Singapore Trip with my Mom (January 28-31, 2013)

Yes, after just 3 months, I'm back to Singapore.  This time, the trip was unexpected.  I booked a promo flight to Macau when Air Asia Philippines (PQ) launched this newest destination.  However last October, when I just came from my Malaysia-Singapore Trip, I received a notice from Air Asia saying that my reservation to Macau was cancelled.  Since my Mom was expecting a trip for January, I decided to convert my payment to a credit shell and booked a one way flight to Singapore and another flight going to Kuala Lumpur.

Well of course my Mom was sad when she found out that we are no longer going to Macau because she personally chose that destination when I asked her.  But since I promised her that I would treat her abroad, I had to make a quick decision and booked this promo flight to Singapore while it is available.

Because our flight was scheduled to depart at 6:10 in the morning, I had to book at Tune Hotels near Clark International Airport.  We took the Victory Liner bus going to Dau Bus station for only 129 Pesos. From there, we hired a tricycle for only 100 Pesos going to Tune Hotels.  Upon check-in, we were given our key card, essential toiletries, and wifi password.  It is actually better to book for a Tune Hotel via agoda.com because all amenities are already included in the amount.  When booking straight to tune's website, all amenities including air-conditioning are charged on top of the room rates.

Inside Tune Hotels Angeles

We hired a taxi service to Clark International Airport  for only 350 Pesos.  We were picked up at 3:45 AM and we were just in time for check-in which opened at 4 o' clock in the morning.  Check-in procedure was easy because we already checked-in online and had our boarding pass printed.  Immigration counters were moved to a new location making space for increasing travelers using this airport which was evident with longer queues.

Boarding Time! My Mom's first International Flight.

Breakfast on board Air Asia.

Our flight departed on time reaching our destination a few minutes ahead of schedule.  Since Changi Airport has a rail link to the city, we were at our hotel in a few minutes.  We stayed at Fragrance Hotel Pearl in Geylang.  There are many Fragrance Hotel in Geylang and around Singapore, but we chose this one as it is closer to Aljunied MRT Station, although it is still very tiring to walk to and from the station.  There is a bus stop near Lorong 18 so instead of walking to the MRT station, we take the bus going to Bugis station bus stop and from there, we take the train to our destination.  To return to our hotel, we alight at Aljunied station and from there, we take a bus that stops near Lorong 18 and another stop in Lorong 10.  Good thing we bought EZ Link Tap card which can be used in buses and MRT.

Just Arrived Singapore!

There were still no vacant rooms when we arrived at the hotel so we left our luggage and I decided to go to the city center and let my Mom have a glimpse of Singapore.  We went to Raffles center, Marina Bay, and of course we took pictures with the world famous Merlion, Singapore’s National Symbol.  We ate lunch at Lau Pa Sat and we also bought  a Steamed Saba Fish for take-out.  After a very exciting tour of the city, we went back to our hotel to check-in.  After check-in, we fixed our belongings and prepare clithes that will be used for our Singapore tour.  We took some rest and decided to eat our take-out for dinner.  The fish was so deliciously cooked and my Mom loved it.  After dinner, we went out again to go to Bugis Street so my Mom would have a first taste of Singapore bargain Shopping.  It was already dark when we arrived Bugis,  my Mom never imagined that there are cheap bargains in Singapore so she bought souvenir shirts for her grandchildren.  She also bought some items for her friends, and of course she bought her self a nice leather bag.  After shopping, we went back to our hotel to rest and prepare for tomorrow’s trip.

Marina Bay Sands

My Mom having a little chat with the statues!

A friendly Filipino took this photo for us.

Day 2:  This time we are going to Sentosa to visit Resorts World.  We first ate early lunch at Vivo City Mall, this is where you can take trains going to Sentosa Island.  We ate at the Halal Section food court.  After that, we went straight to the Sentosa Express station located at Level L, 3^rd Floor of VivoCity.  We alighted at Waterfront station and took a walk around.  We took photos at the Universal Studios, but since my Mom won’t take any rides, we decided not to enter inside the park.  We walked our way around bought some souvenirs.  Upon walking our way near Imbiah Station, we again took the monorail to the Beach Station.  From here, we walked to Siloso Beach but we did not reached the center because it was too hot.  We took some rest before taking the monorail back to Vivo City.  

