Day Out in Batam, Indonesia

During my 13-day trip in Singapore, we squeezed in a weekend trip to Batam, Indonesia. Batam is one of the largest islands in the Riau archipelago in Indonesia. It’s just a 40-minute ferry ride from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal in Singapore. Batam is popular to Singaporeans looking for a short weekend getaway close to Singapore. There are a number of luxury hotels and golf courses and shopping malls here which sell cheaper items compared in Singapore.

Two weeks before my trip to Singapore, we booked an overnight Getaway package at Batam View Beach Resort for SGD 236 for two persons. This include roundtrip ferry transfer,  seaport taxes, land transfers, one-night superior room accommodation, buffet breakfast, free use of gym facilities and pool, and a sea sport activity. Erick and I wanted to get away from Singapore for the weekend without burning a hole in the pocket and this was the cheapest travel deal we got.

We arrived at the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal at 8AM and collected our ferry tickets at the counter of New Century Tours Pte Ltd. Our departure cards have been filled up based on the information I provided them through email. Our ferry bound to Batam will be leaving at 9AM and we will arrive there still at 9AM. Indonesia time is 1-hr behind Singapore.

The ferry ride was smooth and fast. Within 40 minutes, we are already in another country – Indonesia! I sometimes wish that Philippines is near to its neighbor countries so we can country hop from one to another. But then, I love the fact that Philippines is kind of isolated from the rest of Asia. It makes the Philippines a must-travel destination.

Upon arriving at Nongsa Ferry Terminal, we were welcomed by the hotel staff who got our passports for fast immigration clearance. It was good since we didn’t have to queue for immigration anymore. But I just didn’t like that they kept our passports during our whole stay in Batam. We only got them back when we checked out.

Another 15-20 minute ride and finally we are arrived at Batam View Beach Resort. From the look of the hotel building, you know that the hotel is old and was probably one of the first resorts in the island. It is already past its glory days. But we already expected this based from the reviews we read at Trip Advisor. Since it was still early for check-in, we requested the front desk staff for a cab to bring us to the Nagoya Hill Shopping Mall. There’s actually a free shuttle for SGD 5 roundtrip but the reservation is full. We paid SGD 20 for one-way taxi fare. 

It didn’t take long maybe just 40 minutes and we were already in Nagoya Hill Shopping Mall around 10am. It was the so-called largest shopping mall in Batam. If I could describe it, it’s like Greenhills Shopping Center in Manila with all the gadget and clothing stores. It has a supermarket – Hypermart where you can go grocery shopping a lot cheaper compared to Singapore supermarkets. We tried to look for the Polo outlet store but we failed to see it. We scoured the whole mall but there was none. Suprisingly, Adidas store was the only popular clothing brand we saw in the mall.

Here are a few things we did.

I’ve been reading in forums that A&W used to be a popular fastfood chain in Singapore but it  closed. So we ate there just to see what’s the fuss all about.

Their chicken meals are actually good – in terms of fastfood standards.

And we loved the rootbeer float too!

We also bought donuts from J.Co. Half-dozen donut only costs Rp 34,000 (Php 150+). Cheap but good! I loved the Japanese matcha green tea donut. I know that they recently opened a branch in Megamall but I haven’t been there lately. 

I wasn’t really keen in buying anything until I saw the Wacoal store and with 50% off sign, I didn’t think twice to get in. I bought some really cute pair  - bra and undies at half the price.  Yay! I think it I only bought it for Php400-500.

We also checked Matahari – a leading department store in Indonesia and I bought another Wacoal. It was around Rp 110,000 or Php 500+.

We bought some snacks in the supermarket like the much-raved Chitato chips and kue lapis. I also bought one tub of Purbasari lulur. Read my Batam shopping finds here.

It was past 1pm when we decided to go back to the hotel. We just bought take-away food from Ayam Penyet Ria to eat at the hotel. We hailed a cab outside and agreed to pay equivalent of SGD 20 for the one-way fare.

