I have always heard a lot about Singapore and its uniqueness. I was finally able to visit the city-state last May and meet up with a friend from Indonesia. I was anxiously awaiting all the cool stuff that we had listed on our itinerary. Needless to say, this city was one of the best cities that I have ever been to. It is clean, developed, advanced, safe, one-of-a-kind, and so many other things.
Welcome to Singapore.

Me and Rebecca at the Singapore Changi Airport
It took me about 6 hours to get to Singapore from Wuhan, but Rebecca only had about a 2 hour flight. We met up after looking tirelessly for each other. We both had planned an exuberant four day itinerary to see the best of the best of Singapore. Our adventures would include Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Flyer, the Singapore Zoo & River Safari the ArtScience Museum, Merlion Park, and Sentosa Island.

4 Day Singapore Itinerary
We had a lot of ground to cover, but first we had to get to our hostel and get checked in. I'm not a big fan of hostels. They are typically cheap places with cheap people. With that said, there are a lot of nice hostels out there.
The one we stayed at didn't impress me much, for several reasons. It was cheap, which was one good thing about it. You stayed in these "pods," rather plastic boxes that had just enough room to lay down in. There were sockets to plug in your electronics, a drop down mini-TV, lights, drop down curtain, and a small storage closet on the bottom, outside.
You took your shoes off before entering the hall area. One issue I had with it was the fact that they only give you one set of towels (one big, one small), regardless of the amount of days you stay. I had to argue with an employee for a second set. There were dirty, mildew stained towels hanging around everywhere outside the pods.
I believe it was the third day in the morning I ordered eggs in the lobby area and there was a nice long black hair in my scrambled eggs. Yuck. She was nice enough to cook me new eggs, but by that time I had lost my appetite.
There was a temple next door and they were worshiping 24/7, so if you were on the second floor you got to enjoy that sound all night unless you had earplugs, which were given to you by the staff free of charge. I also had a spat with an employee about the Uber fee before we left, but whatever. You get what you pay for. Other than the hostel issues, Singapore was fabulous.

Met-A-Space Pod, Little India
Day 1
After​ we arrived from the airport to the hostel, we decided to explore "Little India" a bit. It was already kind of late and we were tired from traveling, but we wanted to stick to our itinerary and soak up as much of Singapore as we could. "Little India" was an interesting place with businesses and shops galore. Singapore is about 10% Indian, so Indian culture is everywhere, especially where we were staying. I didn't see any trash on the streets. The weather was perfect for an evening walk and we were able to get situated and ready for the next three days of adventure that awaited us.
Day 2
After breakfast, we were off bright and early in the morning. Our first stop was Marina Bay Sands. This is probably a first stop for a lot of newcomers, for obvious reason. It's a casino, mall, hotel complex that has a rooftop restaurant along with a gorgeous view of the Singapore skyline and the Singapore Straight. The view was immaculate. I mean, not just the sight but the way it makes you feel to be up that high and to see so much of something new. I just wanted to stay up there and pitch a tent or something.

Marina Bay Sands Resort and Hotel


Singapore Skyline from atop the Marina Bay Sands Resort and Hotel

View of Marina Bay from atop the Marina Bay Sands Resort and Hotel
We explored every bit of the Marina Bay Sands, inside and out, top to bottom and yes, we did spend some money on souvenirs. It was well worth it. We met some nice Australian folks at the top and were able to chat with others. We explored the shopping mall inside and had lunch at a great pasta restaurant. It was a good time, but we couldn't spend all day in one spot. We decided to head over to the ArtScience Museum, which was just a hop, skip, and a jump away.
On our way to the ArtScience Museum, we ran into some surprises.



Two Lamborghinis and a Ferrari
There were all kinds of really cool and really weird stuff at the museum. I guess because I just don't go to science museums ever, some of the displays kind of caught me off guard, mostly in good way.
ArtScience Museum (Gallery)
We spent probably a couple of hours in the ArtScience Museum because it was so big and we were really enjoying ourselves. I'm not gonna lie, I felt like a kid in a candy store. There were so many cool things to see and read, I didn't wanna leave. It was a quiet, relaxing kind of place with perfect lighting and lots of neat surprises. I felt like I was back in grade school going on a field trip. Another example of how travel makes a person feel young.

ArtScience Museum (https://www.marinabaysands.com/museum.html)
We made our way around the waterfront while checking out all the little shops, sculptures, and people having a good ole time on the beautiful spring May day. I noticed a guy with a drone and I couldn't help but ask him questions about it. I've been shopping for a good drone for some time.
Singapore Drone
Scenes Around the Waterfront Promenade (Gallery)
We spent most of the day wandering around the Promenade having a good time. We walked by the Esplanade (theatre) toward the end as we got closer to the outdoor music theater and Singapore Flyer. It started to get dark and we made our way to Merlion Park, which is iconic to Singapore. The Merlion is a mythical creature with a lion's head and the body of a fish that is frequently used as a mascot and is a national symbol of Singapore. It was neat to see the Merlion up close because when you "Google" or "Wiki" Singapore, this is usually the first thing you see.


Merlion Statue
After relaxing at Merlion Park for a bit, we were about three quarters around the perimeter of the Promenade and getting closer to the Singapore Flyer. We came across an outdoor concert dubbed, "Songs We Grew Up With."
It was about time for dinner. We grabbed some food at a venue near the Singapore Flyer before I, by myself, decided to climb about this giant wheel and get an encore aerial view from different angles as last time. Rebecca was scared and didn't wanna ride. I was cool with it. The Flyer capsules are big and can hold about 20 people or so. You can book private parties in special capsules that are set up with food and beverages and waiters.(http://www.singaporeflyer.com/corporate-events-memberships/event_venues/private-capsule/)
Singapore Flyer
I was in the capsule for about an hour or so. The view was great. The screaming kids were not. It was an experience like none other and you just can't beat the view. Afterward, it was time to head back to the hostel and turn in and get rested and recharged for another day of goodies.
Day 3
Having seen the bread and butter of Singapore the previous day, we were ready to expand our excursion a bit. There was still much more to see and we were in for another day of surprises. We decided to hit the Singapore Zoo and River Safari first because there was a LOT to see there and we wanted to make sure that we did it with plenty of daylight. Besides, getting to the Zoo early before the big crowds arrive makes it more enjoyable and the lines are shorter. I will say this without hesitation and with sincerity, the Singapore Zoo is the BEST zoo that I've ever been too. I've been to a few a them, but this one was special in so many ways. I think part of it has to do with the year round tropical climate, strict Singapore laws that keep it clean and maintained, and the River Safari which was beautiful and a blast

Singapore Zoo (Gallery)
Monkey at Singapore Zoo
Singapore River Safari
Singapore River Safari (Gallery)