Why Singapore? Because of Cebu Pacific Seat-Sale!!! Hehehe. No extra-special reason. :p
This was way back November 2014. I am here to share with you my experience and tips from beginning to end.
Since I mentioned this was our very-first-out-of-country travel, we got too excited when we booked our plane ticket. For the two of us, the total cost was Php 6453.48. So that was like Php 3226.74 per head roundtrip. Now that I am writing this after almost 2 years, I now find it expensive. Hehehehe. Don't get me wrong, since I have evolved from this world of seat-sale shenanigans, I know I should have done better. :p
Anyway, I am the type of a person who does her itinerary by herself. It's not that I don't trust travel agencies. It is more of I want to manage my own time and also I strongly believe I would save more money. Which is very true I am telling you.
Ok. So here how it went.
OMG. Let me just share our first mishap. We bought french fries as our breakfast before entering the airport. And so we went in and put all our belongings in the scanning machine along with our french fries breakfast. Apparently, my friend did not secure the fries plastic container and so to cut the story short, the french fries spilled over the rotating belt. Ayun. nagkalat pa kami sa airport. Sorry na po. First Timer lang. So for Tip Number 1 - Do not buy food outside the airport. Buy inside. There are lots of food stalls and restaurants.
Our 2nd mishap, it was during the immigration. OMG talaga. Since as mentioned, we were first timers, immigration was much more strict. Oh boy, to again cut the story short, we were still being interviewed 15 minutes before the departure time. When we got finished, we were like participants in the Amazing Raze. We made it, obviously. It was fun (of course only when you were able to make it) but I do not want it to happen ever again. So, Tip Number 2 - Be early at the airport to have leeway for times like this.
Singapore is 3 hours and 25 minutes away from Manila. We arrived at Changi Airport at around 9AM.
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| This book kept me busy during the 3hrs&25mins flight |
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| Yes! Sunny Day! |
Welcome to Singapore!
Transportaion
Tip Number 3 - if you have the patience and energy, I strongly suggest you take public transportation. If you are a pinoy like me, aside from all the site seeings and activities, what you will forever remember with your trip was the commuting experience. Ay grabe, ibang iba sa atin especially the train commuting experience.
Since I am writing this blog 2 years after my SG trip, I can now say that in all fairness, the train and bus paying scheme in SG is slowly being adopted in Taguig. I am talking about the universal tap card. In SG it is called EZ Link card. In Philippines, it is called beep card (coz it makes the sound "beep" when being tapped. Oha oha)
We bought a card with 100 SGD worth of load. This was more than enough for the itinerary I made. Just like here in PH, you will buy the card and you get to keep it. Card costs SGD 12. We bought it inside the train terminal.
Funny Story (or is it only me who find this funny? anyway) - So we were buying ez link card. The cashier asked how many cards I would buy. Absentmindedly, I answered "Dalawa po". My friend was shocked coz I spoke tagalog. But as it turned out, the cashier was a Filipina. The accent was very familiar to me that it made me speak my native language without thinking it. Ang galing diba?
Hotel Details
I am an avid customer of agoda.com. Coz I get to compare all hotel prices. I've been reserving hotels in this site for all my escapades. So for SG escapade, I have booked Fragrance Hotel Pearl. Reason being, this is the cheapest that time which was very near to a train station. Tip Number 4 - In line with Tip No. 3, choose a hotel which is very near to train or bus station. This will make your trip easier. No need to explain this further.
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| Room is very spacious and clean. Thumbs up! |
Activities
Ok. Below was our itinerary. I made this myself. Essentially, I just wanted to visit all the top tourist spots. Main goal was Merlion Park and Universal Studios. Others were just itinerary fillers. Hehehe. (Pero ang totoo nagtitipid kasi :p)
Universal Studios - Basically, the famous theme park in SG. My favourite rides was Revenge of the Mummy and Transformers!!!
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Merlion Park - Guys, it's Singapore. The selfie with the Merlion Statue is Mandatory, Required, Forced, Must-do (Grab your Thesaurus).
Budget
Tip Number 5 - Before your actual flight, secure all the tickets for all your activities here in Manila. By this way, you only need to worry for the Transpo and Food expenses when you arrive in SG (or in any place of destination). Like for us, I booked the Universal Studio tickets here for Php 2341.30.
For the food, we did not buy anything greater than SGD 50 (exemption inside the Universal Studios because we spent almost SGD 100 plus for this meal in the picture. No choice. Huhubels)
Personally, I spent more or less than Php 10-11k all in all including the airfare and airport fees.
If you are a thoughtful person and the kind who always buys pasalubong, then allot a budget of Php 15-20k.
