June 5, 2015 | talktraveltome | Leave a comment Out of all the cities we’ve visited, Singapore is definitely one of the most unique. With it’s perfect combination of new-age technology and sustainable living, it’s no wonder Lonely Planet ranked Singapore the #1 country to visit in 2015. We’d even go as far to say that if aliens ever come to visit Planet Earth we really hope they land in Singapore. It’s a city of the future featuring sleek skyscrapers as well as an underlying concern for the environment and it’s people. From the minute we left the airport, we started to notice that their highways are all lined with huge trees and plants. Our driver was quick to point out that everything was man-made and deliberately planted in a way that would make the best use of the limited space available in Singapore. The entire country is only about 275 square miles (715 square kilometers). To give you an idea of how small that actually is, it’s about 1/2 the size of LA or 2/3 the size of New York City. So to say that optimizing their use of land is a priority in Singapore would be an understatement. Even with their limited land, they still have large areas devoted to growing trees and plants and even make use of their buildings in this capacity. Typically when you look up in a big city you don’t expect to see trees growing out of office buildings. While walking around Singapore we kept thinking, “Damn they’re doing something right”! And don’t get us started on how clean this city is! You could literally eat off of the subway floors (although we wouldn’t recommend it), or MRT floors as they call it. Coming from New York City where the subways have an always present scent of urine, sweat and garbage, this was a pleasant surprise. The cleanliness throughout Singapore is largely due to a number of laws against littering, spitting, expelling mucus from your nose (better known as snot-rockets) and of course their infamous ban on chewing gum. Although these may seem like petty laws, if you could see the results you’d probably agree that more cities should adopt them. Now that you have an idea of how amazing a city Singapore is, let us take you through our guide on what to see and do while visiting! Our Three Day Guide to Singapore Getting Around As mentioned above, the MRT (or Mr. T as we like to call it) system is extremely clean and well organized. Being the tech geniuses that we are, we also downloaded the free Explore Singapore MRT Map app (available for both iPhone and Android) that works offline and made getting around that much easier. For tourists they offer a one, two or three day pass making it very affordable if you’re using the MRT often. If taxis are more your style of getting around, they are very reasonably priced, and you can use the online Taxi Fare Calculator for a very accurate estimate on the cost of your trip. Top Attractions: Our must see and do During our 72 hours in Singapore, we kept very busy and tried to squeeze in as much as we could. 1. Gardens by the Bay: This was probably our favorite attraction in Singapore. The Gardens by the Bay include the Supertrees, Cloud Forest and Flower Dome, and are an amazing example of how Singapore makes sustainable living a priority. We visited the Gardens twice, once during the day to escape the heat and visit the air conditioned Cloud Forest and Flower Dome, and then again at night to watch the awesome Supertree light show (showing every night at 7:45pm and 8:45pm). Cloud Forest 2. Sky Park: To get a birds-eye view of Singapore we went to the 57th floor of the Marina Bay Sands and explored the famous Sky Park. The Park is open to anyone that wants to visit, however the infinity pool is only available to guests of the hotel. From here you can take in amazing views of both Gardens by the Bay as well as the city and CBD. 3. Singapore Zoo: Our second zoo of the trip! The Singapore Zoo is a world renowned zoo with amazing exhibits and a clear devotion to educating their guests on some of the major environmental problems that many animals are facing worldwide. Also, they have a polar bear… which to see in person was insane! They also have a white tiger… equally as insane! Side note: the Singapore zoo also offers a river safari and night time safari which we didn’t have time to visit, but we will definitely be back for! On the night time safari you can see a white lion! We’re not sure if it glows in the dark but we need to find out. 4. Little India: Home of the Mustafa Center, Little India is a great place to get lost if you’re looking to pick up some souvenirs. The Mustafa Center is a multi-level, multi-block department store where you can get anything from jewelry to electronics to your daily groceries. It’s essentially a huge, inexpensive mall. Also, if you have time be sure to stop by the elaborately decorated Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple! 5. China Town: Like most cities, Singapore has a China Town of it’s own. This is where you can find the famous yellow and red lanterns that adorn the streets, as well as a ton of interesting shops with some far out food! 6. Walk Around Marina Bay: Marina Bay offers a ton of different attractions to do and see. On the one side you have the Merlion