12 Hours in Singapore
Considering that Singapore is well over 16 hours away from our current home of London, how did we pull this off?? While Singapore deserves a trip all by itself, our ultimate trip to the Maldives had a 13 hour layover in one of the best cities in the world.
Logistics
Head over to this post to read about how we achieved a completely free business class flight via points!
As discussed on this Points Guy article, there are plenty of opportunities to see Singapore during a long layover. We could have explored the best airport in the world, but we wanted to see the city!
The Plane Experience
Since this flight was the first business class flight for MF, it was a big deal. Plus, Singapore Airlines has one of the best business class products in the sky so I was equally as excited!
Check-in
Arriving at London Heathrow Terminal 3, we had the easiest time checking into our flight. Because we wanted to explore Singapore, we decided to check our bags and carry on. Plus, one less thing to stress about later on! Since we were business class, we had no line unlike the rest of the economy crew.
Lounge Experience
Although we have been in a lot of lounges in the past, there is something about being in an actual business class lounge when you’re meant to be in business class! Similar to our other lounge experiences, the place had a full buffet with all the continental breakfast fixings. While the food is certainly hit or miss, it was a hit for me! The only downside is we did not have a great airside view and forced to look at construction.
Boarding
Because I wanted to get there as soon as possible, we left the lounge a little early to get to the plane! Compared to the literal hundreds of Easyjet or Ryanair flights, our boarding process here was superb! Not only were we first in line, but we did not have to worry about our bags!
Once we boarded, we were greeted with champagne and water. Mary Frances was annoyed, yet equally excited to take a million pictures of her fancy new life. I just enjoyed the sweet taste of greatness and a job well done with the points!
The Menu
As soon as we were handed the menu, we were overwhelmed with choices! I wanted to try everything because I heard great things from the fellow aircraft nerds.
I did make one big decision before the flight - what I would have for my main entree at dinner! Thanks to the great Singapore service, we selected our entree before check-in. Each dish was fantastic for “plane food” and we literally could not stop eating!
Chicken and Beef Satay sticks
Salad of Prosciutto, Asparagus, and sugar snap peas
Shrimp Pad Thai (Special order) by MF
Lobster thermidor with asparagus and potatoes by AB
Chocolate and raspberry cake
great wine and cheese pairing
Because of the menu and how comfortable we were in business class, we could not sleep at all. This would bite us later, but it seemed like the right choice at the time so we could soak in the experience.
Travel Tip: Once in Singapore, you can exit the airport on a day visa that is free! It is a great option for those with long layovers.
Twelve Hours in Singapore
With only twelve hours in Singapore, we had a set list of places to see and tasty treats to try! Plus, we had to beat intense jet lag and no sleep on the plane!
Marina Bay Sands
Once we stepped into the taxi, I knew our first destination had to be the iconic Marina Bay Sands hotel. Known for sweeping views of Singapore, the giant hotel, mall, and tourist attraction is a perfect jumping off point to explore Singapore. While I would have loved to stay at this magnificent hotel, we unfortunately did not have an overnight stay so I did not want to pay for a day room. However, I was tempted once I felt the heat and knew that a room meant we could have also used the pool…
Travel Tip: In order to use the pool, you have to be staying there. Because of the heat, I would highly recommend this option as it is a once in the lifetime experience!
As we made our way to the top of the Marina Bay Sands, we had the place to ourselves. Although online blogs recommended buying tickets ahead of time, there was no one in line or at the top! With the sun thankfully hidden behind the clouds, we had amazing, sweeping views of beautiful Singapore.
Now, I can see why Singapore has a great harbor with hundreds of big tankers. In the financial district, we tried to find KPMG but”sadly” failed to find our place of work.
Giant Tree Garden
One of the best photos in Singapore is the Giant Tree Garden. Full of giant man-made super mangrove trees, the garden is spectacular at night with a fantastic light show. However, we were there in the morning with no lights! Usually, there is a fun walkway through the tops of the trees, but they were closed today. Granted, the heat was really getting to us and we just wanted AC so I am not sure if we would have it done it anyways!
Gardens by the Bay
Because of the heat, we decided to go in one place with AC - the Gardens by the Bay. While the gardens weren’t high on my list, I knew MF would enjoy the many, many thousands of plant and flower varieties from the world. With sections dedicated to different climates and countries, we explored every region! There are so many amazing flowers!
Unsurprisingly, we found the crowds here because there was AC and it was the afternoon. Because we were about 30+ hours with no sleep and straight travel, we were getting hungry and I knew just where to go!
Hawker Stalls
For foodies, the hawker stall concept is absolutely amazing. Similar to our American or British outdoor or indoor food markets with restaurants, hawker centers are full of amazing, locally made, and delicious food! Each of the stalls have been perfecting their few dishes and selling them for generations. While insanely hard work, the hawkers are famous in the city and food is delicious. I did a TON of research and watched many Netflix shows on hawkers even after our trip!
Hawker Chan
Famous for being a tasty hawker stall, Hawker Chan is unique in Singapore. A few years ago, Hawker Chan won Singapore’s first Michelin Star! More importantly, this is one of the only Michelin Stars that we can easily afford as it is known for the cheapest Michelin star in the world!
Thankfully, hawker stalls do not have much on the menu so we went with the classic chicken and rice and chicken and noodles. Yum! The chicken was super tasty and more importantly was less than $20! We even saw the head chef working the room and greeting most of the guests. I could not recommend more!
Chinatown
Because Singapore has a lot of history with China, we wanted to go to Singapore’s authentic Chinatown. Full of tiny stalls and shops, it is the perfect spot to explore Singapore with no real itinerary. We wandered through the area and absolutely loved the unique, diverse culture!
To the Airport!
After an exhausting, quick trip to Singapore, we went back to the airport. Firstly, we were exhausted from the trip and just wanted to nap although we didnt have a bed. Thus, we ended up at the business class lounge and sorted out a make shift bed!
While I did explore the Changi Airport, the extra perks such as the famous Jewel waterfall were not there. We missed it by a week or two! Instead, the huge terminals were packed with activities. Too bad I was simply too tired to deal with the mess.
Final Business Class Flight
At this point, we had been traveling for over 36 hours and we were absolutely knackered. I think Mary Frances was sleep walking to the plane gate! Thankfully, we had one last business class flight for another four hours where we would be pampered as we landed in paradise. Too bad we were arriving at night!
Similar to our first flight, we were greeted with champagne! This time, Mary Frances only took water and went straight to bed… I took it because I knew I had a great meal coming my way - the famous Singapore Airlines’ lobster thermidor! While plane food is usually well, plane food, the lobster thermidor has a great reputation in the travel nerd circle. Now that I’ve had it TWICE in one day, I can attest that it is terrific!!
After another terrific food flight and a quick cat nap across the Indian ocean, we finally, finally landed in the Maldives. Ahead of our arrival, I planned to have no cell phone service so I made sure to have our hotel pick us up. However, there were a few tense moments when we were standing at an empty terminal and no brain power to figure out where to go next! Thankfully, there was a man from the fantastic Octave Hotel waiting for us!
We arrived!!
The UnChartered Summary
- Singapore is a great city, full of amazing food and sights! DO NOT spend just one day here! In hindsight, probably should have added another day or so but we really wanted to get to the Maldives!
- In hindsight, we should have kept our activities to 2-3 things: Marina Bay, Gardens (for the AC!), and Hawker Stalls.
- Stay at Marina Bay, period. The pool, views, and great luxury will be worthwhile!