking the $15 pints advertised, ate at Hawker stalls, went to the free beach on Sentosa Island rather than Universal Studios, and spent most of our time walking and exploring the city (being sure to read as many plaques as possible). This kept things reasonable and didn’t blow the budget.
Our one big activity was exploring the incredible Singapore zoo. This happened to be a Christmas present from Suzanne (thank you!), but it would have been worth stretching our budget nonetheless. I won’t say too much, as the kids will be posting about the zoo, but I will say that it was good enough that we spent over 12 hours there…
Now as I mentioned, Singapore is more expensive than some of our other destinations, but with that you get some of the small things that you can appreciate as a family travelling: tap water you can drink, clean washrooms everywhere, beautiful architecture, and free parks and splash pads (Gardens by the Bay) where the kids could roam freely and expend some energy. I also took advantage of the public space along the waterfront to get in a fair amount of running. It was a pleasant change to not be the only weirdo out running in the humidity, and to not have to dodge traffic and stray dogs.
We explored the city by foot and with public transit, but the true way to explore Singapore is with one’s stomach. Back home, I tend to avoid food courts if possible. But in Singapore, we sought out the amazing food (hawker) centres for every meal. There’s an element of organized chaos and adventure that goes along with ordering there, and it’s one of the best experiences in the city. At every meal, the game plan was to secure a table (not always easy), give the kids money, and have everyone head off to get a meal of their choosing. In such an expensive city, it feels like stealing to get a fantastic meal for only $5. But not only was the food fairly cheap, it was often some of the best I’ve had. I am still thinking of that Laksa! Oh, and the stall that served « vegetable oil, 4 pieces for $2.80 »… we didn’t know what we were ordering, but we trusted the constant lineup and were not disappointed. Along with the food, I also had copious amounts of kopi (strong coffee with condensed milk), which may be why I am still awake writing this!
I can’t finish this post without mentioning that we also had to bid farewell to our niece Mackaela who has been with us since Bangkok. It was great travelling with her! We are still struggling not to say that we are a group of 6.
5 billets SVP 