Singapore's distance to equator is only one degree. Length of the day is quite constant - sunrise around 7 am and sunset around 7 pm through the whole year. Being so close to the equator there are no 4, but one season and the temperature through the whole year is ~30 degrees Celsius.

Having such a constants during the day, it’s easy to maintain the routine from previous weeks. However, just one little change is enough to detach you from it. This week a friend from Croatia came to visit us in Singapore and we spend few evenings exploring the city, eating, and drinking.

Marina Bay Sands: Touristy must go

View from the 56th floor
View from the 56th floor

We visited magnificent Marina Bay Sands, grabbed something to eat in food center Rasapura Masters and took a surprisingly short elevator ride to the 56th floor of this building to the viewing deck. We paid the ticket to the viewing deck 23 SGD (17 USD) on the 56th floor, you can stay there whole day if you like. There is also 57th floor with the bar where you can have an expensive drink (20 SGD = 15 USD for a beer) with the unforgettable panoramic view of the city. I am reading some comments on TripAdvisor and people say you can even go on the elevator ride on the 57th floor for free, just say you are going up to the bar for a drink. Just a notice – there are two distinct elevators: one for visiting viewing deck on 56th floor and you enter it from the outside of building. The other is inside the building which takes you to the bar at 57th floor.

Southern Ridges: From Hill to Hill

The series of hills from the Centre of Singapore (Mount Faber, Telok Blangah Hill and Bukit Chandu) provide trails that stretch for about 10km. You can walk on the elevated metal walkway and enjoy spectacular views across Singapore. We caught the sunset, but unfortunately didn’t see any monkeys!

Foodwise

Finally, we tried laksa! It is Singaporean spicy noodle soup based on rich curry coconut milk with chicken, prawn or fish. We tried seafood laksa and it was okay – I’m not a lover of seafood, but people are going mad for this laksa! J Our Singaporean friend recommend us to go at 328 KATONG LAKSA which haves the reputation of the best laksa in Singapore.

When it comes to finding the best Laksa in Singapore, many locals wouldn’t look beyond East Coast Road. It doesn’t help that beating celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay in a 2013 cooking showdown has made 328 Katong Laksa extra famous.


Then, Singaporean friends took us on a Sunday brunch with their family at the local coffee shop. It looked more like a hawker center than a coffee shop which really surprised me! I expected a little café where you can get a coffee, maybe some cake and sandwiches, but it was a big open complex with many food stalls and seating places. We got our coffee and tried various local dishes. The one I liked a lot is this big dim sum filled with pork and two eggs!

Mid-autumn festival


Not to forget to mention, today (Friday 13th September, oh didn’t even notice todays is Friday 13th!) is harvest festival celebrated by the people of East Asia, especially the Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese people. It is a time of the year the moon is at its brightest. The festival is about lunar appreciation and giving thanks to the gods. The festival is known for mooncakes and lanterns and here are places where you can enjoy the festive atmosphere. We can’t wait to visit Chinatown today after work for some moon and mooncakes!

Have a nice day and enjoy your week

...and here is one big fruit for the end of this weekly review!

All the best,
Ivna