As our first day in Singapore winds down I can’t help but choose the word “hilarious” to describe this entire experience. Hilarious that a month ago we decided to move to Southeast Asia and not look back. Hilarious that TT had never been to Asia and also hates the heat and yet we chose the country 1 degree off the equator, with tropical climates and intense humidity every day of every season. Hilarious that we just traveled for 21 hours (19 on the actual plane) and had the absolute loveliest experience with Singapore Air. Didn’t even feel like we had been flying for a full day! Hilarious that we arrived and just called an Uber XL to pick us up from Chiangi airport and drive us to the Furama Hotel as though we were back at JFK. Hilarious that we dropped our things and then walked from 9am-3pm to take it all in. Hilarious that we got a huge plate of noodles for $1 and even more hilarious that this is our new view and every day life.
We really can’t recommend Singapore Airlines enough. The entire experience was seamless and easy and absolutely lovely. Check in was a breeze and boarding/takeoff was right on time. We opted for the extra leg room seats in the exit row and though we didn’t have a window, it was totally worth it. We could get up whenever we wanted without worrying about disturbing anyone else in the row. Sleeping was much easier since you could stretch out the whole way and sitting across from the attendant during takeoff/landing let us chat with them and learn some cool insider tips about Singy! The meals (there were 5 of them: lunch, snack, dinner, snack, breakfast) were delicious and the movie selection great. Our layover in Frankfurt was also a breeze. It was definitely helpful that we were staying on the same aircraft so didn’t have to worry about our bags getting lost in transit in Germany. Passengers continuing on to Singapore just had to disembark so that they could clean and refuel the plane. We had a bratwurst while we waited 🙂
We could feel the humidity as soon as we got off the plane. Even the airport had that slightly damp feel of full force AC in tropical weather. We tapped into the free WiFi at the airport and ordered an Uber XL (like we never left!). The uber drive was concerned about fitting all of our bags in his mini van but it worked and off we went! He was a great initial tour guide and talked a lot about different neighborhoods to live and the best sights to see immediately upon arrival.
The Furama Hotel thus far has been absolutely perfect. We had early check-in for 9am and they let us up to the room at 8 when we arrived. The room is big and clean with a king bed and an awesome view! We are on the 14th floor. It’s just on the outskirts of Chinatown and very close to the Central Business District (downtown Singy) so easy to set off wherever we want.
First things first: food! We headed to a hawker center right near the hotel that Tim had starred from his research and ordered a big plate of noodles and bok choy for $1.70. It was delicious!
The rest of the day was spent walking all around Singapore to get a sense of the city. We spent a few hours in the Marina Bay Sands complex which is the largest flashback to Vegas I’ve ever had. Imagine the Wynn, Encore, and Aria all combined into one. Every luxury boutique store was represented. The casino was 4 floors high and MASSIVE. It was incredible. Lots of restaurants and places to explore. There was even a canal running through the lobby that you could rent a boat and paddle through (#TheVenetian). We went all the way to the top of the complex where there were convention rooms and hallways 8x the size of an NYC hotel. And then we hunted out LAVO and were treated to the most glorious view of Singapore and the bay. Unfortunately, the awesome infinity pool on the roof of the hotel is only for hotel guests so we weren’t able to sneak in there to get a peek. We’ll find a way in somehow!!!
We came back to the Furama around 3pm with dogs BARKIN. Headed up to the pool and sat cooling off for a bit before deciding to take a nap. Now we’re sitting in bed, it’s 8pm and we’re not hungry so will probably just relax the rest of the night before a long day apartment hunting tomorrow!
What an adventure! We are so thrilled to be here. My hair is a little frizzy but overall an incredible day exploring our new home. Can’t wait for day 2!!!!
