The discounted plane ticket we bought in February afforded us only 2 whole days so it seems we were not content with the short time we had in Singapore. Especially the kids (my nephew and niece), they enjoyed but said that had wanted more. We arrived on the morning of the 27th and hastily went off to the nearby mall to have lunch in a Chinese restaurant. And the we headed for the Gardens by the Bay that has so many sights to see. Here is the so called skywalk which is about 5 or so stories high. In background is the most famous hotel in Singapore, the Marina Bay Sands - Can you see the view below? It's scary to look down, hahahaaah. The Gardens has a playground. That fountain is designed for kids not only to play but to get themselves wet. It's just like a pool. Another nice part of the Gardens is the garden itself with lush greeneries and hybrid plants. Under the bower is me and my nephew and niece.
Interesting hotel, Corie! The height doesn't look too scary to me but I don't have a problem with heights. Good looking niece and nephew! Thanks for the pics, enjoyed looking at them.
After getting tired of the Gardens by the Bay, we went to the Merlion. It was about a kilometer of walking to the boat terminal. The short boat ride seems expensive but we had no choice. The Merlion is a legendary character that has become the symbol of Singapore. People flock to that statue with a fountain just to take pictures because only in Singapore can you find that statue. From the Merlion, we walked back to the Gardens. On the way, there was this event with cartoon characters so it took an hour of our time, an added feature. After an early dinner in the food court of Marina Bay Sands hotel, we went back to the Gardens to see the night lights. It was a wonderful place, like being in a fantasy movie. We reached home before midnight, so very tired. Here is the lucky lion made of wood. They say it gives luck to one who takes a selfie... My nephew and niece taking a picture with the Marina Bay Sands hotel at the backdrop. That hotel has a unique architecture with 3 buildings that are connected on top with the roof deck having a big pool. There is the giant statue of Merlion with the fountain of water in its mouth. So many are taking their photos in that area. There were balloons for wishes where you can write your wish. Later on, the balloon is placed in the river to float until the end of the year. That's the event that commemorates something (not clear but maybe the 50th year of Singapore as a free country).
Interesting photos Corie, Lisa and I have thought Singapore would be a good place to visit as a stopover on one of our vacations in Asia, but it has been possible so far on the routes we have flown. We are planning a trip to Malaysia next year though, so may visit it then.
@Terry Page, we were in Kuala Lumpur last summer and I find the place okay. There's a shuttle that will take you around the city for a whole day tour. It's worth it. And the hotel was wonderful - Majestic Hotel is a 5-star. Well, even tired on day 2, we had to proceed to Universal Studio after the breakfast in the hotel which is like a budget breakfast with chicken ham as the only meat with bread, noodles, vegetable salad, fruits. Anyway, it is better than none because in our previous trips where we stayed in budget hotels and our breakfast was the bun from 7-11. Our camera is more than satisfied with the sights and views of Universal Studio although we were a bit frustrated with the queue. One ride cost us 1 hour in the line, that is the roller coaster. Aside from being tired and bored of waiting, I was bothered with the pains in my feet due to excessive walking. We had Malaysian food for lunch and American burger for merienda. Dinner was pizza in the mall near our hotel. I had, maybe, 5 cans of soda for the whole day. By the way, I had taken the small roller coaster that strained my neck. The Transformer ride was wonderful with the a vessel simulating a space ship. It moves into some rooms with audio and video like I was in the midst of a space war or robots. Overall, the Universal studio tour was worth the cost and the fatigue. Here is my selfie in the famous globe of Universal Studio. Another pictorial with the gigantic stone statues in the Egypt section. Our lunch in the food court - Singaporean roasted chicken. A lucky chance to have a picture with the actors of the live show Waterworld.
The 3rd day was even more tiring because it was all walk in the morning. But the Wax Museum was great, lots of pics taken there. After lunch of lamb briyani in the food court, we proceeded to the Trick Eye for another pictorial with the optical illusions they offered. Last was the twin rides - luge and skyride (like a sofa in lieu of the cable car). We had lots of fun and especially so that the rains came when we were on our way to the taxi stand.. another long queue of about 30 minutes. It was our last night so after dinner we proceeded to Mustafa, an Indian mall that is 24/7 selling cheap items. The kids were overwhelmed with the street teeming with Indians. They were wondering why they were mostly male. The story is this – those are transient workers from Malaysia. They would be on the street corner in the morning where a truck would stop to pick them up and bring them back in the afternoon – mostly construction workers. They stay in their friend’s dwelling which is not allowed so they go home before midnight when the landlord is already asleep. I used to be good in walking but I have noticed that my feet were always complaining after a kilometer of walking. My tummy couldn’t come to terms with the roller coaster but I try it sometimes. The cruelest roller coaster I had taken was the one in Ocean Park, Hongkong. We were like dangling at the edge with the sea below us. Here is the entrance to the Resorts World them park, the giant Merlion is in the backdrop. England's Queen Elizabeth in the was museum. With the US president, still in the wax museum. My dream came true - to be a ballet dancer, hahahaaah.