When I say weekend, I mean weekend. My best friend, Ariana, and I were there for only two days and we powered through that city like champions! We wanted to make sure that even though we were only there for a hot second, we got to see everything (or at least most) that was on our to-do list.
GIRLS. ON. A. MISSION.
Luckily we have friends that live in Singapore so they were able to help point us in the direction of not only the cool touristy things, but local treasures as well. Score!
-The City-
Let me start by saying that Singapore is an exquisitely clean and safe city. One of the reasons for this is the city is very closely monitored by cameras and crime is heavily punished (yikes!) Tourism is a huge source of revenue for Singapore, so keeping their residents and visitors safe is the highest priority. This makes this city a great place for a girls trip 🙂 Of course you should always keep your wits about you but during our trip there was never a moment that we were unsure about our safety. Score again!
-The People-
The People are SO kind and everyone speaks English. So, if this Southeast Asian excursion happens to be one of your first trips out of the country and your nervous about a language barrier, fear not! Anytime we had a question about directions, food or advice, everyone we asked was happy to help. Singaporean people are very proud of their city. It’s endearing how much they enjoy talking about their home and how proud they are to have others visit.
-Navigation-
If I can navigate Singapore with no problems, then trust me, you can. I have a HORRIBLE sense of direction. After traveling for over a decade you’d think I would have perfected those skills a little bit. Nope. Which means if you’re like me, then Singapore is the city for you! The MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) is part of the public transportation system in Singapore and it’s pretty straight forward. It’s easy to buy your ticket and easy to navigate. However, during our trip we mostly used taxis. They are super cheap, generally there’s always one near you and they get you where you need to go the fastest.
Okay now on to the fun stuff… My favorite Singapore Adventures!
Common Man Coffee Roasters
I have to write about this place because it was the first and BEST meal we had in Singapore. Common Man Coffee Roasters was referred to us by our friends, so we went for coffee and breakfast on our first day in the city. Those that work at Common Man take pride in making a special cup of coffee, competing in barista competitions yearly and have been awarded Readers Choice Best Café in Singapore for two years. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that whatever you get here is going to be amazing. Trust me on this one. We still talk about that meal to this day.
Supertree Grove
Before our trip I’d see a million pictures of this Singaporean landmark. This is a quintessential Singapore picture people! You have to visit. Supertree grove is a landmark that can be found at Marina Bay Sands. It is made up of 18 Supertrees that measure up to 16 stories in height! During the day the trees provide shade for those that visit and at night the trees come alive with a light show accompanied by a fun soundtrack. The night that we attended the show the soundtrack was entirely made up of musical theatre songs. Both Ariana and I died with happiness singing along to every song! It really is magical to visit the grove at night and it’s close to many other landmarks that are fun to check off your list.
Side Note: If you visit Marina Bay Sands during the day you can also check out the flower dome, cloud forest, sun pavilion and many other excursions in the same area. We attended all of them! Although it was cool to see, Supertree grove was by far my favorite.
Art and Science Museum
This is also located at Marina Bay Sands. Many exhibits at this museum are frequently changing but during our time there we attended the “Future World” exhibit, which is now a permanent installation. It was incredible. Take a few hours to explore this digital, interactive universe and you won’t regret it. This is definitely one of my favorite museum trips of all time.
Haji Lane
This tiny lane, in the heart of the city, is a shoppers paradise. Haji Lane is full of boutique shops with all sorts of crafty goods and yummy eateries including “Selfie Coffee.” Yes, I said Selfie Coffee. At this unique café, you take a selfie with their special camera (don’t worry they even provide props) and they print your picture on the cream of your coffee. So you can eat your face! Hilarious!
There is also a beautiful mosque that can be seen nearly any where in Haji called Masjid Sultan. The mosque is very welcoming to visitors. They lent us robes to wear (you must be properly covered before entering) and allowed us to experience the Islamic house of worship for ourselves. It’s a cool experience for sure.
Bike Ride along the Bay
On the far side of Marina Bay Sands is Marina East. There you will find miles of walking trails, bike trails, parks and water front cafes. We bought an ice cream at one of the shops, then rented bikes and spent about two hours riding along the water at dusk. It was the perfect way to end our second day in Singapore. If you have time I definitely recommend taking a relaxing stroll on the other side of the city and in the evening you can see a beautiful sunset!
Singapore defines the term “melting pot of culture.” One minute I’m walking the food market in Chinatown, then I find myself passing a temple in Little India and before I know it I’m shopping through the artisanal goods on Arab Street. It’s amazing to see people from so many different places living so peacefully in this green city and I think that is one of the things that makes Singapore so special.
Although it was quick, we did it. Our weekend in Singapore was a great success. We spent a total of 63 hours in what has been named “the lion city” but it only took that long for Singapore to find it’s way into our most treasured memories.
