Places in Singapore

Alright, so much for the other stuff!  Here's what you'll love in Singapore!!!

Orchard Road

     Orchard Road is the main shopping street of Singapore.  There's a lot of malls that you can go to and some of which that I saw were Tang's, ION Orchard, Plaza Singapura and Lucky Plaza.  Lucky Plaza is like mall for Pinoys in Singapore and all the cheap buys are there as well.

    < I was actually able to buy a pair of shoes for just S$9.90 (discounted price) and it comes with a S$5 voucher that is valid until May.  I hope I'll be able to use it then.>

Clarke Quay

   

      For those who love to party and chillout, Clarke Quay is the best place for you!  The best restaurants and pubs in town are here.  There's a lot of choices you can choose from and you may also want to try G-MAX (bungee-jumping for two) there.  (I wanted to try it but my friend didn't want to, too bad)e

      We went to a place called The Clinic in Clarke Quay.  That's where we met up with our other friends who just arrived from Manila and I thought that we were actually going to a clinic, thinking that one of our friends was ill.  I didn't know that it's actually a bar.  So, when I saw the sign "Clinic", I was like "Oh! It's a bar!"  The places was actually amusing since the seats are wheelchairs, the tables are operating tables and they actually have drinks like dextrose.

Sentosa Island

How to get there: a) MRT to Harbour Front, pass through Vivo City Mall and transfer to Sentosa Express:

                           b) ride the Jewel Box:

  - and of course, we tried both! :-)

What can you do in Sentosa?   A lot of things! For me, a day is not really enough to scour all the sites in Sentosa.  There are museums, beaches, activity centers, restaurants to try and parks to appreciate.

Rides we tried:

Luge and Skyride

     This was fun!  This is actually a package.  You'll ride first the luge, or whichever you prefer, and stop will be at the Skyride.  Riding the luge is similar to go kart, I assume.  You have control on the speed and what makes it more fun is the thrill when you are on the curves and you are riding downhill. :-)

    The Skyride was cool!  You'll be able to see some parts of Sentosa and the beach view as well.  I do not have fear in heights so looking below wasn't that scary for me.  As I remember we rode the Skyride at around 5 pm, so it was kinda breezy and relaxing.  

 Gogreen Segway EcoAdventure

     It was scary at first since that was just a manual ride, no hand brakes or the like.  The main control is just the handle and you'll use that to move forward, back, for turning or reverse!  Anyways, when I got used to it, the ride was good and you get to enjoy the speed and nature since the course is located in a huge garden, if I may say. :-)

Must try!

Sentosa CineBlast

     This was my first 4D Experience and what can I say?!  Extreme fun and laughter afterward! :-)   In Extreme Log Ride, as the picture shows, you'll be sitting on a 6-seater ride and  once the movie starts, the roller-coaster simulation follows.  That was awesome!  It felt so real! :-)

and the 4D Magix Pirates! :-) 

     What made this experience fun was you won't know what will be the next effect.  There's anticipation on the next move and it really hit me a lot of times when I didn't expect it like the water and the crab attack! :-)

Other Rides you may want to try:

Mega Zip Adventure

     It's just too bad I wasn't able to try this.  I completely forgot about this but hopefully when I visit SG again, I'll try it.

  

One of my faves in Sentosa is the Songs of the Sea, I'll just insert a clip.

     Songs of the Sea is a combination of water and fireworks display.  There's actually a play in the beginning and then Oscar and his friends will follow.  I'll update the video later, I think I was able to record some parts of the play.  I'll just post the one I have handy right now:

 

and then, more pics:

     Just an advice, when you plan to visit Sentosa, you can actually get good packages when you buy your tickets at Vivo City before you ride the Sentosa Express.  There are packages which includes 4 activities  for only S$32 and that's between 2pm and 7pm, not bad right? 

