Singapore
16 Sep '16 - 19 Sep '16
I have been looking forward to this trip since last year. It's my second favorite place on earth, and I just can't get enough of it! I love Singapore, I love Singapore and I LOVE SINGAPORE! I have plotted my leaves 6 months ago, and bought my flight tickets in May, confirmed my accommodation in June.
Flight Schedule:
Hong Kong - Singapore 16th Sep, 1450hrs
Singapore - Macau 19th Sep, 1255hrs
Accommodation:
Airbnb --> MyCity @People's Park Complex 16th-19th Sep
I chose to depart from Hong Kong cause only the night flight is available for departures from Macau, and I figure it would be a waste of a whole perfect day! Hence, I have to purchase the ferry ticket to Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) as well.
Ferry Schedule:
Macau Ferry Terminal - HKIA 16th Sep, 1130hrs
My total expenditure before leaving for Singapore would be as follow:
Jetstar HK-SG HKD 1096 (added on 15kg check in luggage)
Tigerair SG-MO HKD 848
Turbojet Ferry MO-HKIA HKD 254
Accommodation SG HKD 853 (3 nights)
TOTAL HKD 3051 ~~SGD536
Flight Schedule:
Hong Kong - Singapore 16th Sep, 1450hrs
Singapore - Macau 19th Sep, 1255hrs
Accommodation:
Airbnb --> MyCity @People's Park Complex 16th-19th Sep
I chose to depart from Hong Kong cause only the night flight is available for departures from Macau, and I figure it would be a waste of a whole perfect day! Hence, I have to purchase the ferry ticket to Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) as well.
Ferry Schedule:
Macau Ferry Terminal - HKIA 16th Sep, 1130hrs
My total expenditure before leaving for Singapore would be as follow:
Jetstar HK-SG HKD 1096 (added on 15kg check in luggage)
Tigerair SG-MO HKD 848
Turbojet Ferry MO-HKIA HKD 254
Accommodation SG HKD 853 (3 nights)
TOTAL HKD 3051 ~~SGD536
Day One
My work ends at 8am, and my ferry won't depart until 11.30am. So after work, I head back home to shower and do some last minute packing, I bought some souvenirs for the girls and my previous workplace, so I was scared that my carry on luggage will surpass its 7kg weight limit. After minutes of consideration, I decided to add on check in luggage of 15kg which costs HKD203. I departed at 10am by public bus 3A and reached the ferry terminal at 10.30am.
As I arrive at the terminal, I went up to the second floor for departures. The Turbojet counters for HKIA ferries are situated at the right hand side of the hall. I brought along the hard copy of my ferry confirmation which I purchased online, together with my flight itinerary to claim the actual ferry ticket at the Turbojet counter.
As I arrive at the terminal, I went up to the second floor for departures. The Turbojet counters for HKIA ferries are situated at the right hand side of the hall. I brought along the hard copy of my ferry confirmation which I purchased online, together with my flight itinerary to claim the actual ferry ticket at the Turbojet counter.
There's a lady at the front of the queue that will double check your itinerary and your Turbojet confirmation letter. I queued for approximately 15 minutes before it's finally my turn. I got my actual ferry ticket and headed towards immigration. I was informed by the counter staff that the departure gate for my ferry was at Gate 10. So I waited for another 30 minutes at the gate before boarding the ferry.
After 1 hour and 20 minutes of ferry ride, I finally arrived at HKIA. Once you alight, just follow the guided walkway/corridor for 2 minutes and you'll see the airline check in counters in front of you. Locate your airline counter and proceed with the check in process as usual. My luggage weighs 11kg by the way. The airline counter lady handed me a tax refund coupon that entitles a HKD120 refund on my flight ticket!
After completing my airline check in process, I followed the sign towards another check point where the officers will check if you've gotten your boarding pass. After that I went through a scanning luggage checkpoint and I forgotten to take out my eyebrow trimming scissors, which got confiscated, obviously. Once done with the luggage scanning, there's a Tax Refund counter right at the end of the corridor by the escalator. So I queued up along with other passengers, and got my HKD120 refund in a flash.
I followed the crowd and went down the escalator and found myself at the waiting area for the inter-terminal trains. I took the train towards Terminal 1 and there's another stretch of trains to bring us to our respective gates. After checking my departure gate number on the screen, I boarded the train towards gates 201-230. My gate was 201, so I walked towards the end of the terminal after purchasing pimple cream for my worsen acne. There are computers with charging ports to be used along the terminal, so I sat on one right opposite my departure gate to charge my phone and surf the net.
The gate opens at exactly 2.20pm and my journey towards Singapore finally starts.
