The trip to Singapore was part of my first International Trip with Kesari Travels to SMT, which is Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. This is part 1 of the 3 part travel visit.
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Visiting abroad is a dream for many Indians, be it for work, study or simply as a tourist. After completing my 10th standard, I felt it was a perfect time to visit abroad. But the question was, where do I go? Your first trip needs to be a memorable one, after all, the first impression is the last impression [doesn't mean that if I had a bad experience, I would never travel abroad]. I had options like Singapore, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia. And it was already decided that we would take the help of a travel agency, after all, we had no clue what to do, how to go and where to eat [Very important if you are a vegetarian]. And Finally!, It was decided that we would do a combined trip to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong. Oh wait, we had another problem, the Hong Kong- Mainland China conflict. At this point in time I had two options, forget about the international trip or visit SMT. I decided to go with the latter [nothing much to think on that].
- Things to do before any international trip
- The most important thing is to plan everything well in advance, at least 3-4 months just to avoid last minutes confusion and problems.
- Plan your trip based on your budget. For this trip, we spent almost 5-6 lakhs.
- Keep your passport ready [the most important tool for travel abroad]. If you are planning to apply for a new passport or want to renew an existing one, I would suggest doing that 3 months prior to planning a trip.
- Most countries need a visa for Indian visitors. So make sure to be prepared for that, keep all documents in hand. You may need to visit the Visa office for some countries, but in the case of Singapore they provided E-visa for 30 days [in 2016], Thailand gives visa on arrival, and for Malaysia to you need to show documents [passport, proof of accommodation, return flight tickets, photograph].
- Don't forget to store all your images in Google photos or on your laptop/Pc. If you don't do this you will end up losing almost all of them [Like me]. Do clean your phone storage before you travel anywhere.
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If it is your first trip abroad and you plan to visit with your family, I would suggest taking the help of a travel agency, why? they take care of everything:
Spots to visit, especially the places where you need to buy tickets Hotels to stay Flights to take Food to eat [for vegetarians you need to be cautious, you never know the food you are eating can be made of fish oil. -
There are many options for travel agents: Kesari travels, Thomas cook, Veena travels, SOTC and many more [from Mumbai], but choosing the best is absolutely necessary.
We chose Kesari. They took care of everything and our lunch and dinner were usually in an Indian restaurant. Only expense? If you buy some artifacts, souvenirs, or something that is not mentioned in their itinerary.
Now let's begin with the trip. I will be sharing our day to day plan and at the end, I will also share some must-visit places which I, unfortunately, could not visit
- Day 1
We were 34 people [8 families] from all our India. Once we arrived in Singapore and were done with all immigration formalities, our local guide and bus driver were waiting for us at the arrival hall. On the first day, we visited -
- Parliament House - Singapore's Parliament House is both a public building and a cultural landmark. It is located in the Civic District of the Downtown Core, within the Central Area, and houses Singapore's Parliament.
- Suntec City - Suntec City is a large mixed-use development in Marina Centre, a subzone of Singapore's Downtown Core, that includes a shopping mall, office buildings, and a convention centre.
- Fountain of Wealth - The Fountain of Wealth was named the world's largest fountain by the Guinness Book of Records in 1998. Suntec City, one of Singapore's largest shopping malls, houses it.
- City Hall - Singapore's City Hall was designated a national monument on February 14, 1992. It is located in front of the historical Padang and adjacent to the Supreme Court of Singapore, and it was designed and built by the Singapore Municipal Commission's architects.
- Orchard Road - Orchard Road is Singapore's retail epicentre, home to discount stores, department stores, and upscale boutiques, as well as luxury hotels.
- Singapore river boat ride - In the afternoon we enjoyed a boat ride at Clarke Quay Jetty. the 60-minute cruise includes the 40-minute route. But it goes farther up-river to Robertson Quay and covers newer sections on the River.
- Merlion - The Merlion is Singapore's official mascot, depicted as a mythical creature with a lion's head and a fish's body. We had a 10 min photo session in front of Merlion
Parliament House - Parliament PI
Fountain of Wealth, Suntec City
Singapore City Hall
Orchard Road
River Cruise from Clarke Quay
Once we were done with the City tour, all of us were very hungry and it was time for Lunch. Breakfast was served by the airlines. We chose Singapore airlines which is one of the best airlines in the world. Some of our fellow travellers chose Thai airways, which is another great airline. After lunch, we continued our journey. This was the last spot for the day, and it took us nearly 3 hours to roam around the Gardens by The Bay.
The Gardens by the Bay is a 101-hectare nature park in Singapore's Central Region, adjacent to the Marina Reservoir. The park includes three waterfront gardens: the Bay South Garden, the Bay East Garden, and the Bay Central Garden. We visited the Flower Dome, Cloud Forest Dome, and The Super Tree Grove to see the sound and light show [Must visit, don't miss it ].
