Day 4 - Marina Bay Day
Singapore Flyer (including Time Capsule)
Overview: Singapore Flyer is a 5 minute walk from Promenade station, which would have been a direct train ride for us on the Downtown line if we hadn't had to go via the Sofitel. We entered the complex from the river end - the main ticket window is at the other end (but it's not a long walk through a nice little garden). There are ticket machines placed around the complex, but we didn't use them because they only offered a combo ticket with the 'Time Capsule', which we hadn't been planning to bother with. At the ticket window, I discovered that it was actually included with all tickets now, and you actually have to go through there to get to the wheel.
We were pleasantly surprised by Time Capsule. It was a cute little (actually, kind of large!) exhibit that went through some of Singapore's history. Parts of it were quite interesting, but it had lots of great lighting and video effects to increase engagement. I took a lot of little video snippets instead of photos, so don't have much to choose from to upload here. We would have spent at least half an hour walking through, probably longer.
An observation wheel is always fun, and this one was no exception. The experience was definitely enhanced by having a cabin to ourselves, so we could move around wherever we wanted to see the best views at the time. It's great to see the changing view as you go around, finishing with the Marina Bay area. B also got a kick out of seeing the Grand Prix circuit. Once we were done with the wheel, we decided to walk to the Marina Bay area via the double helix bridge. It was only about a 10 minute walk to the shopping mall at the base of Marina Bay Sands, where we found a great food court for some lunch and a break.
Food: I remembered a large complex of little shops and a food court type place where we'd been planning to stop for a beverage and maybe a snack first. However, most of this was gone and there were only a couple of full restaurant type places or a little coffee kiosk on the ground level near the ticket window. We ended up getting iced coffees from there.
Crowds: The place was practically empty. Occasionally a larger group would come through, but I was able to get lots of photo and video of the Time Capsule exhibit with no other people in it, and we had a cabin all to ourselves on the wheel.
Cost: Basic tickets to the Singapore Flyer including Time Capsule were SGD $40 each.
Worth it? We really enjoyed the whole experience, was a highlight of our trip.
Gardens by the Bay - Supertree Grove (including Skyway)
Overview: We followed the signs to Gardens By the Bay from the shopping centre at Marina Bay Sands. It took us out onto a rooftop and across from there, which was a nice experience but there would also be a more indoor route with air-conditioning which might be more comfortable. The Supertree Grove is quite spectacular from a distance but it's also very interesting to see the supertrees up close. There are 2 attractions here - the skyway (raised boardwalk between supertrees) or the observation deck (around the top of the tallest supertree) - you can see both in the photo below. Unfortunately there was no combo ticket available, so we decided to just stick with the skyway. There is a ticket booth at ground level. For the skyway, you go up a lift inside a supertree at one end, and back down a lift inside another supertree at the other end. The ticket says there's a 15 minute time limit, but there's no real enforcement. We probably spent 20 minutes up there. We could see the clouds rolling in and there was a bit of distant thunder, but it mustn't have been deemed close enough to evacuate the skyway - they will for safety if there's lightning around.
Crowds: There were a few people around. We had to line up for 5 minutes for tickets, but didn't have to line up for the lift. Now and then we had to squeeze past people on the skyway, but for the most part there was plenty of space for everyone.
Cost: Tickets for the skyway were SGD $14 each.
Worth it? It's a fun thing to do and relatively inexpensive, but if budget is tight I wouldn't necessarily make this a priority. It's quite interesting just seeing the supertrees from the ground level.
Gardens by the Bay - Cloud Forest Dome (with Avatar overlay)
Overview: This is about a 5 minute walk through the garden from the Supertree Grove. There is also the Flower Dome, but we decided not to bother with that one since we were getting tired and B isn't really into flowers. This is a one-way experience - you enter at the iconic large waterfall, walk around the base, take the lift up to the top and then wind your way back again through the various experiences along the way. There are some amazing parts of boardwalk and with the current Avatar overlay there are some fun little surprises along the way. All with the amazing backdrop of the cloud forest plants. There are more fun surprises at the exit with some great interactive lighting effects.
Crowds: One of the most crowded places of our trip. There were lots of people at all the iconic photo opportunities, and some congestion in places on the boardwalk. It was probably just on the edge of my comfort level - it was still enjoyable, but would have been more enjoyable with fewer people!
Cost: I can't find our receipt, and can only find the cost for both domes online (which is currently SGD $53 per ticket), but I kind of remember it being SGD $40 each just for the cloud forest dome.
Worth it? This is iconic Singapore and a unique experience - I would encourage anyone visiting Singapore to do this. It's a little pricey but we still thought it was worth it. It's also a nice thing to do when you want to escape the weather (heat and/or rain!).
Marina Bay Sands Skypark
By the time we made our way to Marina Bay Sands from Gardens By the Bay, the weather had come over and they had closed the observation deck due to lightning risk. We went back the following morning as this was a 'must-do' for us.
Overview: We took the train direct to Marina Bay from Fort Canning on the Downtown line. From Marina Bay station we just followed the signs to Skypark and it was easy enough to get to. There's a ticket window but they encouraged people to use the machines instead. From there you line up to get your photo taken with a green screen (a handful of digital prints are included). They literally just took one photo before we were actually ready and then we had to move on (probably because it was so busy right at opening). From there it was another short line for the lift. The observation deck itself is not large, and there's only one corner where you can kind of see the infinity pool. On the way out, there was a stand selling printed versions of the photos we had taken on entry. Upon exiting the building, we unfortunately realised that the digital version didn't seem to be working, but that was resolved via email over the following few days.
Food: We had been looking forward to having a look around and then finding a nice table at the bar to have a refreshing beverage or 2, and maybe even some lunch, while comfortably taking in the views. Unfortunately we discovered that the bar doesn't open until 4pm on weekdays. It wasn't even midday yet, so we weren't willing to hang around that long! There was a kiosk open on the first level, but it was difficult to find a bench, and most of the benches were in the sun. B and I lucked out and managed to find one towards the exit overlooking Gardens by the Bay, but it still wasn't hugely comfortable and we just had one drink before leaving.
Crowds: We arrived right at opening time (by mistake) and there were quite long lines to purchase tickets and then for the lift to the top, and then a little congestion right at the entrance to the observation deck. If we'd gone to get a drink and come back, the crowds would have dispersed by then. Once we got to the top there were plenty of people around but it was still easy enough to find space.
Cost: Entry was SGD $32 each. We also bought our drinks at the top (but would have spent far more if the bar was open!).
Worth it? We both agreed that this was the most disappointing experience of our trip. The views were good, but we'd experienced plenty of viewpoints on the trip, and actually preferred the views that had the Marina Bay Sands in them. We managed to eek it out to about half an hour by finding a bench to have our drinks, but felt like we wanted more of an experience for the money.
We're only just starting obedience training - yours looks very well established! Here we are at registration night.
