Friday 10 November 2017

Singapore - 6 Day Itinerary - Day 6 - The Iconic Merlion & Pack Up

The final day of our vacation had to end in a special way. After a hearty breakfast and a speedy fast checkout we left to take a glimpse of the Iconic Merlion. 

Half fish and half lion, the iconic Merlion resides at the famous waterfront Merlion park. The union of a mermaid and a lion is a Singapore Icon and people flock to take a glimpse while visiting this country. Water gushing from the mouth, makes it a perfect spot for capturing memories. The statue stands 8.6 meters tall and weighs 70 tonnes facing east, the direction supposed to bring in prosperity.

Later we rushed to the airport to catch our flight back home!
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Iconic Merlion

Tips & Tricks

  • Singapore is well connected by MRT (Mass Rapid Transit), Buses and Taxis. For tourists one can buy Singapore Tourist Pass, $10 for a day along with $10 as deposit (which is refundable on the return of the pass at the counter). 
  • Also one can download app, Grab and travel. It does share some vouchers too for the new registered users... Isn't it cool!
PicCourtesy-Google 

  • Try to book the attractions online to get discounts. We used klook.com to get amazing deals and also redeemed points for different attractions.
  • Plan for Universal Studios/Sentosa Island for weekdays as weekends are dead crowded and one cannot enjoy to the fullest. 
  • In case you happen to visit the above on a weekend, always look for an express pass as it will help you bail from long queues and save time with much more added fun.
  • Do try the famous Singapore Sling - best drinks worth trying while you are in Singapore.
Happy Reading and Happy Travelling... !

Wednesday 25 October 2017

Singapore - 6 Day Itinerary - Day 5 - Singapore Zoo, River Safari & Gardens by the Bay


Singapore - 6 Day Itinerary - Day 4 - Resorts World Sentosa Island


Singapore - 6 Day Itinerary - Day 3 - Little India, Chinatown & SHOPPING !!!

Today we had planned our itinerary towards Little India and Chinatown. The much awaited evening was reserved for Shopping ;). We left our hotel early in the morning and hopped on a bus to reach Little India. What an irony - I spotted a health tip getting publicized on a cab. Have a look !

What an irony - Taxis discouraging their on usage ! - A must read health message
5 Minute Cab Ride or 20 Minute Walk :) Choose the best !

Super motivated by this - I planned to explore the entire Little India and Chinatown by foot and trust me it was so much fun. We were surprised to see the local familiar stuff, ate the known familiar food and felt as if we are in no foreign land. Articles and goods that so belong to our own country, made us remind of our motherland. 

While strolling along the roads we reached Sri Veeramahakaliamman Temple, situated in the heart of Little India and is one of the oldest temples in Singapore. This temple is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali, fierce embodiment of Shakti and Lord Shiva's wife Parvati. the building is constructed in the style of South Indian Tamil temples and exhibits Dravidian architecture. 
Operating hours - 05:30AM - 09:30PM
Entrance Fee - Free

Sri Veeramahakaliamman Temple

The Heritage Trail Landmark

Captured couple of below clicks while exploring the hustled bustled streets of Little India. We even visited the famous Mustafa Center, which may not be as great as any other shopping mall of Singapore, but one can get to see huge variety of items and at a great price. So you may not prefer buying from road side articles which requires lot of bargaining skills and just go Mustafa!
Colorful Roads and much more ...

I remembered - " Baboo Ji zara dheere chalo ;)"

Elements of India - Hindoo Road
We later visited the famous Temple of 1000 lights - Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple situated on the race course road. The Buddhist temple features a 15 meter high statue of a seated Buddha, which weighs nearly 300 tons as well as many smaller Buddha images. The statue is surrounded by a stylized aura made of numerous light bulbs which are lit during evenings. 
Operating Hours - 08:00AM - 04:45PM
Entrance Fee - Free
Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple

Temple of 1000 Lights
After exploring the Little India, we planned to explore the streets of China Town. Reached at the famous Sri Mariamman Temple, considered as one of the oldest temples in Singapore. It has been gazetted as the National Monument and beholds Dravidian Architecture. To add the visitors are expected to be fully covered while visiting the temple, else the entry would be denied.
Operating Hours - 7AM-12PM and 6PM-9PM
Entrance Fee - Free
Sri Mariamman Temple

Further we went down exploring the streets of China town and finally reached the famous Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. Temple has richly designed interiors and exhibits Buddhist art and culture. The temple got its name from hat Buddhists regards as the left canine tooth of Buddha which has been recovered from his funeral pyre.
Operating Hours
Viewing of Buddha Tooth Relic - 9AM-6PM
Buddhist Culture Museum and Relic Chamber - 9AM-6PM
Eminent Sangha Museum - 7AM-7PM

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

Interior View of the temple

Evening was spent on much awaited agenda of the day - Shopping. We explored the famous Bugis Street, one of the hottest and cheapest in Singapore. It is popular both among the tourists and the locals and people would end up buying souvenirs, electronics, clothes, cosmetics and trinkets. To add market is covered to protect the buyers from rain and sun. Later we went onto the famous ION Orchard situated at the end of the Orchard road. It is a bliss to have all the luxury brands under one roof and the latest fashion would just attract the crowd. Luxury couture's and fresh runway brands lure the shoppers to the core. 
Bugis Street - Pic Courtesy vulcanpost.com

Tired and exhausted we returned back to our hotel, with handful of shopping bags and carrying away the memories of Little India and Chinatown.

