Crazy Rich…Singapore!

I came to Singapore because Holli, James, and their kids moved here this past summer, so I had friends to visit and a free place to crash. But I had no idea how much I would love it here; it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with this city. There are so many dynamic neighborhoods to explore, a brilliant mix of history, culture, and phenomenal (cheap!) food. If you’re in the mood for fancy, the city certainly has endless options to cater to every luxurious whim you desire, or you can head to a hawker center and eat until you’re ready to explode for $3-$5USD. Seriously. Alongside Auckland and Honolulu, Singapore is a city I could definitely see myself living in. In fact, I loved it so much I rebooked my flight to Thailand to give myself several more days in Singapore. Easy to fall in love when your friends live in an amazing building/neighborhood with this view…

Because food is one of my favorite things in the world (and certainly, one of my favorite parts of my travels), let’s start there! I visited several hawker centers, which are like giant malls full of nothing but food stalls that serve up local, ethnic cuisine for super cheap prices. But the prices definitely don’t have any correlation to quality; some of the stands are noted in the Michelin Guide! I also ate loads of street food in Chinatown and had the biggest Dosa (south India food I became obsessed with while in India) of my life. I adopted a philosophy while in Singapore: try at least one thing a day I’ve never heard of. So far, batting 1000- everything I’ve picked and eaten has been DELISH! (Except for Durian ice cream, which Holli insisted I try, knowing how disgusting it is. So I blame her for that. LOL.)

Amazing, fresh fruit juices for next to nothing.

Holli knew all the best places to go.

I do NOT recommend trying Durian in any form. Awful!

A view inside one hawker center.

Carrot cake. NOT even remotely like the Western-named dessert, but super yummy.

Cart in Chinatown (on food street!) where I tried the carrot cake.

Morning glory (veggies), noodles, and dumplings!

View inside another hawker center.

This was some type of yam cake. And, yes, it was yum!

Well known Lau Pa Sat hawker center.

The exterior of Lau Pa Sat is full of food carts selling satay.

Another interior view of Lau Pa Sat.

The biggest Dosa (from Little India) that I’ve ever seen.

And my friend reunions didn’t begin and end with Holli. Yet another wonderful lawyer friend from DC has also moved to Singapore! So wonderful to see the beautiful Sarah too.

Chinatown. Singapore’s Chinatown was overflowing with people preparing for the Chinese New Year. Hello year of the pig!

Thian Hock Keng. Temple in Chinatown that was built from 1839-42, and construction included NO NAILS in the structure! WOW.

Arab Street. Easy to walk to on your walk from Chinatown to Little India.

Little India. I had the most fantastic dinner at Komala Vilas, highly recommend!

Drinks & Nightlife: Ann Siang Hill, the Fullerton, & the Long Bar (Raffles). Ann Siang Hill is a neighborhood full of restaurants and bars. Both the Fullerton and Long Bar are more expensive, higher end, classic Singapore stops. The Singapore Sling was invented at the Long Bar, so if you like gin, this is your spot! (I don’t, so opted for a sour plum mojito, which was tasty!)

Gardens by the Bay and Cloud Forest. Everything about these parks was breathtaking. Holli and I spent hours walking around.

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Marina Bay Sands. Probably the most recognizable of all of Singapore’s famous landmarks. Holli and James took me there for my first evening, and seeing this spectacular landmark at sunset was really something.

I’ll finish off with a few more colorful shots I took while in Singapore, some at flower markets, some of street art, some at Clark Quay, and the rest along the river in Singapore.