I followed the crowd and went down the escalator and found myself at the waiting area for the inter-terminal trains. I took the train towards Terminal 1 and there's another stretch of trains to bring us to our respective gates. After checking my departure gate number on the screen, I boarded the train towards gates 201-230. My gate was 201, so I walked towards the end of the terminal after purchasing pimple cream for my worsen acne. There are computers with charging ports to be used along the terminal, so I sat on one right opposite my departure gate to charge my phone and surf the net.
The gate opens at exactly 2.20pm and my journey towards Singapore finally starts.
I finally landed in Singapore at 6.50pm, and it took me around 30 minutes to clear immigration. I waited 5-7 minutes for my luggage and prayed it did not get lost again. I finally spotted my luggage and was quite disappointed as my blue luggage belt has gone missing. Sigh. Anyway, it's better than having my entire luggage go missing eh?
As I stepped into the arrival hall, I immediately went to look for the UOB currency exchange counter to activate the StarHub SIM card that I bought on flight. It costs SGD15 with 100GB of internet usage for 5 days! That's practically unlimited internet usage for me! I had to wait for 15 minutes for the ladies in the counter to slowly process whatever they're doing in there. Singtel activation personnel during my last trip were way more friendlier and faster compared to these UOB personnel.
After finally gotten my SIM activated, I withdrew SGD200 from the nearest UOB ATM and went to queue for taxis. It took another 10 minutes of waiting to finally board one. It was already 7.30pm, and I'm meeting the girls at 8pm. So I decided to head straight towards Studio M Hotel, which was my previous workplace in Singapore. I left my luggage there and had to borrow their WiFi to contact the girls as the StarHub SIM needs 1 hour to activate.
I finally met them at 8.15pm and we walked towards the Korean BBQ Restaurant - JuShinJung at Robertson Walk. We had their unlimited BBQ deal and it comes with 1 hot/cold dish per person, unlimited plates of BBQ meat choices and unlimited side dishes. We ordered 2 hot stone bibimbap, 1 bibim-naengmyeon and 1 stew. As for meat choices, we had a small portion of each selection for the first round, and we ordered more of the pork bellies and fresh prawns after that.
As I stepped into the arrival hall, I immediately went to look for the UOB currency exchange counter to activate the StarHub SIM card that I bought on flight. It costs SGD15 with 100GB of internet usage for 5 days! That's practically unlimited internet usage for me! I had to wait for 15 minutes for the ladies in the counter to slowly process whatever they're doing in there. Singtel activation personnel during my last trip were way more friendlier and faster compared to these UOB personnel.
After finally gotten my SIM activated, I withdrew SGD200 from the nearest UOB ATM and went to queue for taxis. It took another 10 minutes of waiting to finally board one. It was already 7.30pm, and I'm meeting the girls at 8pm. So I decided to head straight towards Studio M Hotel, which was my previous workplace in Singapore. I left my luggage there and had to borrow their WiFi to contact the girls as the StarHub SIM needs 1 hour to activate.
I finally met them at 8.15pm and we walked towards the Korean BBQ Restaurant - JuShinJung at Robertson Walk. We had their unlimited BBQ deal and it comes with 1 hot/cold dish per person, unlimited plates of BBQ meat choices and unlimited side dishes. We ordered 2 hot stone bibimbap, 1 bibim-naengmyeon and 1 stew. As for meat choices, we had a small portion of each selection for the first round, and we ordered more of the pork bellies and fresh prawns after that.
It costs SGD52 per person and the cashier was very nice to assist us in splitting the bill. We then walked back towards Studio M as Amelia has to work overnight. We observed the Memo Cafe where I was working as the opening team, and noticed a lot of difference in the products that were sold. we chatted awhile, and I gave them the souvenirs that I brought from Macau.
At the end of the day, Amelia continued working, Qian went to Memo Cafe to meet her friends and Lulu went back home by bus. I took a taxi towards People's Park Complex to settle down for the night. I was afraid that I couldn't find the place. I looked at the instructions that was given by the owner and could more or less figure out where the place is. At Exit C of Chinatown MRT, I located McDonald's and there's a glass door towards the inside of the building. I trailed along the walk way next to a currency exchange counter and could see elevators going up to the residential floors.
After following more detailed instructions to reach the unit, I opened the safety box with the PIN given in order to retrieve my room key, and finally able to rest and unpack. I adjusted my alarm clock to 9am for the next day and slept after showering.
After following more detailed instructions to reach the unit, I opened the safety box with the PIN given in order to retrieve my room key, and finally able to rest and unpack. I adjusted my alarm clock to 9am for the next day and slept after showering.
Day Two
After a good night's sleep, I woke up and showered to prepare for a day out. I only have a faint idea of what to do that day, so I just went with the flow, I guess. There's the Zika infection going on in Singapore, so just to be safe, I stuck on mosquito repellent stickers under my shirt and shorts before heading out.
First off, I visited the economic mee hoon stall at Chinatown food center that I've frequented when I use to work in Singapore. I ordered Iced Milo as well to bring back the nostalgic taste of home.
