Places to visit in Singapore (Special post for Bhutanese)

Beautiful Singapore :)

Many Bhutanese have a good opportunity visiting Singapore. Although mostly come for official duty, training, or conference, many come for vacation and other personal matters. If you have only limited time to stay, let me introduce you some 'must visit place' in Singapore :)

1. Merlion Park

Sangay at Merlion Park - Singapore

Take a photo with the Merlion (half fish, half lion), the iconic symbol of Singapore. Its head represents the Singapore's original name - Singapura - which means lion city in Malay language. It was first built and placed at the mouth of Singapore River back in year 1972, and 30 years later, it was relocated 120 m away from where it was, to the opposite of the beautiful looking Fullerton Hotel (used to be a Singapore Post Office building), overlooking the Marina Bay area.

Luzee with background of Merlion and Esplanade Theaters on the Bay - Singapore

If you want, you can takeaway food from the nearby restaurants and have a picnic, sitting on the stone seat provided. Admire the bay view from there. You can also see many renown buildings such as Esplanade Theaters on the Bay, Art Science Museum, Marina Bay Sands, Fullerton Hotel, Singapore Central Business District (CBD), Singapore Flyer, and so on. During the National Day (9th August every year), it is the perfect place to watch the fabulous fireworks. 

Luzee with Merlion overlooking the Marina Bay Sands and Arts Science Museum at night - Singapore

You can visit the place throughout the day but it is recommended to visit during evening time where the sun has slightly gone down and the weather has changed cooler. Sometimes afternoon heat can be unbearable!!! Night view is marvelous too!!!

Merlion Park location map (Pic source: Google Map)

Nearest MRT: Raffles Place MRT (EWL/NSL), Downtown MRT (DTL)

2. Chinatown

"As of June 2017, the island's population stood at 5.61 million. ... Singapore is a multiracial and multicultural country with ethnic Chinese (76.2% of the citizen population), indigenous Malays (15.0%), and ethnic Indians (7.4%) making up the majority of the population." - Source: Wikipedia.org

Eat, shop, pray, and experience different feel and culture in the heart of Singapore town. 

Sithar and I at Buddha Tooth Relic Temple - Chinatown, Singapore

For Buddhist, you can visit the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum - a four-storey high completed with rooftop where the large Vairocana Buddha Prayer Wheel is located. Must visit the forth storey where the gold sacred Buddha tooth relic stupa with the sacred Buddha tooth are located. Museum is on the third storey. Please take note that it opens from 7 am to 7 pm everyday and wear appropriate attire to enter.

For Hindu believer, you can visit the Sri Mariamman Temple - the oldest Singapore's Hindu temple built in 1827. Currently the temple serves as an important focal point for community activities and acted as the Registry of Marriages for Hindus at the time when only the temple’s was authorized to solemnize Hindu marriages.

Sangay at Chinatown (souvenir shopping heaven) - Singapore

It is a great place to shop souvenirs from Singapore. There are many shops in the area. It is advisable not to immediately buy the items that you want. Instead, look around from one shop to another and find the best bargain!!!

Sonam with my besties tried Chinese New Year special food (Lo-Hei) at Chinatown, Singapore

Overcome your hunger by visiting the Chinatown Complex hawker center (at 2nd storey). You will find various Singapore local food stalls there. From kopi-O (black coffee) to Char Kway Teow (fried rice noodle with cockles), and special Lo-Hei - mixed pickles, vegetables, and sauces topped with salmon or abalone - a must eat food during Chinese New Year period. 

Chencho, Choeku, Pema, and Kuenley tasted Mala Hotpot at Chinatown, Singapore 

Or you can taste the Chinese Mala Hotpot, the original taste of Chinese Chong Qing food cooked by Chinese origin Chefs, at the People's Park hawker center, completed with bottles of cold Chinese beer - Xue Hua (Snow) brand. The spiciness of the food will remind you of ema datshi in Bhutan hahaha.... :D

Song Fa Bakuteh (Pork Rib Soup) and other delicious sides :) (Pic source: Google.com)

If you want to have a cooling place to shop, just walk to Chinatown Point. You can find Daiso, Uniqlo, NTUC FairPrice Supermarket, and many other shops inside. You can try the local Singapore food at Song Fa Bakuteh (peppery spicy pork rib soup) at the 1st storey there (next to McDonald's).

Chinatown at night during Chinese New Year 2015

It is open at anytime but recommended to visit at night as the air is cooler and lighting will add beautiful view. If you happen to come during Chinese New Year (January-February) or Lantern Festival (September), you will see beautiful decoration as shown at the above photo.

