Singapore & Malaysia

Compared to the rest of the countries I’ve visited in Southeast Asia, Singapore is in a world of its own. Downtown Singapore is a concrete jungle with eco friendly influence at its roots.  The skyscrapers and streets are coated with greenery and the architecture is fascinating. Amongst the generic skyscrapers are a handful of creative blueprints brought to life that separates this metropolitan area from others. 

When I touched down in Singapore, I spent some time exploring the airport. It is easily the coolest airport I’ve been to. At terminal 1 is the Rain Vortex, the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. The vortex is surrounded by multiple viewing platforms at different heights.  

While here, I explored within a 5 mile radius of the Downtown Core area and rode around on a bicycle. My favorite area to bike around was the by the Singapore River. The ambiance of the Singapore River is comparable to that of the Chicago River. At the southern most point of the Singapore River is Marina Bay. While biking by the Singapore River and Marina Bay, I got a chance to see the unique architecture that Singapore has to offer. The building I found most noteworthy was The Interlace, an apartment complex that appears as separate buildings stacked on top of each other, like Jenga blocks. 

I also biked down to Sentosa, an island south of mainland Singapore that is connected via a bridge, as well as a boardwalk. I rode along the boardwalk and caught a nice sunset. While in Sentosa, I went to a light and firework show.

Marina Bay is home to many attractions that are worth seeing, such as the SkyPark Observation Deck and Gardens by the Bay. 

At Gardens by the Bay is the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest. Both are enclosed, climate controlled botanical gardens that combined, are home to over 1.5 millions plants from around the world. Cloud Forest has one tower with a waterfall and greenery surrounding it. I took an elevator to the top of the tower and started the descent down on the paths that wrap around the tower. Flower Dome was just as grand and categorizes plants based on its region in the world.

Gardens by the Bay also has Supertree Grove and there was a light show on the Friday night that I visited. I laid down at the base of one of the “trees” and watched the show.

During my last night in Singapore, I visited the SkyPark Observation Deck for a view of downtown Singapore and Marina Bay, 56 stories high up from the ground. The entire Downtown Core area was lit up and there was a light show on Marina Bay. I don’t think I could have watched it from a better spot. On the other side of the observation deck is the Singapore Strait. I spent about 40 minutes soaking in the views before heading down.

Singapore’s modern aesthetic combined with its eco-conscious approach to development makes it a very captivating country. 

After exploring Singapore for 4 days, I made my way up to Malaysia and stopped in Kuala Lumpur.  Kuala Lumpur is a busy and diverse city home to a handful of ethnic groups. The blend of culture provides for a unique experience. 

While here, I walked through Petaling Street, a street market within Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown. It’s raggedy and congested, but it has an authentic feel to it. While walking in the streets, the colorful buildings as well as artwork on the walls stuck out to me.  I saw a painting on the wall of a building that says “pasar karat”, which translates to rusty market. I stopped in at Chinatown Famous Fried Rice (Ray Power Corner) for dinner one night and had Nasi Lamek, Malaysia’s national dish. It was solid. 

I visited The Petronas Twin Towers, also known as the KLCC Twin Towers, the world’s tallest twin buildings. I tried buying last minute tickets to go to the top, but they were sold out, so I just walked around KLCC Park nearby.

I also visited Batu Caves, a cave with Hindu temples. Right when I entered the premises, I was greeted by dozens of monkeys. Friendly but mischievous. I walked up to the colorful stairway that leads to the caves. On the way up were more monkeys running around being fed. A large roof opening brings in natural light into the cave that illuminates the temples.

Singapore and Malaysia, although neighboring countries, offer vastly different experiences. It was a quick week spent in these two countries and I’m now back in The Land of Smiles, down south. I spent a couple of days on the Phi Phi Islands and my sister Natashya will be meeting up with me to island hop Ko Samui, Ko Tao and Ko Pha-Ngan.