the Complex air: Travel Diaries: Singapore (Part 1)

By mid of july 2010, I was officially off my 4 year old job, hence had a lot of free time and a huge severance in hand. Travel was always on top of my list, so choosing the right destination was the only question left. I’ve been to Singapore many times before, but always as a guest or a transiting passenger. But every time, I enjoyed the coziness of Singapore and the wonderful range of food it offered. And hence I chose, Singapore once again.

Preparing for the trip:

As always, the trip started with an exhaustive session of preparing my customized itinerary. First step was getting the Visa. Unlike Bangkok, you cant get a Visa on Arrival from Singapore. So I reached out to my travel agent in Bangalore who took care of my Visa (3000INR Approx). I booked my tickets via MakemyTrip for Singapore Airlines. I had plans for 4 days of visit and so had to find a place to stay there for 3 Nights. I reserved a room online at Hotel 81 Elegance, Foch Road. The tariff was around 100SD per day and the total came out to an even 300SD. Also in my pre-booking list was Singapore Zoo, Safari and Universal Studios. Went to respective websites and booked a package deal for Singapore Zoo+Night Safari+Jurong Bird Park (65SD) and an express pass entry for Universal Studios (100SD). Also took a print out of Singapore’s MRT/BTS Transport Service Map and clipped it on the itinerary. As I had a well thought out plan and already made most of my payments online, I didn't bother taking a lot of cash with me.I always do travel lightly, so all I had was one single piece of backpack (packed with a couple of cloths, toiletries, a 5D Mark 2, 2 lenses, iPad, Money and needed documents).

Flying and Arriving:

The reason for choosing the non-stop Singapore Airlines was to avoid any hassles of a transit and it indeed was a smooth trip as expected. The flight left Bangalore airport at around 11.45PM Indian Time and it landed in Singapore Changi Airport by 6.15 AM Singapore Time. Got the passport stamped at Terminal 2 itself and I was out of the airport in less than 20minutes.

Changi Airport Terminal 2

Day 1:

My hotel would let me checkin only at 12PM, so I had a fair amount of time to spare in the morning. After all my morning routines including Coffee, I went down to the MRT station right under Terminal 3. The idea was spend my morning in Singapore Zoo. The MRT Route Map came handy. Got on the green lane and went all the way upto City Hall. Did a transfer to the red lane and went to Ang Mo Kio. Walked down to the nearest bus stop and got onto Bus:138 which took me right to the Singapore Zoo.

Singapore Metro Rail Route Map

Its an amazing place to stroll, if you are a nature lover. Beautiful animals in wonderful spaces which is rather close to their natural habitat. A Map will come handy as the area is vast and there is a chance that you might miss out on many attractions.

After spending half my day there walking around in the bright sun, I was too tired for an MRT Ride to the hotel. I chose a taxi to take me to Foch Road and by around 1PM, I checked in at Hotel 81 Elegance. The room was small but cozy and thats all I wanted- a place to keep my stuff and rest.

Took a long hot shower and stepped out for lunch. Right opposite the hotel, was this amazing hawker centre called Lavender Food Court. It had a lot of variety by various vendors serving delicious yet cheap local cuisine.

Went back to the hotel after the comforting lunch and slept for a while. By around 6.30PM I got out to visit Singapore Zoo again, but this time, for its Night Safari.

I took a cab to the Zoo. The night safari is a tram ride where you see nocturnal wildlife in its natural living space. The location is near the Day Zoo but the map is different with added walking trails and excellent dining options.