The Singapore Experience
They call it the Lion City, some call it the City of Fines, one thing is for sure, Singapore is a city worth experiencing.
It was almost midnight when my family and some members of the Rotary Club of Ormoc Bay arrived at Changi Airport. The Singapore trip was planned by members of the Rotary Club of Ormoc Bay, which my mom is a member. My first cousin from my mother side, Kuya Merlin, was in the airport waiting for us. We separated from the group because we opted to stay at a different hotel recommended by my cousin. We waited at the airport for awhile because my sister took a different flight which was bound from Manila.
Even at the airport I could feel my excitement, the thrill of the chase! When my sister finally arrived, we didn’t waste any time and went to our hotel. It was almost 1 am when we arrived at the hotel. To our luck, the receptionist was a Filipina and we instantly felt at home.
The whole 3 day trip was amazing. Even in that small amount of time, we tried to squeeze everything that Singapore has to offer, sadly, we couldn’t. Still, we experience many things and went to a lot of places, we even went to Batam, Indonesia for the last day.
Allow me to take you to Singapore’s iconic places and the best that it has to offer. These were the places that our tour package took us.
Budget:
The Merlion
Probably the most famous landmark of Singapore, the merlion is a fictitious creature that has a body of a fish and a head of a lion. This landmark can be found in Merlion Park, that doesn’t only offer the original Merlion statue but a wonderful and breathe taking view of the prestigious Marina Sands Bay and Singapore’s Esplanade Theater.
Mt. Faber Hilltop
This hilltop is a favorite of Singaporeans to show off their country’s achievement. The hilltop offers tourists a view of Singapore’s continuous progressing industry. On one side, you can see the ocean and a view of the famous Sentosa Island. You wouldn’t miss the big ships anchored near the bay of Singapore. I didn’t realize that I was actually in plain sight of one of the world’s busiest port. On another side is the view of Centre Singapore, or simply, Singapore and all its tall buildings. A breath of fresh air and a little exercise if what you’ll get from this hilltop. Seeing the magnificent skyline of Singapore from Mt. Faber’s view made me realize how far Singapore has reached after only 45 years of independence. I couldn’t help depressing thoughts in my mind when comparing it to our country.
Thian Hock Keng Temple
Thian Hock Keng Temple is the oldest Chinese temple in Singapore. It has been standing since the 1820s and was rebuilt in the 1830s. An interesting fact about this temple is that on 1998, while the temple was being restored, a scroll was found in one of its roof beams. Further studies revealed that the scroll was written by none other than Emperor Gaungxu of the Qing Dynasty. See, how old this place is? Furthermore, the architectural beauty and the carvings of this temple are simply amazing!
Orchard Road
Getting there: To get there, you can either take the bus or the MRT, so all you need is S$1-5.
The name Orchard Road is equivalent to shopping! In some way it is because it is the shopping capital of Singapore. Personally, experiencing Orchard Road isn’t really experiencing Singapore. It is just a street that is full of bold letters of brand names you recognize and probably haven’t seen in the country. Taking a walk to admire the beautiful gold painted Gucci store, or the wide bold lettered Emperio Armani outlet is enough to experience Orchard Road. Unless you have hundreds of dollars at your disposal, then you can have the shopping experience you’ll never get in the Philippines, and that is, buying originals! Just kidding, Orchard Road is full of shopping centers where you can spend your time walking around. Seriously, one thing I noticed about Singapore is that its full of malls, lots of them! You can go inside one of Singapore’s most expensive mall, The Paragon. This is where you can find those ridiculously expensive branded clothes. If you don’t intend to shop, you can spend an hour or two at Orchard Road and move on to the next tourist spot in your list.
Singapore’s Flyer
Cost: S$30
This is the largest observation wheel the world has. This looks like a ferries wheel ride from afar, in fact, it is the tallest in the world. It offers visitor a bird’s eye view of Singapore. We went to this place after experiencing Universal Studios and after realizing we wouldn’t be able to catch up with the Night Safari’s schedule. The ride will take about 30 minutes because it’s really very slow. Still, you would appreciate the beauty of Singapore, especially at night, when headlights are like fireflies.
Sentosa Island
Getting there: There are many ways to get to the famed island of Singapore turned theme park. You can go by car/bus, the monorail train or the cable car. Car/bus would likely to cost around S$20-30. If you choose the monorail or the cable car, you need to get to Vivo City, Singapore’s largest shopping centre. To get there, you can either ride a taxi or MRT, the MRT ride causes around $S5-10. The mono rail causes around $S5 and the cable car is $$24 one way and S$26 round trip. If you haven’t experience cable car and a mono rail train ride, I suggest you get a one way ticket to Sentosa via cable car and go back to Vivo via monorail.
