Skip to main content

SG-MY Tour Day 1 - City Tour

 

Arrived at Changi Airport Terminal 4 approximately 9:10 a.m. There's no time difference between Manila and SG. After going through airport security and immigration, we met up with our guide at the airport lobby. Made use of the fast airport WiFi to make my first post and freshened up in their beautiful clean bathrooms. 4 others were joining us for the van ride to the hotel.


While waiting, we inquired at a mobile stall about mobile Internet. A tourist SIM that you can also use in Malaysia costs 38SGD. You can also get pocket WiFi for 10SGD / day plus a refundable deposit of 200SGD (credit card only). We decided it's too expensive. Our guide told us we could buy SIM at shops near the hotel.

Arrived at the Fragrance Crystal Hotel in 50 Lor 18 Geylang at around 10:30 a.m. Check-in is at 3:00 p.m. but they'll do early check-in for 45SGD. Lolwut

We decided to walk around and find a restaurant to eat lunch and just come back after. The hotel front desk staff said he can check us in at 1:30 p.m. at the earliest with no extra charge. The hotel is little more than a pension house and does not have a restaurant.

We had lunch at this roadside restaurant that offers Chinese, Thai and Indian food. I ordered cashew nut, chicken with egg and rice and iced coffee. The meal is 5SGD and the coffee is 1.86SGD. I had 2 coffee because it's so good.



Then we checked out some nearby shops and bought a Singtel tourist SIM card with 100GB data for 15SGD. The shop attendant was a little snappy at first but after some chatting up (I asked if I could use the SIM in Malaysia and he said its a different country lmao), he warmed a little and told us he's from KL, Malaysia. Then he warned us about being careful with our things in KL. Thanks for the warning. The SIM card can be used in Malaysia BTW. I checked the card (and tested it later for the Malaysia part of the tour).

Then back to the hotel where we waited about 30 mins. to get checked in.


THE HOTEL



The room is small, clean and modest. It will do for 2 nights. There's only one trash can, which we dragged for use in the bathroom. The fridge is not stocked, but there's complimentary bottles of water, coffee and the usual. After a relaxing shower, we rested a bit before stepping out again to check out the city proper and to meet up with some Singapore-based friends.

Grabcar to Marina Bay Sands is a Mercedes Benz lol for 7SGD and an extra 1SGD for toll. Hmmkay. Spent a few minutes taking pictures at The Shoppes Marina Bay Sands while waiting for a friend from college. When she arrived with her kid, she showed us around the Merlion Park and other sights around the area before heading to the Lau Pasat for dinner at the heart of Singapore's financial district. Our friend left just before another friend arrived to buy us dinner. By this time, it's 7:00 p.m. but the sun is still out.

The famous Merlion statue with Marina Bay Sands Hotel in the background

Inside The Shoppes Marina Bay Sands




Lau Pasat at the heart of Singapore's bustling financial district

After a sumptuous dinner of an assortment of seafoods and chicken satay, we took the MRT (a trip is 1.50SGD) to Gardens by the Bay just in time for the Supertree Grove Light Show. What a feast for the eyes. My only complaint is that it's a little crowded.

Under the Supertree Grove, Garden by the Bay



Sands SkyPark Observation Deck

From there, we went into the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, took pics of the financial district at night, then took a Grabcar for 14SGD back to our hotel. It was past 10:00 p.m.

DAY 1 EXPENSES:

Lunch - 5SGD
Coffee - 3.72SGD
SIM card - 15SGD
Grabcar to Marina Bay Sands Hotel - 8SGD
MRT trip - 1.50SGD
Grabcar to hotel - 14SGD

TOTAL - 47.22SGD
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Moview Review: The Lady Shogun and Her Men

I've heard about this story for sometime now. The Japanese title is Ooku , which refers to the chamber in the shogun's castle where all the women of the shogun's harem are kept. However, Yoshinaga Fumi's manga, on which this movie is adapted, adds a twist: the shogun is a woman and beautiful men fill her harem. THE STORY In the year 1716 Japan, most of the men have died from a deadly disease that only affects men, resulting in their population dwindling to as much as 1/4 of the total population of women. Consequently, women fill in the traditional roles of men, performing hard labor, managing businesses and running government while men are pampered, protected and allowed only to indulge in light entertainment. In this nonexistent Japan lives Mizuno Yunoshin (Kazunari Ninomiya), a teenager from an impoverished samurai class family. He likes fencing and his childhood friend, O-Nobu (Horikita Maki), but because of his family's financial status (O-Nobu is a daugh...
3 comments
Read more

I have loved the stars too truly to be fearful of the night

THE OLD ASTRONOMER. - Sarah Williams R EACH me down my Tycho Brahé,—I would know him when we meet, When I share my later science, sitting humbly at his feet; He may know the law of all things, yet be ignorant of how We are working to completion, working on from then till now. Pray, remember, that I leave you all my theory complete, Lacking only certain data, for your adding, as is meet; And remember, men will scorn it, 'tis original and true, And the obloquy of newness may fall bitterly on you. But, my pupil, as my pupil you have learnt the worth of scorn; You have laughed with me at pity, we have joyed to be forlorn; What, for us, are all distractions of men's fellowship and smiles? What, for us, the goddess Pleasure, with her meretricious wiles? You may tell that German college that their honour comes too late. But they must not waste repentance on the grizzly savant's fate; Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light; I have loved the s...
Post a Comment
Read more

TV Review: The Queen's Classroom

Imagine a person with the emotional range of a terminator, the aura of Darth Vader and the Machiavellian mindset of Hitler. Now put her in a classroom. What you get is an unusual Japanese drama series that debunks the "heroic" teacher stereotype, presents searing commentaries about the state of the public school system, and gives you a character so evil and negative that the makers of the series had to show a clip at the ending transforming her back into just an actress. The show is called The Queen's Classroom and not for no reason. THE STORY Sixth grader Kanda Kazumi ( Shida Mirai ) is looking forward to spending her last year in grade school having fun and creating lasting memories with her friends. But problems arise when a strict new teacher, Akutsu Maya ( Amami Yuki ) is assigned as their homeroom adviser. Maya ranks her class strictly according to merit, punishing harshly those with the lowest grades while lavishly awarding those with the highest marks. So...
1 comment
Read more