Today we’re taking you on a whirlwind tour of Singapore (新加坡). This sovereign city
state, may not have a whole lot of land, but it sure packs a lot of punch! We had a full
week in Singapore (Singapura), so we set out to explore its distinct neighbourhoods, cool
off in its gardens, marvel at its innovative buildings, and of course, eat in its hawker
centres. This video will show you 25 things to do in Singapore (新加坡), now let’s
get started:
Let’s kick things off at the Gardens by the Bay (Taman di Persisiran -滨海湾花园
- வளைகுடா தோட்டம்), where nature and futuristic architecture collide.
Our first stop was the Cloud Forest, which is meant to replicate the conditions of the
tropical highlands.
Alright guys so we bit the bullet and we paid to go to visit the Garden's by the Bay which
is a little bit pricy but this is one of the main attractions here in Singapore (新加坡).
And actually the Gardens by the Bay are made up by lots of different little components.
So right now we're inside the Cloud Forest (云雾林). It looks amazing. I feel like
I'm inside a Jurassic Park or some kind of Lost World. It is so lush and colorful. So
we're going to give you a tour.
We have now entered the Lost World on the 7th floor and from here we're going to start
working our way down. The temperature is actually cooler here and it is meant to mimic the higher
altitude. And look at that view. You can see the Marina Bay Sands hotel.
We are still in the Cloud Forest and next up we're doing the treetop walk. We've come
a long way down so feeling better. Much better and now we have some really cool views to
enjoy. Look at that. We were like up there.
Sam what do you think? You were walking up over there?
Up yonder. This is a lot better. A lot better. Yeah. Closer to the ground. Yeah, closer to
the ground not as scary from up here.
From there we continued to the Flower Dome (花穹), which is the largest glass greenhouse
in the world. Here you can see a lot of flowers and plants from the Mediterranean and semi-arid
regions.
We're visiting the Flower Dome during the holiday season so it is super festive. They
have snow globes and Christmas trees and those red Christmas flowers whose name I can never
remember. Do you know the name Sam?
They're doing Christmas even bigger than what is done in Canada.
Next, we made our way to what is the focal point at the Gardens by the Bay: the Supertree
Grove. The super trees are vertical gardens that range from 25-50 meters in height, and
they come alive at night for the Rhapsody Garden music and light show. It’s worth
sticking around to catch the daily show at 7:45 and 8:45 pm.
All those people over there are catching Pokémon.
Also, no visit to Singapore (சிங்கப்பூர்) would be complete without a glimpse of the
Marina Bay Sands. Spending the night in this luxury hotel (which somewhat resembles a spaceship)
costs a pretty penny. But that didn’t stop us from enjoying it from the outside while
fantasizing of the infinity pool on the rooftop.
Next up, we set out to visit Singapore’s various ethnic quarters: Chinatown, Arab Street
and Little India. Let’s begin in Chinatown (牛车水 - Kreta Ayer - சைனா டவுன்).
Alright Sammy boy. What is the plan for this afternoon in Singapore? Well in Singapore
(新加坡) there is some really cool distinct neighborhoods. One of them being Chinatown.
So we're just going to check it out and wander around.
We first walked along Pagoda Street, which is lined with colourful shophouses and bright
paper lanterns. Since we were visiting around lunch time, we stopped along what’s known
as Chinatown Food Street for some tasty eats. We also visited the Chinatown Heritage Centre,
which is a museum that takes you through the humble homes of the area’s early residents.
While we were in the neighbourhood, we made time to visit the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
(新加坡佛牙寺龙华院). This Chinese Buddhist temple is said to house the left
canine tooth of Buddha, which was recovered from his funeral pyre in Kushinagar, India.
We also visited the nearby Sri Mariamman Temple (ஸ்ரீ மாரியம்மன்
கோவில்), which is Singapore’s oldest Hindu temple.
One of the neighbourhoods we most enjoyed was the area along Arab Street (阿拉伯街)
and the Sultan Mosque (مسجد سلطان). This is a very colourful neighbourhood with
lots of street art, and you can also find a wide selection of restaurants including
Lebanese, Turkish, and Mediterranean. However, we were more interested in sweets that day.
