Travel Report: Sentosa Island

Sentosa Island Day!

We planned to wake up early today to take a trip to Sentosa Island, as usual, Mr. AMW and myself are both owls so we prefer to sleep late and wake up late! 

We arrived Vivo City late morning (around 10am)....

And the smart girl in me went straight to a bread shop called Prima Deli and we purchased bread for "safety".  I don't want to get hungry inside the Universal Studios premise while lining up, well those are just crappy excuses, I just want food inside my bag!  Period! :P

Tip: The Smoked Sausage Sandwich tastes really good!  Go for that one!

We were both contemplating on taking the  cable car or monorail when a Filipino guy overheard us talk and asked if we're planning to go to Sentosa Island.  We said yes and he was super kind to advise us another way to go to Sentosa Island which not a lot of visitors knew about as it was just opened last month?  Or a couple of months ago.

He led us to the right direction and there we go standing at the exit of Vivo City and I can oversee Sentosa Island on the opposite side.  The walkway wasn't that long and they are covered so I don't mind taking a nice stroll as we're not in a hurry anyways.

It was drizzling the whole time...

To those who are scared of walking,do not worry as they have walkalator even a group of older people were walking along with us!

The walk  takes approximately 15 minutes with "photo-op" stopovers! :)  If you walk just right ahead, this may probably take around 10 minutes!

You get the see the Sentosa entrance and ticket booth and  for this lovely walk, you only get to pay SGD1.00 (approx Php34.00).

There you go Sentosa and Resorts World sign...still raining but who cares?  I'm not letting the rain ruin my day!

I'm glad I purchased our Universal Studios tickets early, though there are ticket booths everywhere, it was still nice just to go straight to the entrance and start the fun!

What I love about Universal Studios Singapore....covered walks!  It helps...a lot!!! Imagine how rain can ruin your fun day without an umbrella?  (We have umbrella with us but I don't like my umbrella wet) LOL!!!!  Just joking!

It was wonderful that we get to tour Universal Studios during the weekday, aside from cheaper tickets, the place isn't crowded! 

Look who I found!!!!  I love Gingerbread man!

I also met Frankenstein who strangled me but I ain't a weakling!  I have my "poking of the nose" strategy and he backed off a bit!  The guy who took our photos said: "Don't be too harsh on Frankie!" Hello??? He started it??? :P

So happy I met Kung Fu Panda's Po!  He's super charming!  He shakes his booty too!!!!

We hopped in a boat for Madagascar experience called "Madagascar Crate Adventure".  

Wonderful timing as we get the see the Shrek 4D Adventure right after.  This got to be one of my favorite adventure!  The crawling spiders on my legs felt real and icky!!! (Okay, I'm giving away too much info!) *zips mouth*

Fashion alert:  Plastic poncho is IN! :P

Still raining :(

The little adventurous girl in me wants to try "all the rides" and I started with the Enchanted Air Ways!  It's a smaller version of roller coaster and I originally thought it's a kiddie ride, during the ride, I went: "Why am I scared?  Whyyyyyyyy?" lol. 

I hopped on Canopy Flyer ride right after, it was super fun but I felt the ride could go longer?? Maybe 2 rounds or 3 rounds more??? hehehe

 

The best ride for me of all, Revenge of The Mummy.  You have to keep all your stuff inside a locker!  You get to put your things inside a nearby locker for free within 30 minutes.  And the good news?  The rain finally stopped.

With hungry stomach and just bread inside my stomach, I went "Let's do this now before we eat!".  We saved the best for last and went for the "Battle Star Gallactica" ride. 

I found myself screaming: "AAaahhhhhh!!!!" then screamed again: "Why...ammmm I the only one screaaaammmiinnggg?"  *laughs*  In fairness to us, we were seated right in front ok?? Its always scarier to be at the front and back side!

The ride was too short for me!  I want more!!!!  Though I got a bit dizzy after, it was all worth it!  I can finally eat! :P

We finished walking around the rest of the areas after a good late lunch at 4:00pm.  We took the monorail to explore the rest of Sentosa Island.

At Merlion, Imbiah Station, I was up for a  Megazip Adventure bit they are closed for renovation! *so sad*

 Saw 2 cute birds kissing!  

Both of you, are you even adults????? Let  me talk to your parents! tsk

We also stopped and relaxed at Siloso Beach and Palawan Beach :)  Didn't do much after as I was  starting to feel the earth's gravity...I'm finally feeling tired! :P

Well, I tried defying gravity by going to Orchard Road after to have dinner, but it was crazy crowded so we backed off and went back to Dhoby Ghaut to have dinner at the Plaza Singapura.  Walked around the area and saw the cutest character Kimmidoll!  Look, quite similar with my nail art!!! :)

I'll share to you guys my nail art tutorial once I get back! :)

The day was well spend I must say!  What's for tomorrow?  I am actually clueless! But will definitely make the most of it as I'm leaving Singapore soon! :(

Thanks for reading!  I'm glad you are enjoying this!  Thanks for being my diary!

