Singapore Top Ten

1. Singapore's Transport System - MRT, Bus and Taxi System - impressive, efficient, clean!! You have to experience it to know what I mean.

2. Shopping for souvenirs in Chinatown (3 for S$10 store), Du Yi Bookshop, Night Safari, etc.

3. Mustafa Center, Little India - Open 24 hours a day, is a one stop shop for anything you need. It is so big that we almost got lost inside (blame it on the floor plan of the store hehe). Don't bother depositing your stuff at the counter outside, they'll just seal it for you (and you'll need a pair of scissors to open it).

4. FOOD!!!!! - I think we were able to try every kind of food Singapore had to offer, from Yin Yang Chicken (Hainanese Chicken), Chilli Crab, Satay, Tom Yung Soup, Roti Prata and even had Nasi Lemak for breakfast. It was primarily a food trip -- shopping and visiting the sites were just coincidental.

5. Singapore Visitors Centre on Orchard Road and Singapore Tourist Pass - It's highly recommended that tourists pass by the Visitors Centre. Staff are very helpful (except for 1 - hmphhh) and they'll readily assist in any way. And all kinds of maps and info brochures are available. While there, we bought 2-day passes to go around the sights and shopping areas in Singapore (for S$16) (does not include fare to the Night Safari), which we used for the trains, buses and get this, you get back your S$10 as refund. That's Becky and Hazel on the foreground entering the Visitors Centre.

6. Night Safari - We traveled all the way to Singapore's famous Night Safari (probably an hour away from our hotel). Despite the large crowd that Thursday evening, we were able to get good front row seats to watch the "Creatures of the Night Show." After the show, we went on the Tram Ride to see the other "creatures of the night." It was actually pleasant to meet some fellow Pinoys working at the Night Safari. They even showed us where the best seats are for the Tram Ride (third car, front row). Before I forget, check out their toilets while you're there (with matching waterfall sounds and a lot of growling).

7. Holiday Inn Atrium - For our 3 nights 2 days stay in Singapore, we were billeted at the beautiful Holiday Inn Atrium. Thanks, Hazel. Tip: Avail of the free Riverside Hotels' shuttle service.

That's me and Hazel looking at some maps -- finalizing our itinerary for the next 2 days.

8. Esplanade - Theatres by The Bay - The structure, its dome are actually upturned Durians, is most beautiful at night. When we first came to Esplanade (earlier in the day), we were somehow pulled to The Cookie Museum which sells, you guessed it, cookies. But not just plain cookies but delicious tasting cookies (you can actually sample some of them) but sadly, were quite expensive. So, we just had a snack of chocolate dipped strawberries and bananas (with nuts) at Chocz while listening to a group practicing their pieces for a concert (which was a welcome treat to our very tired feet). We came back that night and had dinner at the nearby Makasuntra Gluttons Bay-Singapore's best streetfood, where we had dinner of Satay and Roti with Cheese -- which Hazel found weird.

9. The Famous Merlion - Just across Esplande is Merlion Park. Need I say more?







(My note: Hazel was too shy to pose for pictures)

10. Litter-free streets of Singapore - This is another reason to be impressed about Singapore. Friends told me that this small island state is soooo clean, I didn't realize that it was true until I saw it for myself. How I wish it would be the same in Manila *sigh* I wonder where they put all their trash? hmmm...

There are actually other sights or things that I've not included (our trip to Ikea or the other malls we went to) but actually, all I wanted to say is that --- Thank you, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, without you, there'd be no Singapore.


More Singapore pics here.