Day 2 in Singapore - Tour by Val & Jacob and Night Safari
What an amazing day! Our friends Val and Jacob are in Singapore at the same time as us, visiting their families for Chinese New Year so they offered to show us round. We met them for breakfast of Kaya Toast from a hawker and then they took us to the best tourist spots and to eat the delicious (and not so delicious) local food! We had seen lots of durian fruit in Kuala Lumpur and realised today that the strong smell which was all over city was durian. Val asked if we wanted to try durian ice cream, it was gross but worth trying and Val ans Jacob finished the pot so it didn't go to waste! It was also great to have them to answer our many many questions about local culture and food.
Merlion statue which is the symbol of Singapore. The founder thought he saw a lion but they aren't native to Singapore.
Walking around marina bay.
Durian ice cream - durian is an acquired taste and smell!
Red bean bao bun - so cute! Dinner was chicken rice (very popular) and mango salad (this was very spicy!).
Mall which has a canal running all the way through it, just off the marina.
Hindu temple on Temple Street (also have mosque and chinese temple on the same street).
Street art which was all over the city playing homage to the street vendor's past. These were moved into hawker centres. Jacob told us how there was worry that vendors in hawkers wouldn't exist as the stalls have stopped being passed down through generations.
Laksa, fishcake (otah) and barley drink. Really tasty meal!
In the evening, we visited Singapore's Night Safari which was the most incredible experience ever! The animals were so much braver and awake - I don't think that there was one animal we missed! There were also animals not in zoos we have been to before, eg. tazmanian devils and kiwis. We got the MRT and bus there for when the park opened and started with a presentation of tricks and facts of a few of the parks animals - it was like a theme park show in Florida. We then saw both tiger and lions being fed, we agreed that it was probably the closest we have ever been to a tiger! They had an offer when we booked for a free cocktail and snack (nachos with chutney and what resembled hotdog and baked beans) in a teepee half way round the park. After, we continued through the other sections to the tram which took you round to see the animals up close. This was incredible, a tapir was about 30cms from Dan and an elephant was showing off waving its trunk! We went back to the section we rushed whilst fast walking to the tiger feeding (running may have landed us with a fine haha) and then was asked to leave as the park was closing at midnight. We managed to squeeze in seeing a wallaby's joey before leaving though! Slight mishap was that the MRTs had stopped running so we got a bus to as far as we could in the right direction and then got a grab home (note to self: check how to get home in the future)! All in all, fab but busy day out!
Night Safari presentation. Most of the animals cooperated, although an owl didn't want to fly!
We now think all zoos should have a bar 1/2 way round!