Chinatown - Singapore (Pic source: Google map)

Nearest MRT: Chinatown (NEL/DTL)

3. Farrer Park/ Little India (Mustafa Centre)

Passu near Mustafa Centre during Deepavali time - Little India, Singapore

Bhutanese loves Mustafa Centre so much!!! Hahaha... as they love shopping. It is opened 24-hour so if you have something to buy but it has already been so late, you still come down by taxi to this place to shop. You can find almost everything here but I don't think they sell Uniqlo there hehehe... The nearest shopping mall from there that you can shop for Charles & Keith, Uniqlo, Daiso, etc. is City Square Mall. Just take MRT to Farrer Park and find the exit to the mall.

Deepavali time at Little India - Singapore

Approaching Deepavali, the main road in this area will be decorated with many lighting and Diwali decorations. Visit at night to capture its beautiful lighting.

Bhatura feast at Komala's Vegetarian Restaurant with Uden, Luzee and Tshering

There are many Indian restaurants available at the area. If you are vegetarian, I recommend you one restaurant joint, located at the opposite of City Square Mall, called Komala's Vegetarian Restaurants. There are 2 in the area but the one near the mall is easier to find. They have a giant Bhatura served with chick pea curry, lime and onion. It's delicious!! ;)

Jaggi's Northern Indian Cuisine - 37-39 Chander Road, Singapore

Curry Fish Head from Banana Leaf Apolo Restaurant at 54 Race Course Rd

And if you are not vegetarian, Jaggi's serves delicious Northern Indian cuisine (their garlic butter Naan, butter chicken, and Palak Paneer are my favorite!!!), while Muthu's Curry and Banana Leaf Apolo are famous for their curry fish head. You will get good Indian food in all these places :)

Farrer Park - Little India MRT map (Pic source: Google map)

Nearest MRT: Farrer Park (NEL) or Little India (NEL/DTL)

4. Clarke Quay - Nightlife

Chill our night out at Clarke Quay - Cheers!!! ;)

If you want to know how Singapore nightlife feels like, you can get down to Clarke Quay and chill yourself up at a pub, restaurant, bar, or even disco. Just order a bottle of beer or a glass of wine to chill up and listen the noise and crowd the places bring.

Uden and Sonam at Clarke Quay

Or else, just sit down at the riverside watching people flying out with their bungee at the opposite site or the passing by boats filled with tourists. On weekend sometimes juggler or entertainer will pop up and give a show to earn some money. It was a good place to relax and enjoy the cool night breeze.

Clarke Quay (Pic source: Google map)

It is within a walking distance from Chinatown area. If you happen to have enough time to spend after having enough shopping or feeling full from your dinner at Chinatown area, you can just walk along the main New Bridge Rd all the way until you see the beautiful lighting near the bridge. Or if you are too tired, Clarke Quay MRT is only one station away from the Chinatown MRT (NEL).

Nearest MRT: Clarke Quay (NEL)

5. Marina Bay Sands and Garden by the Bay

Marina Bay Sands at night (Pic source: Google.com)

If you take flight to Singapore and sit at the window seat (left side), sometimes you can see the unique feature building - Marina Bay Sands - the three sloping towers with boat-like structures - from the above. It faces Singapore river with many tall buildings at the surrounding.

Luzee inside the Marina Bay Sands Singapore :)

It contains hotel, restaurants, theater, exhibition halls, shopping mall, Casino, etc. If you curious how it looks like from the inside, you can easily reach there by MRT.

Beautiful click from the Marina Bay Sands Infinity Pool - Singapore :)

What I see from the pool - Singapore night view

If you are lucky enough to stay at the hotel itself, you should take the opportunity to swim at the infinity pool at level 57 (they only allow the hotel guest to swim there) and watch the beautiful Singapore view from the above. Evening time is the best time to do. Take a lot of picture there as the view is priceless!!! Well otherwise, you can also go up to their Observation Deck and pay SGD $23 per pax to see the Singapore view from top or dine and/ or drink at the SkyPark restaurants and bars.

From Singapore Flyer to Garden by the Bay - Singapore

Luzee visited Garden by the Bay, Singapore

It connects to the Garden by the Bay as well. Just check and follow the direction sign from inside the
MBS building. Usually I go there during night time when they have a free Garden Rhapsody light and sound shows (at 7.45 pm and 8.45 pm daily). Lying on the grass and watching it give a relaxed feeling after a whole day out.