So Sam is feeling a little bit tricked. He says the weather man lied to him. What is
going on? The weatherman did lie to me. The weather according to the weather from two
to four PM it was supposed to be raining and now it is almost six and it is still raining
outside.
Yeah, it is pouring rain so we're in the Arab quarter. We're just off of Arab Street and
Baghdad Street. Yep.
And we found a little cafe so we're just keeping dry. This is actually the first time I ever
came to Singapore I stayed in this area so I love this area. It is kind of like a nostalgic
place for me. And I remember this cafe they do really good teas, coffees. They have really
scrumptious desserts. So you won't find me coming to Singapore very often to warm up
but it is a little like damp. It is damp out. Yeah. I won't say it is cold but it is a little
damp so we're warming up with our tea and we have some cake coming in just a few minutes.
The cakes have arrived. The cakes are here. So we got two different brownies one with
chocolate, one with white chocolate and apparently these two are made with some kind of banana
paste I think he was saying.
Yeah, these are more local ones. So but me I'm going for double chocolate here.
Hmmmm. It is warm. Oh la lah.
Is that good?
Oh yeah.
Hahaha.
We may not have come here had it not been for the rain so hurray for the rain. It is
a nice little treat.
So we're visiting Clarke Quay (克拉码头 - கிளார்க் கீ) right now
and this is a very popular entertainment area. It is a little quiet during the day but we're
going to come back at night for some wine. It is a great place for dining. You get nice
river views.
Also you can start a river cruise. We did that last time so we're not going to do it
today but yeah it is pretty cool.
The river boat tours depart from Clarke Quay and they take you past sights like the Merlion,
Marina Bay Sands, the lotus-shaped ArtScience Museum and the Esplanade.
Alright Sammy boy. Live from Little India (小印度 - குட்டி இந்தியா).
Live from Little India. And this is one of the neighborhoods that I recommend most visiting
in all of Singapore (சிங்கப்பூர்). Especially at night it is so lively and so
colorful. You just got to come here and soak it all up.
We are now visiting a creature that is half mermaid half lion. The question is it Merlion
or Mer-Lion?
It’s a bit unusual for us to get this far into a
video without mention of food, so let’s talk about breakfast in Singapore (新加坡).
So this morning we wanted to show you a little bit of everything so we're being piggies we've
ordered four different dishes. Yep. The first three are already here. So first up we got
some that is called well I've heard it called two ways. Dosai Masala or Masala Thosai.
So it is kind of like a folded pancake with different curries and gravies and then we
also have our pratas. We got egg. No we got cheese prata. Yeah, cheese with egg and the
other one is banana prata.
So this is kind of like a folded pancake. Um, and it also comes with a nice sauce and
the third one. The third we're still working on. What did we get?
Oh, we got Murtabak. Murtabak. Yes.
Yeah, so that is a folded pancake stuffed with mutton. You can get different meats but
we chose mutton. And we've also ordered tea and coffee. Sam couldn't make up his mind.
I know. So he's having both tea and coffee. I don't know if I want to have tea or coffee
so I ended up getting two.
Okay Sam, breakfast time. What are you starting out with? So I am starting out with actually
this is the thing we've been ordering the most. It is the different kinds of prata they
have served. Basically it is a folded pancake and it comes in all kinds of different fillings
and flavors. Yes. The one we ordered here is cheese but you can also get banana which
is the second one we have. And then we also noticed there is even like ones with ice cream.
There is ones with mushrooms so it is like chocolate. Chocolate.
So you can just pick whatever you want and order it. So I'm going to show you what the
cheese looks like in here. Yeah. You can kind of see it. It is not really seeping out because
it has been obviously cooked inside but you can see that right here. So my first bite
is obviously going to be with cheese. So I've got one from the middle with the cheese.
I'm going to grab a little bit or curry which is over on the side here. Dunk that in there.
Take it for a swim. Take it for a swim.
Wow.
That curry is really potent today.
