Last month, I went back to Singapore to visit family and it had been ages since I last stepped foot in Marina Bay Sands. It must be 5 years ago when I went with my husband. A lot of my friends and family told me that I must visit Marina Bay Sands as they have so many things to eat and do. A particularly close friend of mine told me that it is her Saturday place to hang out with her family. So before we left for the UK, my sister took us there for dinner at Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine and we managed to squeeze in a few activities.
Marina Bay Sands is famous for its luxury hotel and the world’s largest rooftop Infinity Pool. It also has plenty of entertainment for all ages. If you have money to spare, maybe book a hotel stay and try out their infinity pool. We were not allowed to visit the pool as we were not hotel guests. If you are interested in the sky view, you can try out one of the five rooftop restaurants and bars on the 57th floor.
This place is very easy to get to as there is a direct MRT to the location. In fact, Singapore is so small, that it is easy to go from A to B. Also, all taxi drivers will know everywhere. As for cars, it is best to go early as the car parks are always full. If you like shopping, there are lots of branded shops for clothing. Also, the food court is good but very pricey compared to other local food courts. You can expect to pay $5 more per dish, but you will get good quality food there. They are all cooked by famous chefs.
Sampan Ride
This Sampan Ride is located at the entrance of the MRT Bayfront station on the Circle Line and Downtown Line. You will need to buy timed tickets at the counter before joining the queue at the allocated time. Do not attempt to queue before you buy the tickets. Also, it can get super busy on the weekend.
We bought the tickets at 5pm for an 8.30pm ride on a Saturday as earlier rides had sold out. Each ticket costs $13 which is quite pricey, especially as the ride is quite short.
We were the few lucky ones to catch the water cascade when we circled the Rain Oculus. Our pedalo stopped around the Rain Oculus for a few minutes to catch the last glimpse of the water features. This eco-friendly 22m-wide acrylic bowl collects the rainwater that fills the Canal. Every hour, there are over 22,000 litres of water released per minute from a skylight two storeys overhead.
ArtScience Museum – Future World: Where Art Meets Science
This exhibition is like seeing future art where everything is projected in light via digital art and interactive lights. If you have been to a Van Gogh Alive UK exhibition, it is similar to this. This is a permanent exhibition created in collaboration with teamLab, a renowned interdisciplinary art collective. You follow an exciting journey through City in A Garden, Sanctuary, Park and Space. You can draw, colour in and scan your artwork onto the big screen and see it interactively. It is great for all ages.
ArtScience Museum – MENTAL: Colours of Wellbeing
This exhibition features 24 interactive exhibits, art projects and large-scale installations. In addition, there are seven artworks by Singaporean and Southeast Asian artists that explore mental health from a uniquely Southeast Asian perspective.
This is not an exhibition about mental illness, treatments or cures, but a place where you can confront societal bias and stereotypes around mental health. I wasn’t too keen on this exhibition and also the queue for each interactive exhibit can be quite long. I didn’t have the time to explore it in detail.
Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine
This Cantonese-style restaurant is located on level 2 and is not easy to find. There are so many corners to turn before reaching this restaurant. Also, the toilet design is very poor. It is not disabled or family-friendly as it is small and there are steps.
However, the food is great, especially the Peking duck, but very expensive. For a family of six, we almost spent $500 on food alone. They are one of the best Chinese restaurant brands my family would go to for a meal.
If you are visiting Singapore, why not pop in and check it out?