Both Phil and I love a good view, and wherever we go in the world we always seem to end up eating or drinking in a skyscraper or on a rooftop. We've been to quite a few now in Singapore now, so I want to share my top five favourites for anyone else who loves a dizzying height.
1. Infinity Pool @ Marina Bay Sands Hotel. I know this is a little obvious, but it's well worth saving up for a stay at this hotel to make use of the infinity pool. The views over the city skyline are beautiful and it's fantastic watching the light show happen beneath you. The good news is that if you don't fancy forking out for a night at the hotel to access the pool, it's still possible to head up to the Sands Skypark Observatory or go to Cé La Vie, Flight Bar, Sky on 57 or Spago bars/restaurants which are all on the rooftop. I recommend Spago to anyone - it was one of the tastiest meals we've eaten in Singapore (just try not to fill up on all the delicious bread before your main course is served!)
2. 1 Altitude's gallery and bar @ 1 Raffle Place. 1 Altitude is right next to Raffles Place MRT and is a 'multi-concept destination' with a cafe on level 1, a VIP club (Altimate) on level 61, a restaurant (Stellar) on level 62, and a gallery and bar on level 63. The gallery and bar is incredible. It is the highest al-fresco bar in the world and gives 360 degree views of the city. There are lots of comfy chairs and areas to chill and chat; at the same time the music is great and there's a decent dance floor if you want to show off your moves!
3. LeVeL 33 @ Marina Bay Financial Centre. The highest urban craft-brewery in the world and is a really relaxed and laid back place to go for a slap-up meal. The huge, copper beer brewing kettles looks pretty cool, the tenderloin steak and venison are melt-in-the-mouth delicious, and the view is excellent as the restaurant is situated on the rooftop of the MBFC, looking right across the water.
4. Aura / Smoke and Mirrors @ The National Gallery. I haven't been to Smoke and Mirrors (it's at the top of my to-do list) but I have been to Aura; both of which are at the top of the National Gallery. Aura is open all day serving brunch and dinner and turns into a Sky Lounge at night. They have happy hour until 8pm and it's a nice place to go as it offers a different view from the others I've mentioned above; overlooking the Padang with Marina Bay in the distance.
5. Club 55 @ Marina Bay Sands Hotel. I think I have left the best until last, but that is primarily because I am a cheese-fiend. I'll explain... Club 55 opens to the public at 8pm and offers an all-you-can-eat cheese and chocolate buffet heaven. There are over 40 little handcrafted desserts and all the hard and soft cheese, breads and chutneys you would wish for. Again, the views are as spectacular as you would imagine from the 55th floor and I don't think I could ask for anything more than cheese, chocolate, cocktails, good views and good company.
Showing posts with label Learnings & Recommendations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Learnings & Recommendations. Show all posts
Tuesday, 26 July 2016
Tuesday, 19 July 2016
Living in Singapore: one month review
I can't believe I have already been in Singapore for a month. The time has flown by. To mark the occasion, I thought I would post an update on some of the things I have learnt about living in Singapore over the last month:
1. Embrace the sweat. Being British, we are alot more used to shivering than we are sweating. It's been anywhere between 32-37 degrees since I moved here so it's safe to say you're gonna sweat, but it's ok.
2. Always pack an umbrella. It will be hot and sunny, then the heavens will open and it will bucket down for about an hour most days. Be prepared and always pack a brolly.
3. Eat cheaply, and deliciously. I haven't done this enough, but the Hawker Centres here serve some of the most delicious food from all across Asia and it will only cost you around $3-5 SGD.
4. Buy the booze in duty free. Alcohol is ridiculously expensive here (about $60 SGD for an average bottle of wine) so buy as much as you're allowed in duty free on the way in.
5. Join some clubs. So many people move here knowing no-one and the nature of expat living means that people come and go regularly, friendship groups change and newbies are always welcomed in with open arms. There are so many sports and social activities on offer in Singapore so sign up for yoga, skating, cycling, diving, kayaking, dragon boating, badminton, football, touch rugby, cricket, hiking, climbing, language exchange, board game nights, brunch club etc. Make connections, try everything.
6. Learn some Singlish. Singlish is Singapore's colloquial English; a kind of mash-up of words from across the region. There are hundreds of Singlish words I haven't grasped, but the bare minimum that anyone living here will need to know are: 'can' = 'yes', 'cannot' = 'no' and 'lah' = which is added on to the end of most sentences or words.
