We woke early as a result of jet lag, so went down to breakfast at 7.30 am.  We sat out on the covered terrace which was kept cool with large ceiling fans.  The breakfast spread was a good selection of Western and Asian dishes, fruit, pastries, noodles, etc. and much more choice than one would expect from a Holiday Inn Express.  After a leisurely breakfast and a look at our iPads we set off exploring.

Chinatown was a short walk from the hotel so we spent the morning looking around the lantern decorated streets.  We arrived at about 10.00 am which was a little too early as most of the shops and stalls had not yet opened for the day. Still, we enjoyed our tour of the area and as it was so close to the hotel we could pop back later in the week.  We returned to the hotel for a coffee and then took the MRT to Orchard Road for an afternoon of window shopping in the huge, air conditioned malls.   The shops were crowded as it was Sunday afternoon but it was pleasant to escape the afternoon heat for awhile.  I was slightly disappointed with Orchard Road as virtually all the stores were tucked inside malls leaving the famous shopping road rather lacking in character.

We returned to the hotel and relaxed in the rooftop pool area, the jacuzzi being refreshingly cooling in the tropical heat.   As we enjoyed our meal at Gluttons Bay  the previous evening we decided to eat there again, selecting duck and prawn dishes that tasted just as nice as the previous night’s offerings.

Afterwards, we walked back to the hotel along the Esplanade, past the Merlion statue, and the Fullerton Hotel, which was originally Singapore’s General Post Office and as well as being a five star hotel is also a national monument.  It was then a stroll along the riverside, stopping for ice creams on the way.

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