Singapore is one of my favourite destinations for a stopover, on this occasion to break up the lengthy journey to Australia from the United Kingdom. We flew with Singapore Airlines from London Heathrow, receiving attentive service, good food and comfortable seats in our economy class cabin on the 12 hour 25 minute journey.
We landed into Changi Airport at 8.05 a.m. and proceeded quickly through the e-gates with only a short wait for our luggage to appear on the baggage carousel. Re-united with our cases we made our way to the airport MRT station to top up our EZ Link cards. We discovered that they already had balances of $SD 5 on them from a previous trip which hadn’t expired so we topped these up before boarding a train to Fort Canning. Navigating the MRT with heavy luggage is easy as the majority of stations have step free access. Following a change of train onto the Downtown Line after the first stop from the airport, we arrived at the Holiday Inn Express Clarke Quay within 45 minutes.
As it was still only 10.00 a.m. it was too early to check-in so we left our luggage and arranged to return after lunch. This was my third visit to Singapore, on both previous visits we had stayed for a week and although this time it would be just three days, we were delighted to be back and to be enjoying the warm temperatures after leaving cold, miserable weather behind in the U.K.
The hotel is conveniently placed for exploring the vibrant riverside district of Clarke Quay and although still attractive, this area was mostly deserted so early in the day as it mainly comes to life in the evenings. It then started raining heavily so we popped into a cafe for a mid-morning snack and a large cappuccino to keep us going and help to deter the onset of jet lag.
Continuing, we crossed the Cavenagh Bridge which is one of the oldest in Singapore located close to the historic Fullerton Hotel. It felt good to re-acquaint ourselves with the beautiful buildings in the Colonial District including the neo-gothic St. Andrew’s Cathedral and Parliament House. Next, we popped into the Funan Mall for a look around and to escape the continuing rain showers. We hadn’t looked in there on previous visits but were so glad that we did this time around as the centrepiece of the shopping centre is a huge climbing wall that tower’s up to the roof. Here, we paused awhile to watch both adults and children scaling the walls.
Rather than attempting the Climbing Wall, we used the more conventional escalator to whisk us to the upper floors. After some time spending time window shopping we noticed a sign leading up to the rooftop Urban Farm which sounded intriguing, so decided to take a look. Singapore may only be a small city state but it cleverly utilises as much space as it can. We discovered that the Funan Urban Farm is a community space where volunteers of all ages participate in farming activities and workshops making it an educational and engaging experience.
Garden stairs lead along raised walkways surrounded by plants showcasing sustainable food production which is utilised by on-site restaurants. The publicly accessible roof top also features a community dining garden, swings, barbecues and outdoor leisure areas. The farm illustrates the many innovative ways in which farming in an urban environment can be carried out, which was great to see.
A little more shopping followed before we returned to the hotel at Clarke Quay to check-in. We’d stayed at this hotel on our first visit to Singapore a few years ago and were pleased to note that it was still as good as ever, much better in fact than many actual Holiday Inns! By this time we were both really tired so we set our alarm for a 90 minute rest, waking around 4.00 p.m. feeling refreshed after an invigorating hot shower.
Gladly, by then the rain showers had passed as we strolled along to Merlion Park to view the iconic Singapore fountain and to take in the stunning views of Marina Bay. With a head of a lion and a body of a fish, this beloved statue symbolises Singapore’s origins as a fishing village.
After following the waterside path around to the Marina Bay Sands Hotel we strolled through the Shoppes Mall where sampans glide along the basement canal. These Marina Bay sampans are inspired by the small wooden skiffs that once filled the Singapore River at the height of its trading activity.
Glancing at our watches, we realised that we then had sufficient time to stroll over to the Gardens of the Bay in readiness for the 7.45 p.m. Garden Rhapsody music and light show in Supertree Grove. This free extravaganza lasts for approximately 15 minutes and is delightful. I recommend aiming to get there early for an uninterrupted view. The theme of the evening’s performance that night was ‘Waltz your evening away’ which transported us into an enchanted forest with its presentation of a number of waltzes.
We recognised many of the famous tunes that were beautifully choreographed to the light show. After the performance ended we enjoyed a late evening ice cream before heading back to our hotel for a good night’s sleep in readiness for a full day of exploring lovely Singapore the next day.
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