Happy Reading and Happy Travelling !

Thursday 19 October 2017

Singapore - 6 Day Itinerary - Day 2 - Universal Studios


The much awaited day of our vacation was finally there and I was standing right at the Universal Studios Singapore (USS) - a dream come true! A massive circular globe rotating atop a misty pond, will make you go crazy, the magic that's found no where else other than the Resorts World Singapore. 
USS is spread over 49 acres and can easily take a full day to explore every corner of it. For those racing against time, it is preferred to buy an express pass. Also visiting in weekdays is beneficial to avoid crowd especially in the peak season. There are 24 attractions in all across seven themed zone - Hollywood, New York City, Sc-Fi City, Ancient Egypt, The Lost World, Far Far Away and Madagascar - all set around a lagoon. Each theme is based on a movie or a famous television show. One can spot dining and shopping areas while exploring around it. 

Park Operating Time - 10AM - 8PM
Ticket Booths - 9AM - 7PM
One can buy online tickets as well as it allows immediate access without needing to stop at ticket counter. With Express tickets one has an access to separate queue with shorter wait time at each attraction.
Ticket Price -

  • One Day Ticket - Adult (Ages 13-59) - S$76, Child (Ages 4-12) - S$56 and Senior Citizen(Ages 60&above) - S$38
  • Universal Express (only 1 time at participating attraction) - Starts at S$30
  • Universal Express Unlimited (unlimited access at each participating attraction) - Starts at S$50

Universal Studios Singapore (USS)
Details Around the 7-Themed Zones

HOLLYWOOD - Step into the famous Hollywood boulevard designed with amazing architecture, shopping areas on both sides, decorated with palm trees and adorned by the famous walk of fame

NEW YORK -

SCI-FI CITY -


ANCIENT EGYPT -

LOST WORLD -

FAR FAR AWAY -

MADAGASCAR - Based on the movie Madagsacar, this zone brings you to the dense tropical jungle filled with wonderful and friendly animals like lemurs and foosas.

  • Rides and Shows - 
  1. King Juliens Beach Party - go - round - Ride this crazy corousel with King Julien, the lemurs and much other favourite charcters from the movie Madagascar.

  1. Madagascar: A Crate Adventure - Hop onto the river boat ride with our four heros: Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria.
  • Street Entertainement -
  1. Madagascar Boogie - Get lucky to see the cast from dreamworks animation movie Madagascar

Wednesday 18 October 2017

Singapore - 6 Day Itinerary - Day 1 Singapore Flyer, Helix Bridge & The Shoppes

Hey Readers ... Hope you are having a great time and have enjoyed the previous posts too. This year on our anniversary me and my husband decided to explore "The Lion city - Singapore". Next couple of posts would cover our 5 day itinerary to this luxurious city. We had booked our trip well in advance and were absolutely crazy for these vacations. Singapore was celebrating its 52nd birthday this time and we had the luxury to witness the dolled up city. Will be uploading couple of pics marking the celebration too.

Getting into Singapore is quite easy, immigration is smooth at the Changi International airport and transfer to the city is effortless. We had booked IBIS hotel in the novena area (close to the orchard road, famous for shopping;)) and were greeted well by the hotel authorities. After a rest of few hours, we went out to explore the city. We ended up at the Marina Bay Sands and were stunned by its beauty. We walked towards the outer area of gardens by the bay and crossed over the helix bridge and reached the Singapore Flyer to capture a bird's eye view of the city.

Singapore Flyer - As it claims, it indeed is a moving experience at every turn. It is indeed a giant observation wheel offering breathtaking panoramic views of the city around and beyond. One can sit or stand in the flyer and can soak in the beauty. It takes approx 30 minutes for 1 round and post that one can explore the shops and restaurants.
Opening Hours - 08:30AM-10:00PM
Tickets can be purchased from the counter at the entrance of the 1st floor.
Ticket Price -
  • Adult (13 years or older) - S$33
  • Child (3-12 years old) - S$21
  • Senior Citizen (60 years old and above, Only Singapore citizens or permanent residents are eligible to purchase) - S$24
Singapore Flyer

Helix Bridge -
 A pedestrian bridge connecting the Marina centre with Marina south in the Marina bay area. The bridge has viewing platforms and offers spectacular views of the Singapore skyline and the events taking place in the marina bay area. A phenomenal beauty to watch at night when its lit.
Dazzling View of The Helix Bridge

The Shoppes at the Marina Bay Sands - After exploring the flyer and bridge we entered the Shoppes mall at the Marina bay sands. A mall with super luxury brands, eating joints and a casino, it was an overall entertainment package. We also witnessed the food festival that was on for that week. We gobbled, gambled and shopped till we were dead tired and left back for our hotel. 

