The PolyHobbyist: singapore

If you have enough budget and would like to see more of Gardens by the Bay, then you should absolutely consider visiting the two huge glass domes standing tall along with the Super Trees at the SuperTree Grove. We were supposed to visit Cloud Forest and Flower Dome but sadly, we chose the unlucky date on which the maintenance for Cloud Forest was being held so we were only able to visit one: Flower Dome.

The dome made those very tall trees look tiny.

At first, I was saddened by the unfortunate announcement because I like to visit Cloud Forest more than Flower Dome. But when we entered the largest glass greenhouse in the world, I was left in awe of how much time and effort the people behind this concept had exerted. Guys! It's a huge glass full of flowers and plant species from all over the world! Not to mention, there's no scarcity of sunlight so every spot is good for photographs! For 14 SGD, you can discover different kinds of flowers, trees, and plants while roaming around a refrigerated glass dome. It's oozing with sunlight but it's so cold inside - a perfect climate even for tourists in my opinion.

There's a blue sky waiting tomorrow.

How to Get Here:

Bus transportation is somehow not advisable for tourists especially if you didn't had it all planned out so I suggest you take their very efficient train. Just take the Red Line off to Marina Bay station then Gardens by the Bay should be a few walks away from there.

Flower Dome is one of my highlights in our Singapore trip. I've never seen so many flowers in one day! Plus the fact that we can keep roaming around and capturing instagrammable spots with literally no sweat is great! Enjoy the photos! :D

It's a wonder how this huge greenhouse could serve as habitat for plant species of different needs.

It even houses cacti!

It's really cold inside

Some trees here are over a thousand years old.

My favorite spot is the one where I could see the Singapore Flyer.

Ganda ba 'te?

They hold different exhibits depending on the season. I think there's none when we visited.

These flowers are my favorite....

..because they are the ones I'm wearing LOL.

Awra!

4 comments

Resorts World Sentosa is no doubt, one of the most visited places in Singapore, especially for first time travellers. It houses a lot of fun and exciting attractions for the whole family. One of the famous ones is none other than, Universal Studios Singapore. USS has seven themes which they call zones: Hollywood, New York, Sci-Fi City, Ancient Egypt, Lost World, Far Far Away, and Madagascar.This will never be missed out by anyone particularly its iconic Universal Studios Globe situated in front of the entrance.

Sakit tuhod pose

Before I tell you what are my favorite attractions inside Universal Studios Singapore, I'll share some basic tips first. You may skip these if you already know it. ;)

Where to Buy Tickets

At first, there are only 3 ways that I know of. One, is buying at the Universal Studios Singapore ticket booth itself. Two, is via online through their website or via Klook wherein the latter is way better and cheaper. The third one is something you should really consider. We bought via the Carousel App! I don't have any idea that they sell tickets there but they do! And we're able to buy tickets for 2 attractions for $78(USS & Adventure Cove)! But that does not stop there, the tickets came in with a meal voucher. More of that on the next tips. :)

How To Get There

Sakit hita pose

There are 3 ways that I know of through which you can arrive at Resorts World Sentosa:

Via Train - There's a station inside Resorts World Sentosa. And a way to get in is through Sentosa Express train. Just take the purple line to Harbourfront. Then from there you will need to get inside the mall and climb to the top floor where you'll see this huge sign. It costs $4 each.
Via Bus - Same as the first one, you'll need to go to Vivo City(Harbourfront station) via the MRT purple line. Then you'll need to take the bus stopping at the front of Vivo City. This costs $1.
Via Cable Car - I wasn't able to try this one but this is also another option. The good thing here is, you'll see the top view of RWS and I guess a good view of SG as well unlike taking the other 2 options above.

How about getting out though? Good news is, you can ride the bus out of RWS for free. Getting in is the only one that's not free.

Where To Eat

First time I ate a black burger and it's delicious!

Remember the meal voucher? It is a $10 meal voucher and can be used at any restaurant inside USS except Starbucks. You get to have $10 off on your meal as long as you spend $10 the least. The items on the menu where we ate are all more than $10 so I guess this is already a very good deal. We ate at Mel's Drive-in at Hollywood zone. :)

Top 6 Best Attractions

Universal Studios Singapore really blew me away! It's even more literal than figurative. Most of my favorites are those that really got my adrenaline rushing. Those that I can't stop screaming and laughing afterwards. These my friends, are the ones you should put on the top of your list.

6 Lights, Camera, Action!

If you found all other thrilling rides to be having long lines, then I guess you should go here first. This is an indoor attraction found in New York zone. I am a big fan of movies and I am very fascinated with how foreign movies are created so this attraction made the 6th spot on my list.

At first, I thought that it is a documentary film featuring Universal Studios movies and how they create them. Well, I was write at the latter part. But not all movies. In this attraction, they had Steven Spielberg show us how they create a Category 5 Hurricane striking New York City with all the wind, fire and water happening side by side.