 A day out in the mall in Batam was tiring but fun because of our good eats and great finds.  Our Batam View Beach Resort experience coming up in the next post :)

Outlet store shopping in Singapore

Of all the countries I've been to, I didn't expect that I'll be able to find outlet stores in Singapore. But as luck would have it, we went to IKEA in Alexandra Road which is just opposite Anchorpoint Shopping Center which houses a few store outlets like Charles and Keith, Pedro, Cotton On, G2000, Billabong, Giordano, among many others.

The stores here offer as much as 70% on selected items and you can find items for as low as SGD 5 for plain tees.

Here are some of the stores in Anchorpoint Shopping Center.

Charles and Keith

Cotton On

Billabong

To get to Anchorpoint, click here.

Anchorpoint
370 Alexandra Road
Singapore 159953
(65) 6475 2257
10am - 10pm

My Singapore shopping hauls

During my 13-day SG trip, I only promised to shop if it's on sale. Shopping in Singapore is quite expensive. True! That is if you didn't know the best places to get a good bargain. I managed to buy a few items on sale and this shopping experience made me realize that clothes and shoes in SG aren't that expensive only if you shop smartly.

Here are my shopping hauls and buying all of them makes me happy because I saved a lot! Conversion is at SGD 1 = Php 34. 

 Charles and Keith black leather bag

     Original price: SGD 69.90 /Php 2300

     Sale price: SGD 55.90 /1900

L-R: Charles and Keith tan office pumps, Rubi by Cotton On blue flats

                                                            
Charles and Keith shoes
Original price: SGD 53.90/Php 1800
Sale price: SGD 26.90/Php 917


Cotton On flats
Sale price: SGD 1o / Php 341

l-R: Cotton On Animal print blaser, Forever 21 belt, G2000 boatneck top

     Cotton on blazer: SGD 10 /Php 341

 G2000 top: SGD 13 / Php 443

        Forever 21 belt: SGD 4 /Php 136

Billabong maillot

Billabong swimsuit: SGD 20 /Php 682

L-R: Forever 21 amethyst leggings, Cotton On black leggings

Forever 21 leggings: SGD 9 /Php 306

Cotton On leggings: SGD 5 / Php 170

I made sure to visit some outlet stores in Singapore so I can take advantage of really discounted items. After all commuting isn't hard at all and I managed to do it on my own. I will blog about this in my next entry. 

Batam shopping finds

Last weekend, we made a short trip to Batam, Indonesia which is just a 40-minute ferry ride from Singapore. We wanted to have a quick getaway from Singapore and Batam Island seems to be one of the closest we can go to unwind.

Singaporeans go to Batam to shop and have a cheap and good message aside from going to the beach. We were able to visit Nagoya Hill Shopping Mall which is the largest mall in the island. To be honest, most stores here sell fake items. If I could compare it to our malls here in Manila – it’d be Greenhills Shopping Center or Harrison Plaza.

But there are also good buys here in the mall.

We bought some snacks like junk foods with variety of flavors like pizza, beef barbecue, and salted. The Chitato potato chips was really good at IDR 8,150 (Php 38).  We also tried kue lapis or layer cake which is a famous local delicacy in Batam.  We got the chocolate flavor Apollo kue lapis priced at IDR 18,550 (Php 86). It was surprisingly good with soft sponge covered in chocolate.

I've been using the Asian Secrets Lulur whitening body scrub. Lulur was originally intended for the bride-to-be in order to beautify, smoothen, and whiten her skin before the wedding day. This skin whitening treatment is still being used by modern Indonesian women. They didn't have the ASL brand which I was using so I bought the Purbasari brand (IDR 12,760/Php 60). It was a huge savings since the scrub is sold here at Php135.

