A Stay at Fullerton Hotel, Singapore

The moment you step off the plane and into Changi Airport, one is welcomed with a kaleidoscope of changing colourful blooms and plants spread over a number of landscapes INSIDE the terminals.

Once outside the terminals, one is embraced with sight after sight of beautifully structured and well-maintained gardens, vibrant greenery and a medley of colours. Going through Customs was a breeze. Officials exceptionally courteous and respectful of elderly people like us😊. Our chauffeur was waiting for us and was almost “demanding” in us not touching any of the luggage…. he had it all covered! …. and as he drove us through the city and onto our hotel, he acted as our “tour guide” in explaining all that we went past.

Our Palladian Suite (771) was exceptionally spacious with spectacular views from our balcony of the Singapore River, the Asia Civilization Museum, the Victoria Theater and the parks beyond.

Looking out to the left from the balcony, both banks of the river are lined with eateries.

Further in the distance, we saw the Peninsula Hotel which is the hotel we stayed with our children in 1992 the first time we visited Singapore! The appointments of this suite are of impeccable standards matched by the hotel’s neatness and cleanliness. I shouldn’t forget to mention however, that the humidity outside is HIGH!

Before we were seated however, the maitre’d invited us to go to the bar upstairs. We did that and what a find it was for it commands one of the most mesmerizing views of Singapore’s skyline and Marina Bay Waterfront. Wherever we looked in the 360 degrees vista, we were hypnotically held more so as “day transitioned into night”.

Back downstairs to the restaurant Manager Jay Noir personally took care of us, making us feel “exclusive”. We were fortunate to be placed next to a window with the fullest of views! We were the last patrons out and when we asked Jay to take a photo of us with the distant nightlights as our background, he escorted us to a private balcony for a simply majestic, unhindered view. A very romantic shot…. Thank you Jay.

On reaching the end of Marina Boulevard, we made a beeline for Gardens by the Bay sculptures as it was the furthest point of today’s excursion. It took us about 30 minutes to walk from the hotel to this point but on arriving, it was a remarkable sight….a truly visual treat to “first time” visitors like us.

Gardens by the Bay is home to more than 40 sculptures representing different aspects from around the world and each is surrounded by its own complimenting and colourful garden. Sculptures included the likes of Dragonfly & Kingfisher, The Canyon and others. Many of them are quite artistic and picturesque yet a few of them I simply failed to be impressed with. I seriously struggled to comprehend any meaning attached to the massive statute of a white baby!!

From the Skyway we made our way to the Cloud Dome, also located in the Gardens by the Bay. Difficult to describe and expect to do it justice. This dome is like stepping into a rainforest kingdom high in a mountainous region with breathtaking views! It’s almost like being transported into a Jumanji movie inclusive of a world covered in mist. It simulates breath-taking mountain views surrounded by diverse vegetation and floral gems. All the features on display such as waterfalls add “real-like” dimensions to this “world”. More important than the aesthetics of the spectacle is that it actually teaches visitors all about the eco-system emulated. It’s a replica of what’s going in similar but inaccessible regions of the world! We spent about 90 minutes here and I found the experience incredibly serene.

By this time, it was late afternoon and decided to begin our (but unhurried) way back to the hotel.

We made our way to the next “attraction” which happened to be the Marina Bay Shopping Mall, which sits “under” the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, in itself a remarkable construction with the world’s largest infinity pool perched high above.

Surprisingly, this shopping mall doesn’t even feature in the top 25 largest shopping centers in the world!

The shopping options are immense and most are geared towards the “high-street market”. In fact the largest Louis Vuitton outlet in the world is located here.

There are literally hundreds of shops, dozens of world-class restaurants and some sophisticated cafes and bars. The mall’s spectacular architecture, featuring giant glass windows, vast open atriums and a central water feature – all particularly pleasing on the eye.

Back to the shopping in this mall, Nanna and I started “hunting” for the grandkids’ major presents (electronic games, toys and fashionable clothing shops got a workout😊). It was always our intention to do most of our shopping here as it was our last stop on this year’s 4-month overseas journey.

Towards the end (I think it was around 11.00 pm) we found ourselves in this particular atrium which was a convergence of Venice-like canal rides (called Sampan Rides), digital light displays and waterfalls. Quite entertaining actually.

It was well past midnight by the time we finally walked back into our hotel but not before we were politely directed by police to detour as some of the main roads were closed due in preparations for a national holiday event.

I should mention that there will be NO GYM session in the next morning as yours truly ended up carrying Nanna’s considerable shopping “conquests” back to the hotel…. yea, perhaps a glutton for punishment😊