Flight to Singapore, Dinner in Singapore City
We arrived in Singapore around 6:00 PM after a quick two and a half hour flight from Bangkok. We flew Jet Asia, and I was incredibly impressed with the experience. Checking in at the Bangkok airport was a breeze. The thing that makes me most anxious when I book airfare through a third party is that somehow our reservation won't be found in the system. We were given first row seats at check in, and our flight was nice and easy.
My first impression of Singapore was how extremely clean it was! Every area I saw was modern and felt like we could be driving any road in the United States - I'm not sure what I expected but maybe I expected it to be like so many other SE Asian countries... Singapore has interested me since I was living in Atlanta, GA, and my two best friends (and next door neighbors) were from Singapore. This is not a cheap country. Singapore has the world's highest percentage of millionaires, with one out of every six households having at least one million US dollars in disposable wealth. The exchange rate was about $1USD to 1.35SGD.
We stayed at Copthorne King's, about a thirty minute drive from the airport, near the Singapore River and within walking distance to area restaurants and shopping. It was a large hotel in the south of Singapore, close to Sentosa Island. It was fairly run of the mill, nothing too exciting.
I didn't know much about Singapore before my visit, and was pretty fascinated by its history, which any individual you meet will be glad to share with you! Singapore itself is composed of 63 islands, is only 277 square miles total, and houses about 5.5 million people. It borders Malaysia in the North, and Indonesia in the South. English is an official language (out of four), and just about everyone speaks it. Singapore was colonized by the British in 1819, then invaded by the Japanese during WWII (where about 25,000 Chinese were tortured and murdered by the Japanese), and then gained its independence from Malaysia in 1965. Many Singaporeans have a Chinese or Malaysian background.
Because we arrived so late, all we did on our first evening is walk around the area we were staying and enjoy a laid back dinner just over the Singapore River. We headed to bed early, to catch up on much needed rest after the business of Bangkok, and to prepare ourselves for our packed day ahead.
Day Five:
Walking Food Tour, Marina Bay Sands, Chinatown
For day five, I had prearranged a walking food tour through a tour operator recommended on TripAdvisor. I frequently browse the "Things To Do" section on TripAdvisor before any travel, to ensure I don't miss out on top sites/experiences and also to read reviews that many times include recommendations. I found Betel Box tours this way, which is owned by a man who enjoys sharing the history and food of Singapore with travelers - he also owns a hostel in Singapore.
We chose the Kampung Geyland Seai Uncovered tour, which cost $50SGD per person, and was scheduled for four hours. Our guide was the owner of the company, and we had a total of eight people on our tour. During this tour we walked over six miles and sampled more than ten different dishes of popular Malay and Muslim traditional and street foods - and we ended up touring the area for closer to five hours. Along the way we learned more than we could have imagined about Singapore, and walked through areas we never would have found on our own. (This is why I love these types of tours).
The itinerary included: Geylang River • City Plaza • Haig Road Estate • Eurasian Community House • Joo Chiat Road • Koon Seng Road Shophouse • Joo Chiat Complex • Geylang Serai Market
One of my favorite items we tried was called "otah", which is a type of fish cake cooked and served rolled up inside a banana leaf. We also tried multiple curries and fish crackers at a popular restaurant called Quentin's, which serves Eurasian cuisine. Next to the restaurant was the Eurasian Community House. The tour here really opened my eyes on how the citizens of Singapore were treated during Japan's invasion.... Our final stop was at a Chinese restaurant where we sampled nine different desserts - one including durian, a smelly expensive fruit with a prickly exterior, very popular in Southeast Asia.
Geyland Serai Market
After our tour concluded, we hopped into a cab to go visit the Marina Bay Sands hotel. This hotel boasts an amazing infinity pool with views of all of Singapore City. We went up to the rooftop bar and I had one of the most expensive drinks I've ever purchased, called a Colombus (and look, it's tiny!) which was $26SGD! Needless to say we only had one drink here while seeing the sights.
