Next Stop... Borneo!

A few days in, we flew to Kota Kinabalu on the North-Eastern Coast of Sabah.
You can check out my trip here Sabah Discovery.

Eating an apple in Borneo.

Weather Permitting

The weather in Singapore is wishy-washy. But this makes travelling all the more exciting.
You wake up in the middle of the night hearing rain pepper the windows of your hotel room. But rise from your sleep in the morning and look outside to see dark clouds sheepishly floating away, leaving the sun alone in the sky, drying up any evidence of a stormy night.

During September of 2012 the skies were thick with smog from fires in Indonesia. When we went to the sky deck we were unlucky to have a very skewed view of the city.

Smog from the Indonesian fires in September 2012.

View of Gardens By the Bay from the Marina Bay Sky Deck.

 Other than that, brave the weather, explore Singapore!

Typical Touristy Activities For the Whole Family

I hate the idea that my time spent in Singapore proved myself to be acting as a stereotypical tourist.

Obviously i'm not one of the locals.

Setting this aside, I thoroughly enjoyed myself at the Singapore Zoo and Singapore's Universal Studios, where I let my inner child run wild and thrill-seeker-milly was at peace whizzing upside-down and stomach turning inside out on the roller-coaster rides.

The Boys.

I found King Julian. And we lived happily ever after.

Dad and I visited old-mate Shrek.

Universal Studios has really tasty cheesy-fries at the 60's style Back To The Future restaurant.
The cheesy-fries are a must have.
We went on a really hot day, but there weren't many people there so we had barely any lines to deal with. Dad and I forged a kindergarden friendship and ran wild through the theme park.

Orangutan at Singapore Zoo

 I cannot even begin to tell you how much I adore the Orangutan. There were little baby orangutans swinging from the ropes above our heads.

$5 for an elephant ride.

The elephant ride was only $5... and only lasted 50 seconds. You will get your moneys worth.

Glipse of the Singapore Night Zoo Show!

The Night Zoo show is a must see!

Happy Riding!

Dining Like Royalty at the Shangri-la

I was lucky enough to spend lunch time at Singapore's Shangri-la Hotel.

Feeling fancy in the entrance hall.

Here, my family and I stuffed our faces. By memory (let's be honest) I think I had around 8 courses.
There are 16 kitchens that offer a variety of international cuisines. It has been listed as one of Singapore's favourite destinations to wine and dine. I can confirm that it is a MUST DO on your list of places to eat in Singapore.

Desert.

Deserts.

More Deserts.

I highly recommend the all you can eat buffet - please note that we used vouchers to score a discount.

The food quality is exquisite and offers more food than you can think of, so there is definitely something for everyone! Even the picky member of the family will be satisfied.

Milly's Tip:

Men should wear stretchy pants - you will thank me when the top button of your jeans hasn't busted.

Women should wear something flowy - nobody will see the food baby bulging from your waistline.

Mid-Autumn Festival of Mooncakes and Lanterns

In Singapore our hotel overlooked Clarke Quay, where the Mid-Autumn Lantern festival was in full swing.

Pubs and bars were packed along the river early evenings and late at night.
The atmosphere in the heat of mid-autumn was positive and all locals and tourists were friendly.

Clarke Quay river lantern Festival lights and floats.

Dad and I leaving the Festival

Tall lantern light displays.

My Nan and Pop are well known for wandering astray from the pack. Early in the evening I turned around and realised my Pop was missing.
So, the 5 of us split up.
My dad and I took the right side of the river while my mum and aunt took the left. I sprinted over towards the bridge. I knew pop would be standing idly by, enjoying the sights and smells of the Lantern festival.
I was right. There he was, not even aware we were searching for him.
"Oh there you are pet!" He smiled kindly in my direction.
I dragged him back to where my nan sat. (Nan always picks on pop) She bickered at him, but gave up mid sentence.
This little story shows proof that the positive atmosphere in the mid-autumn festival makes it difficult for families to bicker. The peaceful surroundings distracted us all from telling pop not to wander off.

The family and I at a bar having ice-cream and cheap beer.

Mooncakes are funny little things. A bit of an odd taste. A taste my palette did not acquire whilst overseas, yet worth trying during the Mooncake festival.

I hope this blog post inspires travellers who have booked a Singapore trip during mid-September to check out Clarke Quay's lantern festival and enjoy it as much as I did.

Happy Travelling!

Distinguishing Between Stars and Twinkling Lights in the Singapore Skyline

Anybody who has seen James Cameron's Avatar will feel a sense of familiarity when they step through the gates of the Marina Sands Gardens by the Bay.

This fantasy tourist attraction lights up the imagination and the skyline with artificial super trees. The trees twinkle in the night time, lit up with all colours of the rainbow, shooting across the stems that fan out of the large trunks.

It is easy to lose yourself (and members of your family) as you walk through the gardens in the dark whilst staring up at the sky. Occasionally bumping into tourists and stumbling over cracks in the pavement, I advise (from personal experience) you take care.
Struck with awe, necks bent upright, all tourists are subject to paying no attention to where their feet guide them. This is not warned in the brochures.

Light Show from 9:00pm.

Super Trees with the Marina Bay Sands hotel in the background.

My only criticism is the mosquitoes. I am blessed with an allergy to mosquito bites. So, naturally I struggled to cope with the bites I collected along our journey through the gardens.

Shopping in Singapore

Ideally, venturing overseas for me is not to go shopping. I am more inclined to the idea of 'roughing it' or camping.

The family trip to Singapore became boring when I noticed a pattern 3 days in. Each day we woke up, ate our breakfast and then were given strict instructions from the elders where we would go shopping.

HOWEVER, being a female, it is inherent in my nature to be at one with markets.

The hustle and bustle of market life in the smaller corners of Singapore is where I was bombarded by the sounds and smells of the everyday people.

Singapore Markets.

The horrible smell of Singapore's durian fruit wafted through the isles of the fresh fruit market. The smell was intense, yet so exciting. I had not yet been disgusted in the city of Singapore. 

When I travel, I seek to be disgusted, outraged and/or shocked.

4 days in to the trip, I remained comfortable within my surroundings. 

So when I finally came into contact with the unusual smell of the Durian, I was satisfied with my discovery of the unknown.

My dear friend, the Durian.

Orchard Road is like a shopping Mecca  towering above you. Travellers seek refuge in the shadows casted over the streets by the tall buildings and unusually large trees that line the streets.

Orchard Road.

Here, shoppers will find everything and more of what they seek. 

Again, a trip for first time Orchard Roaders - take a can of deodorant - you will thank me later.