20240112_194951Supertree Light Show at night (January 2024)

My first half-day in Singapore was already filled with good eats at the hawker centre, a long walk along the quay, a visit to Gardens by the Bay, and an evening water and light show. The second full day would be no exception, as I would be out from dawn to dusk to see a ton more of the city-state. It would be exhausting, but a fun and fulfilling time.

I woke super early (6h00) to freshen up and change into my swimsuit for a dip at the world-famous Marina Bay Sands infinity pool. I had visited it the evening before, but as it was too crowded, I didn’t take a dip in the water. And considering I only had a one-night stay in Marina Bay Sands, I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity before I had to check out later that morning. That said, I gathered into my bathrobe and slippers and headed out.

The sun was just coming up upon arriving to the top deck, which made for a gorgeous sunrise. There were a few people already swimming and lounging by the pool, but not nearly as many as there were the evening prior. I set my belongings on one of the chaises and eased myself into the water, which was slightly warm and the perfect temperature for the slightly cool weather that morning– by midday, it would be broiling.

20240112_071856Self-timed photo at the infinity pool

I took in all the infinity pool had to offer– swimming, lounging, and taking photos of the stunning Singapore skyline– before I headed back to my hotel room, where I took a soak in the bathtub, using the complementary bath bomb. I had never taken a bath with a bath bomb before, and it was very comforting settling into the warm water, all the while to clean myself of the chlorine from the pool. I was really living the luxurious life!

Soon enough, it was time to check out of Marina Bay Sands and move to my next hotel, where I would be staying for the remainder of my time in Singapore. Check out was super easy, as I could just drop off my room key in any of the slots in the lobby, and I hailed a Grab to head to other hotel. I was able to check in early and got settled into my room– while not as splendid as the one at Marina Bay Sands, it was still a nice, 5-star room and comfortable during the rest of my stay. I didn’t linger too long, as I was starving, and soon enough headed back out to get lunch.

On the quest to try more hawker centre food, I headed this time to Tiong Bahru Market, situated in Singapore’s Chinatown. I had quite the feast, ordering three dishes– all for under $20 SGD ($15 USD). The char siu noodles were saucy and savory, with bouncy noodles and tender chunks of char siu— it was accompanied by wonton soup, which was a great palate cleanser for the rich dish and very cozy despite the muggy heat outdoors. The savory carrot cake was also hearty and eggy, cooked like a deconstructed omelet and filled with chewy radishes– not actually made out of carrots, but rather radishes! The min jiang kueh is a chewy, mochi-like pancake, traditionally filled with peanut paste; it was a nice little sweet to counterbalance all of the savory dishes I had, and it was a great dessert to round off the meal!

20240112_112857Char siu noodles with wonton soup


20240112_115644Savory carrot cake


20240112_114335Min jiang kueh

It started to POUR by the time I finished eating, but regardless, I braved the rain and headed to Fort Canning Park (but didn’t stay long), then Saint Andrew’s Cathedral (from the 1850s), and CHIJMES, a former convent that now houses a food and shopping center, as well as being open to events and celebrations. Fun fact: it was the filming location for the wedding scene in Crazy Rich Asians, and it was surreal to see it in person!

20240112_132133CHIJMES

Next was braving the rain over to Kampong Glam, the Muslim quarter of Singapore. It was definitely a change in the previous neighborhoods I visited, as I felt I was transported back to Turkey with the golden-dome Sultan Mosque as the focal point and the various shops selling multicolored lanterns and serving baklava and strong Turkish coffee. I didn’t go inside the mosque, and instead took a stroll along Arab Street and Haji Lane, the latter being a hip, trendy alleyway with bars and fashionable boutiques to window shop at. I had a quick matcha break at one of the cafés and, as the rain wasn’t letting up, I decided to head back to my hotel and rest a bit to wait out the rain.

20240112_135737Arab Street with Sultan Mosque


20240112_142535Haji Lane

Unfortunately, the rain didn’t let up later in the afternoon, so I decided just to head out anyway, visiting Emerald Street for the colorful, colonial homes before heading up to Newton Food Centre, a hawker centre made famous by Crazy Rich Asians (in the night market food scene). I had dinner there, ordering duck rice and chili stingray, the latter a specialty in Singapore and Malaysia. The duck rice was savory and saucy, and the stingray had an interesting texture, like a cross between fish and chicken. I also got a sugarcane juice (surprisingly, not too sweet) in the end. Given that Newton Food Centre is quite touristy, as made famous by Crazy Rich Asians, dishes were a bit pricier, but still affordable and delicious.

20240112_174109Colonial homes on Emerald Street


20240112_183318Duck rice


20240112_181124Chili stingray

Following dinner, I took the MRT (metro) all the way to Gardens by the Bay to catch the Supertree Light Show. The first showing started at 19h45, and I made it just in time once it started. It was very dazzling, with plenty of orchestrated lights in tune to some classic, American showtunes from the 1950s. The show lasted 15 minutes, and soon enough I headed all the way back to my hotel, reaching back by 20h00, exhausted but happy to have had a lovely day seeing a lot of Singapore.

20240112_193618Supertree Light Show

More of Singapore coming soon!

