Who would of thought that this amazing trip to Singapore would have been our last before a global pandemic that would change all of our lives forever? Not me.
After a connection in San Francisco, we boarded our seventeen hour flight directly to Singapore. We arrived on December 26, 2019. We weren’t able to explore the airport just yet, but it was something I was looking forward to. We stayed at the Hilton Singapore on Orchard St. and had a wonderful experience. It was the perfect location placed in walking distance to stores, restaurants, buses, anything you needed.
One of the first things I noticed was how clean it was, it almost felt too spotless. PRO TIP: chewing gum is illegal. If you are caught selling or chewing gum, there is chance of jail time. Check out all of the rules before travelling to Singapore because you do not want to break any rules.
I also imagined all of the signs would be in a different language, but everything was in English. We were all prepared to struggle with directions and communicating because that was a challenge in Japan, but everyone here spoke perfect English.
We started the trip with a five hour walking tour with our guide Marian from City Unscripted. Marian is Italian and had lived in Singapore for 2 years, he was very knowledgeable about the city. He brought us to the cheapest Michelin starred meal in the world, a simple chicken and rice dish. It was delicious. We visited some amazing places in Singapore, some of which made an appearance in Crazy Rich Asians. That movie was definitely a deciding factor to travel to this beautiful country for New Years and it did not disappoint, to say the least. This was a great way to start the trip and scope out any places we wanted to revisit.
One thing I would like to mention to anybody thinking about travelling to Singapore is that the weather is HUMID. When I say humid, I’m talking about Florida when it’s at it’s most humid…multiplied by 10. If you wear makeup, be prepared to sweat it all off (even that waterproof mascara). If you did anything to your hair, it will frizz. If you’re wearing a grey shirt, I warned you.
After the tour we headed back to the hotel to shower and rest before our plans for dinner. However, this wasn’t just any dinner. This was one of the most unique dining experiences we’ve ever had.
Lynette’s Kitchen offered a 7 course, private dining experience with Lynette Seah in her own home. There were 11 other guests who were mostly locals except for the couple from Canada and my family. Lynette was a violinist with the Singapore Symphony, she also had a passion for cooking. She served us 7 beautiful, large courses of traditional Singapore cuisine. On a very rare occasion Lynette would play her violin for her guests. At the end of our meal she grabbed her violin and performed a powerful, yet soothing song for all of us to enjoy. It was an amazing dinner.
As our bodies adjusted to the 10 hour time difference, we woke up early to start our day. We arrived at Gardens by the Bay (also in Crazy Rich Asians) for a day of exploring. This place is enormous. If you have a love for nature, this is definitely the place for you. It is a futuristic and vibrant park in Singapore. This is a MUST see for any visitors.
We spent the rest of the day walking around the city and ate dinner at Jamie’s Italian which was close to our hotel. Our next adventure arrived to pick us up later that night. Although kind of cheesy, we visited the “night safari,” at the only nocturnal zoo in the world. I’m not going to lie, I was not the most thrilled for this, but my mom thought it would be a cool experience. Both our driver and our guide were wonderful and gave us many good laughs.
On the tram we were able to learn more about all of the animals. Unfortunately, the tram just drove along the walking path and we couldn’t see some animals because of the dark lighting. But some of the animals we saw were pretty active. I would only recommend this for families with young children, or people that really like zoos. However, we didn’t visit during the day, and the experience differs for everyone.
We then visited Sentosa Island. It reminded us of a smaller Disney, but a very cute area. There are plenty of activities including the beach, shopping, and rides. My brother and I love trying adrenaline rush activities. We decided this would be a great opportunity to go bungee jumping for the first time. We ended up doing it and got an awesome video (check it out on my YOUTUBE)! It was a thrilling experience.
For dinner, we ate at Ce La Vi, the restaurant on top of Marina Bay Sands Hotel (the building with the boat on top). It was an amazing view of Singapore and the amazing super trees! We were served a delicious meal followed by a tasty dessert. This is must-do experience.
The next day we had planned a day trip to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. It was only a 50 minute flight where we met an amazing photographer, Diego Guillen (Instagram: @diegoguillen) and his lovely family. After the flight, we met up with our guide, Peter Lau (WithLocals.com). He drove us straight to the Kuala Ganda Elephant Sanctuary which was about an hour and a half drive. Peter arranged a personal experience with the elephants where we were able to feed them, clean them, and shovelling their poop. This is also a highly recommended experience if you are visiting Malaysia.
After this, we drove an hour to the Batu Caves which is a Hindu temple. To get to the caves, you have to climb 272 colorful stairs. On our hike up, we encountered several wild monkeys. We warned not to bring any loose items because they will steal them. We saw someone’s Gatorade get stolen by a monkey. We did this hike on a very hot day which was a fun challenge.
Before heading back to the airport, Peter took us to a “local hang out” spot, Selayang Hot Springs. This area was packed with locals with a strong belief in the healing powers of the waters.
Afterwards we headed back to the airport. Peter surprised us with a quick stop at a Hawker to try the best Sate. On this day, Sate became my new favorite food. It was AMAZING. There were two options – chicken and beef. I ate so many that day I probably gained 10 pounds. Our flight back to Singapore felt even shorter than the way there, and it was only 50 minutes.
NEW YEARS EVE!!
Today was a day of revisiting our favorite places such as Haji Lane. Haji Lane is the narrowest street in Singapore. It is full of cafes and shops and is a beautiful spot to take pictures. We stopped at one of the cafes called Selfie Coffee for some coffee, they put our faces on it!
My mom and I also stopped to get a quick foot massage which was very relaxing after all of the walking we had been doing. After an early dinner we headed to The Float at Marina Bay. This is where we would be watching the fireworks and celebrating! The place was PACKED.
We weren’t expecting anything more than some amazing fireworks and music for the show. We were already so grateful for the fact that we were in Singapore for New Years, that’s amazing in itself. But I don’t even know where to start… the fireworks were incredible, the music and sounds were unbelievable, and there were DRONES… REAL LIFE DRONES. They used the drones to make different characters in the sky – a man running, a diamond spinning, a boat sailing. It was incredible, like nothing we’ve ever seen before. The sky was filled with fireworks and a 500 drone light display. It ended with the countdown in the sky made by the drones. When the clock hit 0, the numbers “2020” appeared in the sky along with a crazy explosion of fireworks! Truly a breathtaking experience that our family will never forget.
Our flight departed the evening of New Year’s Day, but we left early to explore the airport. Singapore’s Changi Airport is rated the best airport in the world. Just some of the things we experienced before our flight – butterfly garden, movie theatre, shopping, Free massage, waterfalls, and more. I included this in my YouTube video! Some other things in the airport are – hotel, pool, video games, slide, exercise bikes, and so much more! It’s insane.
Our time in Singapore was unforgettable and even though we didn’t know it would be our last trip for a while, we did it perfectly and I wouldn’t change anything about it.
It’s crazy to think about how life can be going so well and then the world can change that instantly. It really makes you think about what is truly important in life.