Who loves donuts? I do! We bought half-dozen donuts from J.Co at IDR 34,000 or Php 159. Whoa! I know J.Co has recently opened here in Megamall but I haven't gone lately to check. Anyways, I really loved the Matcha green tea and Al Capone donuts (two donuts in the upper left).

Who would have thought that I will be able to do some lingerie shopping in Batam? We passed by the Wacoal store and saw that there was an on-going sale. Yay!

So I bought the red-striped bra (IDR 67,500 or Php 315) and panty (IDR 25,000 or Php 117). Those are the prices after the discount. And yeah, I also bought another black t-shirt bra at Matahari Department store at IDR 110,000 or Php 515. Cheap!!!

I love my Batam shopping finds!

My little black boots

Just when I thought this day was turning out to be a really bad day, my officemates and I dropped by at Promod, Greenbelt 5 and this juicy black boots suddenly made my day into a good one..

It’s ankle-length, made of suede, and iluvit

The best thing is it’s on SALE – one of my fave 4-letter word aside L-O-V-E. SALE is LOVE. Luvitttt!

Without thinking twice, I bought it. After all where would you find a branded boots 80% off the original price? Konti na lang libre na! haha. The original price is Php 2695, you do the math :)

On an afterthought, this day wasn’t so bad after all!

Budget shopping at Duty Free Philippines

I have blogged before that I was able to get a Club Elite membership at Duty FreePhilippines (DFP). I got the free membership since we had a total shopping purchase of above USD 500 last time we went there in August of last year.

As a Club Elite Member, you are entitled to discounts, perks, promos at Fashion Walk & Beauty Walk at the Duty Free Fiesta Mall, Cebu Waterfront Hotel, and NAIA Terminals 1,2, and 3. 

I first called up the Club Elite hotline (5524337 local 3147, 8793614) for confirmation that we would be there to shop. Calling the hotline was easy breezy.

We dropped by the grocery to buy some personal toiletries and snacks. Since I was on budget mode, I only bought some essentials from their supermarket.

 
  

Here are my grocery loots:

Vaseline Aloe Fresh Hydrating Body Lotion with Aloe & Cucumber,700 ml @ USD 7.95

Pringles Super Stack in Cheddar Cheese @ USD 2.00

Crown Chocolate Mallows @ USD 1.20

2 Monarch Corned Beef @ 2.70 each x 2 = USD 5.40

Total Purchase: USD 16.55 (Php 716.63)

Conversion yesterday was at USD 1 = Php 43.30. 

That’s what I call budget shopping! I paid in peso by the way. Credit card transactions are not allowed.

I also checked on some items like perfumes and bags I’m eyeing to buy and the prices are way lower than what they're sold in the mall. 

MAC lipsticks are at USD 18 (Php 700+). Lipsticks are sold over Php1,000 in department stores. The foundation and powder are at USD 37 (Php 1600+). The mall price ranges from Php2000-2500.

For perfumes, I checked two of my favorite scents: DKNY and Elizabeth Arden Green Tea. DKNY Be Delicious is at USD 62 for the 50 ml while they have the promotion of two 30 ml bottle with different scents at USD 68 . Not bad! Elizabeth Arden has ongoing promo also where you can get two bottles of same scent at USD 32.

Of course, I wouldn’t miss to check on Longchamp. Here the prices at DFP:

Cabas – USD 89

Le Pliage (medium short handle) – USD 115

Le Pliage (large long handle) – USD 149

Planetes (large long handle) – USD 169

Planetes (medium long handle) – USD 149

If I just had money, I could have bought the Planetes in large long handle. I’ve been drooling for the black planetes ever since.

To get to Duty Free Philippines, check on this link. If you’re going there via commute, you may ride any bus going to Baclaran. From Baclaran, ride the jeepney with the signboard “Sucat Highway”. You will not miss the Duty Free Philippines Fiesta Mall since it’s very visible from the highway. You may also take the bus going to Paranaque with "MIA Road" signboard coming from EDSA. The bus route is only until NAIA Terminal 2 or the Centennial Airport, you need to take the Sucat jeepney to get to DFP.