Let's break this off. This one is my personal favorite. I like this one even more than the
cheese.
You know what? I like the banana one when they combine it with chocolate syrup. Of course
you do. We've had it before at a few places. That is like having dessert for breakfast
so.
Mmmm.
That is good. It has like a natural sweetness to it. The bananas are really ripe and mushy.
That is really good. I think that is what really makes a good pancake. Is it you've
got to make sure the bananas are nice and ripe and mushy.
So for breakfast in Singapore you basically have your tea and your coffee. The tea is
spelled 'T E H' and the coffee is spelled 'K O P I' Teh and kopi. Yeah.
So let's try the tea first.
That is really quite good. I know it is so sweet. There is a lot of sugar added. There
is a lot of milk added.
And it sort of reminds me a little bit of a masala chai I have to say. It is not quite
it doesn't quite have the spices or flavors of that but yeah it sort of reminds me of
that.
Now on to the kopi (coffee). Coffee.
And again this one has a lot of sugar added. And milk added. So if you like your tea and
coffee black um you're going to be in for a bit of a surprise here.
So we are currently visiting the Botanic Gardens (新加坡植物园 - Taman Botani Singapura
- சிங்கப்பூர் தாவரவியல் பூங்கா) here in Singapore and
it is still quite early in the morning. It is about nine so the sun isn't even all the
way up yet but it is so hot.
I don't know if you can tell but we've got a bit of a misty glow happening here. Um but
it is kind of nice being in the gardens because you're just surrounded by a lot of lush vegetation.
So it kind of brings the temperatures down a little bit. There is a nice little breeze
and yeah it is pretty peaceful.
So visiting the Botanical Gardens is free but if you want to go in to the Orchid Gardens
you have to pay for that. We just got our tickets it was five Singapore dollars per
person and we've only been here a few minutes but I would say it is worth it. It is so colorful
and really pretty.
It is time for an update from Sam who seems to suffer the most in this heat. What are
you experiencing right now? You're glowing!
I've just probably lost half my body weight in sweat but I mean yeah it is funny coming
from Bangkok to Singapore because we had relatively cool weather in Bangkok but over here oh man
I'm melting. It is hot and sticky. Yeah, just going to take a little while to get used to
this but. Yeah. So we're hiding in the shade. We're admiring the orchids but in the shade.
So where are we today? So we're visiting the Chinese and Japanese Gardens. Yeah. Out of
all the things we've done in Singapore so far this is by far been the most peaceful
and relaxing. And you know what? It was a bit of a journey to get here. It took us almost
an hour but it is so tranquil and peaceful. No one is around. It has been so worth it.
It is a little ways from the city centre but if you take the green line you can get off
at the Chinese Garden station and it is literally right there. And it is just beautiful. Also
I should mention that it is a free attraction and for Singapore (新加坡) that is great
value I mean to have a free attraction. Free is great value. Yes. Some things are really
expensive here so enjoy this one. This one is free.
The Chinese Garden (裕华园) is modelled after the northern Chinese imperial style,
and it comes complete with a series of stone bridges, pagodas and a tea house. You can
climb the 7-storey pagoda for views of the lake, but it was a little too hot and humid
for that. Right next to it, you have the Japanese Garden (星和园), which is built in the
style of the Japanese medieval period. The two gardens are collectively known as the
Jurong Gardens.
While in Singapore (Singapura), we also visited Fort Canning Park (Bukit Larangan). If you’re
a history buff, you may be interested in touring the Battle Box, which was a former WWII British
underground command centre. It was inside the Battlebox that the British decided to
surrender Singapore to the invading Japanese.
Now, we didn’t do this ourselves, but another popular activity is riding the Singapore Flyer
(新加坡摩天观景轮 - Pelayang Singapura - சிங்கப்பூர் ஃப்ளையர்),
which is a giant Ferris wheel that offers unobstructed views of the city.
Another thing we knew we had to make time for while in Singapore, is eating at a hawker
centre (小贩中心 - 熟食中心), which is kind of like a food court that serves up
quality yet affordable meals. We visited the Old Airport Food Centre since it was close
to our hotel.