The hotel has such an odd shape to it!
Our visit just so happened to take place right before Singapore celebrated Chinese New Year. The Chinatown area was in full-on party mode with so many lights, decorations, shops selling Year of the Goat goodies, candies, and the residents celebrating. We headed to this area - about a 20 minute walk from our hotel - for a stroll and dinner to conclude our evening. I had one of the best Chinese dinners I've ever experienced - so fresh and authentic.
Day Six:
Sentosa Island Beach Break, Universal Studios, Little India
On Day Six, I started to feel a bit fatigued from our constant go, go, go. We utilized Singapore as an in-between stop because we knew that Thailand and Bali would be non-stop. On this day, I am not embarrassed to say I slept in until noon! We were thirteen hours ahead of our East Coast US time, and it was catching up with me. While I slept in, David went to go be a kid at Universal Studios which is located on Sentosa Island, off the southern coast of the main island of Singapore. I opted to have a chill day, and once I woke and was ready to head out I popped into a cab and went to Sentosa myself - but for a very different kind of day! I did not plan this day out - I just went with the flow. I simply asked my driver what the best beach on the island was and he dropped me right off. He, like every taxi driver we met, had such a love for his country and enjoyed sharing his background with me on our way out. I was so impressed with how highly educated every person I met in Singapore was, and upon our return home I found out that Singapore had a literacy rate of 97% and education spending is 20% of the Government's budget, wow!
I ended up getting dropped off at Palawan Beach. The beach itself was average, but very clean. It was not busy at all, but then again it was a Monday. I found a beach lounge chair in front of the Bora Bora Beach Bar and had a few cocktails while I read a book and enjoyed the sun. Man, the Singapore sun is HOT.
Bora Bora Beach Bar, Palawan Beach, Sentosa Island
Sentosa Island
Later on in the day David and I linked back up. We decided to check out Little India for dinner. We took a taxi there and back, as it was more than a 20 min or so walk. I was slightly unimpressed with this area - I thought it would be more lively. Also, our dinner was just meh.
If I ever find myself back in Singapore, I will try to go to the Night Zoo, which I've heard is pretty fantastic.
Day Seven:
Flight to Bali, Lunch in the Jungle, Monkey Temple, Local Musical Performance
We woke early on Day Seven and headed for the airport for our 10AM flight to Bali, Indonesia. This was another flight on Jet Asia, and we were equally impressed by the service. We landed on the island of Bali around 12:30PM. From the air, Bali was absolutely magnificent. We could even see surfers in the water as we were landing. There seemed to be endless beaches and jungle. The airport was extremely clean, very new. We paid for a visa upon arrival, which if I remember correctly was around $60USD per person. The exchange rate in Bali was very favorable at $1USD equaling about 12,500 rupiahs. We opted to jump into a taxi to head to Ubud, which is not on a beach but rather in the jungle. It is known as an artists mecca, and the island's cultural center. Our ride took almost an hour to travel only 38 kms - Bali is known for its unpredictable traffic, terrible drivers, multitudes of mopeds swarming the road, and the poor condition of some roads. As soon as we were out of the city, the drive was amazing. Hindu is the primary religion, and temples adorn all of the homes. Each house has it's own temple, then there are community temples, then there are additional larger temples built by the wealthy. Temple upon temple upon temple means that there are lots of stone and wood artisans with shops all over the place. Set up along every possible stretch of road were tiny road-side shops and stands selling food, fruit, housewares, anything you could imagine.
When we pulled up to our hotel, Hotel Tjampuhan and Spa, I seriously felt like we were in the movie The Jungle Book - it was right in the middle of the jungle. Our hotel consisted of several bungalows, an amazing natural spa along the river, a grotto, and a pool. There were gorgeous ponds full of fish, and you could hear a cacophony of birds and wildlife mixed in with the water rushing down the river. There was of course a temple on site that was breathtaking. We couldn't check right into our hotel as our room was not ready until 4PM, so we headed out on a walk into the town of Ubud to eat lunch and check out the Sacred Monkey Forest.
