May 1 – Singapore

Early start today with 8:30am pick up to take us to the Singapore Zoo for Breakfast with the Orangutans.

After lots of photo opportunities with these amazing apes, we spent a very pleasant morning wandering through other exhibits.

A thoroughly wonderful morning.

Hard to see, but Mum's keeping close to baby (on the left)

This afternoon we took the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) to the Gardens by the Bay. The MRT is an amazing, efficient, well designed and operated underground rail system with driverless trains. What the people of Sydney's north west have to look forward to.

The Gardens by the Bay have only been open for 3 years but with so much of the planting as mature specimens it is an amazing place to visit.

We spent 6 hours there all up. Wandering the gardens during the day time then staying on for the night shows. Superb.

Inside the Cloud Forest

Back in the Flower Dome now under lights

A beautiful sound and light show outside in the Super Tree Grove

Marina Bay Sands Hotel

May 2 – Singapore

After such a big day yesterday, we had a more relaxed start to the day. With a huge thunderstorm crashing over the city this morning it was just as well we had no firm plans for the morning.

The weather cleared by the time we left, but our plan to meander a shopping centre was thwarted because all shops opened late today due to the May day holiday yesterday. So this morning was sort of their public holiday and everything was opening later. How civilised.

So we took a taxi to Chinatown and wandered around for a while visiting parts of the area we had not explored on a previous visit. Then we visited the shops before heading back to the hotel to get ready for our Footsteps of Raffles tour.

We had hoped for a more historic commentary, but we did learn a bit more about how Singapore was established by Sir Stamford Raffles. The highlight of the tour, naturally, was high tea in the Raffles Hotel. Some of us indulged in a Singapore Sling. We learned about the history of that drink too!!

Our tour ended with a ride on the 'bum boat' up to the mouth of the Singapore River.

Bum boats which cruise up the river from Clarke Quay

Sculptures along the river bank

The Merlion - a Singapore icon

In the evening we met up with some others who would be sailing with us on our cruise. We had arranged to meet at a Hawker food market – Lau Pa Sat – a famous food market located in a historic Victorian building. A perfect end to our stay.

Tomorrow we have one last adventure before we board our ship.