Promise, the next time that I'll be back I'm in for some serious shopping! 

I love end-of-season sales!

Don't you just love end-of-season sales? I do! It's the time to of the year to splurge on shopping because everything is on red tag. I actually don’t shop a lot unless they’re on sale especially for branded items. With the end of Christmas season, almost every shop has a huge SALE sign on its window which is hard to resist. For someone like me who passes by the mall on my way home, the temptation is harder to resist.

So anyways, giving in to the temptation here are my good finds from last weekend’s shopping spree :)

Sleeveless scoopneck dress from Kamiseta. Bought this off the rack for Php800 which is 50% off the original price. I love its material - 100% cotton jersey which could easily pass for an office dress and be worn casually.

Brown knitted sweater dress from Terranova. I wasn't supposed to check Terra but my feet brought me to their shop and luckily I found this dress. The moment I fitted it, I knew I had to buy it. The material is light and comfortable; it also provides warmth when you're in a cold place, just perfect for our freezing office temperature. The tag price? Php695, a 50% off from the original.

Celine wedges and flats. I've been planning to buy on some decent shoes and wedges since last month but I've been waiting on shoe sales. I am such a cheapskate hehe. Celine offers a wide selection of shoes for every personality. I am a fan of their shoe collection because it's trendy, reasonably-priced, and sturdy. I bought the black wedges for Php799 while the black flats for Php499. Both shoes are already less 50%.

 

I am so liking my new buys :) I will have to go back this week to check on Mango. I'm eyeing the brown trousers because of its perfect fit. I hope Zara would go on further reduction sale this week. I will still have to check on Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, Charles and Keith, Promod, and yes I will go back to Terranova. Haha! I'm counting the days until the next payday, that's five more days :)

Short but sweet Baguio stopover

Straight from Thunderbird Resort in Poro Point, we ascended to Baguio. It took us 1 ½ hours of travel. We were greeted by a foggy weather and drizzle as we made our way to the country’s summer capital.

We are not Baguio first timers so we skipped the more touristy activities in the city. We just wanted to spend a few hours in Baguio and catch up with what’s new in the city.

Our itinerary was: eat + ukay and pasalubong shopping + chill. That’s the most relaxed itinerary ever.

We arrived past 2pm in Baguio. I noticed that the streets in Baguio seem smaller now or there was too many people walking? We had to walk sideways sometimes to make sure that we don’t bump people walking towards our direction. I must say Baguio is crowded these days. It was just 2pm and it wasn’t the rush hour yet and people are all out on the streets.

  

We had our late lunch at Jack’s Restaurant in Session Road. As recommended by JB, we tried Jack’s Rice. It consisted of a quarter roast chicken, chop suey, egg, and a piece of lechon, fried rice. It was a big serving for Php75. Definitelty not bad!!

After our lunch, we went to JB’s house to drop off our things and went back to the city for pasalubong shopping.

I just bought the usuals like peanut brittle, choco flakes, lengua de gato, choco mallows. Although my mom would appreciate bringing a ‘walis tambo’ from Baguio, I hesitated. Hehe I’m just too shy to carry that back home and we’re taking the bus.

Ru, who frequents Baguio, went back to his suki shop where he bought a cardigan. It was really nicely knitted at Php300.

After that, we went to a building of ukay shops. And guess what? I wasn’t able to buy anything. I love thrift shopping. When I’m in the mood to shop but just don’t have the moolah, I go to my favorite ukay shops. It gives me less guilt feeling rather than by swiping my credit card. So, you see it was really surprise I didn’t buy anything even just a 30 pesos top. Haha I may been overwhelmed with all the ukay stuff but honestly most of the stores do not sell cheaper clothes. I can surely buy them in Manila in much cheaper prices. Maybe that ukay complex was priced for tourists since it was in the city center and near other tourist spots.