Even though I spent less, I can still say I enjoyed my first ever out of county trip. :)
Tip Number 5 - Before your actual flight, secure all the tickets for all your activities here in Manila. By this way, you only need to worry for the Transpo and Food expenses when you arrive in SG (or in any place of destination). Like for us, I booked the Universal Studio tickets here for Php 2341.30.
For the food, we did not buy anything greater than SGD 50 (exemption inside the Universal Studios because we spent almost SGD 100 plus for this meal in the picture. No choice. Huhubels)
Personally, I spent more or less than Php 10-11k all in all including the airfare and airport fees.
If you are a thoughtful person and the kind who always buys pasalubong, then allot a budget of Php 15-20k.
Even though I spent less, I can still say I enjoyed my first ever out of county trip. :)
Itinerary
The itinerary includes the transportation instruction. :)
Day
1:
09:00
AM - ETA Changi Airport
09:00
- 11:00 AM - Explore Changi Airport (Rest, Money exchange, buy EZ link Card, Light meryenda, Photo Ops etc. )
11:00
- 11:30 AM - MRT going to Orchard Road
1.
Find way to SkyTrain to T2 (Terminal 2)
2.
Watch out for the escalator going to
MRT. Landmark: Killiney Kopitiam then before Changi Airport Group Corporate
Entrance)
3.
Find way to Train to City
4.
MRT from Changi (CG2) to City Hall
(EW13/NS25) via EW Line
5.
Transfer to NS to get to Orchard
Station (NS22)
11:30
AM ETA Orchard Station
11:30
- 12:00 NN - Photo Ops and Walk to Lucky Plaza
12:00
- 01:00 PM - Lunch at Jollibee Singapore (Aba syemps!)
01:00
PM - ETD Lucky Plaza. Off to Suntec Center
1.
Orchard Station (NS22) to Douby Ghaut
(NS24/CC1/NE6)
2.
Douby Ghaut (NS24/CC1/NE6) to Promenade
(CC4)
01:30
PM - ETA Suntec Center
1.
Photo Ops in Fountain of Wealth
02:30
PM - ETD Suntec Center. Off to Hotel
1.
Promenade (CC4) to Aljunied Station
03:15
PM - ETA Hotel. Check in. Rest. (Details below)
05:00
PM - ETD Hotel. Off to Merlion Park
1.
Aljunied Station to Raffles Place
Station via EW Line
05:30
PM - ETA Merlion Park. Photo Ops.
06:00
PM - ETD Merlion Park. Off to Gardens by the bay and Marina Bay Sand. Walking
distance. ;)
06:15
PM - ETA Gardens by the bay and Marina
Bay Sand
1.
Lights and Sound Show at the Marina Bay
Sands
2.
Photo Ops at Marina Bay Sands,
Singapore Skyline, Esplanade Mall, Helix Bridge
3.
Walk to Marina Bay Sands Shoppes and
watch Lights and Sounds Show @ 8PM.
08:30
PM Late Dinner.
09:30
PM - ETD Gardens by the bay and Marina Bay Sand. Back to Hotel
10:00
PM - ETA Hotel. End of Day 1.
Day
2:
06:00
AM - Wakeup call
07:00
AM - ETD Hotel
07:00
- 08:00 AM - Breakfast
08:00
- 08:30 AM - Off to Sentosa
1.
MRT to Alijunied Station to Outram Park
Station via EW Line
2.
Outram Park Station to HarbourFront
Station via North East (NE) Line
8:30
AM ETA HarbourFront Center/ VivoCity
Option 1:
Buy tickets at HarbourFront Tower 2 for Singapore Cable Car. Proceed to
Exit B towards HarbourFront Centre. Cross the link bridge (beside KFC) to get
to the cable car station.
Option 2:
Sentosa Boardwalk
Either
way, we explore, eat and Photo Ops until 10:00 AM. (We chose Option 2 here coz no need to pay for anything. Hehehe. Tipid tipid din)
10:00
- 05:00 PM - Universal Studio Singapore.
05:00
- 05:30 PM - Back to HarbourFront via Sentosa Express
05:30
- 06:30 PM - Off to Bugis Street for souvenir shopping
06:30
- 08:30 PM - Shopping
08:30
- 09:30 PM - Dinner
09:30
- 10:00 PM - Back to Hotel
1.
Bugis station to Alijunied Station
10:00
PM - ETA Hotel. End of Day 2.
Day
3:
06:00
AM - Wakeup call
07:00
AM - ETD Hotel. Check out.
07:00
- 07:30 AM - Off to Changi Airport
07:30
AM - ETA Changi Station
07:30
- 08:30 AM - Breakfast
08:30
AM - Wait for our flight to Manila.
