Culture
Must do
Changi Airport
You’d never say this about an airport anywhere other than in Asia, but I wish I had had more time to spend here. Changi is more like a massive mall and entertainment center. It has a movie theater, a huge bouncing net trampoline, several art exhibits, several gardens, and most of it is accessible even if you don’t plan on flying.
The one thing I did get to see was the Rain Vortex in Jewel. The indoor garden was very cool and the massive waterfall made it a very relaxing space. A very cool thing that Singporean architecture does is find unique ways to build plant life into vertical spaces.
And of course, the airport has a ton of restaurants with restaurants. Many popular chains and restaurant groups have outposts at Changi that you can eat at right before your flight.
Chinatown
Chinatown was so lively! Even at 9 pm at night, the streets were full of people and every shop and vendor was open, even the grocers. In American Chinatowns, most grocery stores are closed by 6 pm. I think being so close to Chinese New Year played a part because the entire neighborhood was decorated for it.
Chinese New Year
I loved seeing all of the Chinese New Year (CNY) decorations in the streets, stores and restaurants. I have been celebrating CNY with my family and Chinese friends for years, but in America, the interest in CNY is typically limited to Chinatowns or predominantly Asian neighborhoods. It was fun (and maybe even comforting?) to see the holiday being celebrated by the whole city! There were huge statues and decorations on the streets, special food menus and items for sale, and some businesses were even handing out Lai See (red envelopes) with their logos on it! Many major brands were running CNY-focused ad campaigns.
Singapore Botanic Gardens
The garden is massive and most of it is free to roam around in. It’s basically what I would think of as the major city park. Inside, there are a few cafés and restaurants to eat at so we grabbed a quick coffee before heading in. The centerpiece is the National Orchid Garden, featuring over 1,000 different types of orchids. Entry for non-locals is $15 per person. While it was fun to walk around and see all the different orchids (some of them were really cute), I wouldn’t say this is a must-see. If you do decide to go, I would recommend choosing a cooler day. There isn’t much shade. There is an interior air conditioned section, but I think there’s purposely no benches there to prevent people from camping out.
The MRT (The Subway)
While not exactly a cultural attraction, I would highly recommend taking the MRT to get around. It is incredibly efficient and clean, and everyone is very respectful while riding it. It’s basically the polar opposite of the NYC subway. You’re not allowed to eat, drink, or eat any durian on it. The cost is based on distance – you swipe in with your credit card upon entry, and again upon exit. The turnstiles take any card with a chip in it, even international ones.
interesting, but not essential
Shopping
I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a high concentration of luxury malls in one place. Malls are everywhere in Singapore – a lot of them focus on international stores, while others are more localized. On Orchid Road, I walked through three massive malls all connected to each other through underground tunnels. It makes sense that people would want to avoid going outside in the humidity and heat.
My favorite parts of the malls were the food courts. They were 90% made up of Asian food – noodle shops, hot pot shops, pastry shops. Each mall usually had a food court with food stalls and communal seating as well as sit down restaurants spread across the different floors.
Tanjeong Beach Club is located on Sentosa Island – a part of Singapore known for its large (and sometimes very gaudy) homes and as a resort island. Most of the homes are owned/occupied by expats.
The Beach Club is a fun place to hang out – it has a bar, restaurant, pool and a beach. You can reserve a cabana for lounging or a table at the restaurant (they have both indoor and outdoor) for several hours. The food was quite good and refreshing – they serve healthy brunch options, smoothies, and cocktails. I enjoyed being able to sip a fresh coconut while lounging in the shade.
The pool was admittedly a little crowded, and while the beach was a lot roomier, the water tends to feel a bit grimey – probably from all of the tankers floating around nearby.
We went around 10 am on a Saturday, which meant the other guests were mostly families with young kids and dogs. Later in the afternoon, I heard that TBC draws a rowdier crowd. If you’re looking for a change of pace from the urban environment, and want to meet up with a bigger group, this is a good place to hang out. Otherwise, this is probably something I could have skipped.
Sad I missed
Gardens by the Bay
I have seen pictures of Gardens by the Bay both in the daytime and nighttime and visiting seems like a very cool experience. I saw it from my hotel room, but never found time to squeeze it in between my visits with friends. I also think that after my walk through the Botanical Gardens, I was put off by the heat. This is definitely on my list for my next visit.
AMANDA'S CHANTICS 