Uniquely Singapore 2016: Day 3

We are now in Day 3 of my Singapore trip.

This is the last full day I will be in SG so I really want to cover as much in my itinerary.

What better way to start the a day full of activities, but with a tasty and SG approved breakfast.

Here I had hawker-style kaya toast, soft boiled eggs and kopi. And as if the kaya toast wasn't enough, I also had some rolled pancakes. It really caught my attention because for only SGD 0.50, you get a decent serving of pancake and you get to choose what flavor for the filling. They have chocolate, matcha, red bean and custard. I got chocolate :)

Our first stop, Haw Par Villa!

This interesting park is named after the Aw brothers who created Tiger Balm ointment and entrance is totally free.
Located on a hill in Pasir Panjang, Haw Par Villa is not your usual theme park. It showcases pagodas, buddha, chinese mythology and folklore and other creatures that might give you the creeps.

They say touching Buddha's tummy brings good fortune.

Entrance to Ten Courts of Hell
WARNING: Graphic exhibit inside.

From Pasir Panjang, we went directly to Chinatown.

Aside from shopping for pasalubong, I really want to visit Chinatown because it is near two temples.

Being a Sociology major, I think it's normal that I have keen interest in different cultures.

 First temple is the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple.

This massive architecture is not only a place of worship but also has a museum which houses sacred artifacts, a theater, the Sacred Hall where the centerpiece is what is believed is Buddha's canine tooth and a rooftop garden with a pagoda and Buddha prayer wheel.

Next is the Sri Mariamman (Hindu) Temple.

This is the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore and is now considered as a national monument.

For sure, you will not miss the 'gopuram' at the entrance gate, it is a 6-tier tower and detailed with dieties and other fabeled beings. There was no activity when we visited but still it was worth to see Hindu art and culture. From my research, the main festival in this temple is the fire walking ceremony usually held on October or November.

From culture and art, we now go to experience a different kind of high.

Next is the ION Sky at ION Orchard Mall.

At 56 floors above Orchard Road, you will get a 360 view of Singapore.

Entrance for this observatory is free but it can closed for private events so its better to check the date of your visit.

And since we are already at ION Orchard, I have to visit the Sephora store here.

If I'm not mistaken, this is the largest Sephora store in Asia so you can just imagine how excited I am.

I may have bored my friend here as I ecstatically browse through aisles of makeup, but what is a girl to do? Hehe.. 

However, I left the store empty-handed because products that I planned to purchase are either out of stock or not available in Singapore.

And in my last day here at SG, Fred and I got lost. Yes dear readers, LOST. 

What I remember is that we took a bus and was supposed to get off at this bus stop but missed it because we both fell asleep. We got off at the next bus stop that our bus was approaching hoping we are not yet that far.

Because of all the walking that we did that day, you can just imagine how hungry Fred and I was.

We decided to have at ___________. I am truly sorry, I never got the name of the restaurant that we ate but what I remember is that the food was really great. This mystery restaurant is in a quiet neighborhood and serve Singaporean and Malaysian cuisine. We ordered Fish Curry and Fragrant Pork and paired it with some rice.

Fish Curry

The Fish Curry was no joke. It was sooo good but the serving is good for a whole family!
It was priced at SGD 25.00-30.00 so you might say that we could have realized that the serving was more for us two,
but as I said we are really hungry so we just ordered what we thought tastes good.
Nonetheless we finished the whole bowl, it was that good :)

Fragrant Pork

Our last and unexpected stop for the day is Clarke Quay. Here you get a glimpse of night-life in Singapore. 

Instead of having drinks at a bar here, we opted to buy beer at a convenience store and found a good spot at the bay. 

Over beer, Fred and I talked about life, goals in the future and whatever we can talk about. And there I realized, more than the sights, experience, food etc., it is also the people close to me that made this trip truly memorable :)

So that's it, my whole Singapore trip! If you are planning to visit SG, I hope my posts helped you decide which place to visit.  I will soon be posting individual entries for the "main attractions" that I visited so stay tune for that!

Uniquely Singapore 2016: Day 2

"Travel is Rebellion In Its Purest Form..." 

Here we go with my Day 2 at Singapore! First stop is Haji Lane :)

Haji Lane is a tiny lane in a muslim quarter and is a haven for fashionistas or anyone looking for something hip, quirky, sassy and unique. If you are not attentive enough, you can easily miss this lane, err, or not coz a lot of tourist are heading this lane. This place is part of my "must-see, must-visit" for this trip.

I've read a lot of good reviews about Haji Lane and the place certainly did not disappoint.
The lane is packed with cafe's and little shops housing eclectic and interesting pieces, may it be a furniture or handicraft, a floral dress or spunky accessories.  

I am Haji Lane hehehe

Cafe's and shops are beautifully painted. I see every angle of Haji Lane, Instagram worthy.

I vow that when I get back to SG, I'll devote 1 day for Haji Lane only..shopping time!

Not far from Haji Lane is Suntec City. Fred wants me to experience the Fountain of Wealth there. Unfortunately, it was closed that day. Still, it was a beautiful piece of architecture so picture picture :)

Btw, this reminds me of those "shower/fountain" that I see in BGC, Taguig.