Okay, so our first dish is here at the table. And we are having Bee Hoon Goreng (Mie goreng)
and it looks a little bit different from what is on the picture but I think that is because
they have plain noodles on the menu and the asked us if we wanted it spicy. We said yes.
And now it is orange. Yep.
That is a lot of spice I would imagine. He also asked us if we wanted an egg and we said
oh yeah. Yeah, there was only a fifty cent supplement so. There you go.
So if you look a little closer at the plate it is like a vermicelli noodle. And this one
looks like it is has been broken into small little pieces. We also have beansprouts, we've
got an egg. Almost like an egg omelet. Like a scrambled egg that has been mixed in. Uh,
what else?
It is a pretty generous portion too I have to say.
Yeah, it is pretty big. It is pretty big.
Some onions, cabbage and then it comes with some cucumbers. Yep.
So again spoon and fork that is how you eat here. That is how you do it in Singapore.
That is how you do it at a Hawker Centre.
And let's see.
So this looks like a stir fried noodle dish.
Mmmm.
Oh wow. Spicy? That is spicy.
They asked us if they wanted it spicy and we said oh yeah. He asked medium spice or
like a lot of spice. That is the question.
Okay, time for the next dish and this one is Kway Teow Goreng. Yeah. And the shop we
went to is basically a noodle specialist. So he only does stir-fry noodles. Right.
So we're getting the second one of the most popular dishes that he sells. Yeah, how this
differs is that you've got thick rice noodles here. Yeah, they're flat noodles.
Yeah, they're flat noodles. The ingredients are a little bit different. I'm noticing more
peppers and tomatoes. I'm noticing what appears to be peas and of course there is beansprouts
again. And egg.
And once again we asked for it to be super spicy and we asked for the supplement of an
egg. So alright.
Let's take a bite. In he goes.
Mmmm.
Yeah?
Wow.
I took a big bite so I'm chewing that.
Take your time.
I have to say I prefer this one to the first one. Yeah? I really like these rice noodles.
They are just so tasty and flavorful and they're just really chewy in your mouth and I just
really like the texture inside. Yeah.
It is so tasty. And this one again is very spicy. Yeah, and they were actually both rice
noodles. It is just this one is vermicelli so they are super fine. That is right. So
I like the thicker cut. I do like the thicker cut. And I like the juiciness of the peppers
and tomatoes too. Alright. That is really good stuff.
Now let’s move on to shopping. If you’re in need of a little retail therapy and you’re
not afraid to brave the crowds, there’s Orchard Road (乌节路 - Jalan Kebun (Jalan
Orkid) - ஓர்ச்சர்ட் சாலை), which is a 2.2 km boulevard lined with malls,
shops, and boutiques. We skipped the shopping and went to the movies instead!
What did you get yourself? I got the red. You got the white. Yeah. Oh this is so nice.
It was a hot hot humid day today. And it is just so nice to be relaxing. It has cooled
down quite a bit along the Singapore River. This is just so refreshing. Cheers to that.
Salut.
And for one final thing to do in Singapore, why not explore the city at night once the
temperature drops, the lights come on, and the city puts on a dazzling light show.
Alright Sam, tell us all about transportation here in Singapore. So probably your best bet
to get around Singapore is by the MRT. Yep. They have a very extensive system. It basically
takes you anywhere you want to go and while we were at the airport we landed and picked
up this EZ-Link Card. Yeah, and it is basically just allows us to load up some money and hop
on and off from station to station. Yeah, just tap in tap out. Tap in tap out and when
you get low on credit you can just load it up at any station basically.
Any other transport tips for us? There is a number of rules that you have to follow
including not bringing drink or food on board and don't you dare bring your durians either.
Durian. Oh my.
And that is a wrap for our visit to Singapore. We hope that you enjoyed this video and that
it gave you a few ideas of things to see, do, and eat on your trip. As always, if you
have any other suggestions of things to do in Singapore, feel free to share those with
fellow travellers in the comments below. Wishing you happy travels and until next time!