Marina Bay Sands map (Pic source: Google map)

Nearest MRT: Bayfront (DTL/CL)

6. Sentosa Island

Siloso Beach at Sentosa Island - Singapore

Many Bhutanese who visited Singapore had not been to the beach before. If that is the case, Sentosa Island will be the next place to visit. From Vivo City, go up to level 3 and take the Sentosa Express (monorail) using the EZ-link card cost at SGD $4. Get down at the last station - Beach Station - and walk or take the beach tram to the destination of your choice. They have many different beach to visit. Siloso Beach is nearer and more crowded so I usually bring the Bhutanese towards that direction. You can also take other transport like bus and cable car.

Feel the beach with your feet - Sentosa Island, Singapore

I always recommend them to remove their footwear and roll their pants up. It feels good to walk barefoot on the sand and feel the cold/ warm sea water splashing on your legs. The weather can be super hot in afternoon time, so wearing cap and sunglasses may help.

The big Merlion at Sentosa Island - Imbiah Lookout

From there, we move on and walk to see the other parts of Sentosa Island. Such as the Imbiah Lookout to see a big version of Merlion, entrance to Universal Studio (if you have time, you can spend a whole day playing the ride inside), Casino (foreigner needs to bring their passport to enter and there is dress code to apply - no short, flip flop, and singlet), and so on.

Dechen and I outside the Universal Studio of Singapore - Sentosa Island

If you come with kids, you can bring them to SEA Aquarium to watch the underwater world, to Adventure Cove Waterpark to experience different water rides, to Kidzania for kids to experience role play of the adults' world, etc. Check out their website for further details.

Sentosa Island map (Pic source: Google map)

Nearest MRT: Harbour Front (NEL/CL)

7. Orchard Road - Shopping belt of Singapore

Passu and I in front of Wheelock Place - along Orchard Rd. - Singapore

Orchard Road - a 2.2 km long boulevard - the retail and entertainment hub of Singapore city, a favorite place for tourists and shoppers. You can reach this road from both Orchard and Somerset MRT. Walk along the row of shopping malls from Wheelock Place, Ion Orchard Mall, Wisma Atria, Ngee Ann City, Takashimaya Department Store, Cineleisure, all the way to 313@Somerset and Orchard Central. You can find almost any branded stuffs that you are looking for, taste any kind of food from many restaurants, and so on. Just make sure you have enough money to spare to go back to Bhutan ^^"

JJ and Passu with big Christmas tree outside Ion Orchard Mall approaching Christmas 2016 - Singapore

Approaching Christmas, this road will be decorated with Christmas decoration and lighting. Visit at night is recommended for you to capture beautiful photos together with many outdoor Christmas trees and decorations.

Singapore local coffee joint - Ya Kun Kaya Toast - Must try!!! :)

When you are too tired to walk, take a coffee break at the Singapore local coffee joint - Ya Kun Kaya Toast. It's my favorite!! Order the Kaya Butter Toast set where you can get the crispy toast with chunk of butter and coconut jam, 2 pcs of half-boiled eggs, and a cup of Singapore style Kopi (coffee w/ milk) or Kopi-O (black coffee with sugar).

Passu at Library@Orchard - Orchard Gateway, Singapore

If you happen to be a book lover and library enthusiast, you can visit one of Singapore libraries there - Library@Orchard - the two-storey library at the Orchard Gateway (near Somerset MRT). You can experience the unique features and modern looks that it offers :)

Orchard Road map (Source: Google map)

Nearest MRT: Orchard (NSL) and Somerset (NSL)

If you notice, I put the map of each location as most tourist places in Singapore is near from MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) station. It is advisable for you to go around Singapore using MRT as it is fast, easy (you need to purchase EZ-link card though - can use it to take bus as well), and convenient. EZ-link card can be purchased at Passenger Service Center at MRT station and any 7-eleven convenient store across Singapore.

Singapore MRT map (Pic source: Google.com)

Singapore is such a small country. You won't get lost there. You can get free WiFi at many designated areas (including MRT stations) and conveniently browse the Google and Google map website or download its Apps to locate where you are and places you are looking for.

With Luzee and Sonam Pelden at Bugis :)

There are many other areas and places I did not mention above like Bugis, City Hall, Singapore Zoo, River Safari, Night Safari, Jurong Bird Park, museums, Lau Pa Sat (alfresco dining at CBD area), and many more. It is up to you to visit the rest of the places and also depend on where you stay in Singapore (which places are nearer from your side). Those I mentioned was where I brought most Bhutanese in Singapore from their previous visits.