5 Shrek 4-D Adventure

The 5th on my list of best attractions is the one that this amazing castle houses. I've tried watching 3D in IMAX before and believe me, I did not enjoy it. It made me feel dizzy. At first, I thought I was going to feel the same way with this, but NO. I did not feel dizzy at all. This attraction showcases a Shrek movie adventure in 4D environment. Get ready to feel like you're part of the movie once you enter the castle. Expect some bouncing and water spraying in between. But no worries, you won't get so wet. This attraction is perfect for kids and adults. You can find this inside Far Far Away.

4 Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure

Enjoy Rapids with a twist inside the Lost World! While Rapids in our local theme park(Enchanted Kingdom) is just water rafting on wild river with waterfalls, this one comes with dinosaurs! It gets even better as you approach the T-Rex too. Just be ready to get thrown out. ;) You won't get too wet in this ride though so no need to bother buying those ponchos. But it's safe to leave your things inside the lockers that you can rent.

3 Battlestar Galactica: HUMAN vs CYCLON

Never gonna ride this again. But it's worth the first try. :)

If extreme rollercoasters are your thing, then you should definitely head over to Sci-Fi City and try Battlestar Galactica! This ride has two modes: Human(normal rollercoaster) and Cyclon(a rollercoaster where you're like on a stiff safe swing with your feet hanging in the air). The two rollercoasters get off at the same time and if you can keep your eyes open the whole ride, you will notice that at some points, the two rollercoasters face off like in a duel.

They all seem happy. But why??? Aren't they trilled??Mga halimaw ata sa rollercoaster 'to.

I must say, it's really a HIGH TURBULENCE ride and you should ride at your own risk. We rode the Cyclon and I never liked to ride Human anymore. I became pale afterwards LOL. But it's really worth the try. Definitely one of the rides you should experience when you visit USS. It's the world's tallest dueling rollercoasters according to the RSW website.*Bragging rights* But it's not for those with weak hearts. But if you still want to experience a rollercoaster without getting a heart attack, I have a perfect one for you!*See #1*

2 Revenge of the Mummy

Entering Ancient Egypt

I kept my eyes closed most of the time when I rode Battlestar Galactica. The rollercoaster went so fast I didn't had the chance to open my eyes. Revenge of the Mummy, found inside Ancient Egypt is also a rollercoaster but is waaaay less extreme than Battlestar Galactica. It is an indoor rollercoaster attraction and guess what, I don't have to close my eyes because it's dark the whole time! I think this one's way scarier because I don't know what to expect. One time we're going up then the other we came sliding down. It's one crazy ride! It's the first dark rollercoaster ride I ever experienced. I don't even know if we traversed loops or had 90 degree drops. Oh well, what you don't know won't hurt you.

1 Transformers The Ride

3 hours

Out of all the attractions listed here, this is the only one that we had to fall in line for THREE HOURS!!! Can you already imagine why we had to wait that long? Don't worry. It's worth it. You can already experience some parts of this attraction while falling in line though. Transformers: The Ride is a 3D thrill ride where we riders are prepped to help the Autobots save the world from the Decepticons. While in line, you will be watching lots of videos prepping you on what happens once you enter The Ride so I didn't get bored that much.

First ride for that day

Once already on the ride, you'll be watching a lot of battle actions while zooming on the streets of the city, jumping on rooftops, going through barriers to put the All Spark to safety. I felt like I was on a rollercoaster ride. It seems real! This ride is perfect for everyone and I bet you will also enjoy it as much as we did. The description says it's a 3D ride, but it's a 5D one for me.

We had a whole day for USS, but it was never enough huhu. I think we were only able to experience 40% of the attractions. Nevertheless, we had fun. My last tips would be, go there as early as you can! And, check out their website for show schedules so you won't miss anything. Plan everything beforehand.

Have you already been here? Let's talk about your favorites and questions in the comments box below. :D

5 comments

One will never come and visit Singapore without seeing the iconic Marina Bay Sands. It's one of my dreams to be able to stay in this hotel even for just one night.(Soon self, soon) We spent a whole day lurking around its vicinity. Too bad we're not able to see the Singapore skyline through its sky park. But I guess that's all the more reason we should come back. While checking out sites near Marina Bay Sands, I can't help but shoot this marvelous structure every chance I get from every point of view.(More of that on my SHOOT series hihi) So for now, I suggest that when you come to see Marina Bay Sands, there are a couple of tourist attractions near this hotel so better do a side trip on those as well. Here's what I have in store for you:

1 Merlion Park

Photography skills needed to eliminate those photobombers :))

Just across Marina Bay Sands is also one of the top attractions in Singapore, the Merlion Park. The Merlion, being half fish, half lion is Singapore's national icon. According to the Singapore Tourism Board's website, the lion head signifies the original name of Singapore, "Singapura" which means "Lion City" in Malay. And the other half which is fish explains the history of Singapore as a fishing village. The Merlion Park never runs out of tourists I guess. We went there on a Monday and look who's waiting for us! Just be patient to take your perfect shot.

