Why is Imran visiting Singapore?
On my way to Auckland from Bangkok I had a 6 hour layover in Singapore. I didn't want to just sit at the airport and wait for my next flight so I decided to get out. I wasn't sure what the deal with the visa was so I went and asked one of the immigration officers if i could get a visa for 4 hours (as I had read somewhere they had one for 4 hours) and he said visa is granted on arrival for 4 days which was more than plenty as i could have done with a 4 hour visa if they had one. I got my visa stamped and took the train from the airport to the city and tried to explore as much as i could in 3/4 hours.
A little background information on Singapore
Singapore is an island country and probably one of the cleanest cities i have visited. Most of the Singaporeans are either Chinese, Indian or Malay. Singapore has a very diverse population and is consistently ranked as the top 5 places in the world to do business. Most people in Singapore speak English so getting around town was not a problem, the problem was a lack of time. I had heard of people getting fined for eating chewing gum on the train so i had packed all my gum away.
What I did?
Things to do in Singapore in 3 hours
I wasn't intending on exiting the airport and hadn't done any research on Singapore. I had limited time to hang out in Singapore and didn't want to miss my flight at night. I think I did pack in a lot of activities in the 3 hours I was in Singapore.
Train Ride
The trains in Singapore are super clean and efficient. I got on the train towards town and didn't have the slightest clue where i was headed. A good rule of thumb i follow is to get down at the station where most people disembark. Although i asked around on the train of a good place to go eat, one of the dudes i met on the train recommended me to get down at the Promenade station where i could get to see a lot of touristy stuff, so i got down at the Promenade station. The promenade station is centrally located to the Marina Bay, Singapore Flyer and the Singapore Lion.
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| Yo. |
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| My luggage is with me probably in all my pictures of Singapore. |
Singapore River Cruise
No trip to Singapore is complete without a visit to the Singapore Lion. Unfortunately for me the Lions head was on the other side of the river and the only two ways to get there were by boat or walking. Since i had my luggage with me i decided i would take the boat to the other side. My flight left at 7:00 p.m. and the next boat was at 4:30 p.m. which takes 15 minutes to get to the other side. I was like whateva i am going to sit on the boat. I got to the other side at 4:45 p.m. hung out for a bit and left for the train station around 5:15 p.m.
River Cruise to the Singapore Lion.
Singapore Lion
The name Singapore is derived from the Malay term Singapura which means the Lion City, although I didn't come across a lot of Lions, Tigers, Cheetahs or any felines. The Lion Head statue is the most prominent landmark of Singapore and is bound to be seen in any video related to Singapore. It is located across the Marina Bay mall and is probably the most visited tourist attraction in Singapore.
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| The Lions Head from far. |
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| From not so far. |
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| From up close. |
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| My brothers would ask for proof of my visit to Singapore in 3 hours as only a crazy person would leave the airport. |
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| So I clicked multiple pictures at the Singapore Lion. |
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| In more or less the same pose. |
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| There is also a small Lions Head, in case you are scared of Big Lions. |
Singapore Flyer
The Singapore Flyer is a giant Ferris Wheel located in the touristy district. It is the tallest ferris wheel in the world and gives you a birds eye view of the whole city. I didn't personally get the opportunity to sit in the ferris wheel due to the lack of time. I knew with my luck I would probably end up missing my connecting flight had I sat in the wheel. The full ride lasts around 40 minutes to an hour which is almost 1/3rd amount of time I had in Singapore. I was content seeing it from afar.
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| The building design was inspired by a banana split ice cream. |
Marina Bay
The Marina Bay Mall is located close to the Promenade and is a luxury mall. Now I am no hanging out at the mall kind of guy and neither do I like visiting the mall. All my shopping needs are fulfilled online or through Tarjaay (Target). I ended up going to the mall to eat since I was in Singapore after New Years and I was told all the street food stalls would be closed, hence the quick lunch pit stop at the mall.
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| The malls in Singapore are as clean.. |
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| As the streets and vice versa. |
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| Part of the Marina Bay Formula 1 circuit in the back. |
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| I wonder if you can bungee jump from the tip to inside the egg shaped building? |
Miscellaneous Stuff
People I Met
I had requested Pablo to take a touristy picture for me at the train station. We both got on the same train and started talking. Pablo was from the Philippines and obviously my topic of discussion had to be Manny Pacman. We both agreed he sucked in his last fight against Marquez, oh well.
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| With Pablo. |
What I Ate?
Since I was in Singapore after New Years most of the street food stalls were closed, I ended up going to eat at the mall. The Indian Food shop was the most crowded and busy so I decided to give it a try. To be honest the food was aite, I have had better Indian Food (duh in India). Although the Chinese Ice Cream and milkshake were pretty awesome. The Ice Cream was basically shaved ice with different flavored sugar syrups and the milkshake was like the ice cream in a glass with the addition of coconut milk.
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| Indo Chinese Meal Combo. |
While I was going to the train station I saw a street vendor and was a bit relieved to eat some cheap food. I had the chocolate ice cream sandwich for 1 Singaporean Dollar.
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| Ice Cream Transaction. |
Conclusion
I was not in Singapore long enough to explore the full city. I would have definitely liked to have spend more time in Singapore. For the limited time I was in Singapore I had a good impression of the city. The city is clean, the people are friendly and the food is yummy. English is spoken widely and the transportation system is easy to navigate making getting around the city easy.
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