It's Singapore Lah!

I don’t miss a single day to browse Cebu Pacific website, I want to be updated with their promotional offer at all times so that I can always grab a ticket at discounted price.

I booked our ticket October 2012, eight months ahead of our travel date. Haha. So still we have more time to save. For me, it was a very good idea because we still have a lot of time for preparation.

Time flies quickly. I just came back from a very tiring, wearing, exhausting, but adventurous trip to Singapore and Malaysia. I was so excited to share with you guys about what had happened during those trips.

We had very difficulty in budgeting our limited time targeting the MNL-KL-SG-JHR-KL-MNL trip for just 3D2N but were very thankful that we had managed.

We depart at NAIA Terminal 3 at 855 in the evening June 28, 2013 and arrived at LCCT the succeeding day at 12:27 in the morning. But since we have connecting flight to Singapore, we had decided to just stay in the airport. We watchfully study the place after we have cleared by the immigration officer. 

LCCT is designed to cater the growing number of low cost airline passengers. This airport is not that fascinating as I expected nothing special ika nga, but I believed that behind its imperfection there is a good thing that LCCT can be different from others. LCCT is packed with economical food chain, retail store, money changer, and even the mode of transportation are very affordable, unlike others that only cabs are available which can cost you a lot.

LCCT is totally a jam-packed, there were a lot of locals and foreigners waiting for their respective flights. As a stranger to this place I always bring with me the attitude of being polite, anywhere in the world I’ve been and will be going to. I was shocked by the number of people sleeping in every corner of LCCT Departure Area. I was desperate if we can get space to sleep; luckily we saw an empty chair enough for us to spend the remaining hours of waiting. We have awakened from the sound of footstep and the noise of people chatting around; it’s almost 4:00 in the morning. The check in counter was already opened, but I felt the numbness over my body due to uncomfortable position while sleeping. L. After we check where our designated counter is, we directly fall in line to it and after all the process we are now ready to depart. See you SINGAPORE!!! 

After we touched down at Changi International Airport Terminal 1, believing that there’s a lot of enjoyment, pleasures and memorable momentum wait ahead of us, excitement arouses on me to alight the plane immediately. Agad-agad.

Changi Airport is truly incredible. For me airport is the mirror of one country and as the doorway, the country must make sure that their airport is all in order because it will reflect who and what your country is.

We looked for money changer first and Tourism booth for the free map before we headed to our first destination. “SENTOSA”. In SG you don’t need to worry about getting lost, because transportation was very convenient and accessible. Just ride the MTR & LRT, follow the sign, and ask people for direction if needed. Libre po mag-tanung.

                TIPS: All Singapore ticket attractions are available in airport at discounted price.

We reached Vivo City late at 9:00 in the morning; first we had our breakfast at the food court and strolled around the vicinity before we head to Sentosa.

Universal Studio

Universal Studio is one of the main attractions in Singapore. It is a must visit for the kids and young at heart when you’re in SG. That’s why even we just have one day here we didn’t miss the chance to see it. The theme park showcases world-class amusement rides and impressive architecture. The best way to get there is to take the North-East Line of the MRT to HarbourFront and then make your way to Level 3 of Vivo city, where you will find the Sentosa Express monorail to the Island, round-trip ticket will cost you S$4.00. Cable Car is also a good choice to reach it which can give you a panoramic view of Sentosa. (S$26 for adult & S$15 for Child.) The most adventurous way to get in was on foot via Sentosa Boardwalk.

Actual ticket price for one day pass is SGD74.00 but thanks to BDO Philippines Promotion I saved about SGD20.00. Not bad. Unluckily I forgot to use my SGD10.00 discount voucher. Poor girl

USS was divided into seven (7) areas; Hollywood, New-York, Sci-Fi City, Ancient Egypt, The Lost World, Far-Far Away and Madagascar. Each of the themes has their corresponding rides and attractions.

1. Hollywood 

Hollywood is located at the main entrance of the USS. The elegant street and replica of some of the famous structure was very fascinating which was the best location for snapshot. As you walk on the street, you will spot classic Hollywood landmark stores, and some character of known movies.

2. New York

Next to it is the New York, where you can watch the shows of our very own StreetBoys Dancer. You will be amazed with their breathtaking stunts and awesome moves outside the Palace Movie Premier. The show was very entertaining, especially the part that they are inviting unsuspecting tourists to dance with them in front of a large crowd, perfect for aspiring dancers who want to be discovered. Among the replicas you can find inside New York are the Rockeffeller Center, the New York Public Library and the Sesame Street.