It was a 2.5 km walk from our hotel to the Sacred Monkey Forest, but on the way we decided to stop for a leisurely lunch and to try the local beer, Bintang. Almost every restaurant was hidden away in the jungle on the sides of the streets. We found a small place and walked a gazillion steps (this was a reocurring theme in Bali) to individual pagodas nestled high on top of a platform looking over the same river our hotel was situated on. Our meal was amazing. We ordered two full meals, multiple waters, and multiple beers and yet our total ended up being somewhere around $5 USD! In the photo below you can see part of the temple at our hotel.
After our filling lunch we ventured into the Monkey Forest, after paying our small entrance fee. As soon as you walked in, macaques were everywhere! There was a lady selling bananas at the entrance while simultaneously swatting monkeys away from stealing the stash. We were a little bit nervous because the monkeys were not a bit fearful of humans, and were running around jumping on everyone. As soon as we entered a particularly large one came up and started pulling on my maxi-dress, and even ripped the seams! The locals were having a laugh, and at this point I thought it was a fairly fun time.
What follows was quite scary! We walked on the multiple paths and encountered various monkeys. Some were quite friendly (like the one sitting next to me in the photo) and kept their respective distance. One followed us through the paths, but stayed far enough away to not make me nervous. But a few larger monkeys basically attacked David's backpack full of bananas, and stole his water bottle! We were silly (looking back) to buy the bananas, but I've been around macaques in the wild before (in India) with treats (peanuts) and they were nice and calm. Not these guys! Here was my Facebook post for the day: "Our
stroll through the Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud, Bali was beautiful and
started innocently enough. Until monkeys decided to be the only
animals on the planet that hate me and two decided it would be fun to
bite me. Yes I was the only person there bitten today. And I was
bitten twice! One tiny baby walked up to me, and as I watched the cute
baby eating a banana, the mother ran up, looked me
into the eyes, opened her mouth as wide as possible baring her scary
fangs at me, and bit me on my arm! I didn't scream or run in fear of a
full on money face eating session so I calmly held in my terror and went
straight to first aid where they said I'm good to go. Still, it was
beautiful and an experience to remember but now I hate monkeys."
I didn't think much about the monkey bite until my Dad scared me into believing I was carrying the rabies virus, which was bound to take over my body at any moment - and there are no vaccines once you show signs....you're done for. So, upon my return I did damage control and ended up having a round of rabies vaccinations just to be safe. But that's a whole 'nother story....
At the end of the evening David and I happened upon a temple that was hosting a Balinese dance and music performance. At first we were skeptical, but the setting was gorgeous so we bought a few Bintangs and made ourselves comfortable at the front of the sitting (on the floor) room only area. The women were dressed beautifully. The musicians were playing the gamelan, a traditional Balinese musical instrument. It was almost entrancing, and they were talented. There were various dances along with the music that told stories about the Balinese people's past - very expressive with a lot of use of the hands and eyes. The dancers were a mix of very young girls from about 6 years on to younger women in their 20's. Watch THIS link for an idea of how the performance went! (It is the "Rabbit Dance").
Day Eight:
Massage by the River, Island Tour: Kuta Beach, Jimbaran, Ubud Markets
On Day Eight I woke at 7 AM anticipating the amazing breakfast I'd read about on reviews of our hotel - and it did NOT disappoint. I had the most amazing, fresh, banana pancakes you can imagine with all sorts of fresh fruits and juice. So yummy. We also found some delicious coffee here in Indonesia - it rivaled my Bangkok coffee. Shortly after breakfast I headed down to the spa to enjoy an hour oil massage along the banks of the river. The massage was wonderful - although I could have found a less pricey version in town, you just couldn't beat the natural beauty surrounding the massage beds. David joined me and we were in heaven.
