Winter Vacation Trip: Singapore Zoo

My second tourist attraction in Singapore was the Singapore zoo. Part of the zoo was under construction when I was there but that did not have too much of an impact on my experience. They do offer a tram for a small fee if you don't feel like walking the whole zoo. I did not try out the tram but families with smaller children seemed to be using it most when I was there. They had a good number of different animals and exhibits to explore as well as a show or two that were set at a number of times throughout the day. 

The zoo is a little bit far from say...central downtown Singapore but it's not all that hard to get to. I took a route involving the subway and a bus. Many families and other tourists also were taking this route. The bus left from a fairly large depot and one just had to find the right door to stand by (which happened to be at the far end from the exit). There was a sizable queue for the bus when I got there but I managed to wait only about 5-10 minutes for the bus. You get dropped off right in front of the zoo and can take the same bus back. The subway stop to that bus depot is right across the street so, again, not too hard to navigate. Although if you have small children or have trouble walking around, maybe a taxi would be easier.

Below are some shots of some of the animals I saw. As usual I thought I took a ton of photos but seemingly I didn't really. Oh well. Some of the highlights for me were the big cats and I also liked seeing the big fruit bats (Flying foxes). The bats were in an enclosed kind of aviary which also housed a number of other flying creatures like butterflies and birds.

I still think the San Diego Zoo is my top in terms of zoos I've visited but this one is up there. The general upkeep and landscaping of the zoo is good and you can spend a decent amount of time wandering through the exhibits. There are also food and souvenir shops so, you can get your shopping/eating on as well. 

Singapore Zoo Information
Website: http://www.zoo.com.sg/
Hours: 8:30AM - 6:00PM
Admission: Adults are S$32 but discounts can be found and tickets can also be bought online
Getting there: I took the subway to a bus depot which had a bus to the zoo. This is by far the cheapest option. http://www.zoo.com.sg/visitor-info/public-transport.html
What to bring/wear: Good walking shoes, a camera/camcorder if you want to take pictures, sunscreen and sunglasses are a good idea. Water if you get thirsty :)
Maps: http://www.zoo.com.sg/visitor-info/park-map.html

Winter Vacation Trip: Singapore Botanic Gardens

So I decided to visit the Singapore Botanic Gardens as my first touristy stop. The main gardens are free and open almost all day (5am - Midnight) but there are a variety of paid access gardens that are featured on the same grounds. I personally felt the free gardens provided plenty to walk around for an afternoon so I didn't go into the paid areas. Overall, I probably spent over 3 hours walking around but if you also wanted to visit the paid areas, you could easily spend a half-day there. Singapore is hot year round so I brought water with me and made sure to take a break every now and then. There were sitting areas/rest areas located around the main walking paths so I took full advantage of those. On site they do have some dining and souvenir shopping available so if you don't happen to bring your own water or snacks (or even want to have a meal there) it's possible.

I'm personally not that into nature and such but I did enjoy walking around the gardens. The weather itself was a stark contrast to what I was experiencing where I currently live. Then, Korea was super cold and gloomy but Singapore was bright, sunny, and hot most of the time I was there. Even though I probably sweated through my shirt at the gardens I was glad just to feel warm for once outside for the first time in a long time.

In terms of photos I thought I took a ton but per the usual when I reviewed them all it didn't actually seem like that many. I will post a few below for your viewing pleasure:

Singapore Botanic Gardens Information
Website: https://www.sbg.org.sg/
Hours: Singapore Botanic Gardens - 5am to 12 midnight daily. Specialty garden hours vary.
Admission: FREE for the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Specialty garden admission varies.
Getting there: Botanic Gardens MRT Station. Otherwise there are multiple gates with various buses providing access.
What to bring/wear: Good walking shoes, a camera/camcorder if you want to take pictures, sunscreen and sunglasses are a good idea. Water/fluids since it can take hours to walk the whole park.
Maps: https://www.sbg.org.sg/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&layout=item&id=18&Itemid=33

Winter Vacation Trip: Singapore, Finding Value on Orchard Road

For anyone who has been to Singapore, I think we can all agree it is not a cheap place to vacation. While the weather is warm year-round and it's considered one of the safest cities in the world, the cost of things in country is quite high. So unless you want to stay at a backpacking hostel or guesthouse, you need to really hunt for a decent lodging option. These days more boutique (smaller, non-chain) decent hotels are cropping up in Singapore (at least from my browsing of TripAdvisor). However, I decided to still with the IHG brand Holiday Inn Express for this trip. It's a relatively new hotel and right off of Orchard Road (a huge shopping district). It is also conveniently located between two subway stops. As usual, below is my video of the room tour:

There is a free breakfast offered which has breads, 4 hot food items, yogurt, fruit, coffee, and juices. They also have free Wifi throughout the property and offer two complimentary bottles of water each day. The rooms feature personal air conditioning control, in-room safe, slippers, and toiletries in case you forgot yours. The TV is a flat screen although the channel selection was somewhat limited. As a IHG Rewards Club member you got a free complimentary soft drink coupon to use during your stay as well. The room rate was something like S$240 a night I think...which is quite reasonable for the location and benefits. Granted there are other hotels around that are less money but this property seemed like it was worth it. From the airport to the hotel a taxi ride will cost you around S$30-S$40 depending on traffic and time of day. There is also the option to take the subway from the airport to either Somerset station or Orchard Station and walk to the hotel from there. Inbound I took the subway to the hotel and leaving I took a taxi.

I did a lot of touristy activities while I was there and took a bunch of pictures so I plan to write a few more posts detailing those locations and sharing some pictures.

Until next time...

~