After my failed ukay experience, we went to SM Baguio just to check the mall. It was dinner time by them and we thought it'd be a shame if we have dinner at SM Baguio. After all, this city has a lot to offer in terms of dining experience.  We debated where to have our dinner. Few suggestions: Forrest House – pricey, Café by the Ruin- not so much reaction from the six of us, and PNKY Café –which is the closest from where we were.

And so it was PNKY Café. We took a cab from SM and paid Php110 for the fare.

PNKY Café is a travel coffee shop with a travel theme and artsy-fartsy restaurant/coffee shop ambiance. It serves gourment coffee and home-made dishes. Acually PNKY is a bed and breakfast which offers homey accommodations as well as well as home-cooked food.

Fortunately, we were the only dining customers that night and we liked how much we felt so at home.

Every nook is gorgeous.

PNKY Cafe's menu is very quirky and unique. The food are named after famous landmarks, cities, and countries. 

We ordered the following. 

Chicken Spinach Riviera

This entree is made of chicken strips, spinach, mushrooms and tofu in white sauce and served with vegetables and rice

Beef a la Seine

This sliced beef dish sautéed with mushrooms, red bell pepper and strawberry is served with vegetable and rice. We highly- recommend this. I liked the way the beef was cooked with mushrooms. It had the right beefy flavor and mushroom taste. For me, this is the best food in our dining experience at PNKY Cafe. 

Le Louvre

This entree is basically cooked with highland spinach, mushrooms, and tofu topped over with rice and drizzled with sunflower seeds. This was my food and I can say that the vegetables are very fresh. I'm not really into vegetables or salads but Le Louvre awed me by the freshness and crispness of the vegetables. 

And for our refreshments, I had their Lemon Slush while my friends had the Strawberry Slush. I love the very refreshing taste of the Lemon Slush which doesn’t dissolve after a while. I tried Erick’s Strawberry Slush and no doubt it was good as well. 

We stayed in the café until late evening and then decided it’s time to go back to JB’s house and pack up and go home to Manila. Maybe next time, we could probably have at least a night stay in Baguio to fully enjoy our time. Time flies fast when you're having fun!


Ru and Yana decided to stay for a few more hours and would catch the bus back home early next morning. Erick and I went ahead since we have to be in the office in the morning.

It was a short but sweet stay in Baguio and definitely worth our time :D

Club Elite Membership at Duty Free Philippines

So finally, my dad arrived from Incheon late Monday night, where he had his connecting flight from China. As the usual thing we do whenever he gets home from abroad, we trooped to Duty Free Philippines (DFP) the next day. Yay! This is something we look forward to every time my dad comes home well of course just second to the fact that he’s finally here!

We bought the usual stuff for pasalubong like chocolates, cookies, and chips. My dad bought a Samsonite luggage with 25 kilos capacity for the price of USD 190. He also got a Nike cross trainer rubbers shoes at USD 81. My mom bought her first Longchamp bag. She got the Le Pliage medium short handle in mandarin color. It was only USD 115 which was cheaper than buying it at Rustan’s or ordering online. I’m happy for her because I can borrow her bag. Lol. And my sister scored a Crocs wedges at USD 66. My mom and sisters also bought perfumes which totaled to USD 145. And me? I didn’t buy anything at all.. hehe

But I got the Club Elite Membership! In order to qualify for the membership, you must have an accumulated purchase of more than USD 500. Adding up all the things we bought at DFP, it amounted to almost USD 700 so we were instantly qualified. The card is valid for 2 years,

Look for the wrong spelling.. hehe well seriously there is :)

What are the privileges of the Club Elite membership?

As a Club Elite Member, you are entitled to discounts, perks, promos at Fashion Walk & Beauty Walk at the Duty Free Fiesta Mall, Cebu Waterfront Hotel, and NAIA Terminals 1,2, and 3.