Lunch Time!

            Although tired, we still went to Chinatown before going back to our hotel.  We looked for some things to buy but unfortunately, we find Bugis a better option, so instead of shopping, we tried several foods from the kiosks.  The seaweed sandwich was good.  From Chinatown,   we went to Little India.  Our destination is Mustafa Centre, but it was a long walk because this place is near Farrer Park Station rather than Little India Station.  We bought Merlion Chocolates and other things to be brought home.  Prices here are cheaper compared to other malls.  After shopping, we went to City Square Mall near Farrer Park Station to rest for a while before boarding the train. My mom decided to call home to talk to her grandchildren whom she already misses.   When we got our energy back, we boarded the train back to Aljunied Station.  We ate dinner at an eatery outside the station before we took a bus back to our hotel.  It was a very tiring but exciting day for us.  After a soothing hot shower, we went to our bed and had a nice sleep.

Seaweed Bun

Mustafa Centre at Little India

On our third day, my Mom requested to go back to Bugis Street so she could buy more things.  Then after that, we proceeded to Suntec City to see the Fountain of Wealth, the world’s larget fountain.  Unfortunately, it was under renovation that time, so my Mom wasn’t able to see it.  So we went straight to Orchard road to have a walk around.  My Mom liked the ambiance of this place.  We went to Lucky Plaza to eat lunch.  She was already craving for Filipino Food so I brought her there.  We were given a free Ponkan upon ordering at a Filipino Food Stall inside the food court.  I thought my Mom’s shopping spree is done, until she saw another cheap bargains,  we actually exceeded our  budget in Singapore and had to exchange some extra Pesos so we wouldn’t use our budget for our next day’s destination which is Kuala Lumpur.  We also went to centerpoint mall to buy bottled water and other necessities.  On this day, we went back to our hotel early to pack our stuff because we are leaving for Kuala Lumpur tomorrow.

A walk along Orchard Road

It was an exciting tour because I was with my Mom.  She enjoyed her first tour out of the country.   She said she would want to go back someday so I think I’ll have to start saving for it now!

Singapore 2012 (October 12-15, 2012)

We arrived Singapore from Kuala Lumpur past 3 o’clock in the afternoon.  Since Air Asia uses Changi Airport’s Terminal 1, we used an air bridge which was convenient.  We went straight to the immigration counters and it was such a breeze since all counters were manned.  The best thing about Changi is that all terminals are connected via monorail.  Passengers ride the monorail for free going to Terminal 2, were the city train is located.  From the airport we reached our hotel in just about 15 minutes. 

Terminal 1 Arrivals Hall

Kinetic Rain at Changi Terminal 1

We stayed at Fragrance hotel Sunflower located in Lorong 10, Geylang District.  This is where you can find many budget hotels.  Although located in the red light district, it was safe walking even at night time.  There are lots of eateries along Geylang Road and you can also find several 7 eleven stores.  Hotels are 10 to 15 minutes walk to the nearby MRT Stations.  We chose the Aljunied Station because it is more enjoyable walking that way.  Also, there are food kiosks within the station where we can eat delicious nasi lemak at an affordable price.

Bathroom amenities at Fragrance Hotel Sunflower

Complimentary water and coffee

After some rest, we decided to see Bugis Street Market at night.  Here, we found reasonably priced items.  I did not imagine that there are good bargains in Singapore which is known to be an expensive city.  I enjoyed shopping and already bought some souvenir items here even it’s just our first day.  After our shopping spree, we decided to return to our hotel.

We met our friend who works and live in Singapore after we ate dinner in Geylang.  She lent us her extra EZ link cards that we can use for transportation, this tap card can be pre-loaded with a minimum of SGD10.00 and can be used on all MRT, Public Buses, Taxis, and even on stores like 7 eleven and McDonald’s.  She’ll also join us tomorrow in Universal Studios so we set the time and meeting place. 

