First trip 2023. Third time SG.

When we went twice to Singapore last year, Mon shared if we could go back early in the 2023. He wanted to treat his parents to a quick vacation overseas, which would be their first ever trip out of the country. We thought of Hong Kong (which we have not visited since 2011), but the several testing requirements turned us off.

Nothing make’s a child more happy than to eventually have the opportunity to do this for their parents. So off to Singapore (again), we go!

Our flight to SG was around after dinner, but we reached the airport around 2:00 pm. Traveling has always been erratic, a hit or miss that one time, you clear everything in about an hour, then the next, it would take around three. We did not want to gamble and we’d rather that we arrive early and just wait it out.

We reached NAIA Terminal 1 with the check-in counters still closed, and we waited for the wall showing the flights to eventually show us where the counter would be. As soon as they announced where, we already queued despite it not being open within the next hour.

We were unsure how the immigration process would go for someone who’d be flying overseas for the first time. They, however, were asked only two questions: who they were traveling with, and when they are flying back.

Perhaps as they are already senior citizens, the immigration authorities did not take it negatively that it would be their first trip overseas. After that, we immediately went to the airport lounge.

Now, it was our first time using the PAGSS lounge. While I had the credit card from BPI giving access to this since we started traveling again last year, the partner lounge – Pacific Club Lounge – closed down during the pandemic. They only announce their new partner early December, thus we were excited to check it out.

The credit card allows 1 guest each for both the principal cardholder and the supplementary holder, thus allowing 4 people free access to the lounge. We just presented the cards to the receptionist, and then off to the seats we went. I did not manage to take any photos of the the lounge at Terminal 1, as my head was aching a lot with the lack of coffee. Nevertheless, we had a comfortable 2 and a half hour stay before we went to the boarding gate.

We were very excited for Mon’s parents, and they looked quite ecstatic during the almost 4-hour flight. As soon as we landed, they almost looked like there was a skip in their step despite it being almost midnight. It took a long time for our luggage to come out of the carousel, and we wasted already previous minutes before we even had the chance to drop by Changi Recommend’s kiosk.

The person manning the kiosk was the same Filipino guy who took care of the portable Wi-Fi devices in out last 2 visits. Of course, no chance of him recognizing us, but I knew enough it was him that I immediately talked to him in Filipino. We tested and everything was working fine.

We then immediately went to the basement where we can book a Grab Car to Hotel Boss.

I was wrong to think that everything would be seamless. In the first 10 minutes after we got inside the Grab Car, I just noticed that I have not chosen my card as payment method. We did not have enough SGD on our wallets (remnants from our last trip). I tried to change my the payment method, and tried adding other cards and virtual cards, but nothing worked.

We ended up paying the driver with USD, which, upon conversion, was about Php 1,000 more than what we should have paid. But at that point, we had no choice so we just gave in.

We checked in on the hotel, settled in our rooms, and prepared to sleep early for the next day.  And then, Changi Recommend’s Wi-Fi had no internet. At 2:00 AM.

I had to connect at the hotel’s spotty Wi-Fi (we cannot even play YouTube properly) just to contact their customer service via Viber. I was not sure if it was the location or the time of the day, but we had no internet. It was not resolved, thus I had no choice but to buy an eSim from KKDay in case the Wi-Fi still would not work the following morning. I left it to chance and hoped for the best.

The following morning, the Wi-Fi was already working, but the connection sometimes gets lost. At least I had an eSim we can use as back-up.

The view from the window showed it was drizzling. We already knew about two days before flying to Singapore that the weather may be rainy, thus we decided we had to go to where we needed to go as planned and not, well, let the rain dampen our trip (pun intended).

A quick breakfast and a 30-minute preparation, and then we braved the first day.

We almost had the same route that morning as our trip back in July. This time, however, I was more of the designated photographer for the trip, that I barely had photos of myself. It was for Mon’s parents, with me documenting as much as I can their well-deserved vacation.

One thing to note when traveling with senior parents was that everything should be done verrry slowly. An Amazing Race-type of a trip was never an option, as we had to pace ourselves with how fast they walk. On the flip side, it meant that we got to relax and leisurely walk from one location to another. It was more of their trip more than ours, thus they had to soak in the surroundings (and notice how our country can be better *ahem*).

We even passed by Mon’s office building when he stayed in SG for a business trip, before heading out to lunch. The rain, however, began to pour down again and we had to buy some of those transparent umbrellas just to get us 4 through the day.