Check Sentosa's website for more info: http://www.sentosa.com.sg/en/

Universal Studios (S$72 on weekends, S$65 on weekdays, around that much)

     ..and  of course! The best ever experience in SG...the most-anticipated Universal Studios! We actually allotted one whole day for USS since I know that the place is huge and there's a lot of things to explore there.  Actually, I wasn't able to take pictures of some other rides we took especially on the latter part of the day since we were all tired and I didn't think of it much then.  Then again, here are some of my favorite pics:

Attractions:  The Mummy Returns- indoor roller coaster ride with 3D effects

                   Battlestar Galactica:  Humans vs. Cyclons-  we actually tried both rides and gosh! both were      thrilling! A must-try for all!

                   Lights, Camera Action-  the works of Steven Spielberg.  A quick experience to understand the greatness of sound and stage effects.  

                  Madagascar-  the characters actually danced for us! :-)

                  Hollywood Boulevard/ Walk of Fame-  I met with Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, Woodywood Pecker and Frankenstein... hehe!

  

                  New York-  Rockafellas (Streetboys in the Phils.) danced for us.  They haven't lost their touch!  They're still great! :-)

                  Far Far Away-  Shrek and the gang amazed us again with the 4D adventure inside the castle! :-)

    Food stalls and restaurants are available inside Universal Studios so you won't get hungry and thirsty during your tour in USS.  Have fun! :-)

Woodlands Waterfront 

  This is where I spent my last night in SG.  Grabbed some snacks from a convenience store, ate my favorite Loacker, Clover Chips, my coffee and spent time with a friend.  So much to catch up and stories to tell.  It was really nice and I felt like a teen again when I was there. I guess serenity comes from within... so much peace inside.

 

Spending time in Singapore was a pleasure to me.  

This is just a start and hopefully, many more trips to come and celebrations to make! :-)

Until then! Godbless everyone! :-)

Hello Singapura!

Singapura--- Singapore as we know it, is a place for all!

      February 26- March  2, 2011--- 5 days off from work and a holiday I vowed myself to take.  It was really a blast and I'm so excited to share how I spent my holiday in Singapura (so excited that I don't know where and how to start).  

Welcoming Party

      Mia and I arrived at Budget Terminal at 9:30 am, a 3-hour flight from Manila.  Mau was already waiting for our arrival and was really excited for the tour.  Upon arrival, Mia and I were both hungry and wants to eat something Singaporean.   Mau said we had to transfer from Budget Terminal to Changi International Airport (main, I guess) riding a free shuttle (which we lack in the Philippines) to look for choices... and so we did! ;-)

     I forgot the name of the resto but the food was great!  I was told that Singaporeans love hot food and  true enough, the menu comprises of hot food choices.

     I chose a chicken dish, not that hot but salty, which I like:

     Mia chose a noodle dish (I'll update the name later), which is a mix of sweet and chili taste.

      After filling our tummy, we decided to rest first at Mau's place in Sengkang since our hotel check-in time  was still at 3 pm.  

I'll start with the People of Singapore.

    Singapore has a fast-paced environment.  People are always in a hurry and really use fast lanes when walking.  Business is business and time is really gold for them.  That's admirable since the attitude they have attributes to their success.

    Honestly, I'm not really sure how to describe the locals.   I've encountered both niceties and rudeness from the people but I guess that really depends on the environment one is adapting to. 

    Since I'm from another country this time, staring was inevitable and for me I find it rude, but of course, I understood them.  One more thing I didn't like about my stay there was the customer service wasn't good.  If for example you're eating and one of your companions is done eating, the busboy will just take the used plate and clean up opposed to our setting wherein, the busboy will clean up once everyone's done eating.  Anyways, it's part of their culture and we just have to understand it.

    About the good side, people in Singapore are so disciplined!  You can even leave your things in one place and no one will attempt to take it.  They're afraid of committing any crime.  As I've seen in one of the transit ads and as I was constantly reminded by my friend, "Low Crime doesn't mean No Crime".  This has been a golden rule for the people and I guess, a good one.  People are aware of the consequences that each action they may take and who would want to be hurt just because of a low crime, right?  Might as well follow the rule.  I hope this applies to our country as well.

Transportation:

      What can I say about traveling in Singapore?  It's a breeze!  No traffic, no pollution and no jaywalkers! People are so disciplined that you'll be ashamed of doing something awry in their territory.