You can get a 10% discount on all regular items at Fashion Walk & Beauty Walk.  Also, you can avail 5%-10% discounts on liquors and cigarettes, and supermarket items.

Aside from the discounts, members may avail of other perks and privileges such as:

*VIP assistance

*Use of VIP lounge

*Free delivery of bulky items worth US$500 and above (within Metro Manila) subject to Bureau of Customs approval

*Priority notice on special promotions and new products

*Invitations to special events

Woot woot! They gave me a list of the shops where the Club Elite card is honored and I can’t help but grin. Here are just some. 

Aside from the fact that shopping at DFP is tax-free, I can also avail the 10% discount using my Club Elite card. They also have Friday Specials where they offer 20% discount on regular items.

Can’t wait to schedule our first shopping trip!

My Singapore top 15

I think it’s about high-time that I write my Singapore travel experience. Having traveled thrice to Singapore or SG as it is fondly called makes me no expert about this quaint city but I always have a grand time whenever I’m in SG.  I’ve developed my own list of favorites and must-go’s when visiting the Lion City. 

1) Universal Studios Singapore. The movie-themed park just opened last year 2010 and is probably the most visited tourist spot in Singapore right now. Movie fanatics will be delighted to try all the movie-themed rides and attractions.  I personally liked Revenge of the Mummy. It’s an indoor roller coaster ride on a high-speed with unexpected drops and turns in the dark. The sound effects sounded real and you could feel the wind blowing or sometimes heat warming you.

This ride scared me the most – that’s why I had my eyes closed throughout the 4-minute ride. Three thumbs up!

Revenge of the Mummy!

Explosions everywhere at Waterworld

Madagascar at USS

Tickets

Visitor Info
How to get there

2) Merlion Park. You haven’t been to Singapore, if you haven’t been to Merlion. The merlion is actually a head of lion and a tail of a fish. It is Singapore’s national symbol.

Merlion at night

3) The Esplanade (Theaters on the Bay). Famous for its durian-shaped dome, the Esplanade is Singapore’s performing arts venue featuring local and international performances.

the half-lit Esplanade

Inside, you’ll find out that this theatre offers not only performing arts but  shopping and dining experience as well. 

I wanted to try Orgo Bar and Lab at Esplanade's roof terrace for their organic mixed drinks. But due to exhaustion from our day tour, we didn't get to.

How to get there

4) Marina Bay Sands (MBS). The Marina Bay Sands is an iconic structure on the Marina Bay Waterfront with a skypark which actually looks like a ship on top of three buildings. It houses the ArtScience Museum, luxury hotel, mall, theaters, celebrity chef restaurants, ice skating rink and the most expensive casino property.

Meanwhile, the Sands SkyPark Observation Deck is open to the public.

Hello Marina Bay Sands!

5) Singapore Flyer. Nope, it is not a ferris wheel as commonly mistaken but an observation wheel standing at 165m just surpassing the London Eye. This makes Singapore flyer the tallest observation wheel. If you’re up in the flyer, don’t miss the great views of the city and neighboring Indonesian islands, Batam and Bintan.

Singapore Flyer at dusk

Visitor Info
How to get there

6) Sentosa . They say Sentosa stands for So Expensive Nothing To See Actually. Haha. Funny but I don’t agree. Back then, when Universal Studios isn’t built yet Sentosa was probably the place tourists flocked for rides and attractions. Sentosa is still a good place to go for the rides, dining, beach, or simply a stroll.

For beachcombers, Sentosa has three beaches you can go. Well, their beaches are not exactly for swimming and never mind if the sand actually came from Boracay and Palawan.

Siloso, the fun and hip beach, is the place for beach activities like volleyball, kayaking, skimboarding, etc. It has also the most restaurants in the whole Sentosa.

Siloso Beach

Palawan Beach, on the other hand, is known as the family beach. Also, you can find here the bridge linking to the Southernmost Point of Continental Asia. Cool lah?

