9 Days in the Lion City, Singapore (August 2019)

Background 9 days in the Lion City

Singapore was not really on our to-do list and certainly not as a ‘real’ holiday but rather as a stop-over. But as I started to read more and more about this city-state, my enthusiasm grew rapidly. By the time that we started our journey, I was fully convinced that it would be one of the most beautiful green cities in the world.

*Marina Bay Sands Hotel & ArtScience Museum*

We had read that the rules in Singapore were a bit unusual and very strict. Breaking them could result in high fines. But what were those rules then? No chewing gum, no singing out loud, no smoking, no eating or drinking in the street, no spitting, no feeding pigeons, flushing the toilet and no walking around naked when at home. Well, we were somehow confident that we would not have a problem with that :-).

As usual, our itinerary was fully mapped out and culture and nature were taking a prominent place on the agenda. Next to that we had also foreseen an extensive culinary segment! The latter would be completely compensated by the many walks ,so we did not have to worry about gaining weight!

After having picked up our luggage after work, we went straight to the airport. We took the Emirates’ flight to Dubai and from there to the “Lion City”. We had already gotten used to the heat in Belgium, so hopefully the 31 degrees in Singapore would not be a problem (the humidity at the contrary would be a different issue).

Our Journey to Singapore

View from the ArtScience Museum, Singapore — *View from the ArtScience Museum*

At Brussels airport, there was a huge queue for the control of the hand luggage, but luckily it advanced very well. After half an hour we ended up in Starbucks for my favourite strawberry cream frappuccino. It was a matter of taking enough calories in in case the food on the plane was not tasty. We had another hour to kill, so we walked up and down the pier to get our 10,000 steps for the day because once on the plane we would be stuck in our seats for a long time.

We were very happy that for the first leg of our trip we had managed to score business seats due to a promotional offer. This gave us the possibility to have a good rest, at least for part of the trip. Not being used to that treatment, it was a great experience ! How could we ever be satisfied again in economy class :-).

*Good start of our 9 days in the Lion City*

We were scheduled to arrive at Changi airport around 9pm local time the next day and this schedule was maintained. Changi airport seemed to be an attraction on its own, so we hoped that we could discover it our last day.

As usual, we had chosen the longest queue for customs clearing. But 45 minutes after landing, we were already in a taxi on our way to our hotel.

First Impressions of Singapore

*During 9 days in the Lion City our view from the rooftop of Naumi*

First impression of our boutique hotel, Naumi, was very good. The reception was very welcoming and this remained like that during our entire stay. There was also flavoured water at the entrance, so you could always have a sip before going to your room. They had these little phrases hanging everywhere … in the hallways, on cards and on bags in the room. This was really a nice touch of humour. We also received a gift, a scented candle. The hotel was at walking distance from several metro lines. We used City Hall and Bugis a lot.

Our room was not very large but very practically furnished (with yoga mat, scales and a large umbrella for the downpours). We did not need any of these items, but it was the thought that counted. Before we unpacked our suitcases, we went to the rooftop to see Singapore by night. Wonderful ! After that, we were ready to dive into our bed because we were a bit tired from the trip.