7 Days Singapore - Part 3

In the city center, we of course didn’t skip Little India and were amazed by the huge food court - there are countless stalls offering a wide variety of Indian dishes. We also visited the Tekka Center: spread across four levels, you’ll find a wild mix of electronics, clothing and groceries, some of which are duplicated on different floors. Shopping there was a bit too stressful for us - an endless stream of people squeezed past all the shelves and crowds were backed up at the registers.

Another popular attraction is Muscat Street, with all kinds of Arab stalls, as well as the magnificent Sultan Mosque and beautiful murals. 

We actually liked Chinatown a little better, though; there are plenty of stalls there as well but the Walking Street is more spacious and the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is definitely worth seeing. 

Right next to it, you can also visit a Hindu temple, the Sri Mariamman.

An absolute highlight was the evening light show at Gardens by the Bay, which takes place twice a day. For fifteen minutes, the Supertrees glowed in a beautiful display of colors accompanied by music. 

Before that, we took advantage of the golden evening light to snap a few photos of the Marina Bay skyline and checked out Singapore’s mascot, the Merlion. We also strolled through the lobby of the famous Marina Bay Sands Hotel and took in the impressive interior design.

In summary, Singapore is a diverse, modern city with excellent public transportation. There are sidewalks and parks everywhere, filled with people enjoying sports and other activities. The city is also very inclusive - there are many services for seniors, as well as accessible paths and buildings. The skyline of skyscrapers, with its varied architecture and lush greenery, is truly impressive.

On our next visit, we definitely want to walk through the Sky Garden - a green pathway through a skyscraper that’s even taller than the Marina Bay Sands. The visit must be booked a few weeks in advance via CapitaSpring website, but it’s free.

The city is also remarkably clean: no trash on the streets, no graffiti. Hawker centers and restaurants are everywhere, many of them Michelin-recommended or award-winning, and the shops and malls stay open late into the night or even around the clock.

You almost forget that you’re in Asia - the city feels more like a very well-planned, Western metropolis. Only the lush greenery and small details, like construction workers riding in the back of open trucks (which would probably make any European occupational safety officer faint), remind you of where you really are.

The weather is rather unpredictable: sometimes cloudy, sometimes sunny, and a heavy downpour can strike at any time without warning - sometimes lasting for hours. According to weather apps, it’s basically always raining, so it’s not really something you can plan for. The locals seem to have come to terms with this and always carry an umbrella just in case - whether they’re in the city or out hiking.