Once done with breakfast, I took the MRT towards Harbourfront station for some shopping at my all time favorite mall - VivoCity! It houses three of my favorite outlets - H&M, Forever 21 and Cotton On! I suddenly remembered that I wanted to visit the UOB bank to apply for a debit card, but it's still not opened when I arrived, so I started with some shopping at H&M.
After visiting all three of the outlets, I went back down towards UOB to apply for the debit card. It only took 10-15 minutes as there aren't many people at that time. I forgot to ask for the SWIFT code for inter-bank transferring but I guess I'll just have to email them for that.
I googled on the nearest branch for Krispy Kreme and to my delight there's one located in VivoCity, and it's right outside the UOB branch! I promised myself to not binge eat this time, so I only bought one. I was contemplating where to enjoy my beloved Krispy Kreme Original Glazed doughnut, and decided to spend time with it by the sea. I walked towards Sentosa Boardwalk and chose a seat overlooking the water.
After visiting all three of the outlets, I went back down towards UOB to apply for the debit card. It only took 10-15 minutes as there aren't many people at that time. I forgot to ask for the SWIFT code for inter-bank transferring but I guess I'll just have to email them for that.
I googled on the nearest branch for Krispy Kreme and to my delight there's one located in VivoCity, and it's right outside the UOB branch! I promised myself to not binge eat this time, so I only bought one. I was contemplating where to enjoy my beloved Krispy Kreme Original Glazed doughnut, and decided to spend time with it by the sea. I walked towards Sentosa Boardwalk and chose a seat overlooking the water.
I sat there for a while after finishing my doughnut to enjoy the soft sea breeze, but stood up abruptly and left after remembering that one could get tanned by enjoying too much sea breeze. It was about noon, and so I took the MRT towards Clarke Quay Station for lunch. I've been craving for a bowl of authentic Korean Black Bean Noodles (Jajjangmyeon) since forever! No place has done it better than this restaurant in Clarke Quay, in my opinion at least. It's called Tae Woo Ban Jum Korean Restaurant, situated on the second level of The Central Mall, Clarke Quay.
I wanted to order some boiled mandu as well, but I was already stuffed with just the noodles alone. After done eating, I went to the bus station to head over to Bugis. After 5 minutes of waiting, Bus 61 appeared and I rode it for 10 minutes towards Bugis. I walked around Bugis Street, Bugis + and Bugis Junction.
I bought a cupcake for myself from Twelve Cupcakes at Bugis Junction. I chose Salted Caramel for ultimate satisfaction.
I bought a cupcake for myself from Twelve Cupcakes at Bugis Junction. I chose Salted Caramel for ultimate satisfaction.
I did French Manicure and trimmed my eyebrows at Bugis Street as well. It has been almost a year since I last trimmed them in Singapore. Now I'm considering about eyebrow embroidery, but I distinctly remember that the first stage will be a super obvious, dark patch of ugly brows, I guess I'll have to do more research on that.
I went back to my airbnb to rest before meeting up with my ex colleague at Chinatown Point. I departed around 4pm and walked towards the rendezvous point. We went for some Hong Kong styled desserts and talked for awhile. She made me a Christmas gift last year but wasn't able to meet up before I left, so she brought it for me this trip! It's a card holder with One Piece patterns on it! But I got tired after talking awhile and we went our own ways after an hour or so.
I went back and rested for another hour and went out again for dinner. I've decided to have the infamous curry rice at Jalan Besar. It's white rice topped with side dishes of your choice and flooded with their own curry sauce. I had it quite often when I was staying along Jalan Besar during the first few months of my internship in Singapore.
After dinner, I took bus 65 towards Orchard Road for some shopping, specially targeting the multi-storied H&M next to 313 Somerset! But I didn't find anything that I liked though. It was during then that I realized I could finally play Pokemon Go again! I previously uninstall the app as I wasn't able to play it in Macau. But the app appeared in my App Store in Singapore so I downloaded and continued my game! I logged in using my Google account and still had my Charmander with me! I basically played that game for my entire journey back home and for the next few days as well.
Day Three
I adjusted my alarm to wake me up at 9am. After showering and getting ready, I took the MRT towards Clarke Quay Station for the Ya Kun Toast Cafe for their Kaya Toast, soft boiled eggs and coffee. Fortunately there isn't many people but I still queued for around 10 minutes. I ordered the Kaya Toast Set which costs SGD4.80. I got my coffee and eggs right at the counter and went to look for a table while waiting for my toast to be ready. After 5 minutes or so, I finally received my kaya toast.
After breakfast, I took the MRT again towards Marina Bay Sands. So I boarded from Clarke Quay --> Chinatown and changed trains towards Bayfront station. I did not visit MBS a lot during my 2 years in Singapore, mostly cause I couldn't really afford the branded stuffs over there, plus it's quite a trip from my rented apartment room. I caught quite a few Pokemons including a Dratini! So happy!
