DIY Surprising Singapore Tour Itinerary

After clearing immigration and claiming our baggage, we were greeted by the travel agency people and whisked us away to waiting vans to take us to the airport. Along the way I immediately noticed how squeaky clean Singapore really is.

One of my first photographs of the Singapura (Lion City) was the hot air baloon of DHL that I later learned offers rides to be on top of the Singapore for a few minutes-- not free flying as seen.




Checked in at Marina Mandarin, a nice hotel in Marina Bay and opposite Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Pretty faces of Marina Mandarin who gamely posed for me thinking the Tutubi is a professional photographer.


Immediately after checking in, I went outside to look for a place to eat and wander around not knowing I already lost in touch with my three other companions who went ahead of me to a nearby Starbucks but I can't find my way.

Walking further I just explored the nearby Suntec area with it's fountains and multi-colored kois feasting on food thrown by the caretaker




After eating at a nearby (and pricey) restaurant in Citylink Mall, I continued on my walking tour, without a map to guide me, following the path that pointed to the City Hall and remembering, as always, where to come back so as not to get lost.

I found myself in the historic center of Singapore serendipitously!



One of the first monuments I saw was the Cenotaph (above) that commemorates the nation's dead of the first world war.

To the right of the path is a large, open field, called Padang, where the neo-classical old city hall and supreme court buildings stand.

The Padang, I later learned is the "Kiangan" of Singapore i.e. it's here where the Japanese surrendered Singapore back to the British. (Much like Japanese surrendered to the Americans in Kiangan town)

supreme court

old city hall building



Walking slowly and releasing shutters for every opportunity, I caught sight of various other historic buildings of old Singapore: St Andrew's Cathedral, Victoria Theater (with it's clocktower), Old Parliament (now an Arts House), Singapore Cricket Club, Victoria Concert Hall, and came face to face with this man named Thomas Stamford Raffles, who discovered, in the eyes of the western world, in 1819.



A few meters from Raffles' landing site, was a wharf (quay) where a boat taking tourists on a tour of Singapore River with the modern Singapore skyline as backdrop.



Without hesitation, I hopped on to the boat and tour the historic river



The Victoria Theater (above) is a hybrid of neo-classical and rennaisance architecture adapted to tropical setting.

The colorful Clarke Quay. Note: a quay is a wharf parallel to the shore

Cavenagh Bridge, the only suspension bridge in Singapore, finished in 1870

Elgin Bridge, the predecessor is the first bridge to cross the river

The Durian-inspired Esplanade Theaters near the Tutubi's hotel

The exquisite and historic Fullerton Hotel

Singapore has to build these naked boys swimming, probably brass, frolicking in the river of which the Pasig has true ones swimming in its murky water

First sight of Singapore's iconic Merlion, its national symbol (napansin nyo ba wala national symbol ang 'pinas?)

Swissotel Merchant Court



By this time, the cruise returned to the quay near Raffle's landing site and I walked back to my hotel to meet up with my other companions and eat dinner.

When I looked at the map to see where I was able to walk, lonely planet style, I found out I wandered quite far without a guide in this place!

To be continued...