We reached Lau Pa Sat before the rush of lunchtime, and managed to take a seat where most people would not accidentally bump us. It was a different story, on the other hand, ordering our food. The lines were already too long no matter which stall.

After lunch, we then headed to Fullerton, so we can drop by the Merlion even if it was drizzling. At that point, I was almost wet with my faulty umbrella.LOL Still, we were delighted to see Mon’s parents looking so happy despite the long walk and the increasingly getting stronger rain.

As soon as we reached the Merlion, we began taking loads of photos. No trip in SG would be complete without the mandatory shot with this landmark (although none of them did any of those ‘mouth open’ shots). At that point, the rain did not bother us that much, as we were really having a great time — even Mon and I who visited SG thrice in the last 6 months.

From Merlion, we then walked the perimeter of the waterfront to reach the Shoppes just to have coffee. Maybe because it was quite rainy, but the mall looked more packed than usual. It was even more difficult to get a seat at any café that it felt like a game of musical chairs each time somebody gets up from their chair.

At that point, we were already 10,ooo steps in, and I was surprised that Mon’s parents were able to keep up. We took the opportunity to rest our legs, which also meant it was difficult to walk after sitting for almost an hour.

After coffee, we head up the top floor of the Shoppes again to take the shortcut going to the Flower Dome. Alas, it was raining harder than usual that we had to choose either to wait it out and waste who knows how many minutes, or just brave it out. We chose the latter.

Again, looking for the silver lining despite the rain, we even managed to squeeze in some beautiful photos of Mon’s parents with the Singapore Flyer. It was sheer luck that my shoes never got soaked despite the downpour.

Inside the Flower Dome, I just trailed along them, taking some photos as they scrutinized every area. In the middle of our stay, we eventually had the opportunity to take tripod and timer shots, which were one of the few shots that the 4 of us were in one frame.

After exiting the Flower Dome, we went straight to the Supertree. We have not visited this in our last 2 trips to SG. On the other hand, we were not allowed to step out because of the rain — or else we slip and be the headlines in Singapore the following day.

There were not much to do there, which may not have been the case if it were not raining. At least we got that out of the way.

After leaving Supertree, we had to sit down in the benches and rest some more. Mon’s parents fatigue were already setting in, and the humidity was adding to the exhaustion. Still, we had one more stop that we booked from Klook: the SkyPark Observation Deck.

At this point, we got bit confused how to get to Marina Bay Sands. There was some sort of fair going on below Supertree that we had no idea where we had to exit just to reach that bridge going to MBS. It did not help that we also got confused how to get to the elevator going up to the Observation Deck, as the glass doors were closed.

We reached the Observation Deck through a different elevator and entrance that we had no idea why we did not use it last time. We were a confused bunch.

It was routine to have those cheesy chroma key photos with the Marina Bay Sands in the background, that I obliged posing with everyone. It was, again, not our trip. We got on the Observation Deck and it was freezing. Mon’s mother already looked very cold that it was a surprise she managed to stay there for almost 3 months despite the rain.

My umbrella also malfunctioned and got destroyed. I also lost the claim stub for a copy of the photo. I was such a mess.

It was our last stop for the day and then we headed straight back to the hotel with a take-out McDonald’s for dinner. It had been a long day, and we had another day for this vacation.

The next morning, the weather was a lot better. We also had to take it slowly as the previous day took a toll on their legs. We took our sweet time eating breakfast, so that we had the energy to last us another day.

Our first stop was at IMM Mall for some outlet shopping again. Aside from intending to buy souvenirs for the birthday of Mon’s sister, Mon also had to purchase a luggage for our winter trip to South Korea the following month. We were hoping that we get a good price with the American Tourister as last time.

We had to wait for the rush hour to subside as, although it was the same line from Lavender Station, we had seniors who needed to sit. The almost 30-minute ride was still no joke standing up.

At times, we had to go our separate ways to buy stuff, so we can utilize the time better. Mon had the portable Wi-Fi, while I used the eSim instead. I bought some scented candles and Body Splash from Bath & Body Works, and a couple of T-shirts on sale from Nike. I was not sure why Adidas’s items cost a bit higher than Nike, though.

Mon also managed to buy a luggage from American Tourister, and it cost even less than the yellow one I bought back in September. It was even a size larger than mine, that I was not sure if it would be accepted by the airlines.

