Post written by Laura
This was my 5th short visit to Singapore (aka the Lion City) and this time it was shared with my best friend and travel buddy Bridget. As we had just 24 hours, and as more detail can be found in Chris and my previous Singapore 2013 and 2024 posts, this one is short!
My life-long friend and I had squeezed in an en-route stopover for a bit of luxury while on our way to Sumatra, Indonesia for a trekking and exploring adventure!
Our already short trip was unfortunately further reduced by nearly 5 hours thanks to a delay at LHR by Singapore Airlines. Instead of arriving at 07.30 ready for a full day of activities, it was nearly lunchtime when we finally touched down at Changi.
Having made our way to the Jen Orchardgateway by Shangri La, our Orchard Road area hotel, we decided to have a pina colada on the roof terrace while waiting a short time before we were able to check-in.
Even the weather was against us as our time relaxing and enjoying the view lasted for about 30 seconds before a thunderstorm hit and the view rapidly disappeared.
Thankfully we didn’t have to wait for long and we were able to check in and drop everything into our room. And by now the storm had passed and the sun was shining again.
Bridget and I took the MRT (mass rapid transit) from Somerset station to Raffles Place station to look at the iconic view across Marina Bay.
We called into the Fullerton hotel as we made our way to the Merlion statue. This was for no reason other than for me to show Bridget the array of cakes in there!
The Merlion is a statue with the head of a lion and the body of a fish. The fish part represents the fishing village origins of the city and the head comes from the original Sanskrit name ‘Singapura’ which means ‘lion city’.
Next up was another MRT ride to Bayfront station and the Marina Bay Sands hotel. Using the MRT is a quick and convenient way of getting around the city as, like most metro and bus systems now, you simply tap in and tap out again.
We stopped in a coffee shop at the foot of the Marina Bay Sands and Bridget had a drink and snack but by now I was starting to feel queasy.
For a panoramic skyline view of the city we paid SGD39 (£22.82) for tickets to the observation platform located on the top of Hotel Tower 3 of the Marina Bay Sands hotel. An alternative is to visit one of the sky bars which are located atop each of the individual towers.
From this 56th floor vantage point, we had panoramic views across Singapore with Marina Bay on one side and Gardens by the Bay on the other.
Unfortunately we had to go back to the hotel as I was feeling quite unwell and in addition, Bridget had a painful knee as a result a recent injury. What a pair!
But not before Bridget paid an arm and a leg (if not a knee) for a magic potion, a Chinese muscle healing cream from a pharmacy in the Marina Bay Mall.
We didn’t make it out for an evening meal sadly 😕
Thankfully I felt much better the following morning and Bridget’s knee had made a miracle recovery. After a tasty breakfast in our hotel it was time for a treat!
We checked out, left our luggage and set off (by MRT) to Raffles Hotel which was not far away.
Two years ago I had a solo Singapore Sling in Raffles but this time it was good to share the experience 🙂
Also this time, late morning, we didn’t have to queue!
Singapore Slings are served with a bag of peanuts and it is traditional in the Raffles Long Bar to toss your peanut shells onto the floor!
From Raffles Hotel we walked in the 30+ degree heat for about 15 minutes to the Kampong Glam district.
Kampong Glam is a colourful and photogenic neighbourhood in Singapore famous for its textiles, Bohemian cafes and Middle Eastern cuisine.
By now it was around 1.30 pm so we decided to make our way back to the hotel to collect our luggage and wait for our airport transfer.
I had purposely pre-booked a transfer back to Changi Airport to arrive over 4 hours in advance to enable Bridget to visit the Jewel.
As mentioned before, the Jewel is a lush multi story retail complex in the heart of Changi airport. The centrepiece is the rain vortex which is surrounded by tropical foliage.
Singapore summary
Things didn’t go to plan on this occasion. We had ideas for a lovely evening meal, a cocktail with a view and a few more city highlights.
And I would still like to spend an evening in Gardens by the Bay and see the lightshow at the marina.
Hopefully I’ll visit Singapore again in the future and get to see this, probably as part of another short stopover!
Next stop: Medan
Thankfully this early evening flight was on time and after a snack in the airport we were on our way to Medan, Sumatra.
Compensation
A quick AI check and we found we should be able to claim compensation from Singapore Air as a result of our delay. I haven’t always done this in the past as this gives me a moral dilema… if airlines keep paying out hundreds of pounds to millions of passengers the overall result, presumably, would be higher flight prices for everyone.
But… on this occasion our already short trip was reduced by half a day and I’m pretty sure my gastroenteritis was caused by the prawns I had on the plane (the only thing I had consumed which was different to Bridget) 🫤
frombluetogreen.com 