TRAVELING ABROAD
The Time my Wife and I Visited Singapore
A list of places we visited and our experience
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In February 2023, I had an opportunity to have my wife meet me in Singapore. I deployed in November 2022. I was already on the other side of the world when the opportunity came up. Before departing on my deployment, Diana and I talked about a possible trip.
So it was no surprise when I told her that she was going to meet me in Singapore. I would have preferred other destinations. Thailand or Indonesia being those other destinations. They are way cheaper than any other country I have ever been to. Still, this was a great opportunity. And the trip excited us!
This was also the first international trip together. We have been to Puerto Rico and other states before. But never to a foreign land. Well, there was that one time we went to Mexico. That’s where Diana’s from. We don’t count that, but technically Mexico was our first international travel.
Still, I am not going to take this away from us. This is our first trip to a foreign land. Foreign to both her and I. Mexico is not foreign to her. And Puerto Rico is not foreign, for it’s a U.S. territory. [A lot of people don’t know this.]
What you’ll get from this story:
Places my wife and I visited (links)
The Jewel Changi Mall
Singapore River Cruise
Sentosa Island
Merlion Park
Gardens by the Bay
Marina Bay Sands Hotel
Places Diana and I Visited
The Jewel Changi Mall
Our first stop was The Jewel Changi Mall. It adjoins the international airport. Thus, that’s where Diana flew in. The first night we stayed at YotelAir at the mall.
Diana flew in right after midnight. So we went straight to bed. Several hours later we were on the go. We began to explore the mall.
First, the mall has so many other attractions than shops, stores, and restaurants. You can do mazes, rope bridges suspended over the mall, gardens, etc. So take your time in exploring this place.
The jet lag was doing a number on Diana. So I made sure to keep our bellies full with food and drinks.
Singapore River Cruise
On the second day, we did the Singapore River Cruise. It was raining that day. But that did not stop us. We walked through Chinatown first. We got some breakfast and then found the riverwalk. Along the banks of the river, you will find the River Cruise.
The Cruise takes you along the river and into Marina Bay. It’s a guided tour. So you get to hear the history of the river, the community, and marina.
The tour takes about an hour and a half. Diana and I got lucky with an empty boat because of the rain. All in all, it was a great experience, nonetheless.
Sentosa Island
This is an island municipality of Singapore. I heard about a store where you can make your own cologne. Diana loves scents. So I thought this was a perfect place for her.
That place was Scentopia. You will find along the strip south of the island. You get to sample as many different scents as you want. You mix your preferred scents to make your very own cologne or perfume.
We walked out of there with two bottles. One for me and one for her.
Then we went to a night light show: Wings of Time. I couldn’t find pictures of the show. I can’t believe neither Diana nor I took pictures. Likely because the show mesmerized us. Either way, I can provide another visual for you.
Merlion Park
Merlion Park hosts the Merlion Statue. It’s a combination of a lion’s head and the body of a fish. The lion represents Singapore original name “Singapura” or Lion City. The fish represents the maritime and fishing origins of the country.
If you take the river walk, you will run into Merlion Park. There are many restaurants, bars, and shops along the way.
Gardens by the Bay
This was a rather spectacular place to visit. If you like plants and art, this is the place for you. It’s a lot of waking, though.
We wanted to visit this place because of the plants. Diana got into plants. So this place was perfect to nourish her newfound passion.
It’s also a very nice place for pictures.
Marina Bay Sands Hotel
I only share this picture for two reasons:
- I wanted to show my iPhone photo taking skills [or lack thereof]
- It’s a very impressive sight
Diana and I walked through this hotel. We did not stay there or visit. There’s a restaurant open to non-guests of the hotel. It overlooks the entire island. Of course, I heard this from someone else. I cannot speak to it from experience. That’s something for another day.
