Bella Dyosa

Since last year, I’ve made it my annual tradition to travel for my birthday. Preferably international.

Previously, it was Bali, which I extensively talked about in my podcast, Bella Dyosa Says More. And this year, it’s Singapore. Another amazing solo travel for the books!

I was in the country for 2.5 days (stark contrast to my Bali trip, which was 10 days) and let’s say that I truly made the most of my time there – literally did not waste a second or hour. I wanted to see and experience as much as I could since it was such a short stay.

Now, if you read all about my Boracay tour, you’re probably scratching your head at what I just wrote. Yes, I wasn’t able to be my slow living Venusian self during this trip.

But yo girl clearly did not think things through when she booked her ticket, which were on sale (the chaos, the mayhem). So, I basically brought this upon myself.

How can one be a true Venusian with a 2.5-day stay in a bustling city? The answer is: you can’t. It’s freaking impossible.

Day 1

I touched down in Singapore at 12 midnight–cute, right? Already off to a not so Venusian start. I arrived at my accommodation, Lyf One-North, an hour later. But didn’t get to sleep until 2, because of all the settling down shenanigans.

I don’t know what it is about travel–the buzzing excitement of a new place or the slight nerves being in uncharted territory–that lets you function way beyond your capacity.

Like you would literally jump through a ring of fire with a predatory animal on the other end waiting to devour you and you’d still be high on life. Strange metaphor to get my point across, but you get it.

I woke up feeling a bit wonky from exhaustion. Which quickly changed as soon as I got ready. Because I had a hella bomb outfit on (ehem, ehem–you may refer to the first pic for reference 😗✌🏻).

I was on a mission. I had to hit as many sights on my Singapore travel list as possible this day. That way, I can chill out a little bit during the next.

First stop: Singapore Botanic Gardens.

If you’re a fan of flowers (and plants, greenery in general), henny, this is the place for you! It’s such a fab location to do your cardio in too. I spotted a couple of joggers while strolling and taking in the lush scenery.

Little did lil’ ol’ me know that magic was just about to happen.

I covered a fair amount of ground before I decided to enter the National Orchid Garden. Like several other people, I find orchids beautiful. Having the privilege to see a TON of them in one garden, in all shapes and forms? Astounding.

And it is in this exact astounding place that I bumped into Dani.

Side note: I didn’t have photos with her yet at this point of the trip obviously. But she will be making an appearance at some point in this post.

A fellow solo traveler (from Germany), Dani was in Singapore for a week. She first approached me asking to take a picture of her in one of the many photo spots in the garden. Then, offered to take a picture of me.

The interaction could’ve ended just like that. A minor encounter between strangers who needed to take photos of each other. But for some reason, I felt called to extend the conversation by asking, “Are you on your own as well?”

All it took was one question and we got comfy talking about our respective situations. We then exchanged numbers and went our separate ways for the meantime.

I know what you’re thinking. STRANGER DANGER!! WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK ARE YOU DOING?????? THEY COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIAL KILLER!!!

Girl, what in the world would a serial killer be doing in SINGAPORE, of all countries? As a smart woman once said, “You might want to think about wising up.”

Tenor.com

Anyway, after that Serendipity-like experience, my next stops were Merlion Park and the National Gallery Singapore. And before I get into that, I need a moment to celebrate my favorite mode of transportation in this country, which is the train aka SMRT.

Not only is it easy to navigate, it’s also super safe. When I tell you I have never felt so much bliss and security in one place, I’m not exaggerating. The SMRT is one thing, but Singapore, in general, makes a semi-paranoid woman like me feel completely safe and secure.

Of course, there is still a level of alertness and vigilance that I have to keep up. But I didn’t feel like I had to watch my back 24/7 during my Singapore trip.

So, back to Merlion Park and the National Gallery.

I feel like I would’ve appreciated the Merlion statue better if there weren’t so many people. Though I’m still glad that I got to see it in its glory! While at Merlion Park, I also got a far (and still great) view of the Marina Bay Sands. Quite the marvel to look at.

After a quick coffee break at Starbucks, I headed to the National Gallery. As a museum girlie, this was… the one. I mean, I highkey enjoyed being in an air-conditioned space naturally. But all of the beautiful art I got to revel in on display here was, as the French would say, “C’est magnifique.”

Also, mini shoutout to the kind Singaporean lady who guided me through the various exhibits available. She was right in immediately knowing that I would appreciate the Filipino art the most.

Juan Luna’s España y Filipinas–the one with the four women (who, in my opinion, are goddesses) walking up the stairs–was my favorite. Pretty obvious why: Bella Dyosa aka beautiful goddess loves her goddesses lol.

I really took my time here in the National Gallery. It’s a shame I didn’t get to view Teo Eng Seng’s “We’re Happy. Are You Happy?” exhibit fully. Although the pieces that I did get to see were awesome.

To wrap up the first day of my Singapore tour, I had two last stops: Lau Pa Sat and Gardens by the Bay.

Dani and I agreed to meet up at Lau Pa Sat for dinner. By the time we arrived at the place, it was packed. There was a ton of variety of food–heaven for all foodies, to say in the least. Weirdly though, I wasn’t starving after the long day I had (must’ve been the chicken curry rice bowl with scrambled egg I had for brunch).

We walked around for about 15 minutes before making our final choice. Which was the soy milk tea–my first ever and it’s so freaking GOOD–-with popping mango boba, plus this dense Chinese bread. The name of the bread escapes me, but it paired well with the beverage.

