A Day in Singapore

*Needs work* In March 2019, some friends and I went on a group trip to Thailand and Indonesia. Being the knuckle head that I am, I found tickets with really long connections so I could visit more countries on the same trip and managed to sneak in Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore on different legs. On the way to Thailand from Indonesia, I got a ticket that had an 11hour layover in Singapore during the day and this is a summary of how that day was spent. 

Singapore is an island country and a city-state at the same time so it's easy to do a quick visit because everywhere is Singapore... even the capital of the country is Singapore because the country IS a city-state. It's seems a bit strange but also so logical and beautiful. I'll recommend spending more than a day there though so you have enough time to see and do more at a leisurely pace. That said, as a dark-skinned Black woman who got her hair touched without consent, had people ask if they could take my picture go ahead and take my picture after I said no, and had someone rub their finger over my arm to see if my skin color would rub off, I would say approach with caution if you exist in dark skin. I will not be going back to Singapore. However, if you decide to go, I hope you have a great time and I hope this helps you navigate.

Gardens by the bay

I got a 1 day SIM card at the airport for $12. Roaming can sometimes be unreliable so if I have a short period in a country, I prefer to get a local SIM card in order to avoid difficulties with navigation and communication. I also got a one day tourist pass for the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRT) for $20. It's good for both trains and buses. I took the MRT from Changi Airport to China Town and walked over to Sri Mariamman Temple. 

Photo of tower

This temple was built in the early 1800s and is the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore. 

Photo with plants

The top of the temple is surrounded with beautiful sculptures of deities and it felt so calming to walk around, admiring the beauty while reflecting in gratitude for the opportunity to be there. Tourists are allowed to go in and if you are not dressed appropriately, the kind ladies at the door have scarves you can wrap around your waist and shoulders.

3rd photo

From there, I walked 3 minutes to Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum. 

From Wikipedia: The temple was built based on the Chinese Buddhist architectural style of the Tang dynasty (as well as incorporating slight Japanese and Tibetan Buddhist influences in certain rooms) to house the tooth relic of the historical Buddha. It is claimed that the relic of Buddha from which it gains its name was found in a collapsed stupa. The size of the tooth – measuring 7.5 cm – is also far too long for a human tooth. The relic can be viewed by the public at the 4th floor of the temple.

Photo

I didn't get to see the tooth but it was a beautiful temple and I'm glad I made the stop. 

I then walked across the street to Hawker Center.

photo

Then I took the MRT to Little India and walked over to the Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple aka the Temple of a Thousand Lights. This temple has a 15ft Buddha, the tallest in Singapore. It said to be carved from the bark of a Bodhi tree under which the Buddha himself meditated.

Serangoon Road exit, Tekka Center for food. 

Kuay Teow (you can have it either charred or fried), it’s popular in Malaysia and Singapore... I got it fried.

Sri Veeramakiliamman Temple


Malay Heritage Center, didn’t get in. 

Masjid Sultan Mosque, got in. 

Arab street 

Haji Lane, street art

Walk right on beach road for 10 mins to Raffles Hotel for the original Singapore Sling - shut down for renovation. I was disappointed.

Grab to Little Saigon for a beer 

Photo at Asian Civilization Museum

then walk to Merlion - I missed it. 

Observation Deck, $23.

Gardens by the Bay


Orchard Road NS22

Clarke Quay NE 7

I’ll admit that these photos don’t do Singapore justice. To be honest, modern architecture is not my jam so I was more captivated by the numerous cultural neighborhoods and hawker centers with stalls that have been around for decades, making the most traditional Asian meals. My only regret is missing out of the tree light show otherwise, I crossed out everything on my list and had so much fun that I forgot to take photos in a lot of places lol

Marina Bay Sands

Gardens By The Bay, super tree grove

China Town

Kaya Toast - a famous Singaporean breakfast which is basically coconut jam slathered on toast with a serving of soft boiled eggs

Curry Laska (usually with your meat of choice), another popular one with the locals