I have a morning flight departing Brunei for Singapore, which means it’s an early start this morning. In my previous post, I spend a quiet day in Bandar Seri Begawan, and now I’m already on my way to the next stop. I’m a little regretful I didn’t allot more time for Brunei, but there’s always next time!
Brunei International Airport
After checking out of my hotel, my pre-arranged Dart car takes me to the airport. In keeping with my previous Brunei observations, Brunei International Airport is quite empty when I arrive. Even though there are several flights departing in the morning, there’s barely anyone lining up or checking in. I’m one of the first to check in and through security. Being an aviation nerd, it’s both kind of cool and eerie to be in an international terminal that’s so empty. I make my way into Royal Brunei’s Sky Lounge, which is just opening. I have a little breakfast, settle in and enjoy the peace to begin the day before my flight.
Royal Brunei to Singapore
I’m flying Royal Brunei BI421 to Singapore, a two-hour flight that leaves at 9:20. It’s not a full flight and I end up with the entire row to myself, which I will never complain about. Breakfast is served on board, which is a welcome treat on a flight this short. After eating, I lift up my armrest and get comfortable. It’s a smooth flight and after some periods of glancing out the window and taking a small nap, we are touching down in Singapore.
Changi Lounge
Singapore’s Changi Airport is one of my favourite airports to fly in and out of. So after landing, it’s a nice feeling to find myself in familiar surroundings again. I clear immigration in less than two minutes thanks to their e-gate system and wander into the Jewel (a large shopping and entertainment complex connected to the airport). I stop to catch a glimpse of the Rain Vortex, the tall indoor waterfall at the heart of the building. From there I head to the Changi Lounge, also in Jewel, to wait for a friend flying in an hour later. I order a laksa and a cold beverage while I wait. Not too long after my meal I get word my friend has arrived. We connect in one of the terminals and head into the city together.
JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach
We aren’t in Singapore long and our first night will be at the JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach. It sits close to Marina Bay, and is a very well appointed hotel. We check in and settle in a little before planning our evening in Singapore. It’s a nice room with a nice view of the city! (I had to mask some personal information on the TV)
After settling into our room a little we head down to the hotel lounge. There’s a wide array of snacks and a full bar service available and we spend a little time enjoying it before heading out for the afternoon.
Marina Bay Street Circuit
Later in the afternoon, we walk out to explore Suntec City which is near our hotel. We don’t have much of a plan since both of us have visited Singapore before. While wandering around, we notice several banners advertising the Singapore Grand Prix. While I will be attending a Formula One race on this trip, the Singapore race is not it. However, being a fan and having the side quest of visiting every track, I head over toward the Marina Bay Street Circuit. What we find are various crews working on setting up for the race which will occur in a few weeks. It’s neat to see the grandstands, lighting rigs and barriers going up around the streets. It’s exciting to see and the Singapore Grand Prix is one of my “Bucket List” races. So I do hope to be back here some time in the future to attend this race!
Helix Bridge and Marina Bay
From there we continue onto the Helix Bridge and around Marina Bay. It’s a little hazy, but the views of the skyline, the lily pond outside the ArtScience Museum, and the floating Apple store are still striking. Even though this isn’t my friend’s first visit to Singapore, we discover that she missed this area entirely on her first visit. So whilst on this side of the bay, we also visit some of the shops around Marina Bay.
Newton Food Centre
After spending the afternoon in the Marina Bay Area, we head to Newton Food Centre for dinner. On the suggestion of Singaporean friends, I’m finally trying chilli crab, one of the food items I continually miss when I visit. I’ve always maintained that it’s too much for one person. So, I’m giving it a try this time, now that I have backup. We order from Alliance Seafood, and soon after, a whole crab arrives in a rich sauce, with a plate of steamed buns on the side. I’m glad I didn’t attempt this solo in my previous trips. It’s A LOT of food but also very tasty with a bit of a kick! I’m glad to check this off my Singaporean food list and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this to other travellers visiting Singapore in the future.
An Evening at the Rooftop Pool
After dinner, we head back to our hotel. One of the things we want to check out is the hotel’s rooftop pool. We head up to the top floor and take in the beautiful nighttime views of Singapore. It’s a really neat place to just sit back and relax while the city bustles beneath you. After a bit of time admiring the view, we head back to the lounge for a nightcap. It’s a lovely way to wind down, and after a long day we are ready to turn in.
Beach Road Kitchen
The next morning we head down to the Beach Road Kitchen for breakfast. The restaurant serves breakfast for the hotel guests and has a very large and quality selection of breakfast food options. I have a few comfort food items like congee and noodles. To continue the culinary theme, I also avail myself of the made to order chilli crab omelette.
Not Another Pet Fair
Later in the morning we head to Suntec Singapore again. However, after walking around we start to notice an overabundance of pets in the area. Curious, we explore a bit and stumble upon Not Another Pet Fair, at the convention centre. It’s a free event and so we follow all the cute dogs inside! It’s a pretty cool event where there are all manner of pet vendor booths set up. But there are also cool setups for owners to take staged photos of/with their pets. There is even a section for yoga and pilates with pets.
Crowne Plaza Changi Airport
In the afternoon, we check out of the JW and make our way back to the airport. Tonight we will be staying at the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport. We intentionally move to the airport in anticipation of our Singapore Suites flight tomorrow, which is the main reason we are in Singapore. The hotel is directly connected to both the Jewel and the airport and also has some great plane-spotting opportunities, with views out to the runway.
Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice
We walk over to the Jewel and visit Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice. This is a location based on the original hawker stall in the Maxwell Food Centre. It’s become popular and now has a restaurant location in the Jewel. I visited the original Tian Tian on my first trip to Singapore and in comparison, the food is still good but I think the stall is better. And I feel this restaurant is touristy. It’s still a good chicken rice option, but given the choice, I’d suggest going to the original.
Jewel Rain Vortex
After dinner we spend some time walking around the Rain Vortex in the Jewel. We’ve both been here before, so it’s not a new attraction. However, what is interesting is they now have a Pilates area set up right at the base of the vortex. I’m not sure if this is a permanent setup, but it’s certainly new to me and something I took notice of!
Resident Evil at Shaw Theatres Jewel
Since we have a bit of time to kill, we decide to watch a movie in the evening: Resident Evil in IMAX at Shaw Theatres Jewel. I’m sure some people wonder why I would travel to the other side of the world just to watch a movie. But I kind of like the idea of doing things that anyone living here would do. I’ve visited this country several times now and have done many of the tourist things. Being able to do more routine things like a local is a different kind of experience that I quite enjoy. The last time I did this with Photos in Australia is a memory that’s stuck with me ever since!
An Evening at the Vortex
After the movie, we head to the top level of the Jewel to get a few final glimpses of the Rain Vortex at night. Even though I’ve visited many times, I still marvel at the architecture of the building and enjoy seeing it every time I visit.
With the final glimpses of the Rain Vortex behind us, we make our way back to our hotel. Tomorrow we’ll be flying in Singapore Suites class! It’s one of the big aviation bucket list items I’ve wanted to check off for years!