20240114_160820Jewel Changi waterfall (January 2024)

I had three nights and (technically) four days in Singapore; I wouldn’t be leaving for the airport until 16h00 for my evening flight back to Los Angeles, so I still had much of the day to see the last of the city-nation. I took it easy with a few stops I’d been meaning to check out, as well as a few good eats in town. It would be my final send-off before I was to leave to head back home, after two weeks of adventuring in Southeast Asia.

That said, I woke up early once more to head to Amoy Street Food Centre, my last hawker centre in Singapore. Alas, it was a Sunday, and many of the stalls were closed. Nevertheless, I still headed over where one of the stalls was open, serving kaya toast and teh tarik. Kaya toast is a Singaporean specialty, consisting of grilled toast (traditionally over charcoal), then spread with butter and coconut jam. It’s typically served with soft-boiled eggs, and it makes for a simple and light breakfast. It was a tasty little treat to start my day, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

20240114_072902Kaya toast with teh tarik

Next was a quick walk along Amoy Street, which contained some colorful colonial buildings that have been beautifully-preserved over the past century. There was also the Thian Hock Keng mural by local artist Yip Yew Chong, a long stretch of art detailing the vibrant and rich history of Singapore’s founding. I’d seen it during my first day in town, but it was blocked by cars parked in front of it during rush hour; the street was empty and devoid of cars when I returned, which made for better photos capturing as much of the mural as possible.

20240114_074359Amoy Street

20240114_074505Thian Hock Keng mural by Yip Yew Chong

I then headed to Gardens by the Bay to visit the OCBC Skyway, an elevated walkway over the artificial trees to get aerial views of the entire gardens from above. I went just as it opened at 9h00, paying $14 SGD ($10 USD) for admission. I took the elevator up and spent about 15-20 minutes at the top. While the scenery is pretty, there isn’t much else to do otherwise, so you don’t need more than 10-15 minutes up there, honestly. I really wanted to experience it before I left Singapore, though, so I was happy!

20240114_091220Up on OCBC Skyway

After the OCBC Skyway, I returned to my hotel where I took a shower and packed up my belongings to check out before 12h00. I dropped my luggage off with reception and headed over nearby to get lunch and otherwise chill before I had to head to the airport later that afternoon. There was a nearby restaurant that served Hainanese curry rice– similar to Hainanese chicken rice, but instead with pork cutlet and plenty of saucy curry. Having eaten exclusively at hawker centres for the past three nights, this was the first proper, sit-down restaurant I ate at, and the food was delicious: generous portions of crispy pork katsu and tender pork belly, as well as a delicious curry with a solid, spicy kick. A delicious last meal in Singapore proper to send me off!

20240114_115928Hainanese curry rice

Just a block from the restaurant was a cute little café, where I headed post-lunch for a coffee break. I ordered a well-made matcha latte and a fragrant kardemummabullar (Swedish cardamom bun). It was such a delicious little cardamom bun that now I seek it out wherever I go, even to this day! After a random stroll through a massive mall near my hotel, I returned to my hotel to rest a bit before my ride picked me up promptly at 16h00. From there, we headed to airport, leaving Singapore proper behind.

However, this wasn’t goodbye to Singapore just yet. My flight wasn’t leaving until 20h00, and I was actually heading to the airport to visit the Jewel Changi, a massive shopping mall located near the airport terminals and is home to the largest indoor waterfall in the world. I knew I had to see the waterfall and Jewel Changi before I left, and all the better I had some time to check it out.

20240114_161639The beautiful waterfall!

The waterfall was as glorious as I’d seen in photos, and I took plenty of photos of (and with) it before heading over to another site at Jewel Changi, which was the Pokémon Center, one of the few international ones in the world. The Pokémon Center was a lot smaller than the one I’d visited in Taipei earlier during this trip and unfortunately was a lot more limited in items, but I still bought a few adorable plushies for my friends and loved ones to bring home.

20240114_162453Pokémon Center Singapore mascots (so cute)!

While there were a bunch of other activities and stores you could check out at Jewel Changi, I decided just to head over to my terminal, go through immigration, and wait for my flight. It was busy, but the process went smoothly, and soon enough was through the terminal and headed towards my gate. Before boarding, I grabbed my actual final meal in Singapore at a hawker centre-style food court, where I ordered my last chicken rice in the country. Simple, but tasty, and it was a great way to cap off my foodie adventures there.

20240114_174656Last chicken rice for the road

Interestingly, I didn’t go through security when I went through immigration at the terminal entrance– rather, Changi Airport seemed to have security at the gate, just before boarding the plane. There was a horrible bottleneck effect at my gate with hundreds of us going through metal detectors and getting patted and frisked by security officers (the women’s security was especially backed up, as there weren’t enough female officers to pat us down). Any case, we soon got on the plane and it was a smooth, 15-hour ride back to Los Angeles. I arrived back in the evening towards 20h00 on Sunday, which was the exact day and time I left in Singapore– time zones between the US and Asia certainly warp the senses! I took an Uber back home, returning by 21h00.