and Boat Quay, where there are a ton of bars and restaurants to grab a waterside drink. Across the water is the famous Marina Bay Sands Casino where you can try your luck (ours wasn’t too great). After you’ve won a few bucks, attached to the Casino are the Shoppes at Marina Bay, where you can do some very expensive window shopping or pick-up that new Rolex you’ve always wanted! There’s also The Helix Bridge and Art and Science Museum, all worth checking out if you have the time. Side note: If you are going to walk around Marina Bay we suggest you either do it early in the morning or later in the evening as it can get pretty hot, hot, hot during the middle of the day! 7. Orchard Road: If the Shoppes by Marina Bay don’t satisfy your shopping needs, take the MRT over to Orchard Road. Home to over 20 malls and 6 department stores, you can literally shop till you drop! 8. Honorable Mentions: Because we only had 72 hours in Singapore we couldn’t get to everything we wanted to do. Below is a short list of the things we missed out on but have heard great things about: Museums: Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to see many of the museums in Singapore, but we had these recommended to us by YourSingapore and wanted to pass them on: Peranakan Museum National Museum of Singapore Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum Clark Quay: If you want to get away from the big skyscrapers, Clark Quay is a great area to grab a bite to eat and enjoy a nighttime drink. Bumboat Tour: Explore the Singapore river by boat and take in incredible views of the city from the water. Places to eat In our opinion, the food is a huge part of any city (or at least we tell ourselves that to justify eating so much of it) so we tried to explore as many new restaurants as possible in our short weekend. 1. Purvis Street: is a quaint street in the middle of Singapore with several great restaurants to choose from. Our two favorites were Argo and Saveur. Argo is located in the Adonis Hotel and has some great, affordable pasta dishes. Saveur is just a few doors down and features some amazing french cuisine including mushroom soup, foie gras and a not to be missed duck confit! Purvis Street Amazing pasta dishes at the Argo! 2. Hawker Centers: are food centers in open-air complexes and can be found throughout the city. We went to Lau Pat Sat to experience a hawker center first hand and were not disappointed. There were over 50 stalls to choose from, and our favorite was Bau Luo Wan Xiang Dim Sum. Don’t worry, it’s easier to eat the food than pronounce the name, and they have some of the best dumplings we’ve ever had! 3. Char: If you’re feeling carnivorous Char is the place to go! It’s a Cantonese restaurant and offers a great selections of roasts including their signature dish, Char Siew. Of course we wanted to try it all and went with the triple roast! 4. China Town Food Street: As we mentioned earlier, China Town has a large selection inexpensive eateries and food stalls. If you’re looking for a quick delicious lunch this a great place to stop along your way. Accommodations With any city, there are a ton of options to choose from when it comes to finding a home away from home. During our 72 hours in Singapore we were fortunate enough to stay at the newly opened Adonis Hotel. This boutique hotel was perfectly situated in the middle of Purvis Street, making it easy to get around the rest of Singapore. Besides the great location, the Adonis seriously goes above and beyond for their guests. They had one of the most accommodating staffs we’ve ever encountered and make it a priority to ensure everyone is having a great stay at their hotel. Although, if you’re staying at the Adonis it’s pretty easy to have a great time. Included in your stay is not only a complimentary breakfast every morning, but also complimentary all you can drink happy hour from 5:00pm to 6:30pm, complimentary snack bar open 24/7, complimentary mini-bar in your room restocked everyday, and complimentary Nespresso in your room. When you have to say the word complimentary 5 times in one sentence you know the hotel is doing something right! In addition to all perks listed above, in classic Singapore fashion the Adonis has made great use of the space available to them. They have 19 rooms, including 3 suites, all of which are beautifully decorated and show a clear emphasis on cleanliness and comfort. We stayed in the Deluxe King room, and after enjoying an organic beer from our mini-bar we slept like babies each night. Yup, that’s right… free organic beers in our fridge! In our experience, where you stay plays a large role in how you view the city you are visiting. Fortunately for us, we stayed at the Adonis and now Singapore will go down as one of our favorite cities we’ve ever visited. Singapore is unlike any other place we’ve been to, and it’s hard to believe how much they’ve accomplished in just 50 years. If Singapore isn’t already on your list of places to travel to, we highly recommend adding it. Where else can you see Supertrees light up to a Disney soundtrack?! Thank you Adonis Hotel and YourSingapore for making our visit an unforgettable one! As always, our opinions are our own as we Talk Travel.