'singapore, a model future city filled with greenery'
Singapore the city, country & island all rolled into one. after my time in myanmar off grid i arrived to this super futuristic city. as i disembarked from the flight i knew i was in a totally different world from the country i had just left. changi airport is more of a resort than an airport, you could stay here for days if you want. 45 mins later on the awesome metro system i was in the city.
where to stay
i arrived to adler hostel in the afternoon it was a super easy ride on the metro to chinatown where this luxury hostel is located. this hostel is truly redefining what it is to be a hostel. from the custom bunk suites that are more like mini rooms in them selves to the tastefully decorated common areas.
sometimes when traveling i get to a point where i crave a little privacy & luxury, adler hostel gave me both from the amazing showers with luxury amenities to the full privacy curtain on the beds i felt i could relax & spend a little time papering myself from all the hardcore backpacking I've been doing over the last month. located in the heart of chinatown it was super easy to explore the local food scene that is truly something special its also close to the metro station & in easy walking distance of the main attractions in the city.
i have to say that one of my favourite things was the new onsite adler cafe that serving up some of the best coffee & iced drinks in the local area. make sure to book in advance as this hostel can get full very quickly.
this city has a great metro system but i always find that when using a metro system you can miss a lot of interesting areas along the way to your final destination.
i decided after seeing a few on the streets that i wanted to rent an electric scooter so i went ahead & booked it for a few days from a company called city scoot.
singapore has some of the most well maintained roads & sidewalks in the world, having one of these scooters made my daily exploring of different areas so much fun i found myself exploring areas that i never heard of as i always wanted to be riding my scooter. its funny but i became very attached to it after a few days, mine had an iPhone holder for maps & big fat wheels for the times when you need to do a little off roading. it definitely helped me as a photographer i like to get up for the sunrise when most public transport is not available. it gave me the ability to get to all the shooting locations really quickly but most importantly in a safe & fun way. make sure when your in singapore to try one for at least the day.
things to do
so lets get a little more in to what you can actually do in this futuristic city.
being based in chinatown i decided that was the best place to start my journey. now as with most of the city this place comes alive at night. the heat & humidity is stifling during the day here. on my first night i decided to checkout the local food scene in chinatown, here you will find the best hawker restaurants aka food court style restaurants. hawker chan restaurant has been on my list to visit for a while as this super cheap restaurant has a michelin star yes its that good. you can pick up a meal of roasted port & rice for less than $5 in a city where most meals would get you back $20 in average so its an absolute bargain. i did a huge amount of nighttime photography while in the city & chinatown was for sure one of the best places to get some great shots of people with light trails. it a place where you every corner has an interesting story behind it. waking up at sunrise the next morning i grabbed my scooter & made my way through the empty streets to what i believe is the most famous place in singapore, gardens by the bay. this futuristic waterfront garden with towering man made solar trees at its heart is truly a sight to behold. i wanted to get here early & i advise you to do the same as the crowds can be intense during the day, even more so durning the evening when the lights are turned on. from the lilly pond to the super trees its a great place to spend the day in the greenery of the city. i can honestly say i believe that this is the best park in the world.
now if your looking for a place that is a little of the main tourist trail & away from all the skyscrapers haji lane has to be the place to visit. its beautiful old building host local cafes, shops selling all sorts of weird and wonderful items from singapore & afar. i came here around lunchtime to eat at a super local & super popular place called zam zam they are one of the best indian restaurants in the city serving what i believe is one of the best fish biryanis in the world. after you get your fill of local indian food make your way to all things delicious where you will find some of the best desserts in the city. we all know that while its great to eat & have a few drinks in the city i always make sure to squeeze in a little bit of culture & this came in the form of the national gallery this marvellous building hosts one of the biggest asian art collections in the world hosted in what i have to say can be contender for one of the best designed buildings in the world, the architecture is truly astonishing mixing colonial & modernism makes it an awe inspiring place to visit for a few hours.
further afield
if you have read any of my previous blog posts then you will very well know that i have been getting into the craft beer movement & while technically tiger brewery is not a craft beer producer i thought it would be interesting to take the beer tasting tour they offer. i was definitely not disappointed by the quality of the beer & to cap it off at the end of the tour your presented with a tiger beer that was bottled that day. wow its super fresh & for sure the best tiger that i have ever tasted.
to sum up...
my 72 hours came to an abrupt end as i was taking a flight but i definitely felt that i could have stayed a few days longer but if your short of time and this is a stop over city for you then defiantly 72 can give you a good sense of the city. for me i was taken aback by the friendliness of the locals and the sheer ease of the city as a whole as far as city breaks go this is one of the best places in the world.
money
⦿ they use singapore dollar. its an expensive country so i would budget for $100 per day.
⦿ if your a european citizen and you travel often see my blog post on the curve card its the best travel card around i have saved hundreds of euro's using it. download the app and enter my promo code to get a free card & €/£5. click here to see the post.
⦿ need an international bank account or transfer money at the lowest rates? i use transferwise. i make all my transfers with then and have even opened a remote eur, usa, gbp accounts for free. click here to get your first transfer for free.
country travel tips
atm: any is fine, most are free. just make sure not to select the on screen conversion.
sim card: any provider is fine i got 100GB for a week for $10.
transport: use the public transport in cities or rent a scooter
taxi: grab taxi app is cheap | uber? use promo: carlm5078ue for free ride.
accommodation: get ($20) off your first booking.com reservation here