Malaysian Food Street, Resort World Sentosa

Taste - Decent

Price - Fair. Cheaper than most touristy places in Malaysia even after convert

Ambiance - Clean, a bit dingy. Classy cafeteria like.

Most of the stalls here are NOT certified halal so ask before you order. We bought from 2 stalls in particular, the Kampung Nasi Lemak and the Roti Canai & Nasi Briyani. Drinks were in disposable plastic cups so don't worry.

Papadom was not crunchy :(

We went there for an early lunch so there was plenty of tables available near the halal-certified stalls. I don't know how pack the place can get at peak lunch hour. More info on Malaysian Food Street on Resort World Sentosa webpage.

Sentosa Island & Universal Studios Singapore

I don't know about other people but I've been to Universal Studios Singapore at least 3 times but I never did explore the island. So I made it a point to set aside some time to see the rest of the island. We left the hostel quite early but 1 hour wasn't enough to see everything. 

  After taking the MRT from Bugis, we changed train at Chinatown and alighted at HarbourFront. Initially, we planned to walk but we had no idea where to go and (un)luckily saw the Sentosa Express signs instead. P.s. we got lost in shopping malls and MRT stations quite a lot so if you're unfamiliar with the locations of stops and stations, factor in some "sesat-sesat" time in your itinerary.

  So we took the (cramped) monorail and got off at Waterfront Station to leave our bags in the lockers at USS. Then, we got stamps for re-entry and took the Sentosa Express train to check out the other 2 stops. There are 4 stations:

1) Sentosa Station in Vivo City

2) Waterfront Station (Resort World Sentosa- USS, casino, S.E.A Aquarium, etc.)

3) Imbiah Station (Sentosa Merlion, cable car, etc.)

4) Beach Station (Palawan & Siloso beaches, skydiving, shopping, dining, etc.)

Operating hours: 0700 - 0000

Fee: SG$4/person (we used our ez-link cards)

Note: I forgot to buy the Singapore Tourist Pass at the airport and paid cash when taking the bus from Changi Museum to hostel. So I only needed a card on 2nd day and decided that normal ez-link card + SG$10 top up is a more worthwhile option than the 2-day Singapore Tourist Pass. I didn't travel much so I still got balance in the card by the time we left Singapore.

Sentosa Merlion

people...

no people but D got into frame (-.-")

a whole family now...

There were not many people when we arrived. It was still quite early in the morning and the sky looked as if it was going to burst anytime. Still, getting a picture of the sentosa sign (without other people in it) is almost impossible. 

FINALLY! Well. There's still us in the pic.

From Imbiah Station, we rode the train to Beach Station but didn't alight. Then the train went back and brought us to Waterfront Station.

Universal Studios Singapore

Passes for USS was purchased online at earlier date. Mine was a season pass and my partner's a SG$64 one-day pass (n.p. SG$74). They claimed that they have a limited number of passes daily but you can try your luck and buy from the counters near the entrance.

Main areas in the USS:

• Hollywood (street entertainment, meet & greet with characters)
• New York (plenty of photo op)
• Sci-Fi City (Battlestar Galactica & Transformers rides, meet & greet)
• Ancient Egypt (The Mummy ride, meet & greet)
• The Lost World (Jurassic Park rapid ride, rock climbing, Waterworld show, dino meet & greet)
• Far Far Away (Shrek 4D adventure, Donkey LIVE, Enchanted Airways, street entertainment, ice cream!)
• Madagascar (merry go round, crate adventure, street entertainment)

Sesame Street show

I don't know how often they change the show but last time it was Monster Rock. Much more fun!

The Rockafellas

Hello!

Waterworld show

Shrek 4D

and the latest ride...

PUSS IN BOOTS GIANT JOURNEY! 

A one-day visit isn't enough. The season pass (6-month validity) is SO worth the investment if I live nearby. Since I don't, I had to be contented with 2 separate visits using the season pass. Still cheaper than buying 2 one-day pass!

***

Taking the monorail back to Vivo City at 6ish seemed like a nightmare. It was Monday but the queue was so long, it extended out of the station. So, we decided to go downstairs where the buses are and get a cab to the airport.

Merlion Park, Singapore

Merlion

The Merlion statue is one of Singapore's most famous landmark. Taking photos of it is probably a validation ritual to prove that one have been to Singapore, just like putting your picture up the Social Tree at the airport.

  From Orchard Road, we took a bus at Paterson Lodge, change to another at Raffles Hotel and got down at OUE Bayfront. While the MRT is a good option to get around in Singapore, sometimes it is more convenient to take the bus. So, make sure you have Google Map with you!

View

The crowd on the pier was worse

We came for this!

... and this =)
Photo credit: Adamvai

Depending on your preference, you can spend less than half an hour here during the day or hours from late evening till dark. What to do there? Take the river cruise, snap photos, sit and chat, just hangout. Heard that there's some kind of concert or show but I was too tired to pay attention.

 I was there on Sunday evening so there was quite a crowd and taking nice photos without other people in the frame was tricky.

Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

Operating Hours

0900 - 2100 daily

outdoor gardens from 0600

When I found out about Gardens by the Bay, I knew we had to visit. By we, I mean my girl and I and our partners. We love taking pictures and posing so this place sounded like one huge outdoor studio to us. If you're anything like us, forget queuing in Universal Studios and head to Gardens by the Bay instead!

  You'll want to plan at least half a day in Gardens by the Bay. A whole day would be better if you have the time. Roam the outdoor gardens in the morning and once it gets super sunny, go into the domes to escape the heat! Be sure to stay until dark to see the light show at the Supertree Grove at 7.45 p.m. and 8.45 p.m.

  Make sure you check their website before visiting so you don't come on days when they do their maintenance. You can also buy the tickets (n.p. SG$28) online although you can get cheaper rates at other places like the airport. The hostel I was staying in offered even cheaper rate than the airport *bitter regret*

I just can't get over this. I swear we didn't plant in those 2 ladies.

From Bugis MRT, we stopped at Bayfront and followed the signages. It was already sunny when we arrived, so we didn't linger much at the outdoor gardens. I like the Chinese Garden best, probably because of the nice shady tunnel-like thingy.

Finally, we reached the domes. Decided to save the magical Cloud Forest last so I dragged everyone to the...

Flower Dome

Ah the cooling breeze~

Nursery Rhymes Floral Display

Nursery Rhymes Floral Display

Nursery Rhymes Floral Display

Nursery Rhymes Floral Display

The Boababs

Sexy Boabab

What do you see?

Interactive areas near Flower Dome exit

Remember to get stamps at the exit for re-enter!

I said Flower Dome. So where are the flowers? Check out the pics below. The one on top left is of a tree in the outdoor garden. The rest are from the gardens in the Flower Dome:

• Boababs and Bottle Trees
• Succulent Garden
• Australian Garden
• South African Garden
• South American Garden
• Californian Garden
• Mediterranean Garden
• Olive Grove

Gorgeousness <3

Cloud Forest

Think hanging bridge.

But don't worry if you're acrophobic, they have elevators and escalators so you don't have to walk the Cloud Walk and Treetop Walk bridge.

Crystal Mountain

+5 Degrees

Secret Garden

Gf made the visit much more fun and memorable!

Happy place =)

To some, it is just a big bunch of air-conditioned gardens. Nothing 'natural' about it. They may be right but I still recommend visiting Gardens by the Bay especially with your loved ones. It is just SO PRETTY!