We wanted to stay a bit longer for some satay (eeeeyyy 🤪🤙🏻), but unfortunately, the queue was long and we had to catch the evening light show at the Gardens.

Needless to say that the aforementioned sight was also packed. As expected. It is a highly popular tourist sight after all. Regardless, we both enjoyed the show and thought it was worth the visit despite the huge crowd.

Day 2

After the whirlwind that day one of my solo trip to Singapore was, it was time to take it down a notch for day two. The Venusian in me needed it – follow the plan: do the most on the first day, then do the least (ish) on the second day.

Since I was badly craving some sort of comfort food, I decided to start my day with the local delicacy, kaya toast. Through a quick Google search, I found out there was a hawker center near my accommodation, literally a 6-minute walk away.

And I loved every single minute of it (at least 10 minutes though, contrary to Google Maps’ estimate – grain of salt, always). It gave me a great chance to see the neighborhood more. Case in point: any place in Singapore is walkable and it’s one of the many things I adore about it.

When I arrived at Timbre+ One North at around 11 AM, there weren’t too many people. So, I ordered and ate my food in blissful peace. I guess that was the advantage of staying in a less tourist-y part of Singapore. Absolutely no complaints.

Despite the Godsent tastiness of my kaya toast, it wasn’t filling enough for me, so I got the chicken rice for takeout. Then, happily ate it in my room.

Shortly after, I received a text from Dani that we should probably head to the ArtScience Museum. It was already drizzling and it would be better to be at the venue before the rain gets any worse.

I had lovely train ride as usual and reached the destination in half an hour.

Side share: The museum was going to have a Studio Ghibli exhibit the same month but on the day of my flight out. As a huge Ghibli fan, you can imagine my disappointment. I, at least, got a pic of Ponyo by the museum’s sign (see first collage for day two).

Nonetheless, the existing exhibit was wonderfully whimsical. Interactive and vibrant. Perfect for kids! I immediately thought of my nephews who would love the heck out of it. As for adults, you will swoon over the pics you take here. I know I did.

While we enjoyed the exhibit thoroughly, it was short-lived. Literally. We thought that there would be more to see and experience but the outside world greeted us way sooner than it should’ve. This would probably be our one minor critique about the museum.

Then, we headed to Din Tai Fung for a quick lunch. Dani had never been and as a fan of the restaurant, I encouraged her to try it. After all, one can never go wrong with Din Tai Fung. Unmatched xiaolongbao. Fight me jk.

As we munched on scrumptious food, we were torn between visiting Sky Garden or revisiting (just to see it during the day) Gardens by the Bay. After consulting with a local, they recommended the latter. Which was an instant regret the minute we got there.

We wanted to walk on the OCBC Skyway – a must on a Singapore trip. Unfortunately though, the queue was long. It was past 4 PM when we arrived and we were meeting Dani’s friend, Jannik, for drinks at 6 PM. So, our visit was clearly a bust.

Well, half a bust. It was still nice to see the Gardens during the daylight and take a few cute photos. Right after, we went to Dani’s place to rest for a bit before meeting up with Jannik near a popular rooftop bar, Lantern. The plan was to get drinks here.

Which, for some odd reason, did not work in our favor as they were full due to a corporate event. Another full bar (also because of a corporate event, what are the chances) later, Dani and Jannik decided to buy a couple of beers at the nearest 7-Eleven and find seats just outside the Marina Bay Sands to chill out momentarily.

Why didn’t I get a beer too? Not a fan. Thought I would stick to water. Dani did offer me some of hers and the taste wasn’t so bad. German beer, on the other hand, might make me change my mind. But for now, nah.

Alcoholic beverages aside, pairing good company with a good view of Singapore’s city skyline was a fantastic experience. I got to know both of my Gen Z German companions more and exchanged fascinating stories with them.

Dinner time soon alerted our stomachs, so we headed to Haji Lane and Arab Street. We ended up eating at Cappadocia, a Turkish restaurant. Delectable food! But at a high price, my friends lol.

There was a bit of entertainment as well – at least for me. I was lowkey eavesdropping on a group of Spaniard travelers who were having an argument with their tour guide. It eventually fizzled out, but their guide was going AWF.

To end our night together, Dani, Jannik, and I explored Little India. Admittedly, we got a little lost at some point. However, we instantly bounced back and found our way. Gen Zs 🤝 Google Maps, amirite?

I have to be honest though. Little India at night was the one place where I felt less safe as a woman. There were just… a LOT of men and a LOT of stares. It was off-putting for me and Dani. Luckily, we had a gigantor guy with us, so mini tip for any other female solo travelers out there.

Final thoughts

Best believe that I’m going back! I have to use up the left credit in my EZ-Link card. Plus, I can’t miss the S.E.A. Aquarium and Jewel at the airport.

The Jewel is at Terminal 1 and sadly, my airline was stationed at Terminal 4. I opted for the shuttle bus, but the queuing time was 34 minutes. Yo goddess had a flight to catch. I wasn’t going to risk it.

I do love Singapore, but not THAT much. 😂 Changi Airport is certainly one of the best airports in the world though, it has to be said.

Even if it was short, there was something magical and serendipitous about my Singapore solo travel – from a platonic meet cute to an eventual bonding and befriending of great individuals.

So, here’s to more serendipitous travels in the future! May they be filled with profound, life-changing experiences and enchanting encounters. Just like in the movies.