SINGAPORE 2022
One month in Australia with two stopovers in Singapore, this trip had been a long time coming. It was originally planned and booked in December 20, but as we all know the virus had other plans for all of us.
Australia and Singapore, both were closed for two years, so I was anxious if I had informed myself well about entry requirements. Only a health declaration card had to be filled out for Singapore (vaccination needed) and nothing covid related for Australia, just the e-visa as usual.
So we left Bern on the train and arriving at the airport, I had somehow miscalculated time by an hour. So after check-in, it was a hassle to go through security, passport control and to the gate. No time to actually sit down and eat, so I bought a sandwich and off we were pretty much running through Zurich Airport. We boarded the flight at 22.30 and I was a bit disappointed to find out that it was Swiss operated and not Singapore Airlines.
I let Lani watch a movie and then she fell asleep. Shortly after I started feeling nauseous and really sick. So pretty much all night long I had to run to the bathroom! I was throwing up, had diarrhea, cramps, nausea, all sorts of body aches and no seating position was comfortable for me. Seriously the 12 hours felt lime a lifetime and was probably the worst flight experience ever!!! Luckily most passengers were asleep, Leilani as well. Either it was that sandwich or some really bad timed stomach bug! Either way I couldn’t believe my bad luck and timing.
When we landed in Singapore, we pretty much ran to go through immigration and to get our bags. I intended to hop on a train but I felt so bad and had no energy or strength left in me that we just got a taxi straight to the hotel. By then my condition had even more deteriorated and I was just laying on the bed in fetal position. After two hours I had to force myself to go out and get Lani some food and buy medicine for me. Back in bed I fell asleep and slept for 14 hours straight. All through that Lani was such a trooper, not complaining, just doing her thing, watching movies and playing. I don’t think I could’ve done this with another child or if she were younger. I felt really bad but just had no other choice.
When I woke up around lunchtime, I felt much better already, so we got dressed and walked to chinatown where we had some soup, dim sum and tea for lunch, my first solid food in 30 hours. We just wandered around, bought some souvenirs, then went to Funan shopping mall, where they have a huge indoor climbing wall and people were bouldering. Leilani wanted to do it but was unfortunately too young.
Chinatown
Yum Cha lunch
exploring Chinatown
durian, the stinky fruit that is forbidden to eat in most places and is even fined
yes please
definitely my kid
inside the Funan Mall
frangipani my favorite flower
After a break in the room we walked along the beautiful river esplanade all the way to the Singapore Flyer (ferris wheel). Towering 165 metres above ground, Singapore Flyer is the largest giant observation wheel in Asia and we took in the view by night. It felt great to finally be able to come back to Asia, especially Singapore. I had been here before in 2008 and 2012, but this time with my amazing daughter which was really special.
It was a short 30-hour stopover but we still had the full experience. Back at my all time favorite airport Changi, we boarded our next flight to Sydney at 00.45 and I was soo pumped that I was A feeling better and B flying to Australia with my little mini me.
Marina Bay Sands, the most famous hotel in Singapore with an infinity pool ontop
great to be back in this city
on the Singapore Flyer
views from the ferris wheel
you will not get bored in Singapore
next stop: Australia
Flight from Brisbane to Singapore went by quick and an hour after we left the plane we had already checked into the hotel and showered. So efficient, the Swiss part in me loves that
Our hotel right by the river was downtown, however more in a residential area and it was really interesting to see the mix of people.
With over 110,000 expats and 7,000 multinational companies operating here, global citizens will also feel right at home forging a career in Singapore.
Singapore is also called the Switzerland of Asia because it is A expensive, B clean and C very safe. Fines for littering are super high, that‘s one of the reason’s why it‘s so clean. And comparing to Australia it is quite expensive.
We walked 2 km’s to Orchard Road, Singapore’s retail heart, with discount outlets, department stores and upscale boutiques, alongside luxury hotels, stretching over 2.2 km‘s.
We had dinner at a Japanese BBQ, where you can order your meat & vegetables and cook it on your on little table grill. An experience for sure for foodie Lani. As we left the mall I saw that they were giving massages and since I had an 8-hour flight behind me I thought why not. However, this felt more like a beating than a massage and I was more sore than before
Actually as I am writing this I feel like I need some painkillers and a bit of good old tiger balm on my back
I was looking forward to a A a good nights sleep and B in a comfy bed but only one of these wishes came true. The bed was super comfy but the thunderstorm was so loud and kept on going for hours, I was awake for the most part of the night.
Orchard Road, 2.2 km shopping street
massage after the flight
she got a little massage as well
enjoying the hotel pool in the rain
Singapore: the greenest city in the world
Dim Sum
In the morning we chilled out in the room and then went back to Orchard Road for lunch and to check out the malls. Later in the afternoon we took a cab to Gardens by the Bay which is a highlight and must do when you are visiting Singapore. Gardens by the Bay is a futuristic park in the bay area and home to a diverse collection of over 1.5 million plants that hail from every continent. The park consists of three waterfront gardens and has largest Glass Greenhouse in the world. We visited the Cloud Forest Dome which has one of the world’s tallest indoor waterfalls and a lush mountain clad with plants from around the world. After that we did the treetop walk that has spectacular views of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, the Gardens and Singapore Flyer. Every night at 7.45 p.m. there is a lightshow, which we also very much enjoyed. By then I thought Lani would be so tired because in Australian time it was 9.45 p.m. already, however she said she wanted to continue with the sightseeing, just like her mommy 
so we went to the Marina Bay Sands Mall and watched the lightshow in the bay at 9.00 p.m., which was really spectacular. She did fall asleep in the taxi back to the hotel though. Tough little cookie
Treetop Walk view
one of the largest indoor waterfalls
lightshow
Water Play by the Bay
On Sunday I packed our bags, checked out of the hotel and took a cab to Vivo City, a mall with a huge food court that is very popular with the locals and from there the monorail across to Sentosa Island. It was 31 degrees, and I felt like a beach day would be appropriate for our last day. We spent it on Palawan Beach, which is the southernmost point in continental Asia.
Standing 40 metres tall with water cascading down from the dome-shaped roof of Jewel Changi Airport (Jewel), the HSBC Rain Vortex is the world’s tallest indoor waterfall and it‘s something out of like a Sci-fi movie, it feels unreal and is very impressivd. There is so much to do at Changi Airport, you could spend hours there. From a butterfly garden, cactus garden, canopy bridge, hedge maze, playgrounds, huge mall to restaurants etc.
Palawan Beach on Sentosa Island for our last day
great idea
largest indoor waterfall in the world at Changi Airport
spectacular
The flight was at 11.10 p.m., Lani watched a movie, fell asleep and slept for 10 hours straight. The person sitting next to her even lifted their armrest so she had more space. Some people are angels
Thank you stranger
Even though I had been to Singapore twice before, I really enjoyed it much more this time around. It‘s the perfect city for a 2/3-day stopover, so much to see and do and especially if you are a foodlover. There's no greater love story than that of Singaporeans and food. Food is the very heart and soul of this busy cosmopolitan island-nation. I am sure one day I‘ll ve back again…
➤