— Rebecca

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Published by Rebecca

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

45 thoughts on “Destination: Singapore (Infinity Pool at Marina Bay Sands, Crazy Rich Asians’ Hot Spots, and Gardens by the Bay Light Show– DAY 2)”

  2. You know, I would be completely dazzled by the magnificent sight of those colourful Supertrees as the music and lights entertain me at night! This is such a magnificent part of the world, Rebecca. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

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    1. Absolutely! The Supertrees are iconic to Gardens by the Bay, and while it looks fantastic in the daytime, it’s stunning at night! Very glad I got to see the light show there while in town. Thanks for reading, Aiva 😊

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  3. What a lovely day you had Rebecca starting off with a swim in Singapore,’s top infinity pool. Your photos are splendid. I’ve visited all the other places and hawker stalls you called at and the first time I ordered the carrot cake I was surprised that it contained radishes! Quite nice though.

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    1. Thanks, Marion! Swimming in MBS’s infinity pool was truly a surreal experience. I’m glad you enjoyed the hawker stalls, as I loved and ate nothing but hawker centre food throughout my time in Singapore. More to come soon!

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  4. Brings back memories of our visits to Singapore. It seems there’s always some rain in Singapore at some point in the day. Lucky you a stay at Marina Sands. Maybe one day!

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    1. I’m glad you got to visit Singapore many times! I hope to return and explore more some day. The MBS was certainly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I’m elated I got to stay there!

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    1. Thanks, Rebecca! It was a long and busy, but fun day exploring more of Singapore. From the infinity pool at MBS to the Supertree Light Show, I certainly made the most of it! More coming soon 🙂

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  6. Nice photo of you in the infinity pool! It must have been so much fun seeing many of the Crazy Rich Asians filming locations. I’m curious about the chili stingray, how did it taste?

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    1. Absolutely! Crazy Rich Asians is one of my favorite films, and I’m glad I got to see many of the filming locations while in Singapore. The chili stingray was pretty tasty– strangely enough, it tasted like chicken!

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  8. That’s what I call a full day! You certainly made the most of your short stay at Marina Bay Sands – I would love to swim in that pool 😀 A shame about the rain but you still managed to see a lot and to eat what looks like some delicious food!

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    1. I certainly made the most of it at MBS! The infinity pool was lovely, and the views of Singapore were spectacular! Alas, rain is inevitable in this part of the world, but I did my best to see as much of the city despite it all 🙂

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  10. I think I always have chili stingray every time I go to Singapore, without even thinking of it. It’s unfortunate that the weather was not cooperative on your second day in the city. But it’s good to know that you still managed to see quite a few.

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    1. Nice! Chili stingray is pretty yummy, and it seems like a staple in Singapore and Malaysia. The rain wasn’t great, but I made the most of it and still saw a lot! Thanks for reading, Bama, and more of Singapore to come soon!

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  11. I loved the light show at the supertrees 😍 It’s incredible how much there is to see and do in Singapore for a relatively small place (geographically speaking). What a treat to have a night at the Marina Bay Sands, too – glad you were able to make the most of the pool in the morning. Looking forward to hearing what else you got up to.

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    1. Thanks, Rosie! I’m incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity to stay in MBS. It’s probably one of the best hotels I’ve ever stayed at, period! More of Singapore to come soon! 🙂

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    1. Yes! Singapore is now one of my favorite countries I’ve visited so far; I’d happily return to explore more! Crazy Rich Asians is also one of my favorite films, and I do hope you get to Singapore soon to see it for yourself 🙂

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  16. What an amazing day in Singapore! Your vivid descriptions made me feel like I was right there—soaking in the infinity pool at sunrise and savoring the hawker center delights. I loved the cultural mix, from Kampong Glam’s charm to the cinematic CHIJMES. Can’t wait for more of your Singapore adventures!

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      1. You’re so welcome! It sounds like you’re having the best time there. I love how you’re soaking up the culture and the views. Looking forward to hearing more about your adventures in Singapore!

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  19. Aww amazing, the food is making me hungry just looking at pictures. I love Chijmes, always one of my favourite spots in the city 😊 you are definitely getting me more excited for my upcoming trip to see my husband there!

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  20. Your posts make me miss Singapore! It’s been a while since I’ve been back there. Sounds like you packed in quite a bit on this second full day. Then again, you woke up really early! Fantastic you got to go to the infinity pool and it wasn’t that crowded in the morning. Sometimes you really got to be there early to beat the crowds.

    The char siu looks fantastic. And so does the white savoury carrot cake – I love savoury carrot cake. It’s so common in Singapore but not at all here in Australia! It’s one of the dishes I miss in Singapore, along with chicken rice. The noodles, carrot cake and the desert look like a big meal for one person….and then you had duck rice and sting ray for dinner. A big treat 😄

    The rain can be a bit of a damper when you’re on holiday. But I guess you got to go along with it as sometimes the tropical rain doesn’t really stop!

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    1. Yes! I had a lovely time in Singapore. To be honest, I pretty much ate hawker centre food the entire time I was there! I didn’t know I would love chicken rice as much as I have, and now it’s one of my favorite dishes. The rain wasn’t fun to go sightseeing in, but I did my best and still saw a lot of the city! Thanks for reading, Mabel; I’m glad my posts brought back fondness for you!

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      1. I think chicken rice is one of the dishes where many thing, oh, it’s so plain. But when you try it, it is so flavourful. I hope to visit again at some point and have chicken rice again 🙂

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