Our First Night in Singapore

It’s been five days since we came back from our 10-day worthwhile vacation in Singapore. Come to think of it, 10 days will never be enough to explore the so-many interesting crevices of this wonderful city-state. But, this was our second visit in two month’s time so we had plenty of time to dilly-dally and go over each place with a fine-tooth comb.

We didn’t take PAL this time, because of some hotel confirmation issues. We flew Singapore Airlines instead and signed up for KrisFlyer, SIA’s version of PAL’s Mabuhay Miles. I’ll write a separate entry about this most-revered airline later.

We traveled light—I allotted half of the space in my luggage for swags, and for clean clothes, we depended mostly on hotel laundry. Nobody cared about our getup anyway.

We arrived at the hotel at 6:30 PM. The Copthorne Orchid Hotel along Dunearn Road was comfortable but ridiculously expensive. For the same rates, it was shabby compared to Shangri-La Makati. The rooms were fully booked so we had no choice but be assigned to a smoking room. Good thing they were kind enough to spray Shout! in all corners of the room.

On our first night, we chose to dine at this unassuming Italian restaurant at Clarke Quay, which is one of the prime nightspots in Singapore. At night, the place is transformed into a kaleidoscope of lights— true to the Singapore ostentatious trademark. We are wine drinkers so a bottle of chilled Chardonnay was perfect to celebrate this trip.

It was time for the bumboat cruise along the Singapore River. The now ornate bumboats used to be cargo boats that ferried goods up and down the river. The vessel was almost empty, except for some Japanese tourists who were not really paying attention to sights.

On board the bumboat, you’ll see the city lit up at night, with highlights of grand colonial buildings, beautifully restored shop houses, unique skyscrapers, and the iconic Merlion statue. The cruise is available nightly, except Sundays, until 10:30 PM.

Because we wanted to maximize our stay in Singapore, we drafted a one-week schedule and was determined to follow it. Also, we were grateful for the efficiency of guided tours and the transport system, following our schedule on the dot was a complete breeze and, at the end of the day, all the planning was worth it.

More Singapore entries to come….