Singapore

14th November 2012 07:51

Possibly one of the nicest places I've been to so far. Everything is clean and modern, and the transport system makes it very easy to get around. It is more expensive than other southeast Asian countries, but it's easy to see why. It's a very pleasant place to be.

Once again I was staying in Chinatown, at Matchbox The Concept Hostel. This place was really funky. Slightly more expensive than I would usually have paid but worth it just for the experience. The dorm beds aren't your typical bunk beds, you sleep in a self contained pod, with your own light and power points. The common area was well designed, with a huge television, DVD collection, bean bag chairs, foot massager and swings (not shown in this photo I stole!). A very unique experience and definitely recommended if you ever visit the country.

One of the areas I was most familiar with, having watched the Formula 1 races there in recent years, was the marina. Dominated by the Marina Bay Sands resort, this area was very impressive by day or night, attracting huge numbers of people. As if the backdrop wasn't impressive enough, there was a nightly lightshow, with video projected onto a wall of misty water. Very clever, and drew a huge crowd.

Singapore zoo came very highly rated, so it was a must see for me while I was there. Unfortunately, the weather took a turn for the worse in the middle of my visit, with very heavy rain and thunder and lightning. But after an hour or two, this soon passed by and I was able to see the rest of the animals. I've really been very lucky with rain, it has in fact not been the "ideal" time of year to visit a lot of the places I've been to, but even in rainy season it's not stopped me from being able to do what I wanted to do in each place. If the rain does come, it usually only hangs around for an hour or two.

The zoo was home to a pair of white tigers, which I have to say were probably my favourite animals! I also discovered there is a pair of pandas resident in the zoo, but having only just arrived they are being allowed to settle into their new environment, before going on display to the public in December. Very disappointing, but you can't win them all!

Another attraction high on the list was the Botanic Gardens, including their separate orchid garden housing the famous Princess Diana orchid, recently visited by my mates Kate and Wills. Very stunning grounds, and a huge variety of plants. I also saw a big lizard swimming in the water. Reminded me of that scene in Godzilla, just not quite as huge.

What I didn't realise was that Singapore has an attraction much like the London Eye, called the Singapore Flyer. Promising great views of my new favourite marina, I had to give it a go!

I know I've not taken that many photos of food along the way, partly because I feel like an idiot, but mostly because I simply forget. However, here's a few of my delicious lunch in little India to make up for it. Rogan josh and an assortment of tandoori chicken. So good.

Little India itself was ok, nothing to write home about but a worthwhile half day out.

After a taste of India, I returned home to the hustle and bustle of Chinatown, before preparing for my flight to the land down under.