Before I give a detailed description of the trip, I would like to mention a few must(s) and must-not(s); if ever you intend to take a journey down the island country.

Must(s):

• Must carry cap/hat(s)/umbrella(s) on your trip, Singapore can get very warm during day time and for long extended hours.
• Even if you are on a trip for 2 days at-most, go for a tourism Card by MRT System for city exploration and to save on your pocket!!!

Must-Not:

• Carry any mosquito repellant ointments/creams
• Get the trip organized by any travel agency/agent. Like it’s said, the best way to know self is by meditation and introspection, not by letting people describe you, for they know very little.

Advise: Anything mentioned in bold italics is highly recommended. And here’s the first piece of advice; check out Singapore by MRT, buses and monorails, no need to take taxis, it is worth every dime.

Moving on, the trip for us (me and my wife) began from New Delhi at 11:30 P.M. in India boarding Malaysian Airlines. The flight was comfortable, with only remorse being, the water provided was way too limited considering the tough weather we have in New Delhi. Drink as much water before boarding the flight. We landed in Singapore at 8 in the morning next day (had a connecting flight via Malaysia). The Changi Airport is pretty amazing and get yourself loaded with as many pics for you and your family. Also do enjoy the rides, gardens in the terminal and give an aplomb start to your theatrical journey before entering the country.

The places we visited in Singapore have been enumerated below (in no specific order). I will go about discussing each one in detail and will tell you how the same can be captured in 3 days very effectively and efficiently. Mind you, a couple of more places could have been easily covered, and my final word for you would be, go slow and easy on your trip and I assure you, you will cover what is given here, and what we could not cover in 3 days:

Little India: This was the first pit-stop for our journey. Or the point we call ‘Back to square one’ for our entire trip. During our stay in Singapore, we had put up in Hotel Grand Chancellor, at Belilios Road, Little India. The hotel was decent with good administration and service. The concierge guy, Andrew was pleasing and comforting and his piece of advice is recommended. The hotel is located very close to Little India MRT Station and is a good point for connecting to many Indian food outlets and restaurants including Bikanerwala at Dalhousie Lane. If you are living in Little India, no need to cover this place on your radar explicitly, as the same you will easily explore in 3 days while going and returning from/to your hotel

Mustaffa Mall: This is probably the closest mall that you may find to Little India. It is at a walking distance from the hotel and is colossally huge. Explore this mall and especially during evening/night (the mall is open 24*7), when it is hustled ‘n’ bustled with swarms of people all around and feel the experience of getting everything in the world under one roof.

Indian food-street: Check this out if you love Indian food, with hotels down the street occupied most of the time. 

The Night Safari: This is a place a must for kids and animal lovers. Get to see the ferocious animals including lion, tigers, cheetah, leopard, elephants, giraffes etc in open. Yes you read it right, it’s a safari in open though the open trams, but in dark. Camera flash is also not allowed. Experience wild bats hovering at top of your head, the jumping wild rancoons, the hyenas, etc. Also included in the safari are fire ‘n’ dance show and the interactive show with animals. The night safari is a part of Singapore Zoo and is located at Mandai Lake. The easiest way to reach there is by going to Ang Mo Koi MRT Station and taking bus no.138 to the zoo. At night after the Safari is over, take a chartered bus and return back, which is a bit expensive but worth after a tiring safari.

Orchard Street: Go to Orchard Street to explore the latest in fashion fiesta, gadgets and clothing. Stroll through the 2.5kms Orchard Street and experience the street life of Singapore at any point of time during the day. The station closest to Orchard Street is Orchard MRT Station. 

Merlion, the Singapore symbol: You cannot ignore the Merlion symbol if you are in Singapore. Though there are many Merlion statues all over, but the grandest, water throwing, magnanimous statue is at Raffles, Marina Bay in Singapore. And Raffles is the nearest MRT to the statue. Visit during the evening hours and click on to some amazing photographs under the statue.

Universal Studios: If you love Hollywood, how can anybody miss the extravaganza of Universal Studio then in Singapore??? Located a bit off from the city, but according to me, it is the heart of Singapore. A one stop place for kids, adults, parents and families. Spend one day here, and the only feeling at the end of the day is ‘I’m feeling energetic!!!’ It is a never tiring journey with loads of fun; with people and events as colorful as Bollywood movies. We spent our entire day starting at 10 in the morning to 7 in the evening and it was worth the day. Piece of advice: Undertake the most popular rides during the fag end of the day, you will end up experiencing the same in much lesser time-frame and hence saves TIME!!! There are three ways to reach Universal Studios, take a sky cable from Harbour front MRT, or take monorail from the same station or take a day broad-walk. All our effective means, with monorail consuming the least time (station is next to harbor front station) and charges (SGD4 as compared to sky cable costing SGD26 per person). After reaching, US, the experience is beyond explanation. Experience the thrill rides like transformers, the Mummy, the water rides of Jurassic Park, the roller coaster, meet the look alike of Merylin Manroe, Branden Fraser, Barnie, Shrek, Fiona etc. Experience the street dance shows, events, talking donkey, 3D cinema and whole lot of rides all day. At the end of the day, board the monorail and get back without the need of buying the ticket again. Advice for enthusiasts: Leave from your hotel early in the morning, take sky cable to Universal Studios and come back free ride by monorail.

The Singapore Flyer: Though we didn’t bpard the same, the Singapore eye gives you the top view of the island. Visit the same during evening hours and see the whole city illuminated with lights with few glimpses of the Indonesian Islands. The flyer rotates pretty slowly and each capsule on the flyer can hold upto 28 tourists. The flyer makes 48 trips in a day with each rotation of approximately 30 minutes.

Gardens by the Bay: Gardens by the Bay is one of the coolest and most modern gardens of Singapore. It has infinite species of plants/flowers all under one roof, with splendid artificial waterfall in one of the two domes. Reach here by taking an MRT for Bayfront MRT Station and spend an evening with your kids with Singapore flyer in the backdrop.

Clarke Quay: Visit Clarke Quay in evening and take a pleasant stroll along Singapore River. See as many ferries during the night and how the change in colors all around makes the place so lively. Check out the restaurants along the river or dine out at the ferries in the middle of it. Merlion statue is close by and nearest MRT station is again Raffles.

Jurong Bird Park: This was one place we ran out of luck against!!! The time we reached, the last admission to the park was already closed. But I suggest, even for not so frenzy bird lovers, this is one place a must go for not just viewing over 1500 bird species but also feeding them on your own. The easiest wat to reach there is to take MRT to Boon Lay MRT Station and take a 15minutes bus ride to Jurong Park.

Overall, we had a great experience in Singapore for the days we were there, a must visit place for everyone, young n old…

In case of any queries, do write in, I’ll be more than happy to help!!!

As usual, I would like to highlight how important it is for all of us to take along nice, sturdy camera that makes the whole experience life lasting in form of lovable memories!!! And here I post this amazing piece of device from Canon which I very strongly believe stands true to its name and lineage. Canon DSLR