After the massage, we showered and changed and headed upstairs to meet our driver for the day. During my planning I had researched several transportation companies and settled on Bali Made. It was only about $40USD (including tip!) for seven hours of transportation. Plus, we had a local to show us the most fascinating spots on the island. Our driver lived up to all of our expectations. We loved him because we had no set itinerary but rather went to some of his favorite spots. The first day we toured a few smaller beaches, went surfing at Kuta Beach, visited an amazing resort (AYANA) off the beaten path, and learned so much about the island. One word of caution on the popular beaches is that you will definitely come across hundreds of people selling wares on the beach. They do NOT give up. I opted to buy a few small items and asked the woman I sold to to hang around and keep others away! She did, and we ended up having a great conversation while David surfed.
Ayana Resort, Jimbaran/Taris Bali Beach Bar, Kuta Beach
As we rounded back to Ubud, we even stopped at a local farmer's market. I loved these little chicks that girls were purchasing for less than a penny USD to raise at home.
Day Nine:
Coffee Plantation, Hanging Gardens, Champagne Evening
The next day we enjoyed the same fabulous breakfast and headed out on another half day with our driver. We enjoyed him so much the day before we booked another outing. On this day he took us to a famous coffee plantation. In Bali, the most expensive coffee is called Kopi Luwak. It is produced in a non-traditional way.... The finest coffee beans are picked and then given to a small animal called a civet. The civet eats the beans, they get processed by the enzymes in their stomaches, and then he poops them out! These beans are collected and washed, then cooked and ground.This coffee can cost from $100-$700 USD per kilogram! There are some ethical concerns here about the treatment of the civets - but the ones we saw on this farm seemed to be well taken care of.
After the coffee plantation we drove to some of the most impressive resorts in the Ubud area. The Hanging Gardens is pictured below.
We got back to our hotel around 2PM and just relaxed for a while around the pool. We also enjoyed a bit of the grotto, hot tub, and pools in the spa area which is etched into the side of a rock!
It ended up being a little bit rainy that evening (we arrived in rainy season but had great weather), so what else would we do than enjoy a bottle of champagne while watching the rain, listening to the birds, and relaxing. :)
Day Ten:
Celebrity Bike Tour: Rice Fields, Lake Batur, Mount Batur, Various Villages
Before our trip a friend had visited Bali and took part in a bike tour run by Celebrity Bike Tours that she highly recommended. We ended up booking the same tour, which picks you up at your hotel and brings you to the very top of Mount Batur, an active volcano overlooking Lake Batur in the center of Bali. On the way up, we stopped to check out the rice fields, still farmed the same way as they did centuries ago.
We had breakfast at a restaurant overlooking the lake, and then started on our (mostly) downhill adventure. We biked through rural Bali, into villages where the people rarely see outsiders. We had the opportunity to visit a day school and actually went into the classroom to say hi! We stopped at multiple temples and saw farmers keeping an eye on their fields. I loved being able to talk to the children walking along the street, wave at the friend farmers, and learn about the history of the various villages. At the conclusion (it was about four hours I believe) we enjoyed an amazing lunch at the home of the man who owns the business! We were able to explore the grounds and his family's temple. The only word of caution here is to watch out for all the wild dogs on the roads! In Bali most families own pets but they are more of 'community' property and are mostly wild. They are not allowed in the homes and are fed by passersby.
After the bike tour, David and I went back out for another amazing massage before our long flight home (27 hours total). Once again, it was about $4 for an hour oil massage! After the massage we collected our things at the hotel and headed out with the same guide we had the previous two days. He was so kind, and wanted a photo with us when he dropped us off. He had pretty much become a friend over the last few days, and we gave him a quick hug before heading out.
Our total travel time to get home was 27 HOURS. We had to fly from Bali back to Singapore, enjoy an awful overnight 8 hour layover, fly to Tokyo, then direct to Dulles.
I hope I have the opportunity to visit Bali again one day, I definitely fell in love with the island!
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