We left Heathrow on a Qantas A380 airplane for our 12 hour flight to Singapore. Luckily, there was a lot of empty seats so we had space to spread out and relax. It was comfortable and had excellent food and service. As it was overnight, I managed to sleep quite a bit and the flight seemed to go quickly.
Singapore Airport was something else: so clean and shiny, customs were a breeze and we had our cases and on the transfer bus within 30 minutes of landing. On your return, I would recommend giving yourself lots of time at the airport’s famous Jewell which is really something else. It's a huge shopping mall with entertainment and an eatery area, along with its own huge waterfall where they have hourly light shows, I have never seen anything quite like it in an airport.
Our Hotel for the first three nights was the beautiful 5* Clan hotel, although it has over three-hundred rooms it had a lovely ambiance. It felt very calm, welcoming, and had a real boutique aesthetic about it. Their motto is to make their guests feel like family. Rooms are very luxurious, with a choice of categories. The higher the floor, the better the view. It boasted a magnificent roof top pool with views over the city. The location of this hotel is amazing; you are in the central area, within in walkable distance of Chinatown.
At the local street food eateries, we tried the local chicken satays on the first night and were amazed at how good and cheap you could eat. The Clan also has a tea specialist who serves up specialty beverages each day in the lobby along with a very interesting insight into the history as well.
Day 2, we visited the 4* hotel Oasia Novena, a sister hotel to the Clan. This is a great option if you're looking for larger pool areas. It’s also connected to a big shopping mall and the local metro station which will take you into the centre in just two stops. The rooms were very clean, but a little more basic than the Clan. However, you can upgrade to Club rooms where you get to use the amazing Club lounge area, featuring a huge pool and complimentary soft drinks and snacks all day, along with alcohol and cocktails for 2 hours each night.
Whilst in Singapore we had a city walking tour, where our amazing guide showed us all the city highlights along with lots of interesting facts. I would recommend doing this as you get to see what Singapore has to offer. We visited the famous Chinatown, Little India, the beautiful Marina Bay Gardens. What I like about Singapore was how safe, clean and how easy it is to get around. Their first language is English so for a tourist this is a big help.
We were so lucky to visit the famous Raffles Hotel. We were treated to an amazing seven course taster menu in their à la carte restaurant, followed by a visit to the Long Bar of course to try the famous Singapore Sling. We also had a chance to check out the remarkable Marina Bay Sands Hotel and visit the bar/pool area on the 57th floor where you can get great views all over the city.
Our last two nights was spent on Sentosa Island which is a very short 15-minute drive from the city centre, or you can also access this area by tram or cable car. Sentosa is a man-made beach area with amazing activities including Universal Studios where we managed to catch up with Shrek and ride the rollercoasters. There’s over nineteen 4/5* Hotels ,and this area is great for families. It has lots of pools and sandy beaches, along with some amazing adult only options as well.
Most people consider Singapore as a short stopover but this country has so much more to offer. You could easily spend a week here and still run out of time to experience everything.
Best time to travel, Singapore has a year round tropical climate where the temperature is around 30 degrees. The best time to visit is between March to May, as it’s not so crowded and has less rainfall or November.
If you have been considering a trip to Singapore then do contact me for more information.
