Singapore - Clean and Green

Singapore will forever hold a special place in my heart as my first ever international destination. For a country that is less than 730 square kilometres, it boasts an endless amount of things to see and do. Singapore has only been a sovereign country since 1965 after separating from Malaysia. The young country is prosperous and has a population of over 5.4 million people. I visited in February, which is a month that is highly recommended due to it being Singapore’s dry season with minimal amount of rain and humidity. However, living in a dry and arid country all my life, I still wasn’t prepared for the drastically different weather when I landed.

The first thing I wanted to see were the Gardens by the Bay. The taxi dropped me off at Supertree Grove, home to 12 of the 18 iconic Supertrees.

I didn’t realise at first, but while taking photos, my camera lens fogged up due to the intense humidity. I was cleaning my lense about once every 5 shots to ensure a nice clean photo. Below is an example of a before and after shot, comparing the fogged lense and the clean lense.

There is lots to see and do at the Gardens by the Bay. Below is a video of some of the things I saw here:

A short walk from the Gardens by the bay are two of Singapore’s most iconic buildings. The Marina Bay Sands Building and the ArtScience Museum.

The Marina Bay Sands building is rumoured to have a fourth tower built by 2028. I quite like the look of the three towers, and personally think that a fourth tower wouldn’t look as aesthetically pleasing. The ArtScience Museum was opened in February of 2011 and resembles a lotus flower.

A short walk from the ArtScience Museum you will find the iconic Merlion, the mascot of Singapore. The Merlion is a mythical creature that has the head of a lion and the body of a fish. It was first unveiled on September 15, 1972, by the then prime minister Lee Kuan Yew. Its purpose is to welcome all visitors to the country of Singapore. It should be noted that the Merlion is a busy tourist hotspot, and it can be tricky to get a photo of it without dozens and dozes of tourists surrounding you, so be prepared to be patient for that perfect shot. I opted to shoot a short video instead.

Another short walk from the Merlion is another gorgeous building, the Victoria Theatre. The foundation stone of this national monument of Singapore was first laid in 1855, with construction being completed in 1862.

There are endless things to do in Singapore, and I was far from fully experiencing everything Singapore has to offer. One odd thing that is absolutely worth a mention, is Singapore’s Changi Airport. Its beyond ludicrous to recommend to anyone to stay a second longer than they have to at any airport, however Singapore’s Changi airport is the only airport in the world that I recommend you do take some time to go and fully experience. In the airport is The Jewel, an incredible hub for shops, restaurants and the most incredible man made water feature I’ve ever seen. I ate at a Japanese restaurant on the top floor with an unhindered view of the water feature. The staff were friendly, and I felt completely de-stressed boarding my flight out to Germany. Do take an hour or two to explore the airport, particularly the Jewel.

Singapore may only be small geographically, but there are a many things to see and do. You probably need 3-4 days to experience Singapore fully. Singapore is incredibly safe and very warm and humid. Shorts and a breathable shirt are the way to go. Singapore is also expensive, it is not a cheap holiday destination. If you are only here for a layover, you only need a few hours to go see some of the awesome things Singapore has to offer. Its well worth it. Go on.