3. Sci-Fi City

If you are thrilled-seeker and adventure lover this place is the best for you. It is the house of the most thrilling rides. Battlestar Galactica fit for the people who crave for the adrenaline-pumping & stomach-churning  ride. It is actually a dueling roller coaster composed of two rides: Human and Cylon. The difference between them is that the Human is the traditional sit-down coaster while the Cylon is your feet will be hanging in the air. As a friend’s recommendation Transformers: The Ride is a must in USS unfortunately we don’t make it. The queue was already close and will resume at 3:00 pm, but we need to go back to the city at that time because it's just a day in Singapore we need to see a lot and not to limit our time in USS.

 

4. The Ancient Egypt

The gigantic statue welcomed us as we enter the Ancient Egypt. It is also the best place for all camera lovers out there. It was surrounded by huge sculptures that describe what Egypt is.

5. The Lost World

It is obviously inspired by the Jurassic Park movie, where you can see the huge statue of Dinosaurs at the entrance of The Lost World. There are also rides inside the lost world, but unlike in Sci-Fi City, rides here were much friendlier. J Waterworld is also located here, where you can watch a live performance reenacting some scenes from the movie Waterworld. Unfortunately we missed it.

6. Far-Far Away

This is the home of the famous movie Sherk and his princess Fiona. In the Far Far Away Castle is the Shrek 4D Adventure Ride, a 15-min 4D shows, the scene, Shrek quest was to save his princess Fiona from the enemy. It was a chasing scene, the bumpy road, the wind and water effects were so incredible. It was so much fun, another memorable experience. Far far Away park is also a good spot for photography addicts.

7. Madagascar

The theme is of course originated from the film Madagascar. The lively place makes it more animated when Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Melman Mankiewitz the giraffe, Gloria the hippopotamus, King Julien XIII the ring-tailed lemur and the Penguins joined the audience for picture taking. Like in Far-far Away rides here are suitable for young children. We rode Madagascar: A Crate Adventure. Like the Pirate Adventure in Star City, it is basically a boat ride that will take you to the world of Madagascar. It’s not just like so entertaining, but it was a great ride for kids. They will surely enjoy this one, but not so for adult. 

After the leisurely-walk inside the USS, we had decided to stroll around Sentosa for a few hours before we went to the city. Sentosa Island is composed of four (4) stations; Sentosa Station, Waterfront Station, Imbiah Station, and the Beach Station.

Waterfront Station is where the Universal Studios are located. The Imbiah Station is a good location for sightseeing Merlion, which is standing firmly while the Beach Station a best place for beach lovers.  One day is not enough to explore the whole Sentosa, there’s a lot of hidden gems inside to discover so much better budget your time wisely. We didn’t spend too long in each station because of our little time in Singapore, what’s important is we made a visit on each place even in a minute.

We went back to Waterfront Station USS after then to take again some pictures and a perfect photograph of USS Globe. Thanks to USS they didn’t fail us, one thing disappoints us, for the entrance fee of about Php2,500.00, and you didn’t maximize your time to wander the site and didn’t get the chance to experience the rides? Awts. Saklap!
 

OMG di na ako makalakad. After that tiring tour, we went directly to Bhugis to look for a cheap place to stay. I can’t take it anymore!!! I told Janine, that the first hotel/hostel/backpackers we will see. Yon na kasi hindi ko na talaga kaya. Haha! Luckily, we saw backpackers in front of Bhugis Junction named Hotel Backpacker. Manong Kuya was very friendly; they let us enter our room even though we haven’t paid him yet. It costs us S$50.00 for air-conditioned room with one double deck bed included breakfast for two. We took a 1.5 hour of sleep, and then we went to the Bhugis Street the largest shopping street in SG wherein you can find a variety of saleable items, from accessories, dress, souvenirs, foods etc.  It is a good place to shop for bargain hunters.

After spending our petty cash on Bhugis Street, we go back to our hotel to drop our shopped items. Afterwards, we go directly to One Fullerton where the famous Merlion Park was located (to get there just ride MRT drop at City Hall station, and follow the sign that will lead you all the way to the park). The Merlion is the national personification of Singapore. Its name came from the combination of “mer” meaning the sea and lion. The Merlion statue has a lion head and a fish body, the most popular tourist attraction in Singapore, on the other side the amazing Marina Bay can be seen. The famous hotel in Singapore, its architectural design was very astounding, a good spot for photography.

We met Janine’s cousin here. It is a good thing that we had a companion in a foreign country, he served as our tourist guide for the whole night. It’s almost 8:00 in the evening when we reached Merlion. We took pictures with it straightaway. Janine cousin gave us a food treat, for us to taste the Singaporean authentic food at Esplanade. You must try the Singapore famous Chili Crab otherwise your visit is not that fulfilling. We also tried the popular Chicken Rice, this menu is so simple but its taste was unexplainable.. Sarap!

It’s almost 10:30 in the evening when we finished tasting the zest of Singaporean dishes and it’s time to go home. Having with us the unforgettable experience we had even for just one day in Singapore. A million thanks to Janine’s cousin for this wonderful experience, without you maybe we will not be able to experience this.