[February 2017] - Alone in Singapore

Hi everyone, My name is Daniel. This time I will start writing about my journey. I'm from Indonesia and I love traveling. Well, mostly I do my travel in Indonesia. But this time, as a start I will share my journey in Singapore when I traveling alone. So forgive me for my bad English, and I hope this article will be helpful for people who like me, also like traveling. And well, I like taking pictures, I will post some of them. So enjoy 😊

Well, actualy I'm joining my family on a trip to Bangkok at February 17th (my next post), but because of price reasoning (My family joining trip with an expensive flight), so I decide to do some improvisation. So rather than paying around $280 to my tour for JKT-BKK flight ticket, I rather buy some low cost airlines for a cheaper flight. Plus, I get some "bonus" going to Universal Studio with a total about the same amount.

So here I go, going to Singapore all alone, before joining my family in Bangkok.

Day 1 (15 February 2017) 

Changi Airport:

I go to the airport for my flight. I chose the night flight around 05.55 PM from Jakarta because the price is relatively cheaper. But unlucky for me, my flight get a rescheduled (well done Airasia) to 06.40 PM which put me around 11.00 PM landing at Changi. And here's when got interesting, I decided to spend the night and sleep at Changi Airport..

Actually Changi is a great place to spend a night, there is a lot of sleeping places. But believe me, if you prefer your sleep to be un-distracted, you should stay at transit hotel. But if you like me, who is a budget traveler and do not bother sleeping on any places, there is a choice for you for where to sleep. First, you must notice I DID NOT LEAVE the transit zone through immigration, because I'm afraid there will be no place to rest there.

So, here is your choice when you decide to sleep at Changi transit zone for free:

• Snooze Lounge
• Snooze Lounge is perhaps the most comfortable places to sleep in here, but maybe because I arrived at night, it's very difficult to find a place here since it full. So I decided to find another place.

Snooze Lounge

• Bench with TV
• This bench has TV which turned on 24 hours. You will like to sleep here because the bench is long enough for you to lay down and get a good sleep. I decide to sleep here for the night.

Bench with TV

• Sofa with power outlet
• This place is 4 single sofa group with small table. This has a power outlet for you who want to recharge your phone and relaxing. This place also good for sleep if you can sleep while sitting.

Sofa with power outlet (and a bar)

• The minus of this place is a routine cleaning. If you get unlucky and your sofa is on its cleaning schedule, the officer will wake you up and tell you to move. This clearly will distract your sleep. 

Routine maintenance

So the rest of the night, I decided to sleep at the sofa in front of TV, it's not a good sleep since I only have 2-3 hours of sleep and the room is really cold (I forgot to bring a jacket). But its a good experience for me becaus it is the first time I sleep at the airport. Which lead me to...

Day 2 (16 February 2017) 

Universal Studios Singapore:

So after a few hours of sleep at the airport, I'm excited for day 2, which is my main reason for coming here: The Universal Studios. For a record, I've been in Singapore twice before this and never came here, so I've been waiting on to come here.

I wake up around 4 AM in the morning, so I decide to watch some UEFA Champions League game first. After the first half is over (around 4.45 AM), I got really bored and I'm continue my trip and goes out from transit area and through the immigration. And the immigration is not crowded at all at this time 😜, I think I was the only person who got through there at that time.

So after that I just walk into the MRT and of course the MRT is still closed. The MRT from airport itself start work at 5.30 AM. So I have to wait around 15-20 minutes when I get there. So I wait while taking some picture.

A quiet airport

Changi in the morning

After the MRT was opened, I go straight to Vivo City at Harbour Front Station to go to Sentosa. I got there at Vivo city around 6.15 AM and it still dark outside. This time I chose to go to Sentosa via Boardwalk. Its about 20-25 minute walk from Vivo City to Sentosa (I stopped a lot to do some photo taking) with a great view. And it's FREE (you get to enter Sentosa without entrance fee from here).