Keep smilin'
Stay happy!

Travel Report: Touring Singapore via The MRT

Good morning dearies!!!! Did you miss me?  Of course not!  I just blogged yesterday! *teehee*

I am super  excited to share yesterday's happening as I'm quite proud of myself for surviving this trip with a huge smile even though we've gone through a couple of boo-boos.  I'll tell you the story while I'm still hyper!!!  Yes, drinking a cup of green tea with Jasmine!  So good!

Since we do not have an itinerary (quite shocking considering how OC I am),  Mr. AMW and myself have decided to go for a "city tour" meaning, we'll just go wherever our foot can bring us to!  We planned to purchase a Tourist MRT Card which is available in 1-day to 3-days unlimited MRT and Public Bus ride. (I want to thank Bee by the way for all the needed information about Singapore on our first night) :)

Back to the story, we went down to Dhoby Ghaut Station and we were up to go to Chinatown station to purchase our tourist pass.  The thing though, we saw a travel agency booth and checked out their packages for city tours.  We were then offered the "Hop On Hop Off" tour bus for SGD24.00 + 10% off and it sounded like a great idea so we bought tickets right away together with our Universal Studios entrance tickets.  

That's were the misadventures began!  *lol*  

We were advised to wait at the Dhoby Ghaut Bus Station or whatever bus station that's nearest the Plaza Singapura (which was Dhoby Ghaut Bus Station!).  I, of course, asked directions just to make sure I'm waiting on the right bus stop and we were told it was the right one by 2 random people!  We were there a bit early as the bus arrives every 30 minutes but I don't mind the waiting, I'd rather be early than late right?  Who would want to miss the bus?

Of course we  missed the bus!  Why would I share this story if everything went smooth as silk? :P  *laughs*

We saw the Hippo bus passed right us and we have to walk all the way back to the travel agent just to check again if we got the right station.  She even gave us the "bus station number" (thank you Singapore for having this!) and we went back to go to the next station after the first one.  Definitely NOT Dhoby Ghaut Bus Station which she originally advised, but its okay :) People make mistakes so there we go waiting for another 30 minutes for the bus to arrive.

I gave the bus station number a double and triple check and I was a bit excited again as I'm sure we'll be taking the cute bus anytime soon.  

There goes another bus and I ended up waving my hand with tickets frantically and the bus driver went "NO NO" with a hand gesture.  

???????????? *blank look that went :O*

Missed the 2nd bus and I'm a million percent sure its not my fault anymore!  *lol*  Shaking our heads back to the travel agent, I asked for refund and she even said: " The bus driver did not stop?  WHY?"  Girl!  You tell me! But anyways, she originally told me there's no refund allowed but thank goodness she understood me when I said: "Please! We've wasted an hour of our Singapore Lifetime so let's just finish this as I want my tour to start now!"  *pouts*  hahahah it worked!  

So yeah, went back to the original plan, took an MRT ride to Chinatown and purchased the 3 days Tourist Pass for SGD34.00 (SGD10.00 refundable).

*I should have done this earlier and not get swayed with cute buses* :P

After purchasing the ticket, we got out of Chinatown Station and I went: "YAY!  Nikki Tourist is finally back!" :P  

We had our late lunch at a random restaurant located at the Chinatown.  We passed by the area quickly as I have nothing much to shop there.  I kinda missed our Chinatown back home when I saw this place!  I hope ours can be this organized :)

And guess who welcomed me in Chinatown???  Gosh! They are following me EVERYWHERE! :P

After lunch and a bit of walking, we hopped on the station again and headed to Little India...

I did not plan to do anything at Little India.  BUT guess what?  We ended up eating there... again!  We gave their Chicken Kabab and Naan a try and it was wonderful!  We ate with our bare hands and I have to thank our Filipino Culture as it wasn't that hard! :)  Well, the food was hot though so it burns my fingers a bit but the food tastes delicious so it's all good! :)

*pats myself at the back for being so random!* :D

 

After Little India, we zoomed out to Orchard Station and went out at the ION Orchard mall.  The first makeup counter I saw was Bobbi Brown and I went there right away to have a quick price check!  Prices back home and here are the same so I've decided to shop in Manila instead :)  

There's also a very posh looking Chanel store that sells Chanel skincare and makeup.

After looking around, we found ourselves at the basement...what's inside the basement??? *lol* FOOD!!!! There we had a  bit of snacks...AGAIN! :P  Hey, we walked quite a lot so give us a break! :P

Hopped on MRT again and we went to Raffles Place for the Merlion Park.  Once we got out of the Raffles Place station, we were a bit confused on where to go as there's a lot of constructions going on.  Thanks to the lovely locals for helping us with directions!  We walked passed  The Fullerton Hotel, which was a super lovely structured hotel by the way...

Walked a bit more and saw the "Parliament of Singapore".  Okay, at least I know we're on the right track!

There you are Merlion!

I've been looking everywhere for you!

 Sorry, I can't help but do this pose! :P

Well, I got thirsty looking for her!