Palawan Beach and the suspension bridge to the southernmost point of Continental Asia

Tanjong Beach is probably the most tranquil beach of all.

Songs of the Sea is a water and light show that you really shouldn’t miss. 

Spectacular Songs of the Sea show

How to get there

7) Orchard Road. Stretched along the Orchard Road are a number of shopping malls to choose from high to low end shopping.

If you can afford all the signature clothes and bags, then you’re only problem will be choosing what to buy. But if not, you are free to take a souvenir picture outside the stores hehe

At Ion Orchard

8) Nightlife. In the mood for some party and booze? Head to Clarke Quay and dance and drink the night away in the city’s trendiest night spot. If you’re looking for action-filled night, try the GMAX Reverse Bungy or Extreme Swing while there.

CQ

Not for the faint heart

If you’re looking for ambiance, I suggest you try Chijmes (pronounced as chimes) for a more intimate and sophisticated night. Chijmes itself is a visual treat, with its impressive architecture. It was actually a Catholic convent school converted into a commercial center. 

Night out at the church errrrr Chijmes

9) Kampong Glam. With Bugis station as the nearest MRT station, Kampong Glam is a Malay quarters with mosques and old shophouses selling textiles, and Muslim religious items.  Muslim presence is still predominant in the area particularly in Bussorah St and Arab St where you can see  art galleries, souvenir shops, camera houses, and other businesses.

Sultan Mosque

While there, we took advantage of entering the Sultan Mosque. It was my first time to enter a mosque by the way and I was required to wear a robe since I was in shorts. We also had a chance to witness a Malay wedding.

Inside the mosque

10) Haji Lane. Don’t miss Haji Lane, which is just a few steps away from Bussorah and Arab Streets.  Haji Lane is tiny lane where you can find dresshops and boutiques of emerging and independent fashion designers in Singapore. It is a fashionista’s paradise indeed!

11) Hawker food courts. Singaporean food trip, anyone? You can never go wrong eating in hawkers. For around SGD 3 you can buy a decent meal.

To start your day, have a Singaporean traditional breakfast of kaya toast and kopi. For a real treat, try laksa, Hainanese chicken, beef hor fun, satay, chili crab, bak kuh teh..whew the list could go on :)

Start your day right by eating a good breakfast :)

Famous hawker centers include Lau Pa Sat, Makansutra Gluttons Bay, and Newton Food Center.

12) Train rides. Transportation is Singapore is extremely efficient; it makes me wanna curse our LRT/MRT here in Manila. I simply enjoy traveling by train in SG.  Switching lines and transferring interchanges easy breezy as  1-2-3. SG’s MRT ride is an experience in itself.

I love train rides in SG

13) Street shopping at Bugis. I love good bargains, who doesn’t? Being cheapskate that I am, it’s no wonder I enjoyed shopping in Bugis. You can also find here some malls like Bugis Junction, Bugis Point, and Iluma.
 

Bugis Village

Read my full entry on Bugis Street Shopping.

14) Changi Airport.  Changi Airport has been consistently voted as the best airport in Asia. It was also voted in Time Magazine for airport’s biggest surprise – a swimming pool complete with changing rooms and gym amenities.

Check out 10 Ways to Pass Time at Changi Airport.

15) Gadgets. Gadgets are cheaper in SG : ) Funan DigitalLife Mall or simply known as the IT Mall tops the destination for IT, electronics, and gaming needs.

Sim Lim Square is a shopping haven for bargain hunters and tech addicts. Practice your haggling skills here.

If there’s one thing I learned about shuttling to- and from- SG, it’d be to never to underestimate this small city. You think three days are enough for a tour? Nah. SG constantly changes; new attractions being developed, tallest of the tall buildings on the rise. Yet, it remains a very livable and clean city. It was dubbed by Discovery Channel as the New York of Asia in the next 20 years or so.

How about you? What's on your Singapore list?