9 Things You Can Enjoy in Singapore even on a Tight Schedule

When the year started, I prayed to God to send me to 2 countries. Send is the best appropriate word for me since going abroad is something I cannot do by myself alone. I need a sponsor, a generous one. God, being the faithful One that He is, answered that prayer through a surprise. Earlier this April, Microsoft announced a training in Singapore that involves the product I’m handling for my company. In no time, I was walking the streets of Singapore.

Although I was there for only 3 days and 2 nights and my free time didn’t start until 5pm, I planned spontaneously for my tight wanderlust adventure. And though the schedule is tight, I had the best of city experience in this world-renown country. However, if you have more time to spare, here are the best Singapore attractions you should not miss.

What To Do in SG on a Tight Schedule

1. Checking my bucket list to walk the OCBC Skyway in the Supertrees of Gardens by the Bay.

I get my everyday feeds of wanderlust articles from different sources but most of it I catch from people I follow in Instagram and from Lonely Planet articles published daily in MSN. Thrillingly one day, I stumbled upon the article “Best Skywalks in the World” and OCBC Skywalk in Singapore happened to be one of them. Right at that instant when I was looking at the photo and reading the caption, it instantly became an item in my bucket list and I knew I could tick it off so soon. So April 27, we were settled at Carlton hotel at 3pm, worked a bit, and by 5pm I already hit the road for Gardens by the Bay.

It was a long walk from Marina Bay Station to the Gardens and I should’ve taken the Bayfront route but it was worth the 45-minute walk! 🙂 The Skyway is not very high and is entirely secure with no chance of you falling unless you intentionally jump. It was glorious to see the sun set within the towers of Marina Bay Sands. It’s worth my 5S$ (168Php) to see the different shades of green in this modern city.

2. Lying down the garden grass to watch the Supertrees Light Show. It couldn’t be more romantic to just lie down under the sky so carefree while watching a spectacle of lights dancing to mashed Disney and some modern music. 🙂 I don’t have hand to hold right there but my heart was so bursting with romance and I could only credit the experience to God’s awesomeness! 🙂 The show lasted for 15 minutes and was for free! ^_^

A snapshot of the supertrees light show taken while I was laid on the grass.

3. Walking the unfamiliar streets of SG. I’m a walker especially in an unfamiliar place. I cherish every step I take towards the destination I have set, or sometimes away from it. I did it in Vietnam and I would definitely not miss doing it in SG especially that its streets are clean, modern and so safe!

4. The complex yet commuter-friendly Train System. It was an adventure of a lifetime to undergo the whole train riding experience. I had to ask a lot about directions because it’s more fun to ask than just completely rely on Google Maps. I had to bother a couple to instruct me on how to get a train ticket. Here in Manila I just had to fall in line and mention my destination. But in SG you have to operate a ticketing machine but once you have mastered it, it’s very easy to get anywhere especially.

 

 

So you can travel the whole country using the train system? Impressive!

 

5. Talking to locals and non-locals. SG is so diverse and I’m so thrilled to be surrounded by people from literally Every Nation. Surround me with a Filipino crowd and I will probably be nonchalant. But my heart is all out for people of different nations. It could be really inconvenient to be in a place where you know very little but I actually enjoyed talking to locals and non-locals alike to ask for directions, help, or to take me a photo since I was wanderlusting alone.

6. Modern structures. The high rise structures, although present in Manila, gave me a more western feel. I’m a nature lover and nature never fails to be my favorite but I highly appreciates architecture as well.

Majestic view at the Merlion Park

7. Free WiFi everywhere! Unlike here in the Philippines where only a few establishment offer free wifi, in SG there’s free Wifi everywhere if you have a good signal. I think they put the whole country under a network of access points so you can get internet anywhere. Even hotels give it for free. I was waiting on a cab queue in Fullerton Hotel under strong rains and was surprised to find out that I could access the hotel’s wifi although I’m not a guest.

There’s wifi almost everywhere!

 

8. Meeting a friend in SG. There are a lot of Filipinos in SG and I know a handful of them. It’s always enjoyable to meet friends in a different setting other than where you have met them. In SG I met my friend Dianne, working as a nurse for 3 years, for a short late night catch up.

Met my friend Dianne.

 

9. Waiting is not boring at the Airport. It is recommended that during international flights, you should be at the airport at least 3 hours prior to ETD. Most of the time, I bring a book or something else to make myself entertained of productive between check in time and boarding time. However, I didn’t need that in the mall/terminals of Changi Airport. I didn’t even notice the time passing while I was window shopping!

Mall feel in the airport

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There are still a lot to enjoy in SG that I wasn’t able to do due to lack of spare time. However, I’m definitely gonna make time for the following on my next visit.

Go to the farthest stations of the Train Station in the North, East and West lines 😀 (Bucket list)`

Explore the Little India and Chinatown

Universal Studios

Botanical Garden

Shop till I drop