You may have read about my speedy Singapore jazz club stopover in my year wrap a few posts back. But it wasn’t the first time I’d left the airport in Singapore. A couple of years earlier, I managed a 24 hour stop over in the Lion city. I had such a fabulous time that I decided to write a story about it for Provincial Living Magazine.
Photo- Marina Bay Sands
The 24-hour stopover rewarded me with tasty noodles, calming temples, beachside coconuts, an unlikely local tour guide and, of course, a tap dance with Alex.
I touch down in Singapore at midnight, after an eight hour flight from Sydney. Hit with the tropical island’s humidity, I’m glad I have taken a friend’s advice and prebooked a boutique hotel. A small part of me was tempted by the idea of spending 24 hours out and about, plunging into Singapore life; I even conjured a fantastical image of being wooed back in time, solving an exotic mystery in an opium den. But I have things to do when I get to France, and no time to recover from midnight adventures in the underworld, imagined or not. This trip is about getting a taste of the city at a leisurely pace, and easing my jet lag at the other end. No missions or bucket lists, just a small pit stop to discover Singapore at my own pace. When I check into The Scarlet Hotel, a renovated 1920s Art Deco delight in the heart of Chinatown, it’s too late to try the pool, bar or beauty spa. I’m tired from the flight anyway, so happy to head to my comfortable, cosy-chic room, take a shower and get some sleep. Six hours later, I’m up and out, recalling my Singapore savvy friend’s tip…
Read the full story here.