For lunch, we had Popeye’s, which had no utensils nor vegetables for us; while for coffee, a quick trip at Starbucks before we head back to the hotel and drop off the things we bought.

We freshened up a bit at the hotel, before we went straight back to Clarke Quay. Same as last time, we booked this cruise from Klook, and we no longer had the same mistake of arriving late with our chosen schedule.

We got there 30 minutes ahead, allowing us to take loads of photos of Mon’s parents. We literally went everywhere to get as many shots as possible. ^o^

We were extremely delighted that the weather cooperated, and there was not one hint of rain after several days of rain in Singapore. We were the first ones to get in on the boat, and immediately occupied the furthermost seats with the best view. We did not listen that much to the narration on the screen, as Mon’s parents were too occupied given their comments and impression in the cruise.

I happen to catch a glimpse of Mon, who also looked very happy to finally pull of this trip after several weeks of planning. He was one proud son to do so. =)

After the cruise, I had no idea where we were headed, as I just allowed Mon to lead the way. We just walked the whole length of the road leading up to the Victoria Concert Hall, resting in between walks whenever a bench showed up on the road.

It was also my first time frequenting this area, and I enjoyed the walk as much as Mon’s parents had.

Little did I know that we will be ending up at Fullerton again, to see the Merlion. While the previous day was acceptable despite the rain, perhaps Mon had in mind a better evening around Marina Bay before sunset.

It was a good decision on Mon’s part to go back to this area: the weather was good, a good crowd has gathered, and the lights looked better with no rain in sight. Mon’s father had to sit down for several minutes near the Merlion, just people watching and possibly reflecting.

For dinner, as it would be more challenging to tempt them with other food, we just decided to eat at Mos Burger. Yes, I had to eat burger and fries, thinking we had to walk for 2 days straight. That amount of carbs on our last evening won’t hurt. =)

After dinner, we also waited a bit at the waterfront just to have a good view of the lights show from across the bay. We just stood there watching the lights, as well as criticized why the several floors in the middle building had differently colored lights, disrupting the view.LOL

The walk back to the subway station leading us back to the hotel, we still had several stops. Everything looked beautiful under the pretty yellow light, that it would be a missed opportunity not to get photos of Mon’s parents. Again, I was astounded how much energy they had left, despite the very long day we already had.

While walking, we also were having some sort of debriefing of their experience thus far, as well as any comments they have. Unsurprisingly, it was a mix of amazement and also sadness how such efficiency could only be just a pipe dream back home. Would we have such in our lifetime? I am not too optimistic.

While there may be steps, for instance, to somehow have transport efficiency, we were already fighting against poor urban planning that spanned decades. I was silently joking to myself that unless there was suddenly a Haussman renovation scale that takes place in NCR, any development just appears as band-aid solutions. (at least for common people like us).

Anyway, I’m no expert and we can just dream, I guess.

The following morning, we ate breakfast and checked out early from the hotel and took a Grab Car back to Changi International Airport. While our flight was on Terminal 4, we dropped by first at Terminal 1 so we can roam around and visit The Jewel.

No trip in SG will be complete without dropping by here, and I wanted to have a photo of Mon with his parents on such an iconic spot. We also ate lunch at Tim Ho Wan again same as last time, before we headed to Terminal 4. We also had to return the faulty Changi Recommends portable Wi-Fi that gave up on us the whole trip. =/

We were initially not sure where we could ride the free shuttle going there, but it was just across where the Grab has earlier dropped us off. The shuttle also arrives after every couple of minutes, that it would be impossible to miss it (there were also announced schedule especially for hours where there were less passengers).

After the self-check in and routine checks for our checked luggage, we immediately went past the immigration so we can finally relax and have coffee.

On our way to the airport, we changed last minute our seats to the front seats of the plane. We were not sure how packed the flight would be, but better be safe so Mon’s parents would not have to walk all the way to the middle. The flight, however, was not full. Still, we were content having to get off the airplane ahead of the others.

All in all, the trip was short but very meaningful. It is definitely something Mon’s parents would fondly remember, as the first trip overseas is always memorable. I still have vivid memories of my first trip in Hong Kong back in 2010 — how can I forget being asked to step aside by Hong Kong authorities to conduct an extra search on my bag, while Mon, who was Chinese-looking, was just allowed to walk straight ahead. LOL

After almost 4 hours, the lights of NCR in the evening gave a glittering hope that everything really looks amazing in the dark under the pretty yellow lights.