20240111_170835Inside the Cloud Forest (January 2024)

Singapore had been on my bucket list of places to visit for the longest time. The country first came on my radar via Crazy Rich Asians (one of my favorite films), and I wanted to go to see what it was all about. That said, Singapore was my final stop following a week in Malaysia, and I would spend three nights taking in as much as possible.

Singapore is a unique place in that it’s both an island country and city-state, located at the very tip of the Malaysian Peninsula and, of course, bordered by Malaysia to the north. In fact, Singapore used to be part of Malaysia until 1965, when it claimed independence and over the past half-century has rapidly developed to become one of the richest and prosperous nations in Southeast Asia, let alone the world. It’s known for having a high quality of life, including cleanliness, good education, and safety for all of its citizens.

After one short night in Melaka, it was time for me to leave Malaysia and cross the country border over to Singapore. My private driver (hired by my travel agent) picked me up promptly at 10h00 from my hotel, and it was a smooth and easy four-hour drive down south. We passed through plenty of lush, forested vegetation and getting through Singapore immigration was simple and seamless (the officer even smiled!). Soon enough, we arrived into Singapore at 14h00, where my private driver dropped me off in front of my hotel.

As mentioned, Singapore is one of the richest countries in the world, and with that comes high costs and expenses. Hotels are expensive in the city-state, but that didn’t stop me from requesting at least one night in the prestigious Marina Bay Sands. My travel agent was able to hook me up for a weekday stay at this famous hotel, so I checked in upon arriving and was ceremoniously upgraded to a view room, which was incredible!

20240111_161629Marina Bay Sands in the distance

Marina Bay Sands is a massive hotel-casino-shopping center rolled into one. It consists of three towers, with the rooftop bar and infinity pool on the top (exclusively for hotel guests), to resemble the shape of a boat. My room was on the 14th floor, and it was enormous! From the California king-size bed to the marbled bathroom (with a shower AND tub), this was the most-opulent hotel I stayed at during my Southeast Asia trip, let alone EVER. The room even had a fancy Japanese toilet, as well as complementary instant ramen, local snacks, and full-bar alcohol. The views of the city skyline didn’t hurt, either!

20240111_141806My hotel room

I took a moment to bask in my luxurious room before I headed out to explore for the rest of the afternoon. I was absolutely starving, so I headed to Maxwell Hawker Centre for a late lunch. Hawker centres are huge in Singapore, as they’re covered markets that serve affordable street food for locals and visitors alike. Some of the food stalls have even been awarded with Michelin Bib Gourmands, which make them desirable to try! I went to one of those stalls– Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice– and ordered the famous chicken rice for $6 Singaporean dollars ($4.50 USD). Very simple, but savory and yummy– certainly did the trick to satisfy my hunger!

20240111_151721Chicken rice (simple, but good)!

Afterwards, I took a stroll along the quay, where I saw Marina Bay Sands in the distance, as well as took a photo at the Merlion statue (the emblem of Singapore). I then headed to Gardens by the Bay, a massive park that combines natural and artificial nature into one. Besides the famous Supertree center, there are also a few exhibits you can visit– both indoors and outdoors– to fully immerse yourself in nature. Singapore has taken huge strides to become ecofriendly and encourage more green spaces in its compact cityscape, and from what I’ve witnessed, it’s doing a great job.

20240111_161830Merlion statue

I paid $32 SGD ($23 USD) to visit the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome, and with that I headed to the former first. The Cloud Forest was indoors, and it was a refreshing respite from the hot, humid heat outdoors– it was at least 15-20°F degrees cooler inside and honestly, it felt so nice! The displays were also stunning, especially the misty waterfall and the spiraling, towering ramps teeming with vegetation throughout. The whole greenhouse exhibit was very futuristic and reminded me a bit of Avatar, and I really enjoyed going through the Cloud Forest.

20240111_165555Cloud Forest waterfall

Next was a hop over to the Flower Dome, a conservatory filled with all sorts of flowers and succulents from around the world. Not only that, but it also has a little tea patio where you can pay for a fancy afternoon tea with views of the flower displays down below. I didn’t go for afternoon tea and instead just wandered around the Flower Dome, admiring the unique plants and the impressive winter displays in the main hall (including Lunar New Year flower decorations, as I was visiting around the holiday). I wasn’t as blown away with the Flower Dome as with the Cloud Forest, but I still enjoyed the lovely flower displays throughout the space.

20240111_174128Inside the Flower Dome

I decided to return to Marina Bay Sands to check out the infinity pool at sunset. Again, as I was staying at the hotel, I had access to the pool and bar– I actually saw outsiders trying to get in, only to be turned away by security (they really mean business)! The infinity pool was lovely, with stunning views of the skyline, but it was absolutely packed with people at that hour– I would return early the following morning to have a dip in the water, but until then, I headed to the bar, where I got a (non-alcoholic) Singapore Sling and some fries as a snack/light dinner. Even though I don’t drink anymore, I knew I had to get a Singapore Sling while in Singapore!