With Palden and Sithar visiting Singapore Zoo and River Safari - Singapore

Tashi and Karma enjoyed Singapore local food at Lau Pa Sat :)

So, if you plan to visit Singapore soon, hope this post can help you to plan where to go during your visit here. If you have any questions, you can leave your comment here and I'll do my best to assist you. Hope you enjoy Singapore!!! :)

P.S. With this post, I could reminisce the memories that I had with many Bhutanese I met in Singapore since 2013 - mostly I met them for the first time in these photos. However, many have become my very very very good friends. I am grateful for the fate that it brought to all of us and the friendship that we have maintained until today. Thank you, thank you, and thank you SB and thank you everyone for the beautiful friendship that we have :)

Life is Not a Straight Line - By Ekatvam

Your Plans and what Universe plans for you (Pic: Doghousediaries)

Understand that life is not a straight line. Life is not a set timeline of milestones. It is okay if you don't finish school, get married, find a job that supports you, have a family, make money, and live comfortably all by this age, or that age. It's okay if you do, as long as you understand that if you're not married by 25, or a Vice President by 30 - or even happy, for that matter - the world isn't going to condemn you. You are allowed to backtrack. You are allowed to figure out what inspires you. You are allowed time, and I think we often forget that.

We choose a program right out of high school because the proper thing to do is to go straight to college. We choose a job right out of college, even if we didn't love our major or concentration, because we just invested time (and money) into it. We go to that job every morning because we feel the need to support ourselves and live abundantly. We take the next step, and the next step, and the next step, thinking that we are fulfilling some checklist for life, and one day we wake up depressed. We wake up stressed out. We feel pressure and don't know why. That is how you ruin your life.

You ruin your life by choosing the wrong person. What is it with our need to fast-track relationships? Why are we so enamored with the idea of first becoming somebody's rather than somebodies? Trust me when I say that a love bred out of convenience, a love that blossoms from the need to sleep beside someone, a love that caters to our need for attention rather than passion, is a love that will not inspire you at 6 am when you roll over and embrace it.

Strive to discover foundational love, the kind of relationship that motivates you to be a better man or woman, the kind of intimacy that is rare rather than right there.

Be alone to discover yourself back of who you are and what you want to be

"But I don't want to be alone," we often exclaim. Be alone. Eat alone, take yourself on dates, sleep alone. It's okay, in fact, in the midst of this you will learn about yourself. You will grow, you will figure out what inspires you, you will curate your own dreams, your own beliefs, your own stunning clarity, and when you do meet the person who makes your the cells in your body dance, you will be sure of it--because you are sure of yourself. Wait for it. Please, I urge you to wait for it, to fight for it, to make an effort for it. Some of you have already found it, and you know this, because it is the most beautiful thing your heart will experience.

You ruin your life by letting your past govern it. It is common for certain things in life to happen to you. There will be heartbreak, confusion, days where you feel like you aren't special or purposeful. There are moments that will stay with you, words that will stick. You cannot let these things define you - they were simply moments, they were simply words.

Don't let negative event destroy your life. Get up and move on!!!

If you allow for every negative event in your life to outline how you view yourself, you will view the world around you negatively. You will miss out on opportunities because you didn't get that promotion five years ago, convincing yourself that you were unqualified or or too stupid. You will miss out on affection because you assumed your past love left you because you weren't good enough, and now you don't believe the man or the woman who urges you to believe you are. This is a cyclical and self-fulfilling prophecy.

If you don't allow yourself to move beyond what happened, what was said, or what was felt, you will look at your future though that same lens, and nothing will be able to breach that judgment. You will keep justifying, reliving, and fueling a perception that should not have even existed in the first place.

Realize your true power (Pic source: Beautyiswithin.net)

You ruin your life when you compare yourself to others. The amount of Instagram followers you have does not decrease or increase your value. The amount of money in your bank account will not influence your compassion, your intelligence, or your happiness. The person who has two times more possessions than you does not have double the bliss, or double the merit. We get caught up in what our friends are liking, who our significant others are following, and at the end of the day this not only ruins our lives, but it also ruins us. It creates within us this need to feel important, and in many cases we often put others down to achieve that.

Dare to say your heart out loud!!! (Pic source: livelifehappy.com)

You ruin your life by desensitizing yourself. We are all afraid to say too much, to feel too deeply, to let people know what they mean to us. Caring is not synonymous with crazy. Expressing to someone how special they are to you will make you vulnerable. There is no denying that. However, that is nothing to be ashamed of.

