Singapore

We are now in Singapore and settled into our hotel room. The room is compact but very comfortable and has everything you need, the bed is so comfy and cozy, I could snuggle up in it all day, we do have a snooze for a few hours before checking out the hotels facilities.

On the roof is a beautiful garden and pool area, we will have to use that later but first it's off out to start exploring the surrounding area.

We head to the Clarke Quay area which has a great outdoor restaurant area under unusual tree like canopies constructed out of steel and glass, the structures are designed to suck in the air, chill it and then pump it back out at ground level to provide a cool air conditioned atmosphere underneath.

We decide to try out the underground. Its very clean and well sign posted so easy to use, you aren't allowed to eat or drink on the underground, you will get fined.

We head to Gardens by the Bay, Skypark and The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.

The gardens are spectacular with tree structures made out of metal, two large glasshouses, one called Cloud Forest the other Flower Dome.

In the domes there are raised walkways so you can meander through the plants at different levels.

Next we head for the Skypark, Its an unusual building with three towers and joined across the top with a huge platform where there is a hotel with roof top pool and garden, restaurant, and large viewing platform that juts out from one end of the building over the city below, the views are amazing from here if not a little unnerving if you don't like heights, we are 656 feet up.

We then head to the shopping Mall area which has some great shops, all designer names, there is a Ferrari shop with one of the cars in the window, a river inside the Mall and boats floating down it, and an amazing glass whirlpool fountain.

We then go outside to take in the view and have a few beers over looking the water front as the sun sets.

we hear some loud music start and a large crowd gathers at the waters edge, we go over to investigate.

Lasers, fountains and steam are coming out of the water and moving image's are being projected onto this to create a spectacular display, it very clever and we have never see anything like it before.

Afterwards we head back to Riverside Park and Clarke Quay for dinner and enjoy an Italian meal and a jug of beer.

Now's it time to head back to the hotel and get a good night's sleep.

Day 2 Singapore

Today we decide to have a walk round the city and first head for Chinatown. On the way there are many tall buildings that are clothed in plants, what a great idea.
We arrive at China Town to see a beautiful temple which is very ornately painted in red and gold, then onto the market which is an eye opener. There are some unusual foods on sale, dried lizzards, live eals and large frogs, the fruit and veg looks ok to eat though.
It 35 degrees here today but very humid so it's not long before we are sweating and need a break from the sun, time to find an air conditioned coffee shop I think.

From here we decide to get a metro, the underground is an excellent way to get around here, you can buy a travel pass for a set number of days and use it for as many journeys as you like in that period.

We head back to the waterfront area to see the Skypark building from the other side of the lake and walk round the old part of the city, there is a lovely boardwalk here with a large lion statue fountain at one end.

When we are finished in this area we get back on the metro and head to Khanji which has a War Memorial Cemetary there, its a bit of a trek but well worth it. We get to see a bit more of Singapore as well. As the Cemetary is out of the city we expected to see at bit of countryside but on the whole it is still pretty built up with high rise blocks which look like homes.

After that visit we hop on the bus back to the metro station and continue on our journey and head back to the city where we get off at the metro station called Raffles.

From here we walk through the city seeing many interesting buildings, one is called Chijmes, tucked away behind a wall and through an arch, it's an old convent building which has been turned into a restaurant.

Nearby is the Raffles hotel so we go and check it out and of course have a drink in the Long Bar. We both have a Sinapore Sling which the hotel is famous for, Its traditional to have peanuts with your drink and throw the shells on the floor. The building is typical colonial architecture and very stylish.

We then head back to our hotel to freshen up and get ready to go out for dinner, we decide to go to Riverside Park area which has bars and restaurant's along the waters edge, this time we plumpt for a Chinese meal with a jug of beer, like all the food places here they are not cheap but there is lots of choice.

Day 3 Singapore

Time for a lie in and a late breakfast and a morning taking it easy.

Andrew is having a nap whilst I catch up on my blog.

After breakfast we head to the roof top terrace for a swim, it's been raining, it's a little damp but its still hot, we do a few lengths of the pool and relax on the sun loungers and soak up some sun.

By 3pm it's time to head out, we first have a quick bite to eat in the hotel cafe and then take a stroll to the metro station and head for Singapore's Botanical Gardens.

When we left the hotel a storm was brewing and by the time we exit the station at the gardens the heavens open and there is thunder and lightning, we hold off in the shelter of the metro station until the storm eases off, then I have a brainwave, I wonder if the shop in the station sells umbrellas, quick check, great they do so I purchase two, now we are on our way, the rain isn't going to stop us.

We start our walk through the gardens, the first part is a public park and free of charge, it has a vast array of tropical trees, shrubs, palms and ferns all set around lakes and interconnected with meandering pathways to guide you through each section, each section has a theme, i.e the foliage walk, the Long Palm walk, etc.

Within the park there is also a special Orchid garden with over 30,000 different varieties of these beautiful plants, many of them in full flower at this time of year.

The site is a UNESCO world heritage site and I can see why, it is unique and stunning, a real gem, probably one of the best botanical gardens I have seen.

When we head back on the metro we notice the train doesn't have a driver, this is because on many of the metro lines they are fully automated, this means we can sit up front and get a great view of the tunnel and our journey along it.

We get off at Newtown metro station and head for Orchard Road.

This is a 2 mile long street that is know for its many Malls with designer shops and nice bars and restaurants so we wonder on down for a look, it's early evening so it looks great all lit up.

We get back on the metro at Dhoby Ghaut and head back to Riverside Park over looking one of the quays where we decide to have our last dinner in Singapore, we have a big beef burger, fries, onion rings all washed down by a lovely glass of beer.

Tomorrow we will be packing again after breakfast as we will be heading to Phuket on the next stage of our trip but at least our flight isn't till 3pm tomorrow so a bit of a lie in then off.