7. Travel. Singapore is perfectly located to travel around all of South East Asia, as well as Central Asia and Australasia. It's incredibly cheap and easy to get a flight or ferry out to Malaysia, Indonesia or Thailand on a Friday evening and return Sunday evening in time for the new working week.
8. Accept the faff of food shopping. Food shopping is time-consuming and/or expensive in Singapore. It's tricky to find everything you need in one place so I have now learnt to buy meat, fish, fruit and veg from the local wet market on a Saturday morning; and sauces, condiments and any other tinned or jarred food from Cold Storage, FairPrice or online at Red Mart. Any 'western luxuries' like cheese or cold meats are extortionate so might be wise to ween yourself off before moving to Singapore!
9. It's normal to have a live-in helper.. or a weekly cleaner at the very least. Everyone I have spoken to with children (and even some without) have a live-in helper who will taxi the child/ren to school, shop, cook, iron and clean. This is normal here and not seen as a crazy, unnecessary luxury as it would in the UK.
10. The MRT, buses and taxis are excellent. The MRT is super cheap and efficient, the buses travel like clockwork to and from everywhere, and the taxi service is a great back-up if you're feeling lazy. It takes up to 30 mins to drive from one end of the city to the other and using Uber is such good value it makes you wonder why you don't just take taxis everywhere all the time!
I'm sure I could keep adding to this list, but these are the top 10 I can think of this morning.
The last thing I'll say is that Singapore is such a busy, bustling and vibrant place and - although it may be the other side of the world - the expat culture makes the transition easy. Every morning I wake up, look out the window and realise how lucky I am to be here.
2. Always pack an umbrella. It will be hot and sunny, then the heavens will open and it will bucket down for about an hour most days. Be prepared and always pack a brolly.
3. Eat cheaply, and deliciously. I haven't done this enough, but the Hawker Centres here serve some of the most delicious food from all across Asia and it will only cost you around $3-5 SGD.
4. Buy the booze in duty free. Alcohol is ridiculously expensive here (about $60 SGD for an average bottle of wine) so buy as much as you're allowed in duty free on the way in.
5. Join some clubs. So many people move here knowing no-one and the nature of expat living means that people come and go regularly, friendship groups change and newbies are always welcomed in with open arms. There are so many sports and social activities on offer in Singapore so sign up for yoga, skating, cycling, diving, kayaking, dragon boating, badminton, football, touch rugby, cricket, hiking, climbing, language exchange, board game nights, brunch club etc. Make connections, try everything.
6. Learn some Singlish. Singlish is Singapore's colloquial English; a kind of mash-up of words from across the region. There are hundreds of Singlish words I haven't grasped, but the bare minimum that anyone living here will need to know are: 'can' = 'yes', 'cannot' = 'no' and 'lah' = which is added on to the end of most sentences or words.
7. Travel. Singapore is perfectly located to travel around all of South East Asia, as well as Central Asia and Australasia. It's incredibly cheap and easy to get a flight or ferry out to Malaysia, Indonesia or Thailand on a Friday evening and return Sunday evening in time for the new working week.
8. Accept the faff of food shopping. Food shopping is time-consuming and/or expensive in Singapore. It's tricky to find everything you need in one place so I have now learnt to buy meat, fish, fruit and veg from the local wet market on a Saturday morning; and sauces, condiments and any other tinned or jarred food from Cold Storage, FairPrice or online at Red Mart. Any 'western luxuries' like cheese or cold meats are extortionate so might be wise to ween yourself off before moving to Singapore!
9. It's normal to have a live-in helper.. or a weekly cleaner at the very least. Everyone I have spoken to with children (and even some without) have a live-in helper who will taxi the child/ren to school, shop, cook, iron and clean. This is normal here and not seen as a crazy, unnecessary luxury as it would in the UK.
10. The MRT, buses and taxis are excellent. The MRT is super cheap and efficient, the buses travel like clockwork to and from everywhere, and the taxi service is a great back-up if you're feeling lazy. It takes up to 30 mins to drive from one end of the city to the other and using Uber is such good value it makes you wonder why you don't just take taxis everywhere all the time!
I'm sure I could keep adding to this list, but these are the top 10 I can think of this morning.
The last thing I'll say is that Singapore is such a busy, bustling and vibrant place and - although it may be the other side of the world - the expat culture makes the transition easy. Every morning I wake up, look out the window and realise how lucky I am to be here.
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| Sunrise over the city |
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