If you are planning to go to Singapore, your trip will never ever be complete without going to Sentosa Island. This is the most exciting part of the ultimate Singapore experience. This is not just because I’m still a teen, because some of the “middle-aged” people I was with were definitely enjoying the Sentosa experience. Sentosa Island is a theme park where you can enjoy different attraction that you can’t find anywhere else in the world. It is also where Singapore’s Universal Studios is located. I would like to say again that you should try the cable car going there.
Songs of the Sea
Cost: $10
Songs of the Sea is a musical show that uses laser beam lights as its main attraction. People from different ages would enjoy the show, mainly because of its magnificent laser effects, pyrotechnic displays and some water jets and flames bursting in front of the live audience. The set can accommodate 2,500 people. The people in front might get wet, but that’s ok, it’s totally worth it. The show only runs twice a night, 7:40PM and 8:40PM.
Luge & Skyride
Cost: S$12.50
Sentosa’s Luge & Skyride consists of the Luge, a self-steering, gravity-driven three wheel cart ride downhill and a Skyride for the Luge drivers to experience a top view of Sentosa Island. This one is a drive you shouldn’t miss. The Luge is a wonderful experience and doesn’t really need lots of driving skills. The ride downhill is a fun, fun, fun experience!
These two attractions were the only one we experienced during the short time that we had in Sentosa, but the next day, we went back but to experience Universal Studios, which by the way, is another must go! There are many other attractions that Sentosa has to offer, the MegaZip Adventure Park is one of them. Sentosa also have a few parks such as the Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom. The truth is, you need to allot a day in order to fully enjoy this island resort.
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
Cost: S$72
Our second day in Singapore was allotted for one sole place only, and that is, Universal Studios.
Singapore’s Universal Studios is a mini version of the original but it offers the same thrilling and exciting feeling even when you’re still lining up in the entrance. It has the replica of Hollywood’s Walk of Fame and New York’s most iconic places such as The Plaza Hotel. Most of all, it has its different attractions that can either relaxed you or make your adrenaline rush.
One of the most popular attraction of the place is the Shrek 4D. The group opted to try this first because, first, everyone can enjoy it and second, we don’t want to get caught up with the pack of people lining up for the show. This attraction will take you to a different Shrek experience and would make you appreciate the 3D effect, which most 3D movies can’t capture. This is popular for people of all ages, young or old.
The next attraction we went to was a roller coaster meant for teenagers because it didn’t have as much twists and turns as other rides do. This one is great when you would want to try your tolerance for roller coasters. We had so much fun on this ride despite the fact that it only has small turns and were probably was only a minute ride.
We then decided we want to try The Lost World. This is an attraction that has a Jurassic Park theme. We tried the Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure. Thrill seekers are placed on circular rafts and are tossed on waterways within in the Jurassic Park. This certain attraction has a warning that says that adventurers might get wet, and yes, you will get wet. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to fully experience this attraction because at the middle of the ride, we were informed that they were experiencing technical difficulties. The staffs were fast in compensating the said mistake and gave each of us and “express ticket,” to any ride we want, this means, no line for us. But we lined up almost an hour for that ride! Anyhow, the express ticket came in handy for us.
After the disappointment of not fully enjoying the river rapid ride, we decided to have lunch. Lunch was simple, we just ate at one of the little restaurant in the street because the big food court were full of people. After refilling ourselves with food and energy, we went to the next attraction we had in mind.
We went to New York City and got the chance to see an empty sound stage turned into a setting for hurricane hitting New York. Lights! Camera! Action! Hosted by Steven Spielberg is where visitor can experience the magic of the famed director in turning one room into like that of a movie studio using amazing special effects. We exited this attraction with our mouths gaping in amazement; we just survived a hurricane after all.
The most memorable and exciting ride we ever tried at the Universal Studios was at the “Ancient Egypt.” We tried The Revenge of the Mummy which was a roller coaster ride full of twists and turns all in total darkness. I personally thought I would lose my breath during the ride. We do not have an idea where we were going or when we are going to stop. I just kept my eyes closed and screamed at the top of my lungs. At the end of the ride, there was a souvenir shop that featured a photo during the ride. All our faces were either full of laughter or were full of terror. Then again, it’s a ride you don’t want to miss. It’s thrilling and you’ll never experience your adrenaline run that fast.
We also went to see the Monster Show, a musical featuring Universal’s classic monster such as the Frankenstein’s Monster and his bride, Wolfman and Shewolf. This one is a little boring but it’s a good way to relax after all the rides and walked you had. You can sleep while the show is happening, some of us did.
We also went to see Waterworld, an attraction designed based on the film with the same title. It’s basically a stunt show with the plot of the film. Be careful thought, because you might get wet.
We went back to our hotel with memories of the amazing rides and tired feet. It was definitely full of moments to remember. The truth is, I wish to go back there and experience other attractions I missed.
Singapore is a trip I will always treasure. It was full of memories and even though most of the time our feet were tired, it was all worth it.
