We had planned to visit Singapore in 2020, but it had to be rescheduled because of the pandemic. Then rescheduled again, and then again. Finally, we made it there in December 2022 and it was so worth the wait.
For this first visit, we splurged on our accommodations, staying several days at the Ritz-Carlton before moving to Marina Bay Sands. Both places were exceptional. If you want to hang out at the incredible pool perched on top of the MBS, you have to be a guest there, so that was the primary reason for the move.
We did a fantastic bike food tour that included foods from the three primary ethnicities of Singapore – Indian, Chinese and Malay – and later we hit a few hawker centers for more local dishes, like laksa (a spicy creamy coconut noodle soup) and hokkien noodles, similar to ramen. We spent a day exploring the Cloud Forest, Cloud Walk, Flower Dome and Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay, which was simply spectacular. The world’s only floating Apple store is situated in the bay, eclipsed only by a million Louis Vuitton shops. One morning we went to Sentosa, a nearby island, to visit the S.E.A. Aquarium, one of the largest in the world.
Singapore is simply dazzling. While pricey, it is off the charts for design, gorgeous architecture, amazing food, and overall cleanliness and safety. We returned in November 2023 and this time we stayed at the Andaz, which was awesome. We spent a day at the Singapore Zoo, which is really nice, and had a great time.
Really, the biggest downside to Singapore, other than being expensive, is that it can be very hot and humid, but air conditioning is prevalent in hotels, malls, restaurants and other attractions. Rain showers can pop up at any time so you have to always be prepared. There are two monsoon seasons – December to March and June to September.