I told Fred that I want to visit the Gardens by the Bay, particularly see the Super Trees show at night. I had no idea that there are other attractions there such as Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest. Good thing Fred bought tickets for those :)

The Flower Dome is a huge greenhouse (and looks like a hug beehive for me hehe) that houses different species of plants and flowers. I believe that they change the "exhibit" of flowers depending on the theme. On the day of our visit, construction was still on going for the Orchid themed exhibit. Nonetheless, there were many beautiful flowers to see.

Dracarys hehehe

Next is the Cloud Forest which is kind of  similar to the Flower Dome since it is also a greenhouse. However, it mimics the feel of the forest or being in a mountain and it is quite chilly inside because of the mist.It also houses the Cloud Walk which makes you feel like you're walking in the sky.

After Cloud Forest, we were just in time for the Super Tree Show! Yey! We found a good spot where we can see the show up close and of course picture time!

After the show, my company decided we'll have dinner at Makansutra. On our way there, we chanced upon the Wonder Full Light and Water Show at Marina Bay Sands. It was interesting and I was amazed how the water served as "projector" for the show.

Now going to Makansutra, I was really famished from all the walking that we did. Thankfully, there is this ice cream cart that serves ice cream sandwich (bar of ice cream with wafer). I got the matcha ice cream and this treat is soo sulit for only SGD 1.20.

It's a weekend that day so its no surprise that Makansutra was jam-packed.

Makansutra is a food hub where you can choose from different concessionaires. It's just like eating at a hawker. 

The Merlion

Our last stop was Merlion (of course). I'm glad that we went there late in the evening because it was no longer crowded. Other's may find it a bit too touristy but for me this is like a seal of my trip to SG.

So that's it for Day 2! More to see in my Day 3! 

Uniquely Singapore 2016: Day 1

It's been a while since I wrote a travel post, that's why I am very excited to share with you my recent Singapore trip. Just so know you, this is my 1st trip abroad so its a HUGE deal for me. Now you may be asking, "Why Singapore?". Well, first thing, I got my round-trip ticket in promo fare so that was a deal breaker hehe. Next, I have a friend there (Hi Fred!) that I want to visit. There you go, so let's get down to my post.

Like my Palawan trip, I will share with you my day-to-day in my Singapore and then I will also post separate entries of places, activities and what-have-you, that made my trip truly sassy!

I arrived in SG around 3AM and my friend was already waiting for me. Below is the 1st photo that I took, and if you notice I was in a restroom. Well, I was the only one there and I'm just too happy and excited that I made it haha.

Touchdown SG!!!

According to Fred, MRT will open at around 5AM so he suggested that we have breakfast first. To be honest, I am so excited for this trip that I want to go out and explore SG already. But reason prevailed and my friend hasn't gotten some sleep yet so I went with his suggestion. After breakfast and chit-chat, we went to his place so we both could catch some sleep.

People close to me know that I am a fan of Asian food, so part of my "must-do / must-try" for this trip is try authentic Singapore dishes and have them in true Singaporean style, eating at hawkers :) So for lunch, my friend gladly brought me to a hawker near his old office and mind you, the food selection was endless. I mean, there were so many that I want to try but I don't know where to start. So I asked Fred what he will be having and I'll just have the same. He recommended the Chicken Sambal of Aspirasi.

Chicken Sambal and Kopi

I'd describe Chicken Sambal (SGD 4.00) as fried chicken with sambal sauce which is kind of spicy. It has this what looks to me is crispy fried batter, you top it and eat it together with the chicken. It was good but it was too spicy for me so I removed some of the sambal sauce. We paired our meal with Kopi (SGD 1.00) which delighted the coffee-lover in me.

My first stop for my SG trip, Universal Studios Singapore! Yey!

It was raining that day so while waiting for it to stop, picture time around Sentosa.

It was already 3PM or so when we entered Universal Studios. Well, I just followed Alfred's lead and went to whatever ride he recommends.

I admit I am such a scaredy cat that's why I am not a fan of horror houses and even horror movies. I was even about to cry when we tried the Mummy Ride in USS, but I survived (hallelujah!). 

Welcome to my castle :)

I enjoyed myself in USS but it was really tiring, my legs were crying from all the walk that I did. There is no time difference between Philippines and Singapore but 7PM there feels like 4 or 5PM in PH. We left USS around 9PM and decided to have dinner in a "high-end" hawker in a nearby mall.

For dinner, Alfred let me pick what I want to have and "left" me so I could try buying for myself.

Thank goodness for the English translation on the menu :)

 I decided to have the Single Set Meal (SGD 6.50) at Sergeant Hainanese Chicken Rice. The set includes Hainanese chicken (I chose the roast variant), chicken rice, veggies and soup. It was good but I didn't like the veggies, it was kinda bitter. Alfred got a noodle dish (which I forgot the name) that has prawns in it.

Some rest before boarding the train :)

That wraps my Day 1 at Singapore. It was a tiring but definitely a fun-filled day. Stay tuned for Day 2!