A Quick Layover in Singapore

 Singapore 3/11/2025-3/13/2025

We had a pretty quick and easy flight from the Da Nang airport to Singapore. One of the main things we most excited for in Singapore was the airport itself. We arrived in terminal 3 and all of the famous attractions were in terminal 1. So we would hit those on our flight out.

Having only one full day, we had to be wise with our time. The most helpful thing was the rail system they had in place. We were able to take the train from the airport to our stay at a capsule hotel (A capsule hotel is pretty much a hostel but you get a roomy little pod to yourself) and we arrived much faster than taking any other mode of transport. This ended up being the only way we got around the city. 

Our first night, we went to this market that was lined with tons and tons of hawker stalls. We ended up going with Thai food since we had been missing it during our time in Vietnam. I got a pad see ew and the portions were huge. I guess I had become accustomed to smaller portions because this felt huge. I was stoked. 

Photo: Singapore at Night

Camila and I shared a cold coconut and went for a stroll through china town. We forgot we were in China town because we were looking at the buildings and the characters trying to figure out what asian culture this was. We had a lengthy conversation about the way the architecture looked Chinese as did the characters that were written on the buildings. Then it hit me. I remembered hat we were indeed in Chinatown. We admired the little shops and walkable streets and ended the night with some boba tea and ice cream. As we walked to on the the stations, I couldn't help but think how much this place reminded me of parts of Los Angeles. Specifically parts of Korea town and Downtown LA if those places were cleaner and better maintained. The vibe of the city felt very familiar and incredible safe.

The next day, we went to the Coffee Bean which has always been a staple in LA for Camila and I. We hadn't seen one since before we started our journey. Camila indulged in a small mocha ice blended with whip which is here classic order in the states. And I got a nice big drip coffee. Our first activity for the day was to check out the Artscience Museum and experience the interactive exhibits. There was this one part of the exhibit were we were in a large room full of smoke with color changing walls. It was so full of smoke that I would walk 10 feet away from Camila and not be able to see her. It was trippy, disorienting, and wickedly cool. For lunch we went back to the hawker stalls to eat at a stall that Anthony Bourdain ate at. The meal was chicken and rice with a side of spicy sauce. Very simple but delicious. 

The middle of the day heat was starting to get to us so we headed back to the hostel. Despite the heat, I was itching to go for a run since we had some time to kill. I went to the botanical gardens and had a beautiful time running through the nature. I even got to help a turtle cross the road. The first few miles were hot and humid then it began to rain making the run much more bearable. 

In the evening, we headed to a beautiful park known as Gardens by the Bay and had a McDonalds picnic in a green meadow. When we were ready to head out we stumbled upon a bunch of people gathered under these man made trees called Supertrees in anticipation for a light show. We stayed for the free light show laying on the ground looking up at the flashing lights accompanied by music. It was pretty amazing. After that, we headed to the bay were there was another water show which was also free and easy to walk to. 

Photo: Supertrees in the Gardens by The Bay

On our last morning, we did another coffee bean run before heading to the airport. We saw the famous rain vortex which is a circular water fall. There was so much greenery though out the entire dome. There was even a park with a hike inside here. There was a sky bridge and net that was suspended high above the ground but was closed while we were there. 

Before we knew it we were flying out of Singapore toward Indonesia. Singapore was one of the coolest cities I have experienced. It was incredibly walkable and the public transportation made bouncing from location to location a breeze. There were so many public areas that you would just pass through while you are walking just about anywhere. These places felt so safe and relaxed because there are just enough people to make it feel busy but not too many to where it feels overwhelming. This was even true at night. I wish more places felt like this.

Anyways off to Bali.