Sabtu, 04 November 2017

My Short Getaway - Singapore Recap (27/10/2017 - 29/10/2017)

Assalamualaikum,
Hi There!

So, some of you might notice that all the previous posts are now gone, well technically they're not gone, I decided to keep them as drafts and not publish it because.... I dont exactly know why but you know, I do random things and it just happened. So...yeah! Hahahaha.

Lately I just had a little trip to Singapore, I've been here 5 times yet the memories of this place was scattered (I'm bad at remembering details, I know wkwk). And somehow this trip made me realize it is sad knowing the fact that I kind of starting to forget the trips I did, not only here but to other places as well. So I decided I need to write things down! Because you know, thats just what your brain do with memories -- it needs some recalling-s to get it back-on-track.

I promised myself that if I became rich one day, its not going to be about hilariously expensive bags / shoes / what so ever; its going to be about having trips of a lifetime; to be among the Himalayas - (probably from Nepal), to be in the middle of Indian crowd in Hyderabad/New Delhi/Agra, to scuba dive in Maldives, and some other things to do at least once in life, or even only for a little escape when I feel I need one.
(Oh, I used my own savings to have this trip, and it was worth every penny :-) )

Well, here it is, a recap of my Singapore Trip!


Travel Buddies yang agak-agak



First things first; Introducing my travel partners:
Ilmi : The Princess of Sumenep. The one who stops at every possible Guardian shop we see.
Mbak Ismi : The girl who dreams to have a stinking rich husband and live a happily annyeong annyeong life. 

1. Haji Lane
We took a bus from our Airbnb place. But if you want to get there by MRT, take the East-West Line, get off at Bugis, and take the Victoria Street exit, once there you might just as well follow the crowd because as we all know, its a mainstream destination (or just ask haha :p)


Things you might find if you look up when you have no idea where you are
Mainstream alert!
One very tourist-y selfie : ga peduli belakangnya apa yg penting mejeng :p

You can find this along the Haji Lane. Buying ice cream makes you happier. Go buy one.

2. Bugis Junction // Street Market
Very close from Bugis MRT station, look for a sea of humans and you'll be there in no time wkwk

Street market displays are the wisest.

I know this is weird but there's something soothing about being in the middle of a crowded place

3. Orchard Road 
No, we didn't buy any new Chanel bags or brand new lipstick from Sephora. When you travel with 3 hungry rempong girls in a place you dont know, you'll find them laughing at themselves for the amount of time spent only to find a place to eat. (We ended up realizing that we went exactly the opposite way we were suppose to! Gumpil, but no regret! :)) )

Ngemper - Nyasar - Ngamok2

4. Merlion
To get here, by MRT: take the East-West or North-South line and alight at Raffles Place Station. But if you mind walking, take a bus (bus number depends on where you're from) and stop at the Fullerton Square for closer walking distance.

This sounds very boring, but if I had a chance for another trip to Singapore, there will always be: Merlion at Night - the surrounding lights, the sea breeze, the less crowd ; my go to place for bengong time.
*Iya ini zahra agak maksa kesananya tapi worth it lah yaa :P*


My essentials

Who cares about bad quality photo when you had a very good time? :p
Midnight bus to the rescue!

5. Chinatown
We're here for the Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice but why not enjoy chinatown as well.
Take the North-East or Downtown Line and alight at Chinatown Station, take exit A (Pagoda street) and you'll be in the heart of Chinatown's street market. 

Another tourist-y selfie
My definition of Cinta-Datang-Karena-Terbiasa
Posing in front of a random wall, typical Indonesian teens.

6. Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice
Known as the most popular hainanese chicken rice in Singapore, people said Tian - Tian is a must-try if you're visiting Singapore. This iconic local dish is very famous  because even though this is just a food stall in the middle of a hawker food center, it is listed in the Michelin Guide (a series of guide books from International food reviewer who gives Michelin star awards to restaurants for their excellence). Even Gordon Ramsay gave his approval to this dish for taste and its authenticity, and Anthony Bourdain acknowledge it for the fragrant and delicious rice.
Well, let me be honest: it was disappointing. I had my expectations too high and it turns out that the only thing I fell in love with was the rice. The rice is very fragrant and it has this authentic taste that somehow is indescribable. However, the chicken tastes flat and flavorless, the sambal was okay. We ordered medium portions for $5 each. But maybe I recommend buying the whole/half chicken and separated rice for a better taste because the portions did not come with the chicken skin I was craving for :( So yep, to me, tian - tian is pretty overrated wkwkwk.
How to get there: walk along the Pagoda street, and at the end of the road, cross safely, and turn right until you see directions to Maxwell Food Center, its not that hard to find the stall because it always has a line of people ordering. Tian - tian opens at 11.00 and closes around 20.00 or until they're sold out.


The stall

Thumbs up for the fast service! You dont have to wait too long even though there's a long line of people :)

The famous - legendary hainanese chicken rice on a plate


7. Artscience Museum
Nearest MRT : Bayfront Station, just follow the directions its pretty easy, you can take a shortcut through Marina Bay Sands. 

Hi
Child at heart indeed :-)
Being artsy in an art(science) museum
Captured by : Ilmi and her creativity



8. Gardens By The Bay
We were pretty exhausted so we didnt do much. Just chill, talk, and eat ice cream wkwkwk.
From Artscience museum just walk along the riverside. Or from Bayfront Station you can follow the directions to Gardens By The Bay.

Captured by : Ilmi and her bokeh lens
Purplish sky <3
The sunset
Thank you guys!

+ Somerset
We went back to Somerset/Orchard and chill because we are nggembel the whole night lol
Subway: checked

We came here out of our randomness finding a decent spot to sit. But turns out this shaved ice is SOOO GOOD!

9. Little India - Mustafa Center
MRT: Little India, take exit F and turn right, walk straight and cross the street, you'll see Mustafa Center with green sign.
Mustafa center operates 24 hours, a shop that sells almost anything, you name it. (With a very fair price).

10. Changi Airport
We missed the last MRT to Changi (waited the whole time until an announcement made just for us wkwkwk lol :)) ) Ended up taking an Uber and meet a nice driver along the way! :) 
By the time this post is up, Changi has open the new Terminal 4! (Not big enough, eh?)
OSIM my love

Can I have this everyday?



Ending the trip

 

-- Our Airbnb --
I forgot to take a picture of the building but it indeed taught me a lesson : dont judge an airbnb by the building haha! It was a very pleasant stay, a very nice, clean, and it has quite a unique design (we had a room in the attic and I felt like cinderella (but a happy one) wkwk :p).

You'll get codes to enter the room

The interior

Well, thats it for now. Looking forward to the next trip!

Have a nice day, people :-)

-Zuh