I wanted to walk to the Merlion Park through the Helix Bridge but the bridge was sealed off halfway to act as one of the entrance gates to the Formula One Race.
So I had to turn around and take the other way around the water, and the weather was scorching hot!
Because it was too hot out there, I quickly retreated towards the Raffles MRT station and went back to Chinatown. It was time for lunch and I had my eye on the famous Tian Tian Chicken Rice at Maxwell Food Center. Upon reaching Chinatown, I bought myself sugarcane juice to quench my thirst and walked towards Maxwell. I had to go the long way round as there's construction right in front of the food center. There's a queue when I arrived to the stall, and waited about 15 minutes for my turn.
I ordered a single serving of chicken with rice for SGD5. After ordering and paying at the first counter, I waited for another 5 minutes to pick up my dish in front. The chicken was very tender and I liked it a lot.
After lunch, I head back home to rest and shower cause the weather is too damn hot! I rested until 5pm+. and went out for dinner. I suddenly craved for a western meal, so I went to Bugis+ to dine at Astons. I ordered their Steak and Chicken Combo with Mashed Potatoes and Mac & Cheese as the side dish.
After dinner, I walked around catching Pokemon and some more shopping. After digesting some of my dinner, I decided to head for desserts. I crossed the road towards Liang Seah Street and searched for the dessert shop called Tang Shui Xian 糖水先. It's the place that my ex-colleagues and I frequented when we craved for desserts.
I ordered the Durian Ice Cream Waffle, with real durian flesh under the ice cream! I struggled to finish every last bite cause it would be such a waste to leave anything behind. After leaving the dessert shop, I caught a Vulpix right before I enter the MRT station entrance!!
Anyhow, I wanted to get a closer look at the Singapore Flyer, so I took the train towards Promenade station. However all routes towards Singapore Flyer has been blocked off for the F1 race, hmph bummer. So I went into Suntec City to look around. I went in the grocery store to look for the Pink Dolphin vitamin drink and was so happy that they have it! I tried looking for it at 7-11 but they don't sell it. I got too excited and forgot to take a picture of it before throwing the empty bottle away.
After Suntec City, I took the train towards Farrer Park station to visit Mustafa Center to buy souvenirs for my colleagues. I didn't know what to buy except snacks, so Mustafa Center is the right choice! But I was kinda terrified cause it's full of Indians and was so crowded! I bought a few snacks and exited in less than 30 minutes.
Anyhow, I wanted to get a closer look at the Singapore Flyer, so I took the train towards Promenade station. However all routes towards Singapore Flyer has been blocked off for the F1 race, hmph bummer. So I went into Suntec City to look around. I went in the grocery store to look for the Pink Dolphin vitamin drink and was so happy that they have it! I tried looking for it at 7-11 but they don't sell it. I got too excited and forgot to take a picture of it before throwing the empty bottle away.
After Suntec City, I took the train towards Farrer Park station to visit Mustafa Center to buy souvenirs for my colleagues. I didn't know what to buy except snacks, so Mustafa Center is the right choice! But I was kinda terrified cause it's full of Indians and was so crowded! I bought a few snacks and exited in less than 30 minutes.
I went home and packed my bags for an early departure the next morning.
Day Four
I woke up at 8am to my alarm clock and showered to get ready for breakfast. I went down to the Chinatown Food Center and ordered Bak Chor Mee. It's one of the Singapore food must-haves I guess.
After breakfast, I went back to my room, charged my phone and just stare into the city. Everything that I loved is right there. And I'll be leaving in a few hours. Gosh how time flies. But I know I'll be back soon. I didn't use my camera a lot for this trip, mainly because I did not go to the attractions in Singapore such as Gardens by the Bay or the Zoo. So while waiting for my phone to be fully charged, what else is there to do other than taking selfies?!
I departed for the airport at 10am. I took the train from Chinatown --> Outram Park, then changed trains towards Tanah Merah --> Changi Airport. I checked in at the airline counter after queuing for 20 minutes, and had lunch at Nandos before entering the departure gates. The Tigerair staffs checked the baggage weight right at the entrance of the departure hall and I got charged SGD25 for overweight. Dang it!
Oh, I forgot to share my StarHub tourist SIM card on Day 1, so I'll post it here. I dare not mess with the completed ones above cause sometimes Weebly goes crazy and deletes everything below it when I tried to edit some stuffs.
So, that's all for my Singapore trip, folks! Satisfying, but never getting enough of it.
During my stay I spent around SGD500, plus the flights and accomodation, that would be a total of SGD1036, approximately. Worth every penny.
During my stay I spent around SGD500, plus the flights and accomodation, that would be a total of SGD1036, approximately. Worth every penny.