Manila to Singapore Cruise: Singapore, part 2

by Bethany Explores April 19, 2025

In this seventh post of a multi-part series, Bethany explores more of Singapore on her Manila to Singapore Cruise on Crystal.

Welcome to the rest of my fabulous visit to Singapore! This is the second of two posts that covers my time in Singapore. Follow along as I continue to explore Singapore with a day in the city, a spin on the Singapore Flyer, and a fantastic foodie tour.

Manila to Singapore Full Itinerary

Below is the full itinerary for the trip. This post includes details about the second half of my time in Singapore. Looking for info on other stops? Check out the ‘Links’ section at the end of this post!

February 23-25: Manila, Philippines
February 26: Boracay, Philippines
February 27: Puerto Princesa, Philippines
February 28: At sea
March 1: Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
March 2: Muara, Brunei
March 3-4: At sea
March 5-7: Singapore
March 8: Hong Kong

So Long, Crystal Symphony

I had my last few hours on the ship this morning before disembarking. It was raining when I got up, so breakfast was inside today. But the rain stopped, at least temporarily, after breakfast. I snapped a quick flag pic on the ship (this is not my first time in Singapore, so it’s not a new flag for me to capture!) and enjoyed a few last views of the skyline from the ship. My driver was waiting to pick me up, and he took me to my hotel so I could drop off my luggage.

Exploring Singapore

After dropping my luggage off at my hotel, I headed out to start exploring Singapore on foot. The light sprinkles continued here and there, but luckily no full rain! Singapore is a great place to simply wander and explore…I found lots of beautiful views and interesting architecture everywhere.

Singapore is a very clean city, with lots of walking paths for pedestrians so it is easy and safe to navigate on foot. There are colorful flowers, striking architecture, and whimsical statues throughout the city.

Walking through the city gave me a great overview of everything. There is an interesting mix of large, modern buildings and smaller, historic buildings throughout the city. The Singapore River winds through the city, and the waterfront areas along the river are filled with shops, restaurants, offices, and hotels. There are many pedestrian tunnels that run under the river, making it very easy to walk everywhere.

Merlion

One of the many popular tourist attractions in Singapore is Merlion Park. The Merlion, the official mascot of Singapore, is a half lion / half fish mythical creature. There are six different Merlion statues throughout Singapore. I stopped to visit the original (and largest) one at Merlion Park. It is 28 feet (8.6 meters) tall. One of the other six statues is a smaller one (6.5 feet / 2 meters), which is located in a small park behind the larger one in Merlion Park. The smaller one is commonly called the “Merlion cub.”

Grand Park City Hall Hotel

My lovely home for two nights here in Singapore is the Grand Park City Hall. It is centrally located, making it a great “home base” for my visit. My room was on the 10th floor. I had a great view of the Marina Bay Sands, the iconic three-tower hotel and resort that dominates the Singapore skyline. The room itself was large, comfortable, and well laid out.

A Fling on the Singapore Flyer

After checking into my hotel in the early afternoon, I headed out to the Singapore Flyer. It was a fairly long walk from my hotel, but I enjoyed the fresh air and views along the way! I had pre-purchased a special ticket that also included a Singapore Sling. I checked into the VIP lounge area and was then escorted to the Singapore Flyer. They ushered me into my capsule (which I had all to myself!) and handed me my drink. The capsule door closed and I was on my way.

The Singapore Flyer has an overall height of 541 feet (165 meters). It is only surpassed by the High Roller in Las Vegas (550 feet / 167.6 meters). It has 28 capsules, each of which can hold up to 28 passengers. Needless to say, the views were pretty spectacular on the approximately 30-minute experience. I got to see the entire city, including the Gardens By The Bay (where I visited the day prior), the port area where the Crystal Symphony was still docked, and my hotel and the surrounding area.