Gardens by the Bay
- Day 2
After having a buffet breakfast at our hotel we had plans to spend the entire day at Universal Studios. A massive theme park located on Singapore's Sentosa Island is your ultimate stop for fun and leisure. It is Southeast Asia's only park with 24 thrilling rides and a variety of shows and attractions spread across seven themed zones.
The Universal Studios at Resorts World offers a variety of activities in the Lost World, Far Far Away, Madagascar, Hollywood, New York, Sci-Fi City, and Ancient Egypt. After having lunch at Universal studios [must say they have a lot of options, but for vegetarians, we only have 1 or 2, which is why we have ]We also visited the S.E.A aquarium, the world's largest oceanarium, which has the world's largest viewing panel and 100,000 marine animals from over 800 species. In the evening we enjoyed 'Wings of Time,' a spectacular outdoor night show set against the backdrop of an open sea in the evening.
After the show, we travelled back to the entry point through Sentosa Express, which was a monorail ride. Dinner was at a local Indian restaurant. There are plenty of Indian restaurants in Singapore, especially south Indian restaurants.
Grand Entrance of Universal Studios
- Day 3
On the last day of the Singapore trip, in the morning after the breakfast buffet, it was time for shopping. Usually, shopping is done on the first day of the trip [at night], but since we couldn't do it we spent some time in the morning at Mustafa Center.
Mustafa Centre is a 24-hour shopping mall on Syed Alwi Road in Singapore's cultural district of Little India, within the Kallang planning area. I bought a watch for myself, although I remember I Kesari guide telling us that if you want the cheapest copy of an iPhone or any brand you must wait for Thailand. Once we were done with shopping we were on our way to Malaysia.
Mustafa shopping centre
- Since I visited Singapore along with two other countries [as it was my first ever international trip], I could not spend more than 2 days in Singapore. But I recommend new visitors to spend at least 3-4 days in Singapore. I am sharing some other must-visit places -
- Art Science Museum, Bayfront Ave
The ArtScience Museum is THE place to go if you want to take perfect pictures. The Crystal Universe, which houses the team lab exhibition Future World: Where Art Meets Science, is our absolute favourite. You'll feel as if you've been transported to another world.
Art Science Museum
2. Singapore Flyer
The Singapore Flyer, Asia's largest observation wheel, is an absolute must-see! Take in the breathtaking views of Singapore as you ascend into the skies, and on a clear day, you may even be able to spot Singapore Changi Airport. It officially opened on April 15, 2008, and features 28 air-conditioned capsules, each of which can accommodate 28 passengers, as well as a three-story terminal building.
3. AJ Hackett
Take a plunge at Singapore's first and only Sky Park bungee jump over Siloso Beach operated by the world-famous AJ Hackett group.. Beachfront fun centre featuring bungee jumping, a giant swing, a sky bridge & a vertical skywalk. I had the opportunity to do Skywalk in Macao.
4. Singapore Cable Car
One of the best ways to take in the views, the Singapore Cable Car is a gondola lift that connects Mount Faber on Singapore's main island to the resort island of Sentosa across Keppel Harbour.
5. Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds Singapore is a wax museum and tourist attraction on Singapore's Sentosa Island's Imbiah Lookout. It opened on October 25, 2014, as the seventh Asian location in the Madame Tussauds chain of wax attractions worldwide. I had the chance to visit their branch in Hong Kong.
6. National Gallery Singapore
The National Gallery Singapore is a public institution and museum dedicated to art and culture that is located in Singapore's Civic District. It is in charge of the world's largest public collection of Singaporean and regional East Asian art, specifically Southeast Asian art, with over 9,000 items.
National Gallery
7. Fort Canning
Fort Canning Park, an iconic hilltop landmark in Singapore, has witnessed many historical events. The hill once housed the palaces of 14th-century kings and housed the Far East Command Centre and British Army Barracks.
Fort Canning park
8. Jurong Bird Park
Jurong Bird Park is a tourist attraction and aviary in Jurong, Singapore. The bird park is 0.2 square kilometres in size and is located on the western slope of Jurong Hill, the highest point in the Jurong district.
Jurong Bird Park
9. Singapore Zoo
The Singapore Zoo, formerly known as the Singapore Zoological Gardens or Mandai Zoo, is located on the outskirts of Upper Seletar Reservoir in Singapore's heavily forested central catchment area and spans 28 hectares.
Singapore Zoo
There is a never-ending list of beautiful places you can visit in Singapore.
Let me know if you are planning to visit Singapore soon.
Already in Singapore or if you previously visited Singapore, let me know your favourite place.
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Next Blog on Malaysia.......
