Back in Asia: Singapore

After a few weeks on and in the water we were expecting Singapore. For 2 full days this was our next stop on the way to Indonesia and perfect for a quick layover. For Kati it was the first time in the small city state south of Malaysia and since Philipp had been there 7 years ago there was a lot of new things to discover and old memories to be awakened.

Arriving late in the evening at what is probably the best airport in the world and driving to our accommodation turned out to be a short city tour. Houses and buildings were illuminated and we were to get to know many things like Marina Bay, Chinatown and the Qlarck Quay district in more detail over the next 48 hours.

On the first morning, after a quick breakfast, we headed to Gardens by the Bay. On the way we passed Fort Canning Park. After a few (many) steps in around 30 degrees, we had a great view of Singapore and also saw the so-called Raffles House. This house was built around 1820 by the British colonial administrator Raffles and was one of the first buildings in his urban development plan to lay the foundation for a modern Singapore.

How Singapore was shaped by colonialism could not be overlooked as we continued our journey. In addition to the Victoria Concert Hall, the Fullerton Hotel, which formerly housed the Singapore Post Office and the Chamber of Commerce, is particularly reminiscent of the neoclassical architectural style. We were also very impressed by the Raffles Hotel, which we visited for coffee in the following days.

A quick visit to the Merlion couldn't be left out on our way to Gardens by the Bay. The Singapore landmark was completely restored in time for our arrival, so we were able to enjoy the view in front of Marina Bay with the Hotel Marina Bay sands. So we gradually worked through the sights of Singapore and of course also visited the Gardens by the Bay, the new botanical gardens in Singapore, which we found to be more impressive in photos and videos than on site.

In the next few days we also explored Chinatown and little India, tried many typical dishes in the food courts (called Hawker Center) and strolled through the main shopping street “Orchard Row”.

A highlight: Chili carb on the Singapore river in the Quark Clay district!