      There are three types of transportation (as I've observed) you may ride in exploring Singapore: bus, MRT, taxi cab--- and of course, I took all three rides.

     Once you get there, I suggest you buy an EZ-link card (S$15)because that's going to be your bestfriend in traveling there.  You can use the card for bus and MRT rides and just be sure there's a maintaining balance of S$5.  If in case there's a balance left in the card before you leave SG, you may actually use the balance for food purchase (in fast food restaurants, I believe).  I actually used mine in Burger King.

    By the way, here's a copy of the MRT and LRT System Map, that was very useful--- a proof you won't get lost in SG.

         It has four routes:  the red, yellow, green and purple lines.  The trains were all interconnected that makes traveling easy in SG.

     Just a reminder, MRT's last trip is at 11:30 pm, (based on our travel) be sure to check it and for the buses, they're actually using bus numbers for one's destination so better be sure of the bus you're riding.

     Taxi cabs are always available.  Of course it's costly compared to riding a bus/MRT but when you're in a hurry or it's already late, it's very convenient.  Just a bit of observation, if it's pretty late or it's a Sunday, there's a chance that one will have a hard time in looking for a cab (like what happened to Mia, she waited for an hour for a cab) but that's really how it is.  Singaporeans value their time and as some of the locals said, after-work hours are solely for their family.

     Of course, when traveling overseas, just make sure you have your maps ready.  Maps are available in the airport, hotel, tourist spots and in convenience stores.  You'll never get lost just by being ready.

     One more thing that you'll love about the cabs is the fact that those were not just ordinary cabs that you ride in the Philippines.  We actually rode a Mercedes Benz cab and mind you, not just once.  Other cabs are limousine and Chevrolet.  All praises for the cab! Haha! 'Twas fun! :-)

Now what about the FOOD?

    Authentic Chinese food it is!  I so love it!  I'm not that choosy with food but I tend to be careful with the food I'm ordering but this time, no apprehensions at all!  I wanted to try as much food as I could take and no hesitations at all.  I gave a few samples above and now let me give you more.

    One time we had breakfast at Junction Food Center near our hotel.  It's in Geylang and already considered a street food place.   I apologize for not naming the food since there's no name plate and we just asked if it's pork, fish or chicken.  Communicating with the locals was really hard so I can only share the pics and how it tastes. 

Fishy Dish by Mia:

Chicken Dish by Me:  It tastes like sweetened adobo and the veggies really tasted fresh..

     What's so amazing is that the food we bought was only for S$2.70, around P90 in our money.  With the serving size and it's quality, it's already cheap.

Next food stop, we had dinner at Nando's in Dhoby Ghaut.

     Mia has heard of Nando's already and was excited to try the food.  As for me, I was so hungry then after a long walk and just wanted to eat.  As I checked on the menu, I've noticed that the locals are chicken-lovers! Haha!  Most of the dishes are chicken-oriented, if I may call it that way.

     And so, it follows that we all ordered chicken dishes.  As I remember, I ordered Grilled Chicken with Mediterranean rice and Potato Salad.  Looking at our table, all of us ordered the same dish with different appetizers.

 Off to Chinatown!  This was our third day in SG and Mia wanted to go to Chinatown to look for great buys and of course, to have lunch.  We ate at Olde Cuban, and what else can I say?  I was able to experience the best Chicken Curry! 

 A meal will be incomplete without a dessert and my good friend Mau wanted us to try Singapore's version of halo-halo named kacang (ka-chang):

    Kacang is too sweet for me so Mia and Mau were actually the ones who finished it.  Though I don't have a sweet tooth like the others, I still rate this as A-ok since the red beans and gulaman added here was good, avoiding the syrup did all the trick for me.

    What else?  I also tried Ho Kien Mee, a friend's favorite dish and yes, it's yummy!  I wasn't able to take its picture but then again, I was able to improvise.   Comparing to the photo, what I tasted was more saucy than this and I bet what I had was more delicious and savory.

   Those were just some of the food I can share with you.  I know there's still a lot to try and taste in Singapore, so I'll save it for later! :-)