20240111_184101At the infinity pool

I enjoyed the views and vibes until sunset, and then I headed to the front of Marina Bay Sands for Spectra- A Light & Water Show, which takes place nightly by the water. It started at 20h00, and it was a mesmerizing show with plenty of fountain artistry and animated lights dancing across the water. The show lasted 15 minutes, and overall, I found it very impressive! It was then a matter of returning to my hotel room and resting up– I had a long day of travel and sightseeing, and I would be up early the next day to see as much of Singapore as possible.

20240111_201213Spectra- A Light & Water Show

More of my time in Singapore coming soon. Until then! 🙂

— Rebecca

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Published by Rebecca

Blogger, world traveler, poet, foodie, part-time penguin. Welcome!

45 thoughts on “Destination: Singapore (One Night in Marina Bay Sands, Best Chicken Rice, and Visiting the Cloud Forest– DAY 1)”

    1. I hope you can make it over to Singapore sooner than later! It’s warm and tropical, not too far off from Jamaica’s weather, I assume. It’s a lovely country and honestly, a new favorite country for me!

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    1. Yes! I stayed at Marina Bay Sands. Crazy Rich Asians filmed at the top of the hotel with the infinity pool in the last scene of the film. It was such a surreal experience being there in real life!

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    1. Well, Singapore was under Malaysian rule 300 years ago, before becoming a British colony in the 19th and 20th centuries. So a LOT has changed, for sure! 😆

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  6. That infinity pool is a little scary. I know you wouldn’t actually fall over the edge, but it sure looks like you could. Lovely photos of the cloud forest and flower dome. Thanks for this introduction to Singapore! I’m looking forward to more.

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    1. Trust me, it’s not that scary! There’s actually a barrier at the “edge” of the pool, so unless you really jump, it’d be hard to fall over the edge! I’ll recap my infinity pool experience in the next post, and more of Singapore to come soon!

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  7. Hey Rebecca, welcome to Singapore! Glad that you’re enjoying your time in our Little Red Dot. If you’re interested, Newton Hawker Centre (food centre) is one of the places in Crazy Rich Asians. It’s a short train ride away from your hotel. And, not too far from your hotel is Chijmes, the venue for the CRA wedding, lots of restos there as well. 🙂

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  8. Lovely Rebecca, Singapore is one of my favourite destinations. How wonderful that you spent a night at the Marina Bay Sands, that must have been really special especially with your stunning view. A great post and looking forward to the rest of this series.

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    1. Staying at Marina Bay Sands was truly an extraordinary and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I’ll look back on fondly in the years to come. I have a ton more of Singapore to post about, so stay tuned!

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  14. Singapore is probably the only country that became independent against its own will (it was expelled from Malaysia). I remember reading about how Lee Kuan Yew (Singapore’s first prime minister) burst into tears when he announced the separation. But look at the country now, so rich and developed. Speaking of the Cloud Forest, I remember my father’s face when he walked inside and saw those artificial waterfalls. He was clearly impressed.

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    1. Oh, wow! I didn’t know the history of Singapore and that it was expelled from Malaysia. However, it has done really well for itself since then! The Cloud Forest was one of my favorites during my visit, not only for the waterfall, but also it was nice and cool indoors! 😆

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  16. Marina Bay Sands is gorgeous. Your post brought me good memories of a sunset view on the rooftop with colleagues and my Singapore Sling 🙂. Glad you got to go to the hawker center where the food is simply fantastic!

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    1. Nice! I’m glad you have fond memories of visiting Singapore. I really enjoyed my time exploring and eating at the hawker centres. Singapore has now become my favorite country visited!

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  17. Wow! I’m jealous of your stay at the Marina Bay Sands 😊 I feel as if I am getting healing vibes from the chicken and rice dish… so simple and healthy. And the indoor cloud forest is fascinating. I have driven through one (outdoors) on Hawaii’s Big Island.

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    1. Singapore was truly an experience. One of my favorite countries I’ve been to to this day. The one-night stay in MBS was an incredible opportunity, and I’d gladly eat chicken rice every day, if I could!

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  20. How amazing! I have never been too curious about Singapore, but it really seems like an amazing city – very different from what one might expect initally. I think I would have loved the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome too, and that hotel room seems fantastic – so luxurious!!

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    1. I’ve been meaning to visit Singapore for a long time, fueled by Crazy Rich Asians, which is one of my favorite films of all time. I was not disappointed, and in fact, Singapore has become my favorite country I’ve visited! I would recommend Singapore to anyone to check out 😊

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