In an attempt to immerse myself in the Asian Christmas spirit, I Googled “best Christmas in Southeast Asia” and Singapore came up as first on the list. I booked a round-trip ticket for 5 nights in Singapore and started getting excited! I arrived at night on a Monday and went straight from the airport to my hotel. I dropped my luggage in the room and set out to find some dinner. I ate at a small late night Thai place close to the hotel and returned to unpack. When I was unpacking, I realized I forgot to bring any contacts or my glasses. I wear daily contact lenses, so the idea of extending the ones I had in without any saline solution or contact case seemed a bit ambitious. I turned back to the ever helpful Google and sought out a local spot for glasses and contacts.
I woke up the next morning and got dressed for the day. I had been told for people to be a bit more dressed up in Singapore than in Vietnam, so I jazzed up my wardrobe for the trip. I set out for the shop Frames & Lenses at Bugis Junction with a copy of my contact prescription and easily purchased some contacts for the remainder of my trip. I now set out to actually SEE and enjoy the rest of my time in Singapore. First chore was a success, but my jazzed up wardrobe was a bit hot for the extreme heat and humidity, so I stopped back at my hotel to change into something a bit cooler. I continued my day at the Singapore National Museum. It was raining in the morning when I left the hotel, so an indoor activity was ideal. I explored the regular museum collection and the special exhibit. I enjoyed the exhibits and learned extensively about the history of Singapore. One of the joys of solo travel is the ability to spend as much or as little time doing things. I read every little info placard I encountered and ended up spending five hours at the museum.
After the museum I ventured to the Long Bar at Raffles Hotel. It is the original home of the Singapore Sling and a must-do when visiting. In colonial Singapore the Long Bar at Raffles was the place to be. However, etiquette dictated that ladies could not consume alcohol in public, so they usually spent their time at the bar sipping juices made from local fruits. A bartender at Long Bar created the Singapore Sling with clear alcohol and a rosy color that lead people to believe that it was an acceptable drink for women. It was an immediate hit. Even though it is regularly on cocktail menus at home I had never had a Singapore Sling. It was fruity and delicious, but also very expensive so I stopped at one.
The next day I ventured through the rain to the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. I was planning to walk around the mall, visit the ScienceArt Museum, the SuperTrees at Gardens by the bay and ride the Singapore Flyer. My day didn’t quite work out like I had planned. The mall was beautiful and full of Christmas décor, but I found myself very overwhelmed. I hadn’t been to a real mall or in a place packed with such hustle and bustle since I moved to Vietnam. I didn’t realize that I had assimilated so much to my new home and felt quite a culture shock in Singapore. Unable to shake the feeling, I didn’t spend much time at the mall. The SuperTrees exhibit was closed for the Christmas Wonderland event. The reviews of Christmas Wonderland were not glowing and the locals I asked didn’t speak very highly of it. Since tickets were so expensive I decided to pass. I set out to walk to the Flyer even though it was raining, but it was closed for maintenance. I was so disappointed. Riding the London Eye is one of my most favorite touristy things to do in the world, and I was hoping for nothing less with the Flyer. I spent the rest of my afternoon at the ScienceArt Museum. Most of the exhibits are hands-on and geared toward children, but like other kid focused things it was so much fun!
My third day was the only day on my trip that it didn’t rain. I clocked 19,000 steps in one day exploring all around. I also ate the day away while adventuring, so it was a nice offset to the walking. I went to Haji Lane and did some boho-chic window shopping and explored Chinatown. In the Arab town near Haji Lane I ate Nashville Hot Chicken made and sold by a lady who had never been to Nashville. Having been to Nashville and sampled numerous hot chicken spots during my time I can confidently say it was on the money! I ate soup with fish eyeballs on Chinatown Food Street. In Chinatown I also accomplished my goal of purchasing a Mahjongg set. I have played lots of dominoes while here in Vietnam, so I am ready to try my hand at new tile game and a set purchased in Singapore seemed like a great souvenir.
I relaxed a little at my hotel before venturing out to Little India later that evening. I did a personal little tour of Hindu temples and ate some Tikka Masala on the street. I also went to Mustafa’s, the most outrageous store I have ever been to! It is open 24 hours and brags that you can find ANYTHING in the world you may want there. After my time, I do not doubt that for a minute! It looked like a shoppable Amazon warehouse. I bought some Cheezles, a Malaysian snack much like Cheetos, that I had tried at my hotel and wanted to take home. I also purchased a frisbee, some duct tape in various colors and a couple of card games. Singapore is definitely a great place to shop! I returned back to my hotel exhausted, but very satisfied with my one day of exploring without having to make sure I didn’t lose my umbrella.
On my fourth day I woke up to the heaviest rain of the trip, so I took some extra time getting out of bed. I then ventured to the Singapore National Gallery. It is a new museum and houses the largest collection of Southeast Asian modern art in the world. I was beyond impressed. I started my time at the museum with a free private tour provided by a museum guide that offered an introduction to their regular collection and an opportunity to learn more about some of the artists. I have spent many days wandering art museums, but I had never been introduced to any of the artists whose work I saw at the museum. I couldn’t help but be a little disappointed by this but finding them later in life is better than not finding them at all. I spent six hours exploring the regular collections and special Singapore Biennale exhibit. I enjoyed every moment of my time! I also spent some time in the museum gift shop taking advantage of the great collection of creative children’s picture books they offered. It was my last night and I had an early flight, so I returned to my hotel to pack up for the return to Da Nang. I do see myself returning to Singapore for probably 48 hours to see the Super Trees exhibit and ride The Singapore Flyer, but otherwise, I feel like I have seen and done enough to mark Singapore off the list.
