Singapore In Sixty(hours)

Chris Cimino

5/7/20259 min read

As my traveling adventures were beginning to branch out, I knew I had to get beyond Europe. My travel partner and girlfriend(now wife) Edmi, was chock full of ideas. She told me about her journeys to India, Thailand and Middle East. In fact it was my seeing her posts on Facebook about those trips, that inspired me to want to get together with her for lunch. I wanted to hear about her travels, hoping it would inspire me.

Well, boy did I hit the jackpot. I discovered my passion for travel as well as my passion for another person. So this is another example of how travel has changed my life for the better.

Back to the trip. We frequently watch travel shows from anywhere around the world to see what inspires or interests us as our next possible destination. For whatever reason, it seemed that videos about Singapore kept showing up and I was certainly intrigued by this beautiful city that was a classic blend of old and new. Edmi, being more traveled than I, suggested we go somewhere in Indonesia as well, considering we were going that far. Why not?! So where to?

Bali Ha’i!!!!!!! We decided on a Singapore – Bali excursion. To think this Italian kid from Ozone Park, Queens was now going on a journey to Asia, was a little heady to say the least. I had been bitten by the travel bug and now I had a partner who was bitten earlier to push me along.

The bigger challenge for me approaching this trip? How was I going to make it for 16 hours straight in this little metal tube flying through the sky? The longest flights I had taken before were about 8-9 hours, this was nearly twice as long. On top of that, I was a virgin when it came to using an airplane restroom(no, it’s not what some of you might be thinking), but I knew I wasn’t going to make it for 16 hours. This was indeed going to be a trip of many firsts for me.

Our first stop on the trip was Hong Kong International Airport. Now I can say I’ve been to China. After a short layover we were on our way to Singapore. Just another mere 2 hours or so of flying.

Upon our arrival in Singapore we made our way to a really cool boutique hotel. We find the Indigo Hotel properties are each unique according to their locations and surroundings. https://www.ihg.com/hotelindigo/hotels/us/en/singapore/sinki/hoteldetail

The combination of beauty, modern technology and architecture along with music, made for an amazing sensory experience at the Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay.

I will warn anyone going to Singapore about one thing. The heat. I was told it was very hot and humid before going. So as a meteorologist I researched and crunched the numbers. Sure it was near the Equator, I got the idea. The normal high temperatures ranged from 85-90 in late August. Yes, hot, but not anything I had certainly not encountered in any NYC summer.

Wellllllllllllllll……..let me tell you the heat and humidity combination is stifling. I think the fact that the air never seems to move makes it feel like a warm wet blanket is draped over your entire body day and night.

That being said, I don’t want that to discourage you from going to this country. After the first day you get used to the fact that you will shower 2-3 times a day and drench through your clothing. It’s worth it. Of course everything is comfortably air conditioned indoors, so you can always escape the heat.

The other eye-opening part of the Singapore experience is visiting and exploring the various religious and cultural temples and mosques. Edmi is fascinated by the beauty of the peacefulness and earthly connection that these spiritual houses can convey.

The first temple we entered was holding a very special ceremony. I remember it involved offerings of food, also smoke and fire were involved, along with some very strange sounding music to my ears. I began to feel uncomfortable. I felt like I was intruding on this special occasion for the Hindu people observing their holy day.

I was about to bail out the side door when I saw some writing on the wall in English. It said, and I’m paraphrasing, “all are welcome here. It does not matter your religious background or level of faith. This a place to feel safe and welcome and to help get in touch with your inner soul.” Wow. That stopped me in my tracks. I began to relax and get somewhat better connected to the spirit of what was happening in the ceremony, even without knowing its particulars.

Something I haven’t spoken of, and probably was near the top of my list in great things about Singapore, is the food!!! It’s created from such a multicultural background that every place we went and every meal we had, was unique.

From the simple, but mouth-watering chicken and rice at one of the hawker centers, like Maxwell Road or Old Airport Road Food Center, to the many international restaurants, the food in Singapore can make your toes curl.

I should mention what a hawker center is, in case you’re not familiar. They are areas with a collection of many stalls that sell a variety of delicious but inexpensive food. They were set up as a more sanitary option to street side vendors. Everything in Singapore is extremely sanitary. A cleaner city and country you will not find as it is safe to eat everywhere. Even off the floor of their subway. I wouldn’t try that however, as no food or drinks are allowed.

https://chinatown.sg/dine/maxwell-hawker-centre/ https://oldairportroadfoodcentre.com/

However, among all the interesting and wonderful things we ate, nothing, and I mean nothing, topped the chili crab at No Signboard Seafood Restaurant. (www.nosignboardseafood.com )

This was recommended to me by my wonderful friend of travel and food knowledge, my old traffic buddy, Lauren Scala. https://www.instagram.com/laurenscala/

It’s messy and it’s not cheap. Depending on the crab you choose and the season, the price per crab could range from $125 to $250 US dollars. It’s still worth it! Make sure the first time you order, choose the white pepper chili crab. That’s No Signboard’s signature style.

This was not just the best dish in Singapore, it has been the best dish I’ve eaten anywhere in the world so far. I’m hoping something else comes along to knock it out of the number one slot, but it’s not going to be easy.

Of course, you must also explore the downtown area and all of the beautiful tourist spots. Take a stroll along the water and stop for a picture with the Merlion fountain.

I had one of those travel moments at the Merlion. People were gathered from all across the world here to take a photo. When families came along we all helped each other take our silly photos. We didn't necessarily speak the same language, but we did communicate our joy and appreciation for where we were. It was a nice moment where you felt part of the community of the world and human race, with no divisions.

Stroll through The Fullerton Hotel, a beautiful building that was a former 1920’s post office. Of course a stop at Raffles Hotel Bar for a Singapore Sling is a tradition. Unfortunately, we were in Singapore in August 2018 and the hotel was closed for renovation. We did manage to find a Singapore Sling somewhere else however. https://www.fullertonhotels.com/fullerton-hotel-singapore

I will close with a gallery of some other beautiful photos from our time in Singapore. We really needed more time to see several other attractions and just enjoy the food and culture further. However, we were on a schedule with limited time, so off we went to Bali. More on that in another blog.

In the meantime, enjoy the rest of the photos. The diversity in culture throughout Singapore has given rise to areas such as Little India and Arab Town which we dipped into briefly and you can see some of the photos from there. I've also included a few shots from the art installations at the airport as well as the subway. Yes. You could probably eat off the floor.

If you have any questions about what you see here that I didn’t fully explain, feel free to leave me something in the comment section and I will do my best to get back to you.

Sunshine Always!!!

View from the Singapore Flyer ferris wheel.

First thing to do in Singapore? It's a must to take a spin on the Singapore Flyer. It's an observation ferris wheel with a height of 541 ft. making it the second highest in the world(High Roller in Las Vegas 9ft higher). It holds 28 air conditioned capsules with amazing views of Singapore and it's spectacular architecture.