"Cleared CA Finals both groups today!
This is for you Mummy, it's time to give you the world's happiness.." - 17/01/2016.
With this status, my dream of taking Mumma on her maiden foreign trip seemed feasible😇
A requirement of compulsorily taking off for 10 consecutive weekdays (some USA law) is definitely a blessing in my eyes☺However, in 2018 it turned out to be headache 🙆 as I was clueless after being denied a trip to Europe. I was clear on not spending 15 days only in Calcutta and Mumma was equally unwilling for a trip to Kashmir or anywhere else for that matter. After much convincing and pressure, she finally gave in for a trip to Singapore - her 1st foreign trip (excl. Nepal).
I had to ensure one thing - at the end of the trip she must not feel bored and put a full stop on subsequent foreign trips🙈 So, it had to be well-planned with minimum hassles in commute and stays in decent hotels. I simply couldn't compromise an inch on comfort even if it costs a few extra thousand bucks. I had made flight and hotel bookings to gain on credit card reward points 🤪 while others was managed by my relative, running a travel agency (note: one can apply for SG visa only via an authorized travel agent).
Purposefully we had decided against putting up at Little India as we wanted to feel vibes of a foreign country. On our way to the hotel, I was quite amazed with the cleanliness, infrastructure planning on offer to the citizens. We checked in at Days Hotel, an associate of Ramada Group of Hotels. We started off with Night Safari (world's first nocturnal zoo) where animals are active only during the night. On our way to the zoo, I was impressed by the tour manager's request to not eat anything inside the bus as even a tiny food particle left behind would invite ants & mosquitoes. We were made aware of a strict law for cabbies wherein even one valid complaint of over-charging would result in a permanent suspension of driving license. Such instances are solid evidences for the cleanliness and law & order prevalent in the country. Night Safari offers an hour of tram ride across seven geographical regions with animals like chital deer, gaur, lions, tigers, Indian rhinoceros etc on display. There are special lights which resembles natural moonlight so as not to disturb animal behavior. There are natural barriers which separate humans from animals instead of cages. For once, it didn't feel bad to see animals being kept in a zoo away from their natural home. We were then treated to an entertainment show called 'Creatures of the Night' wherein wildlife showcase their natural talents in a highly interactive show.
The following day was jam packed as we headed over for a tour to Sentosa Island🏖️. It's an island resort which houses many themed attractions and events. We took a trip of Cable car from the top of Mt. Faber Park for a joyride offering 360° aerial view of the entire Sentosa Island, port and office buildings. Trust me, even a day is less to fully enjoy this place. We visited Singapore Butterfly & Insect Kingdom, a marvel 4D experience, S.E.A. aquarium and historical show on Singapore. We then visited Madame Tussauds, our 1st visit to a wax museum. It was nice to be clicked beside global celebrities where even Mumma didn't mind posing for pics. Sunset brought along with it the most anticipated event of the day - the Wings of Time show. Its a magnificent light show by laser, fire and water effects in a 3-D experience with sublime soundtrack in a story on friendship and courage enacted by Shahbaz (mythical bird-like creature) and Rachel & Felix. The show ends with jaw dropping fireworks 🎆 display leaving everyone spellbound🙄 It was truly first of a kind experience for both of us. You can watch a glimpse of this on my YouTube channel here.
Next morning we headed over to our next stay at the Park Hotel, over-looking the Clarke Quay. We started with Gardens by the Way - a nature park spread across 250 acres in Central Singapore. There is a conservatory complex housing the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest. Flower Dome is the largest greenhouse in the world. It contains eight gardens exhibiting exotic flowers and plants from the five human inhabited continents. Its definitely gonna amaze you with the variety and beauty of flora and fauna on display. Cloud Forest features a 138-ft cloud mountain which has a man-made waterfall, multiple theme based levels like the Lost World, The Secret Garden etc. This place is definitely a dream place for anyone who loves clicking pics. A beautiful concept of Supertrees Grove then enchants the visitors with spectacular light and music show called Garden Rhapsody every evening. One can even opt for OCBC Skyway to enjoy a panoramic aerial view of the gardens. Next, it was time for the mandatory check-in at Singapore - the iconic Marina Bay Sands. Spread across 57 floors with an in-house casino, SkyPark theatre and an infinity swimming pool, without doubt it's one of the most visited places in SG. An aerial view of Marina Bay, F1 track, Gardens by the Way was a pure delight to the eyes. I regret not being allowed to enjoy the Infinity Pool as I was not having a room averaging INR 20K upwards (but surely next time). Every night there is a light & water show called Spectra (click on it for a video) on the banks of Marina Bay overlooking the swanky regional offices of global corporate houses.
It's always been a dream to visit the Universal Studios. When in Singapore, who can resist from this? This version of Universal Studios contains multiple attractions divided into themed zones like Hollywood, New York, Ancient Egypt, Sci-Fi City etc. We started off with a roller coaster ride 'Enchanted Airways' followed by Far Far Away Castle like-structure. The Lost World was perhaps the best themed park as we covered almost all the attractions out here. We thoroughly enjoyed the Jurassic Park rapid river rafting, Waterworld - a live sea war show and I wrapped it up with rock climbing. We then covered attractions like Transformers 4-D ride, Treasure Hunter car ride and a theatrical show hosted by Steven Spielberg. There is a replica of Hollywood Walk of Fame of famous stars, replica of famous Hollywood film sets and street shows which keep visitors entertained throughout. At the end of day, we were both exhausted and out of energy to indulge in any further activity so we decided to enjoy the lavish hotel and hit the swimming pool to relax.
Final day was reserved for shopping and exploring the streets on foot via the impressive MRT. We headed over to the famous Mustafa Centre based within Little India. Little India literally looked like a mini-India and it was in sharp contrast to the rest of SG in terms of cleanliness and infrastructure. Orchard Road is perhaps the biggest posh area out here. It is flanked by hotels, shopping centres and cafes on both sides of the road housing most of the internationally renowned department stores. Thanks to God that I didn't make this trip with my spouse or else I would be surely bankrupt. It's a self promise for next trip to stay at one of the hotels along Orchard Road and indulge in it's luxury.
Last leg of the trip was all about immersing and admiring the magnificent Changi Airport - world's best airport. We had checked-in early to only cover the airport. If you think of us being crazy for doing this, then I would suggest to watch out for pics below and decide for yourself. Spread across three terminals, the designing team has done a marvelous job to keep passengers happy with almost every facility under one roof. Luckily, we had Priority Pass for us to savour tasty dishes at the airport😋. After a short but tiring trip, all you need is a good massage. And this airport even had this covered - a free foot massage spread across the terminals for unlimited time period. Trust me, it felt like heaven and all the pains of a tiring body seemed to have vanished.
Singapore - you were truly spectacular and I wish to revisit it again to explore more of the night life and luxury. Probably, the only other Asian country where I would like to work and lead a quality life. Do enjoy few pics from our trip below..
