Soph’s Scribbles

Steamy Singapore takes you along on our four-day adventure through one of my favourite cities. From waterfall-filled airports and sweaty jungle walks to late-night street food, world-class zoos, futuristic museums, and unforgettable light shows, this trip was a full sensory experience. Expect humidity, incredible food, spontaneous moments, and a city that constantly surprised us, in the best way.

After a long flight, we arrived we navigated the maze of Singapore airport to find the Jewel, the world’s largest indoor waterfall. It was so impressive and a great way to start the trip. We then took the train to the POD, a lovely little hostel where we checked in and dropped off our bags. After that, we got our bearings and strolled over to Raffles to enjoy a Singapore Sling and some nuts. It felt so grand and was rich in colonial history, even if the cocktail set us back a whopping £30! We indulged in nearly half the bag of nuts (cheeky monkeys), then wandered to Fort Canning Park for a little exploration. This was sweaty as we adjusted to the heat! On our way back to the hostel, we decided to stop for a quick drink which good job we did as the parasols soon came out and it started pouring down. This was our first rain experience and we found it so cool, very different to rain at home!

Later, we headed to Maxwell’s Market near Chinatown for dinner, had some delicious skewers chicken/pork/beef! I made a little error by ordering noodles without realising they had prawns, so I ended up eating George’s pork instead. After a long day of travels we then headed to bed. 

Day 2

After a good night’s sleep, we woke up feeling fresh and free of jet lag! We got ready and set off for the Singapore Zoo, which we were super excited about since we had heard amazing things. It was about an hour away, and we made a quick stop at a little shop along the way where George snagged a garlic chicken hotdog. When we arrived at the zoo, the weather was perfect! They recommend spending 3-4 hours there, but we ended up staying nearly 6 hours, which says a lot about how much we enjoyed it. The zoo was massive! We walked over 20,000 steps exploring different sections like Australia, wild Africa, and the Reptile kingdom. One of the highlights was stumbling upon elephant feeding and a live show called the wild. The atmosphere was so jungle-like, with llamas casually strolling around and flying bats. We saw so many different and new animals then we took a break for lunch, where I had chicken dumpling ramen and George had chicken noodles, with a refreshing strawberry, lemon, cucumber iced tea that was so good!

We then headed back to our hostel, and out of nowhere, it started absolutely pouring! We got soaked 🤣. I had a little chill while George dashed off for a run to the stadium and back (very cool!). After that, we made our way to Gardens by the Bay to catch the light show, which we were super excited about. It totally exceeded our expectations – we were mind-blown! They even included the Borealis, bringing a taste of the Northern Lights to the show. Seeing the Marina Bay Sands hotel up close felt surreal, too. 

After a fab evening, we were STARVING, so we headed to Satay Street for some delicious skewers and a beer, sitting right out on the road. I got a duck noodle dish while George went for pork, and we finished off with a chocolate Pastel de Nata from the market. It was our favorite day yet!

Day 3

We woke up and checked out of the hostel, goodbye, The POD! Thankfully, we’re coming back to Singapore for our final day. We enjoyed a yummy breakfast at the ‘Toast Box,’ where I had floss on toast with two boiled eggs. It tasted like cheesy candy floss! We then headed back to Gardens by the Bay, this time to explore the Cloud Dome and Flower Garden. It was titled Tulip Mania, and they weren’t kidding, there were tons of tulips! The highlight was definitely the Cloud Dome with its massive waterfall and the sky walk.

We got up bright and early today, very excited as we are heading back to Singapore! After a smooth journey, we made a quick stop for some noodles before checking into the Grand Pacific Hotel – a great spot, right in the heart of everything.

I’d almost forgotten just how humid Singapore is, it honestly feels like stepping straight into a steaming hot shower. It really has a climate all of its own!

This afternoon, we visited the ArtScience Museum, something we’d been wanting to do since our first stop here. It was absolutely worth the wait. We saw the Iris Van Herpen exhibition, a renowned fashion designer whose creations have been worn by the likes of Beyoncé and Lady Gaga. The pieces were stunning: very futuristic, and almost otherworldly.

We also explored the Mirror Mirror Journey into the mind exhibition (my favourite) where you could choose a door to enter which each led to a different experience. It featured a mirror maze, interactive installations about memory, and a fascinating section on collective memory, which I found super interesting (especially since I wrote my diss on it!).

We took a break with a lovely coffee at Marina Bay Sands, just in time to catch the sunset over the skyline of the city. Since we were nearby, we couldn’t resist revisiting the Gardens by the Bay light show. This time it had a musical theatre theme, packed with classic show tunes we couldn’t help but sing along to. It was just as spectacular as we remembered, maybe even better! 

To end the evening, we headed back to Maxwell Market for dinner. We had salt and pepper ribs, a Vietnamese Banh Mi (our favourite!), and some dumpling noodles, though we only realized they had prawns when they arrived. I also got a fresh mango smoothie, made right in front of me,  the lady peeled and sliced the mango on the spot, which was super cool to watch.