Short and Sweet - Singapore

Where to begin with Singapore... It wasn't actually as hot or humid as we thought it would be for starters. And the food! The hawkers (think stalls inside a florescent lit dining hall complete with big tables nailed to the floor which you share with locals, tourists and business men alike) were incredible for cheap and truly delicious meals. A stand out was the classic Hainanese chicken rice - a dish even promoted in the official tourist information as being a favourite in Singapore and which is basically just super tasty poached chicken with rice.

On our second day we decided to try something a little different and based off the amazing reviews headed on the monorail across to Sentosa Island which is essentially one massive purpose built resort. It has shops, restaurants, a casino, a full hotel and our destination, Universal Studios Singapore. We got pictures at the famous spinning globe whilst sipping a Starbucks and spent the day wandering around the theme park. One thing we did learn is Asian tastes in theme parks definitely differ from those back home and certainly those in the US! Gone were thrills of loops and steel coasters, and instead most rides actually bordered on boring for anyone over the age of 5 who is used to more high octane adrenaline rushes. There was one waltzer in the park which we watched before getting on, but we got in the line as soon as we heard the screams of terror and saw the iron like grip from the majority of riders, expecting this to be closer to what we know and love. Sadly this was not the case. I think we would both describe it as the tamest waltzer in existence which didn't even take our breath. We chatted the whole way through the ride and got off confused by the pale faces of those around us... I think in hindsight this is one for younger kids and families, or those who do not like thrill rides. Having said that the themed areas were spectacular and we enjoyed wandering through them at our own pace (the particular highlight for us was the Far Far Away themed area which had all things Shrek in it - we even got to eat cookies in the shape of the gingerbread man!). In the afternoon we headed back to Singapore's Chinatown, where we had a look round the spectacular Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and it's in house museum. It was Joe's first real introduction to Buddhism and he turned out to be quite a fan of the golden splendour and beautiful artwork.

The next day we went to the Gardens by the Bay for a more uniquely Singaporean experience, and this one didn't disappoint! We bought tickets to the Cloud Dome and the Flower Garden. The former was significantly better than the latter so our suggestion would be to do the flowers first and the head to the man made mountain (complete with waterfall!) second. We wandered around the rest of the gardens before having something quick for dinner and getting our spot at the famous Super Tree Grove when the sun set. It's very busy so we suggest going early 45-30 minutes before 7:30pm so you can get a seat on a tree base for the spectacular light show that is done twice in an evening. We got there for the first showing which was set to film music and just lay down gazing up at the trees in all there multicoloured glory. This was by far the best thing we did in Singapore and would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who visits.

Overall our stay was short and sweet, and we missed out so many of the top things to do we think we'd like to go back and explore more. Maybe next time we can stay in the epically large and luxurious Marina Bay Sands Hotel, which looks down imposingly over the Gardens...