Singapore is one of my favorite cities in Asia! Even so we only stayed here for a short trip of two night during a connection flight, I fell in love with this place in the very first moment.

The first impression

During our drive from the airport to the Sofitel Singapore City Center, the first thing which came to my mind was “Wow everything is so clean!” And in fact Singapore is the cleanest city worldwide! You won’t see a bubble gum on the floor or some graffitis on a wall. These things are illegal and you pay a high fine for it! Even smoking is not very likely to be seen and you have to go to specific smoking areas for it.

Even so Singapore is a metropolis with countless skyscrapers the city is very green! There are plantings everywhere – even on the buildings or all around them! There are a lots of parks and gardens which gives the city a lush green appearance.

Victoria Theatre

At our first day it was super humid and hot but nevertheless we decided to take a walk to get a first impression of the city. We started at Victoria theatre which has been built in an English colonial style same like many buildings in this area. It’s quite a contrast with the skyline of Downtown Core behind it!

The Merlion

Not far far away is the cities landmark located: The huge gargoyle of a Merlion – a creature with a lion’s head and the body of a fish. From the Merlion Park you have a great view over the skyline of Singapore.

Hawkers Chan Restaurant

Next station on our tour has been China Town where we visited a special attraction: The cheapest Michelin star restaurant worldwide ‘Hawkers Chan’ which is more of a fast food place. A meal costs around 2,50 Singapore Dollar (2 Euro) and you eat it with plastic cutlery.

The Temple Street in China Town

A wonderful place to take pictures is the ‘Temple Street’ nearby. Traditional Chinese lanterns hanging between the colorful houses and you see the skyline of Downtown behind it – a crazy contrast!

The 1-Altitude Rooftop Bar

In the evening we visited the Raffles Hotel which has one of the highest rooftop bars worldwide located 282 m above sea level – the ‘1-Altitude’.
Right next to the taxi drop off you find a separate entrance line for the bar. Before getting to the elevator which transports you directly to the top of the building you have to pay an entrance fee of 35,- Singapore Dollar (22,- Euro) which includes two drinks. The drinks have to be chosen before entering the bar and of course I decided for the classic Singapore Sling 😉
The best is to come early enough to enjoy the sunset from up here. Since the Bar extends across the roof you get an 360° view over the whole city. After dark they also play some music on a dance floor.
Even so it’s a bit pricey I can highly recommend you to spend an evening at the 1-Altitude during a short trip to Singapore!

Gardens By The Bay

The next day we visited the famous ‘Gardens by the Bay’. The entry for the Super Tree park is free but you have to pay a fee for the individual attractions. Unfortunately the ‘Flower Dome’ was closed on this day but luckily we got to see the ‘Cloud Forest’: They rebuild the vegetation of a mountain which changes its vegetation and climate the higher you get. But the main attraction is the huge indoor waterfall which gives you the feeling of being in the middle of the jungle.

The Garden Rhapsody Light show

Be sure to be at the Super Tree park during the show called ‘Garden Rhapsody’ which takes place daily at 7.45pm & 8.45pm for 15 minutes. During this spectacle all the Super Trees are blinking in different lights according to the music. They have different themes during the year, like the different seasons or special festivities.
A lot of people are coming for the show and most of them will be standing under the trees but thats not the best position for it! Better look for a higher place where you can overlook the trees and even get to see the Marina Bay Sands behind it! For this reason it’s recommended to arrive early enough and look for a good position.

The view from the Marina Bay Sands

After the show we decided to go to the Marina Bay Sands. There’s even a bridge which connects the ‘Gardens by the Bay’ with this famous building. The huge luxury hotel is mostly known for the largest infinity pool in the world which can be only entered with valid a room card. Nevertheless if you want to enjoy the amazing view simply ask a staff member in the lobby to show you the elevator to the restaurant which is located on the rooftop. But be aware of the dress code – flip flops are not allowed. If you only have flip flops with you, you can still go to a small platform before the restaurant where you have the best view over the ‘Gardens by the Bay’ – especially during one of the light shows!

After some relaxation at our infinity pool in the Sofitel city centre our two day stop trip in Singapore already came to an end. But I’m quite sure that we will be back in this green Asian metropolis!