A Solo Traveler's Fragments in Lion City

One summer day in August 2015, a sudden whim struck me: go travel. I hadn't been out in 4 years. The blow of a broken heart and the dullness of work made me unable to sit still. So on the 5th, I booked a Singapore free-and-easy package on Ctrip. August is peak tourist season, and the package cost over 5000 RMB for 3 nights and 4 days, with SilkAir daytime round-trip flights. Great value for money, I was thrilled!

Although the e-visa was simple and fast, I finalized the itinerary on the 5th and had to depart on the 19th—too rushed. There was a weekend, and it also coincided with Singapore's National Day holiday around August 11, I think. So I had to pay extra on Taobao for expedited processing. Luckily, it came through in just 2 days! Let's go!

At Xiaoshan Airport, I took a narcissistic selfie, which was seen by a friend who had studied in Singapore. He warned me: "Cover your belly when you go through immigration, or they might think you're a 'Northern Girl' and deport you—that would be embarrassing." PS: The airline even printed the wrong gender on my outbound ticket; the staff questioned me about it on my return flight.

2015-08-19 16:20-21:25 Xiaoshan, Hangzhou - Changi, Singapore! A solo 6-hour flight was very boring. I watched one movie and slept until we landed at Changi Airport. I almost missed the last subway train. For easier communication, safety, and convenience, I chose to stay in a small inn in Chinatown for the first few days: The Inn at Temple Street Singapore. It was okay; the front desk staff were Malay but could speak Chinese. From Chinatown, many must-visit attractions in Singapore are very close by subway. I recommend this area for solo travelers.

DAY 1:

Chinatown Food Court -- Universal Studios -- Clarke Quay

I got up early to experience a Singapore specialty: Laksa lemak. It was sour, sweet, and a bit spicy. To be honest, I wasn't used to it. Their assorted fruit teas were superb—nothing like the watered-down, artificial ones we have back home.

After eating, I headed straight to Universal Studios: located within Resorts World Sentosa. Take the MRT North East Line or Circle Line to HarbourFront station, exit via E to VivoCity's 3rd floor, then take the Sentosa Express. Get off one stop later at Waterfront station. The train was super crowded, and the distance was short, so I suggest walking straight to Chili's restaurant on the right. Turn right and head towards Universal Studios. The scenery along the way was beautiful. I had already booked tickets on Ctrip before leaving; I printed them out and could use the express lane to enter directly. Since it was summer vacation, there were many children. By around 10 AM, there were long queues everywhere. Each entrance had a sign showing the waiting time. I suggest families with kids buy priority tickets to skip the lines.

Route: Hollywood - Transformers (must-do) - Water World - Lost World - Far Far Away! There's a sign at the entrance telling you the queue time. Most attractions are world-class firsts or specially tailored for Singapore—another masterpiece from Universal Studios. Among Universal Studios' 24 attractions and the dual-track roller coaster, 18 are unique to Singapore, including the Battlestar Galactica-themed 42.5-meter-tall dual-track coaster and the Future Water World theater with 3,500 seats—the largest of its kind globally.

After about 3-4 hours of fun, I went to the Sentosa beaches to play in the water and see the big Merlion statue. As evening approached, I headed to the next stop: Clarke Quay.

Clarke Quay is a tourist attraction along the Singapore River. Go to the riverside bars and have a drink with friends to experience Singapore's vibrant nightlife. The famous Jumbo Seafood Restaurant is right here—you have to book in advance. When we went, the queue was 3 hours long, so we gave up and had Japanese food at a small bar by the river. Fortunately, the seafood was very fresh, or the disappointment would have been huge.