Singapore: Steppin' Out

By Killerfillers @killrfillr
From Manila , we boarded on a late flight to Singapore and as soon as we arrived we didn’t really do anything except check into the Hotel 81 – Orchid in Geylang. We didn’t get started until the next day. Thankfully a cousin of ours who’s working in SG came along  and volunteered to be our guide for the next three days.

Hotel 81-Orchid, Geylang


“Prepare for a lot of walking”, that’s what our cousin told us when we met her in Singapore. I just laughed it out the moment I heard this from her. The second day saw the beginning of a wonderful day in Singapore as we visit the Jurong Bird Park that left our kid amazed at the huge and scenic park.   I won’t bore you with all the details suffice to say it  was a fun filled day spent in Singapore.   We decided to go back to our hotel but not before enjoying a scrumptious lunch in Jurong Point Shopping Centre.  
 No we didn’t eat in one of those SG’s must eat places but just  settled for McDonald’s Happy Meal. Not really the best way to discover a new country in terms of trying local dishes per se  but if it’s a consolation at least  we get to save an ample of amount of money and  got a Kung Fu Panda toy at the same time.


Going back to Geylang

And so we get back to our hotel and rest a bit, only to find ourselves in a train going to Orchard Road.  
Orchard Road is a major crowd drawer being the most popular shopping center and entertainment hub in Singapore.  There are other places to shop in Singapore but none is as famous as Orchard Road. Just prepare  a lot of cash though since you’ll find all the status brands here

Orchard Road got its name from the nutmeg, pepper and fruit orchards or the plantations that the road led to in the mid-1800s. Commercial development only began in the twentieth century, and took off in the 1970s.-wiki

The street may be packed with people, walking here can be quite fun. Along the stretch don’t be surprised if you are offered to try new products, makeover and all those kinds of promos, Orchard is after all the shopping capital of Singapore. A lot of  people seem to enjoy picture-taking in front of high end stores, probably something to brag about when they post it in their social networking sites. Since the wife has a low tolerance for crowd we did not walk to much.  We tried the 1 dollar SG’s ice cream sandwich and it was good.  

Clarke Quay

Afterwards we wade through the throngs of people and rode a bus to Clarke Quay.Clarke Quay according to our  cousin is a where you can find the best nightlife in Singapore. And true enough as we made our way to the place, I couldn’t help but notice the blocks filled with restaurants, nightclubs and yuppie pubs each with different theme. It would have been great if we could sit down a bit and drink a bottle of beer or two but since we’re traveling with our eldest kid, we just downplayed the idea. Besides the alcohol tax here is quite hefty that will left a big hole in our wallet compare to Manila’s night out.  A short walk over the bridge and  the view is even more stunning as lights of some establishments  illuminated the whole river banks.As luck would have it, it was a one packed  day in Singapore. We ended the day visiting  Esplanade across the glittering harbor of Marina Bay.