Singapore From Under My Umbrella – Part One
What to do and see in Singapore
I realise the title of this post may be a little misleading…
It makes Singapore sound like wet and rainy Ireland when in fact I spent most of my time there trying not to melt into a human sized puddle on their perfectly clean streets.
Orchard Road… SO CLEAN!
In mid August Singapore was scorching and with 90% humidity there are probably some ovens out there that have more hospitable climates.
Nonetheless Akshay and I ventured out with a checklist in hand of all the sights we wanted to see.
Botanical Gardens
Before going to Singapore Akshay had promised to be the best photographer I had ever seen, I held him to it and he came up with the idea of having a themed photo tour where ever place we visited I would take a photo under this red umbrella.
I thought it was a neat idea, and it had the added benefit of protecting my casper like skin from the tropical sun.
First on our list was the Botanical Gardens.
The gardens are older than Singapore itself and they have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Admission is free to for all parts except the Orchid Garden which charges a small fee, it’s well worth it though as the Orchid is Singapore’s national flower and the Orchid Garden is home to over 1000 species of Orchid.
The gardens were so peaceful and beautiful.. I am so envious that Singaporeans have access to this place all the time.
From the tranquility of the Botanical Gardens we took the MRT to the chaotic Chinatown!
Also on a side note, if you are caught littering in Singapore you can face a heavy fine of up to 5000 SD but weirdly enough there are NO BINS on the MRT!! It’s like they are trying to test your endurance… how long can you hold your trash for before getting sick of it? hmmm
Back to Chinatown… by this stage Akshay and I were dying of heat so we treated ourselves to some ice cream sandwiches.
Literally a slab of ice cream in-between a slice of bread.
I’m not sure how this became a thing, but it was delicious!
Feeling refreshed we went for a bit of a wander..
From the looks of it you can buy pretty much anything you want in Chinatown so worth checking out if you are in need of a few souvenirs… or dried insects, whatever floats your boat.
We were on a bit of a tight schedule as we wanted to make it back in time for Afternoon Tea at our hotel (read here)… I know, priorities!
So we took a break from the sun and head back to the Shangri-La for sweet treats and cold showers before our evenings escapades.
Right before sunset we jumped in a cab and went to the now iconic Marina Bay Sands.
View from Marina Bay Sands
Top tip for going to MBS: don’t go to the observation deck instead go to their bar Ce La Vie. You get the same view but it’s free entrance and you can order cocktails… win win!
At Ce La Vie
In what was quickly becoming an eating and drinking tour of Singapore we then made our way to dinner at a Chinese restaurant called Paradise Inn just off Orchard Road, which is the main shopping road in Singapore.
Orchard Road at Night – photo credit: Expedia
It’s never easy organising a group of 8 people for dinner and drinks so thankfully our friend Dermot stepped up to the plate and booked both the restaurant and this very cool boutique bar called 28 Hong Kong Street.
28 Hong Kong Street – photo credit: starchefs
Discrete is the name of the game with this bar, the entrance looks more like it belongs to an old warehouse that a swanky lounge.
Bar Entrance – photo credit: Asia-City
Also for those of you who like them strong this is the place to be, their measures are American sized at 45ml instead of the usual 30ml for Singapore.
The Crew
To round off the evening we stopped by Southbridge a outdoor rooftop bar with a terrific view of the Singapore skyline!
View from Southbridge
I loved this place as like 28 Hong Kong Street it is a hidden gem, most rooftop bars are packed with people all trying to get a snap of the view but this one a lovely laid back atmosphere.
Dr. Akshay… The man behind the camera
That’s all for now, will save day two’s adventures for the next post..
Happy Travels! Liakada
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