Boardwalk Sentosa

So after a few minutes walk, I arrived at the famous globe of Universal Studios and tadaa.. 

Very early morning

It's still very early it haven't rotate yet.. So I wait about 3 hours until it open while walking around and around in here. I witness it from the moment it still very quiet morning into a crowded place when it's open. But well, I got some photo, here it is:

Still very early and quiet

The sun start to show up

Finally it's rotating and spray some water

So for you who haven't get to Universal Studios Singapore before, it opens at 10.00 AM. But the ticket counter open early at 9.00 AM. When it open at 10, they have some attraction first in the entrance. Lucky for me, I come on weekdays and not a peak season, so the queueing was relatively short except for Jurrasic Park because it just open late and everyone is going there. 

If the park get crowded, you may consider of buying VIP pass that sold around the park. It cost 80 SGD, but you can speed throug the line. Oh, and there is a queue just for a single rider, so if you get here alone, you can go through there and get to the ride faster.

So for you who want to go there, here's my must-try ride recommendation based on my experience at the USS:

• Transformers: The Ride
• Easily the coolest ride here. You HAVE to get here before it gets crowded because everyone want to go here. The effect is just stunning makes me wonder how it works.. Luckily for me, it's not crowded at all this time, so I ride it twice 😀
• Jurassic Park Rapid Adventure
• Great experience and effect. But you have to prepared to get soaked.
• Madagascar
• Good ride for relaxing with great effect.
• Shrek 4D
• The 4D effect is great
• Puss in Boots
• An easy ride roller coaster.
• Light, Camera, Action by Steven Spielberg
• This one is really cool. They make a realistic effect and make me wonder why it is not as crowded as it should be
• The Mummy
• This one is a little intense because it's a dark roller coaster. For you who seek thrill.
• Battlestar Galactica
• The most intense roller coaster here. You can choose to ride as human or clone.
• Water World
• This is some really cool stunt show. It only show twice a day, so don't miss it. And well, based on the name, prepare to get wet.

Well of course there is some other ride, but this ride should be your priority. For you who bring a backpack, you cannot bring it to The Mummy, Battlestar Galactica. You can bring it to Jurrasic Park or Water World but remember to protect it from water. If you want to store it, there is a locker in some place which is free for the first 45 minutes. Make sure to move it before if you want it to use it free.

After almost a day full in USS, I got out around 6 PM to meet my friend there. It was a great experience, first time I get here, first time I go to theme park outside Indonesia. I'm using a monorail to get back to Vivo City because it's free from Sentosa. So with my tired body, I continue to meet my friend and checked in to the hotel.

I met my high school friend for a while at Star Vista. And then I go to my hotel. This time I use a backpacker hotel named Adamson Lodge at Perak Rd. It's a great place to sleep with great facilities for a hostel. It also near to Rochor MRT Station, it's just across the road from the exit.

So I spend my night at the hotel, I got a really good sleep because of my tired body, so I get a great sleep before I continue tommorow to go to Bangkok to meet my family.

Day 3 (17 February 2017)

Changi - Bangkok:

Well, I got a 10 hours sleep that night. I wake up around 8 AM, and I try to find some food nearby. I found a restaurant near Berseh Road, I try the food, it's called Mee Hoon. First I think it's like Bihun in Indonesia (Slim Noodle) but it's different. It just like noodle but it has a square cut. And it is delicious..

Mee Hoon

After eating I come back to the hotel to charge my powerbank. And I got another one hour sleep 😪.. So after that I checked out from the hotel and goes to the airport to prepare my flight to Bangkok (wait for the next article)..

So here is my story of only 2 night in Singapore. It's a some great new experience for me, so maybe it will help another who wants to go here. It's really cheap, I spend a total only around 130 SGD including the USS ticket here. So for you budget traveller out there, hope it helps..

Leave a comment below for a question or input. Thanks for reading..

To be Continued..