Singapore Weekend

I recently took advantage of the EDSA long weekend and tagged along with my sister to Singapore. I booked a flight with TIGER AIRWAYS ((US$159) and arrived Friday morning. Outside the budget airport, it was easy to grab a cab to our hotel. The cab ride took 15 minutes and Sg$13. IBIS HOTEL on Bencoolen St. (Sg$200/night) rooms are a bit cramped but comfortable enough for two persons and seemed new. Don't count on good cable channels though. We later found out that the location of our hotel is quite ideal because everything seemed to be 15 minutes away by cab and is somewhat in the middle of the city. It is also right beside the BUGIS MARKET (an outdoor tiangge) and 2 temples. From our hotel the BUGIS MRT STATION is only a 5-minute walk.

Ibis Hotel Room

When traveling, I always make it a point to visit McDonald's and try something new, whether it be a localized version of the burger or something completely different. It's also a chance to grab a milkshake (tell me again why we don't have that anymore?). So my first Singaporean meal was McDonald's. Aside from the regular burgers, fries and shakes, McDonald's offers the samurai burger (Sg$4.65) and chicken wings (Sg$4.60). The samurai burger has teriyaki sauce and the same mayo sauce in our McChicken. I liked the combination of the sauces and didn't mind at all how messy it was. The chicken wings tasted like the good old fried chicken but with a touch of curry. Oddly enough, they don't have rice.

Samurai Burger

After a quick lunch, we headed out to explore the city. A block away and we were on the train via Bugis station. Transportation in Singapore is fairly easy. Everything is connected and easily accessible by train (Sg$1-2). We didn't get lost because there were signs everywhere. 

On the MRT

Our stop took us to our first mall, ION MALL. This mall has neverending floors, starting from basement 3, which is conveniently connected to the train station, until the fifth floor. We took time to shop and discovered a store called RUBI, where we got five pairs of shoes for Sg$55! 

Rubi's Tagline (How clever!)

Outside Ion Mall, we set foot on ORCHARD ROAD. They say that Orchard is the best shopping street. Though it seemed to us that there are malls everywhere else we go. We met with Ate Mi-an's friend and headed to another mall TAKASHEMAYA on Orchard Road. We had a late lunch at COFFEE CLUB and had bacon chicken and piripiri chicken. The treat however was the iced vanilla latte. 

Orchard Road

Coffee Club

Bacon Chicken

Later on in the evening we rode the SINGAPORE FLYER (Sg$26/person) for a full view of Singapore. Unfortunately it rained so we weren't able to catch a good sunset. But the view was still amazing, even for one who's afraid of heights (me!). Singapore Flyer is apparently the tallest in the world, even beating the London Eye. The ride took about 30 minutes and we were lucky because they closed it after we got off due to the weather. 

View from the Flyer

After this, we took a cab to MAKANSUTRA GLUTTONS BAY. Makansutra is an outdoor food hub where many kiosks are lined up by the bay. I looovvveeddd it! I am a firm believer that the best way to experience another culture is through food and Makansutra did not disappoint. It was food trip heaven. I was able to try out different Singaporean delicacies, like satay with curry and cubed rice, kaya toast, milk tea, chendol (halo-halo is still better though), and sting ray (tasted like a cross between fish and chicken breast). Be ready with water, as some food can be really spicy.

Makansutra Gluttons Bay

For after-dinner drinks, we went to CLARK QUAY, a strip of bars and restaurants along the other side of the bay, to try out the famous SINGAPORE SLING. Singapore Sling is a mix of gin and cherry brandy. It tasted like sweet juice and wasn't bitter at all. Drinks in Singapore are pretty pricey. Cocktails are Sg$15-17 and beers are at Sg$13-15. Cigarettes will set you back by Sg$11-13/pack of 20s (so better stop smoking! :p). After a scary run-in with a drunk and rowdy Chinese (don't count on the very lax security in Singapore), we called it a night.

Singapore Sling

Saturday was devoted to UNIVERSAL STUDIOS (Sg$72/ticket). From our hotel, we rode two trains and then the monorail (Sg$3) to RESORTS WORLD SENTOSA. Universal was pretty much the same as the one in Los Angeles, but a lot smaller. It also has the Jurassic Park, Shrek and The Mummy rides and the Waterworld show. I suggest going on a weekday because the lines were so long. We spent an hour waiting to get on the Jurassic Park ride. The highlight of it was the dueling  roller coaster ride, where two cars (one hanging!) simultaneously drop (which Ate Mi's hair survived! Finesse hairspray is miraculous!). We also went crazy over Garrets popcorn, our favorite from Chicago. 

Battlestar Gallactica

On Sunday we walked to the oldest church in Singapore right in front of the Singapore Art Museum and heard mass. We visited RAFFLES HOTEL, the oldest and most expensive hotel in Singapore. We were supposed to grab our last lunch there but the steakhouse was closed for the day. So we ventured outside and found a small nook where they serve hainanese chicken for two for only Sg$13.80. Yummy! After lunch, I said goodbye to Singapore.

Raffles Hotel

Hainanese I love!

All in all, Singapore is a tourist-friendly city. It has a good transportation system, a lot of hotels and a lot more restaurants and shopping malls. Although people don't seem warm and friendly, they were still helpful and it was easy to communicate with them. We also felt safe to be by ourselves. It was as if we were still in the Philippines, but in a different city. There are still a lot more things left to try and many friends to visit again. So we'll definitely go back!