Starting a new trend of epic fail photos with the Merlion LOL

2 Fullerton Hotel

A few walks from Merlion Park is a heritage hotel named Fullerton Hotel. It is a five star hotel with about 400 rooms. Its landscape and architecture is very much instagrammable you may want to strike a few poses before heading to other attractions.

3 Cavenagh Bridge

The treasure awaits on the other side of the bridge!

Crossing the Cavenagh Bridge leads you to the Asian Civilization Museum. We didn't go inside the museum though. Upon researching, I learned that this bridge is one of the oldest bridges in Singapore being built in the late 1800s. I think this is one of the best spots we ever been to because after crossing this bridge, we had a taste of the best and cheapest dessert ever in Singapore, WAFER ICE CREAM!!!

For 1 SGD you can already have a refreshing cold treat! I planned to buy one every day that we're in Singapore but we had a hard time hunting for it so this is the first and last Wafer Ice Cream I had that time. :( You guys should definitely try it the moment you saw one!

Never miss this out!

4 Singapore Flyer

Truth be told, the Singapore Flyer is not a few walks away from Marina Bay. I think it's about a thousand. But you can definitely take sight of it while walking around Marina Bay. We're not able to ride this one due to low budget. But that would give you one of the best views of Singapore in my opinion.

5 Makansutra Gluttons Bay

It opens at 3pm

Getting hungry while touring around Marina Bay won't be a problem. One of the famous hawker centers is here! Imagine indulging on Singaporean Cuisine while getting a site of the towering Marina Bay Sands on the side. Makansutra Gluttons Bay operates from 3pm to 12am most of the time. Do always check their schedule for maintenance. Marina Bay Sands offers free light and water show called Spectra every night. It is a 15-minute show and just a few walks from Makansutra will give you a great spot to see it. I'll post more about our Makansutra experience over the next few weeks.

Marina Bay Sands peaking at the upper right side of the photo <3

6 Helix Bridge

If you want to visit Gardens by the Bay or Marina Bay Sands from the Merlion Park, one option will be to cross a uniquely designed bridge called The Helix. It is a 280m bridge built for pedestrians that connects Marina Bay Centre to Marina South. It is also known as the Double Helix Bridge owing to the delicate design of the bridge which consists of two helix structures that serve as support. It was opened to the public in 2010. The detailed design of the bridge is even more visible at night. See the last photo of this post. :)

7 Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

Just at the lower floors of Marina Bay Sands is a mall called "The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands". It is full of branded boutiques and restaurants equipped to provide a shopping experience to shopaholics and tourists looking for souvenirs.

One restaurant that caught my eye inside this mall is the DC Superheroes Cafe! If only money grows out of trees LOL. If you love superheroes like Batman, Superman, and Wonderwoman then you may want to check out their place. They also have a shop for DC Superheroes merchandise.

Le sister photo ops with her favorite!

Cutie ice cream! I hope this tastes good. :D

8 Gardens By The Bay

My 2 Favorite Structures in 1 Photo

Just behind the Marina Bay Sands is the most unique attraction of all for that day, Gardens by the Bay. It's the most beautiful and technologically-advanced garden I've been to! Who says exploring gardens is boring? You may want to check this out if you say so. The two main attractions of Gardens by the Bay are the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest. My main tip for visiting these two attractions is to check their maintenance dates first! Unlucky for us, Cloud Forest was closed for maintenance on the day of our visit. *cries*

What a great looking dome. Looks like a jungle here

Nonetheless, Flower Dome is beautiful!! I've never seen so many colorful flowers in one day until Flower Dome existed. You don't even have to worry about the Sun because the whole place is refrigerated! We enjoyed seeing so many flowers and capturing Instagram worthy moments hoho. Fan of flowers or not, this place will surely take your breath away.

Oh! They even have the one that I'm wearing! Haha

The entrance to Cloud Forest and Flower Dome costs $14 each. I think it's cheaper if you buy your tickets from Klook.

Hands down to whoever designed these supertrees

If you're running a bit low on budget but still want to explore Gardens by the Bay, no worries wanderers, Gardens by the Bay still has something FREE to offer you. And it's called SuperTree Grove. This contains towering tree-like structures covered in different kinds of plant species. They may not seem much at daylight, but they transform into awesome SUPER TREES at night! They have musical light shows every night that you shouldn't miss. One of my favorite shots taken during our whole trip belongs to this one of kind attraction.

My first ever long exposure shot <3 So prettyyyyy

So that's all guys! I recommend you alot 1-2 days of your trip especially if you're going to both Flower Dome and Cloud Forest. Also, don't forget to bring extra battery because you won't stop clicking once you get here! I love Marina Bay Sands and everything around it. I fell in love even more when it shone at night. <3

Disclaimer: I did not took this photo. It's our local host, Den who took this using my camera.