Overall, it was a whirlwind, two-week journey through Malaysia and Singapore, along with a short return to Taipei to visit family after seven years. It was also my first time in Southeast Asia, and despite the hot, humid weather, I really enjoyed Malaysia and Singapore. Excellent city sightseeing, friendly and welcoming people, and plenty of delicious food to be had. It was interesting visiting this part of the world, as being of Chinese descent myself, I sort of “blended in” with the locals in terms of looks and language, which I think made my experience different from someone who isn’t Chinese (or East Asian, for that matter). I especially loved Singapore, so much that it’s now become my favorite country I’ve visited, and I’m looking to return sooner than later!

Thanks for reading my journey throughout my trip to Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore last winter, and I promise you a TON more travel posts to come very soon. Until then! 🙂

— Rebecca

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Published by Rebecca

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

40 thoughts on “Destination: Singapore (Final Hawker Centre Food, Walking the OCBC Skyway, and Visit to Jewel Changi Airport– DAY 4)”

  1. Oh, that waterfall!!!
    I remember visiting Oahu alone. I went without makeup the whole time and was frequently mistaken for a local, which was nice! I ended up at a North Shore beach on a day that I didn’t know was usually locals only. People were nice but were waiting for a city bus, I could see that some teens were really annoyed with my presence… didn’t say anything or act disrespectful, simply annoyed. I finally figured out to step away from the bus stop and the very next passing vehicle picked them up. Apparently, even w/o makeup, my white self was deterring people from giving them a lift. I’m thankful that I figured it out!

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    1. Changi’s waterfall is truly a sight to see. Thanks for sharing the funny story of your time in Oahu– I didn’t know the bus pick-up delay had to do with your “white self,” but very interesting. I’ve yet to visit Hawaii some day, and hopefully some day soon!

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      1. Oh… it wasn’t a bus delay… it’s apparently a common place for locals to pick up random rides and locals wouldn’t stop because of me! The discrimination against tourists is strong but understandable and never bothered me. I felt stupid fot taking so long to figure out what was happening!

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    1. My last day was a good one! I heard that that sort of airport security happens in a selected few in the world, including Kuala Lumpur and Dubai. Very surprising, but I just went with it!

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    1. I knew I had to see the Changi waterfall before I left Singapore! As for the security at the gates, I’ve heard it happens in some airports in the world, including those in Kuala Lumpur, Doha, and Dubai. Very interesting, but I just went along with it!

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    1. Definitely! I’d seen the Thian Hock Keng mural on my first day, but it’d been blocked by cars; I was glad to catch it car-less before I left! Thanks for reading my Southeast Asia series, Sarah 😊

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    1. Despite a short visit, I’m sure you still saw quite a bit! Thanks for reading my adventures in Malaysia and Singapore (and Taiwan!), and there will be more adventures to come 😊

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  13. It’s so cool you got to see the iconic waterfall – I’d love to see it one day. Congratulations on discovering your favorite country that you’ve visited. Singapore sounds truly special. Thank you for sharing your adventures!

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    1. Thank you, Darlene! I’m so glad I visited Singapore and I’m also glad I got to see the Changi waterfall before I left. I guarantee you more adventures are coming soon!

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  14. That waterfall is amazing, and even though there’s not much to do, the skyway is neat, too. The women’s security line was longer than the men’s? Sigh. Just like public bathrooms the world over. (I just experienced it at the Cancun airport.) That’s quite the ringing endorsement to name Singapore as your favorite country. I really never gave it much though until I joined the blogosphere seven years ago. That’s when I realized what an interesting destination it was. But here’s a question for you: since Singapore is both a country and a city, would you say it’s also your favorite city ever?

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    1. That’s a good question! Technically, I guess Singapore would be my favorite city visited as well! However, there are so many other cities which have my heart that it’s hard to say! It’s my favorite country, for sure, and I’d happily return to explore more some day! Thanks for reading 😊

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    1. Indeed! Changi Airport is truly an experience; no wonder it’s been voted the #1 airport in the world! I knew I had to see the waterfall before I left. Thanks for reading, Diana, and more adventures elsewhere are coming soon!

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  16. Aw what an absolutely wonderful couple of weeks you had in South East Asia. It’s my favourite region of the world and there’s just so much to see and do 🙂 I can’t wait to get to Jewel myself soon!

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    1. Exactly! The Jewel Changi is a great place to visit, whether at the airport waiting for a flight, or simply to visit while staying in Singapore. You could spend hours there, which is fantastic!

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  18. The mural is beautiful, and a seemingly detailed story from their history. The parasols look so dainty and graceful, like the curved architectural structures elsewhere. Did Pokémon come from Singapore? It seems to be a theme.

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