What a fabulous start to our vacations... Posting couple of pictures from Day 1.





Ship shaped couch ... ;)




Flyer in the Night !

Spectacular view of Marina Bay Sands and Art Science Museum

Happy Reading and Happy Travelling !!!

Sunday 3 September 2017

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - 3 Days Itinerary Part 2

Day 3 - Petronas Twin Towers

Kuala Lumpur is famous for the tallest twin towers in the world. Soaring to a height of 451.9 metres, the 88 storey twin tower offers majestic view by day and scintillating view at night. One of an experience in itself, you can have a bird's eye view of Kuala Lumpur. Had a chance to see this beauty during the daytime on a clear day and we could scan buildings, monuments etc as far our vision could go. Have uploaded pictures of both day and night view.

KLCC Park
Beneath the towers, is the KLCC Park wherein there are walking and jogging paths. There is a fountain with light show and also kid's playground. 

SkyBridge
The Twin towers features a double decker skybridge that connects both the towers on 41st and 42nd Floor. The interesting part is that it is not connected to the main tower, but designed to slide in and out of the towers to prevent it from breaking. The bridge is 170 m from the ground and is open for visitors, however only the 41st floor. 42nd floor can be used only by the tenants of the building.

Operating Days - Tuesdays to Sundays (Closed every Monday)
Operating Hours - 09:00AM - 09:00PM (Closed between 01:00PM -02:30PM on Fridays)
Last Admission - 08:30PM
Ticketing Counter - Concourse Level, Petronas Twin Tower

Purchase of tickets starts at 08:30AM. Tickets are limited and issued on first come first served basis. The best tip is to visit the counter a day or two in advance and choose your favorite slot. 

Gallery
Scintillating View of the Petronas Twin Tower

One more look !

Sky Scrapper Look!

Dazzling View of KL Tower






Petronas @ Airport

Thursday 31 August 2017

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - 3 Days Itinerary Part 1

Post our Langkawi expedition, we moved to explore the busy city life of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. The place is the cultural, financial and economic centre of Malaysia. The city boasts of the tallest twin towers in the world and the modern skyline is dominated by it. We were lucky to witness the Sea games and the KL fashion week during our visit. We stayed at the famous Holiday Inn Express in the city centre and had an amazing experience. The Indonesian team (SEA games) was also putting up in our hotel. :) KL is well connected by bus(MRT, GO KL) and monorails and truly the leading city for tourism and shopping. Our itinerary too was a mix of both.
Our Hotel @ Kuala Lumpur


Day 1 - Suria KLCC
One of the massive shopping malls in KL is Suria KLCC. This mall is at the foot of the Petronas twin towers. It was at a walking distance from our hotel and we explored every bit of it. There are lot of eating joints and one savor the taste of authentic local delicacies. After tons of shopping we went back to our hotel and had a good night sleep.

Day 2 - Batu Caves and The Pavilion (KL Fashion Week)
 After a hearty breakfast at our hotels, we went for exploring the famous Batu Caves. It was drizzling and the weather was a bit cold. We started walking towards the nearest monorail station around the corner of our hotel. After about an hour we reached the Batu Cave station. The view of the caves from the station platform was amazing. There was still little showers and we marched forward with our umbrellas on. Entered the famous Ramayana Cave (Suyambu Lingam) and there are approx 50-80 steep stairs to view the lingam. Post that we proceeded to the Batu Caves. There are approx 300 stairs to reach the temple top. On the way one can spot ample of monkey's playing around. You may stop and click some poses with them too, unless you are not afraid. At the top there is a temple dedicated to Lord Murugan. The limsetone forming Batu Cave is said to be 400 million years old. Post the darshans we proceeded back to the KL city center area, to explore another massive shopping mall - The Pavilion. And to our surprise, we had a chance to see the KL Fashion show. It was one of an experience of its kind. Sharing couple of glimpses -

Entry Fees to Ramayan Cave - 5RM per person
Entry Fees to Batu Cave - Free
Timings - Batu Caves - 06AM-9PM (All days of the week)

Lord Hanuman - Way to Ramayana Cave

Ramyana Cave Entrance

Entrance

Interiors @ Ramayana Cave

Interiors @ Ramayana Cave

Suyambu Lingam

Batu Caves - Entrance

View from Inside the cave

View from Inside the caves

KL Fashion Week Glimpses

KL Fashion Week Glimpses

KL Fashion Week Glimpses

KL Fashion Week Glimpses

KL Fashion Week Glimpses

Day 3 @ KL is in my next post wherein we had a chance to explore the famous Petronas Twin Tower.
Petronas Twin Tower, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Happy Reading and Happy Travelling...

Neemrana - Delhi Weekend Gateway

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