Saw a super LOVELY couple by the way looking at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel.  I wonder where they're from? :P

I suggested we just relax there and enjoy the breeze for sunset and wait for night time before we jump in the Singapore River Experience.  We bought a ticket worth SGD17.00 (approx Php595.00) per head.

I have to pat myself on the back for this great idea as  we were able to enjoy Singapore both day and night.  The view is totally different on day time and night time and don't ask me for my preference as I enjoyed both!  Both views were awesome!!!

Check out the beauty of Singapore as we cruised around for 40 minutes!

Esplanade, Theaters on the Bay

Various Buildings (mostly banks)

 The Fullerton Hotel

gorgeous to look at both day and night

 Riverside Point

Located at Clarke Quay

Singapore Flyer

A giant observation ferris wheel.

Each capsule can hold up to 25 people!  WOW right?

Back to my favorite Merlion at Night

don't worry, no more drinking of water shot :P

Looking back at what we did, it may sound crazy but it's do-able!  We did not stay at one place for a long  time but we did not rush as well!  What we planned to do is just hop on different stops and get the "feel" or "vibe" of each place.  Which area got our attention the most, we took down notes and will return on Wednesday!  I'm off to Sentosa Island today!

I love the power of unlimited MRT and bus rides!  Everything seems to be easier and I don't have to worry on buying tickets,  getting off the wrong station or going out at the wrong exit, the need to have lots of coins and  getting back my MRT card deposit every time I purchase a single journey ticket! 

Hope I did not bore you with my 2nd day adventure in Singapore! :)

Keep smilin'

Stay happy!

Travel Report: Hotel Innotel, Singapore

Yes!  I'm in the beautiful City of Lion --- Singapore!

I arrived around 2pm and went straight to a grocery to purchase water, a unique Coca Cola bottle/can, some chips JUST in case the Anaconda inside my tummy gets hungry! :P  

I swear, a huge luggage won't stop me from checking out a grocery at the Terminal 2 before we headed to the city proper!  

I tell you, it was a super EVENTFUL bus ride!  I like the adventure but I got a lot of bonuses out of it!  Ahhh the driver was a classic!  I won't forget him for the rest of my life!  Not because of his driving!  Let's just say, I don't seem to understand him and he does not understand me either and we're both speaking in English!  *lol*   Okay, just leave it like that for now as I'm still super "embarrassed" :P

I booked our hotel at Hotel Innotel via Agoda.  I'm so happy that the hotel wasn't hard to find!  Based on reviews, the hotel prides its location as its just 2-3 minutes walk to the Doby Ghaut Station which connects to other MRT lines.

I want to compliment their service!  Once I got to the front desk, they have clear folders on all the online bookings and my file was found right away.  I was asked to show my passport and credit card to confirm the booking.  In just a couple of minutes after, I was ushered to the room!  Quick and efficient!  I  like it! 

Onto the hotel, the room is just a regular sized hotel room BUT its interior is modern!  I smiled once I saw this sight.... white paintings with a colorful stripes  accent at the back of the bed....my kind of room! :)

Here's the other side of the room, take a look on how "hip" the color of the door is!  Each room number has different color combination! 

The bathroom is small yet its surprisingly spacious!
Okay, I got myself confused here with my statement

but you'll know what I mean once you scroll down

 The sink is located OUTSIDE, just right after you stepped inside the room.  It takes a bit of time to get used to this room configuration!  I'm starting to like it though as this totally feels like "home".

 

The hotel room has a couple of hangers, 2 bath robes, a safe...

Basic toiletries.  Ahhh, I see coffee, creamer and sugar!  

*made a cup for myself and Mr. AMW*

 

The most important part?  The bed is not too soft nor hard!  Ahhh, because of the wonderful bed, I slept in and woke up a bit too later :P

Free WIFI/Lan internet.  Once they give you the room keys, they already have the internet password printed out for you to use!  Ooohhh, blow dryer is available in EACH room plus this super cute mirror!  

I can use the computer to look at myself in the mirror (normal and macro mode) anytime!  (as if! LOL)

Oh my!  Before I end this post, can I share something?  Remember those very thin, card-board like slippers that hotels give out to use for free?  Oh my goodness, cardboard bedroom slippers NO MORE!  The hotel has 2 pairs of really good quality hotel slippers! Call me childish but simple things like these matters to me!!!

Just in case you're interested, mission accomplished on day 1!  Adding up to Mr. AMW's Coke collection...

Right in front of our hotel, there's a cute lion smiling at us!  Can't help it but we need to take a shot of him sitting so cute! Check out his bangs! :P

And the saying that I totally agree ----

Spent a wonderful dinner at Watami Restaurant, The Center with gorgeous Blogger friends!  Most of them have to fly all the way from Malaysia for this!  Thank you so much girls!  I had a fabulous time and my tummy is super duper happy! :)

Singapore is a bit humid even at night but the wonderful friends I met and a whole lot of funny moments made me realize how lucky I am! :)

I'll report back when I get the chance!
Keep smilin'
Stay happy!