helloworld TRAVEL THE TRAVEL PROFESSIONALS SINGAPORE STOPOVER Gail and her daughter have just flown to Africa on Singapore Airlines and spent a few days in Singapore on their return: What was meant to be a short four-day stopover in Singapore turned into a jam-packed adventure filled with an exploration of different cultures and foods, Singapore is one of a kind. I's incredible that in only one day, we could explore a variety of cultures - flowing from Chinatown and Little India, to the colourful Arab Street and Haji Lane. Our exploration took us from a church, to the beautiful Tamil Hindu Sri Mariamman temple, to the Buddha Tooth Relic temple, to the largest mosque - the Masjid Sultan. Singapore not only has these cultural treasures, but also a fascinating modem world, filled with amazing architecture, lights and shopping malls - especially on Orchard Road. A great mall which has all you'd ever need all in one would be the ION centre on Orchard Road. To be there in the midst of Black Friday sales was hectic, but with such an expanse of stores all in one it was hard to complain. "Gardens of the Bay" was also well-worth the visit. The sights are pretty incredible, with such a beautiful and wide variety of plants in the "Cloud Forest" and "Flower Dome", all enhanced by the indoor waterfall. From there, it's an easy walk to the "Marina Bay Sands" which is also fascinating - especially from the top (f you can handle heights!) Dining in Singapore is the greatest. While you would expect to be spending truck-loads, Singapore has hawker centres which have delicious local meals for around $5. Singaporean "must-tastes" would include the Laksa, Chili crab, Chicken rice, and Peking duck noodles. Coffee or "Kopi" in Singapore was also cheap, but very strong and bitter, hence the traditional method is to dilute it with condensed milk. An "iced kopi" was all we needed on a humid Singaporean day! We found the best way to have a taste of these different foods to be the "Katong Bike and Bite" tour. Our guide, HJ, took us around the less tourist-infested district of Katong, where we explored the old "Peranakan" colourful houses, as well as stopping to taste different foods. It was a great way to explore Singaporean culture and food in a short space of time - all while having fun on a bike. We found the MRT (or subway) a great way to get around. Booking a hotel adjacent to an MRT station would be highly recommended. Taxis in Singapore are also a great mode of transport, especially since they're relatively cheap. Other than that, we walked an average of 10km a day, which took a bit of adapting to considering the heat and humidity of Singapore! Our adventure ended with a stopover at the "Jewel", the new addition to Changi airport. With the tallest indoor waterfall in the world, the ten story complex was the perfect end to a spectacular stay in Singapore. If you have the opportunity to spend a few days in this country we would highly recommend you do so. Despite its size, it has an enormous amount to offer! Gail says: Remember you can earn and redeem FLYBUYS at helloworld Cambridge Proudly locally owned and operated for 42 years (07)8275100 Car Victoria & Duke Streets helloworld Cambridge Fly Buys CONNECT gail.rutherford@helloworld.co.nz helloworld.co.nz WITH US TYLALOR-Oy helloworld TRAVEL THE TRAVEL PROFESSIONALS SINGAPORE STOPOVER Gail and her daughter have just flown to Africa on Singapore Airlines and spent a few days in Singapore on their return: What was meant to be a short four-day stopover in Singapore turned into a jam-packed adventure filled with an exploration of different cultures and foods, Singapore is one of a kind. I's incredible that in only one day, we could explore a variety of cultures - flowing from Chinatown and Little India, to the colourful Arab Street and Haji Lane. Our exploration took us from a church, to the beautiful Tamil Hindu Sri Mariamman temple, to the Buddha Tooth Relic temple, to the largest mosque - the Masjid Sultan. Singapore not only has these cultural treasures, but also a fascinating modem world, filled with amazing architecture, lights and shopping malls - especially on Orchard Road. A great mall which has all you'd ever need all in one would be the ION centre on Orchard Road. To be there in the midst of Black Friday sales was hectic, but with such an expanse of stores all in one it was hard to complain. "Gardens of the Bay" was also well-worth the visit. The sights are pretty incredible, with such a beautiful and wide variety of plants in the "Cloud Forest" and "Flower Dome", all enhanced by the indoor waterfall. From there, it's an easy walk to the "Marina Bay Sands" which is also fascinating - especially from the top (f you can handle heights!) Dining in Singapore is the greatest. While you would expect to be spending truck-loads, Singapore has hawker centres which have delicious local meals for around $5. Singaporean "must-tastes" would include the Laksa, Chili crab, Chicken rice, and Peking duck noodles. Coffee or "Kopi" in Singapore was also cheap, but very strong and bitter, hence the traditional method is to dilute it with condensed milk. An "iced kopi" was all we needed on a humid Singaporean day! We found the best way to have a taste of these different foods to be the "Katong Bike and Bite" tour. Our guide, HJ, took us around the less tourist-infested district of Katong, where we explored the old "Peranakan" colourful houses, as well as stopping to taste different foods. It was a great way to explore Singaporean culture and food in a short space of time - all while having fun on a bike. We found the MRT (or subway) a great way to get around. Booking a hotel adjacent to an MRT station would be highly recommended. Taxis in Singapore are also a great mode of transport, especially since they're relatively cheap. Other than that, we walked an average of 10km a day, which took a bit of adapting to considering the heat and humidity of Singapore! Our adventure ended with a stopover at the "Jewel", the new addition to Changi airport. With the tallest indoor waterfall in the world, the ten story complex was the perfect end to a spectacular stay in Singapore. If you have the opportunity to spend a few days in this country we would highly recommend you do so. Despite its size, it has an enormous amount to offer! Gail says: Remember you can earn and redeem FLYBUYS at helloworld Cambridge Proudly locally owned and operated for 42 years (07)8275100 Car Victoria & Duke Streets helloworld Cambridge Fly Buys CONNECT gail.rutherford@helloworld.co.nz helloworld.co.nz WITH US TYLALOR-Oy