Singapore - an Old Fishing Village and a Lion City!

No one visits the Lion City Singapore without taking a photo of the famous Merlion. Everyone wants to have a good photo of it but the common problem as well is that this spot is packed as in very crowded and it's very challenging to take photos without a photobomber.

So the husband's company representative who was assigned to take care of the employees during the trip recommended that we must be early in visiting the Merlion in Marina Bay. This of course was just a recommendation, it was still up to us if we go there early or late

The night before, we were really astounded with the massive artificial waterfall in Changi Airport. It's called Jewel and it's the first in the world, just one reason why this airport is really one of a kind! My husband took photos of me and my little one as we were watching the light show.

Our original plan was to go out early but as expected since we have a toddler who's a late riser, we got to the hotel's restaurant for the buffet breakfast only at around eight so, we headed to the bus stop just opposite to the hotel for our bus ride going to the Merlion along Marina Bay. It was the fastest way we could get there.

It was a sunny day, while on our way to the Merlion after going down the bus, we noticed the crowd gathering at the Merlion statue. The view was really great with the skyscrapers behind it so we decided to stop for a photo opportunity.

My parents were really happy to see this view. Architecture indeed in Singapore is very unique with the Marina Bay Sands and the Science and Art Museum next to it. I tried taking a photo of my parents without a photobomber but failed, this photo below is the best out of the rest!

Because of the weather and the crowd, it was not a pleasant thing to be staying out without a shade so after I took a few snaps of the parents and the baby, I decided to stay under the tree just right in front of the view.

According to history, when Sang Nila Utama, a prince from Palembang, arrived in this island, he saw a creature he believed to be a lion thus naming the island "Singa Pura" or Lion City. Up to this day, they have not seen a wild lion in Singapore so there were doubts that it wasn't a lion that he saw, perhaps it was something similar to it instead.

It has the Merlion as the symbol as a tribute to Singapore's origin as a fishing village and again, the lion head represents Singapore's original name - Singapura.

The husband was not with us at the Merlion statue, he was exploring other areas but we met at the Jubilee Bridge on our way to the next destination which was the Helix Bridge going to the Gardens by the Bay.

So this image below was taken at the bridge. We also found some tourist boats sailing from the Fullerton waterboat house going across the bay.

This structure is the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay. From the Skypark on our third night in Singapore, we found this building to have changing lights on its roofing. It was mesmerising!

So if you ask me, what should you not miss when at the Merlion statue? I guess I must say, you must not forget to is to bring water with you because in Singapore, the weather can get really hot and very humid and there are so many tourists around. A small 250 ml water bottle costs two Singaporean dollar and that's really expensive for me. But if you can afford, there are restaurants around and just in the area, there's also some coffee shops.

Sharing with you some of the photos we took while on our way to the Helix Bridge:

While the Merlion statue is an iconic spot that you should not miss, you should also check out the other picturesque spots in the area like the view of the Marina Bay Sands at the back while at the Jubilee Bridge, you can also check the Esplanade Outdoor Stage and take photos while sitting on their stone pillars. And if you are looking for a place to dine in, there's the Glutton's Bay as well just nearby!

Biking is one of the things that I also recommend while in Singapore. Whilst we really wanted to try that, we have a baby and we can't leave him with our parents as they are seniors and looking after Matti can be very tricky at times. But if you are an active person, running or biking here is highly recommended! Most of the locals and even tourists are seen biking here, it's a bike friendly city!