Day 2, woke up early to prepare and went straight to Aljunied MRT Station.  We had our breakfast at the station while waiting for our friend.  When she came, we went straight to Sentosa.  We already bought our USS (Universal Studios Singapore)  tickets online so we just have to go straight to the entrance and tap the barcode  on the turnstile upon entry.   

I was just very happy being in USS! Haha...

The first attraction we saw was The Transformers.  This 4D ride will make you feel being part of the movie.  It was so thrilling and exciting.  Although waiting time was more than 15 minutes, the area was air-conditioned and the place looked like you are inside the military secret headquarters. 

Our next stop is The Mummy.  This one was my favorite.  It is a roller coaster in complete darkness.  There were scenes from the movie, with special effect like a real fire.  After that extreme ride, we decided to have our lunch at Mel’s Drive-in.  This is actually a replica from the hit movie Back To The Future.  Food here are expensive but we had no choice since we are inside the park.  However, you may opt to eat outside and have your hand stamped at the exit for re-entry.  The servings are huge so I can say it’s worth the money. 

My Lunch at USS.  SGD13.80

A Huge Burger

It was a whole day of fun at the park.  We enjoyed every ride and attraction we went to.  Like Battle Star Galactica, 2 high speed roller coasters, one that flips and the other just a conventional one, The Shrek 4D movie, Lights Camera Action – this one shows how special effects are done in movies.  We also tried some of the simpler rides, but just before the park closes, we again tried The Mummy and The Transformers!

The park closed at 7:00PM so we had to go back to our hotel to rest.  Upon returning, we had our dinner and packed all our things because we will be transferring to another hotel on the next day, this time, Fragrance Hotel Sapphire.  This one is just adjacent to our hotel so we just have to cross the street.  The reason we had to book separate hotels in Singapore was due to the availability of rooms.

Day 3, checked-out early and left our luggage at our next hotel.  This time we toured the city.  First stop was at Lau Pa Sat.  This place is known for the food choices.  Here, you can find Malay, Chinese, Indonesian, and even Filipino cuisines.  We had our brunch and walked our way to Marina Bay.  We took photos from every picture perfect corners.  Of course it would not be complete if we do not visit the famous Merlion statue.  We also walked our way to the esplanade and then to Suntec City to see the Fountain of Wealth, the world’s largest fountain.  From here, we took the MRT going to orchard road.  We were so hungry so we looked for a place we can eat.  We saw a tourist desk and ask which the nearest mall with a food court is.  She gave us 2 options and found ourselves in a mall where there were so many Filipinos.  Lots of Filipino Food available.   

Before going back, we went to a supermarket to buy water and some chocolates.  I bought some Yakult here because it is bigger than in Manila.  Some friends actually told me to buy them here.  Because of that, I got a very heavy baggage.

That night, we went to our friend’s house in Bedok, Singapore for dinner.  They prepared Pizza and Pasta for us and on our way back to the hotel, we brought some with us.  It was already midnight when we left so we had to take the last bus going to Bedok Station, however the last bus going to our hotel already left, good thing all bus schedules can be tracked through phone via WAP.  We found a bus that will cross Geylang Road.  But when we went down the bus, we are at Lorong 60, our hotel is at Lorong 10,so that means a long walk!  Good thing there was a taxi which brought us to our hotel for less than SGD6.00.  I used my EZ link card to pay for the fare since we are leaving tomorrow and we had to consume everything.  We had a good night sleep upon returning to our room.

On our last day, we had to wake up early to return the tap cards to our friend.  She’ll be waiting at Aljunied station before going to work.  Before returning the cards, we had to consume it buy buying some stuff from 7 eleven.  There were no taxis available when we checked out from our hotel, we had to walk our way to Aljunied MRT Station with our heavy luggage.  Upon arriving at the airport, we checked-in our bags and proceeded to our boarding gate.  At Changi Airport, each boarding gate has its own scanner, and waiting area, so there are no huge crowds.  There is a free drinking water and a free internet, however it is limited to opening emails only, we cannot open any social networking sites.

Our plane came and departed on time.  We landed at Kuala Lumpur LCC Terminal on time and walked our way to our hotel. To view my Kuala Lumpur journey, please click here.

Singapore is a vibrant city and a progressive country.  I’d love to visit it again so next year, it’ll be my first stop.