There is something breathtakingly beautiful in the moments of smaller magic that occur when you strip down and are honest with those who are important to you. Let that girl or boy know that she inspires you. Tell your mother you love her in front of your friends. Reveal a side of yourself to your spouse that you have kept hidden. Express, express, express. Open yourself up, do not harden yourself to the world, and be bold in who, and how, you love. There is courage in that.

All you need is to believe in yourself (Pic source: Google.com)

You ruin your life by tolerating it. At the end of the day you should be excited to be alive. When you settle for anything less than what you innately desire, you destroy the possibility that lives inside of you, and in that way you cheat both yourself and the world of your potential. The next Michelangelo could be sitting behind a Macbook right now writing an invoice for office supplies, because it pays the bills, or because it is comfortable, or because he can tolerate it. Do not let this happen to you. Do not ruin your life this way.

Life and work, and life and love, are not exclusive of each other. They are intrinsically linked. We have to strive to do extraordinary work, we have to strive to find extraordinary love. Only then will we tap into an extraordinarily blissful life. A life celebrating your inner light and the light in all others.

With love from Ekatvam

P.S: This article is not written by me. I re-post it on my blog because I find it worth reading and sharing. Thank you for the writer to write it so well that it touches many of people's heart.

To sum it up - Be Yourself (Pic source: Az Quotes)

On personal note

I feel that my life is more or less just like the first top picture shown above. What we planned and what Universe responded to us would not always in the same path.

In my course of life it'd been many times that I spent much money and time starting on something but then given them up. I never regretted all my decisions though, because I simply listened and followed what my heart was saying. 

I might sound or act blunt, less tactful, or rude sometimes, but again, I just did not want to hide my feelings and regretted for things that I did not do.

I might sound mushy to suddenly send message to you to thank or appreciate everything that came and happened into my life since it all happened because of you, your love, your family bonding, your friendship, the joy and luck you brought into my life, your incessant support, your spiritual guide, and so on. Let it be mushy but I wanted you to know that you were loved and appreciated for all the things that you had showered me with all through my life. All those have built me into who I am now.

Love much and fully. Not love just because he or she loves me. It takes two hands to clap in any relationship. Do not settle for something that you do not put your heart into. It will only hurt the other party when he or she knows that you do not love as much as he or she loves you. Everything in life is about balance. Give and take. Not just take and not giving.

I am still learning and always learn. I am grateful that I have positive outlook towards life. Beautiful castle is not built within a day, so does ourselves. We need the right foundation to build the strong self and only through mistakes, we learn to build the better side of us and not to repeat the same mistake, again and again.

Wish everyone a wonderful day and weekend!!! :)

Hope the article above can help you in any way towards your personal life, just like it helps me. Have a wonderful life ahead everyone!!! :)

Year End Gifts-away :)

Happiness is.... (Pic source: Google.com)

Dear blog readers,

Christmas and New Year is just around the corner!!! I noticed this afternoon that my drawer was packed with gifts that I bought while traveling this year. Among them I bought few new journals that I found cute and in good quality. But it seemed that I used it pretty slow due to more travels happening almost every month this year.

Therefore, I want to give them away to you as my ardent blog readers, Instagram, and Twitter followers, as a heartfelt appreciation as we've built friendship through those, and also as a Christmas present as to wrap the year 2017 beautifully and to welcome the new 2018 year wonderfully!!! It's nothing luxury but only a small gift from my heart :)

Beautiful quote by Mother Teresa (Pic source: Google.com)

Due to its limitation, I will only give it on first-come-first-serve basis. What you have to do is to email me at rimamanis@gmail.com - your name and complete address (to make sure I can send it to the right postal address), as for Bhutanese readers who do not have postal address can still send me the email and I will find a way to deliver the gift to you; your choice of gift (from A to F - see the photos below); or other souvenirs - for those who do not have passion in writing journal, I will send the gift of my choice to you based on your gender (so please, if possible, tell me your gender as well). Don't worry, I won't misuse or spread your information to others. It will only be kept confidential :)

P.S. For Bhutanese readers, if you have any friend travelling to Singapore and return back to Bhutan, please let me know so that I can send the parcel through your friend (to avoid the missing gift).

A

B

C and D

E

F

So, hurry up!!! Send your email to me right away :)

Note: 1 person can only get 1 gift ^^

Wish you luck!!!

Lots of Love,


Reeverking.blogspot