A Quiet Dinner

After an exhilarating day exploring Singapore, I headed back to my hotel for a quiet evening. I had been fed very, very well on the ship so I was not nearly hungry enough for a proper dinner tonight. I decided to just order a cheese plate from room service. A wonderful plate was delivered, which is precisely what filled the bill tonight! I enjoyed nibbling on the goodies while looking out at some of the lights of Singapore from my hotel room window.

Exploring the Hotel

The next morning started my last full day in Singapore. I enjoyed breakfast in the VIP lounge in the hotel (the room I booked included lounge access). I then headed up to the rooftop garden on the 12th floor of the hotel. The garden itself is quite lovely up here, and the views are pretty amazing as well.

I enjoyed the peaceful views from the rooftop garden as the sun rose. I then headed down to the 4th floor to snap a few pictures of the pool area.

Ethnic Quarters Foodie Tour

I had a wonderful tour called “Ethnic Quarters with 9 Tastings” this morning, which I booked through ToursByLocals. This tour covered the three main ethnic quarters in Singapore, with tastings of local food and drink along the way. My local guide met me at my hotel and we took a taxi to our first stop.

Kampong Glam

The first stop was Kampong Glam, Singapore’s Muslim Quarter. The main thoroughfare here is Arab Street. There are many gorgeous 19th-century shophouses lining the streets. These are now shops, restaurants, and small offices. Visually, these shophouses reminded me a lot of Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

The central landmark in Kampong Glam is the stunning golden-domed Sultan Mosque. The neighborhood is filled with small streets and alleys, with many colorful murals on full display.

The food tastings here in Kampong Glam were delicious! I started with Teh Tarik, which is known as a “pulled” tea because of the way it is mixed (you can see the image at the bottom of the first photo below demonstrating the “pulling” technique). Along with the delicious tea, I also got to sample a curry puff. The final local dish I tried here is called Nasi Lelak, which is a fish and rice dish. It was all a deliciously wonderful way to start the tour!

My guide then led me on a walking tour through Kampong Glam, on our way to the next stop. The colorful storefronts along Haji Lane were very eye-catching.

Little India

The next stop of the tour was Little India. Like the first stop, this area is also teeming with many colorful shops and restaurants.

My guide brought me to the Tekka Center, a massive place in Little India which is part wet market, part food court, and part shopping mall. I found a seat at a table while my guide set out to collect the next three tastings for me.

First, I tried Onion Bonda (a deep-fried onion fritter) served on Thosai (a popular South Indian crepe made from a fermented batter of rice and lentils) with dipping sauces on the side. I also tried Appam (a thin pancake made with fermented rice batter and coconut milk; traditionally cooked in an appachatti, a small, deep pan like a wok). My guide told me his grandmother served him Appam often for breakfast when he was growing up…he explained the best way to eat it is to tear a small piece of the crepe, dip it in the coconut milk, then dip it in the sweet orange sugar. It was really, really good!

Chinatown

From Little India, my guide took me to the closest MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) station to catch a subway to our final stop of the tour. After a short subway ride, we emerged in Chinatown. Like the first two ethnic quarters on the tour, Chinatown was also filled with vibrant shops and restaurants. The busy pedestrian-only side streets were packed with locals and tourists alike.

We stopped at one of the hawker centers here in Chinatown, a large market area with stalls selling food on one level, and clothing and other goods on various other levels. My last three tastings on the tour included:

Popiah: a fresh Popiah skin (similar to a thin crepe or tortilla), filled with minced garlic, Sambal chili, sweet sauce, grated peanuts, crispy tempura bits, eggs, cucumber, stir-fried jicama and carrots, and coriander. The stall here is actually a Michelin-rated restaurant!
Chwee Kueh: a steamed base made of a mixture of rice flour and water, topped with diced preserved radish and served with chili sauce
Hainanese Chicken Rice: poached chicken served over seasoned rice, with chili sauce and cucumber garnish. This is considered one of the national dishes of Singapore.

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

My guided tour after the last tastings in Chinatown, so I had some time to further explore the area on my own. I visited the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. There was a tooth found in a collapsed stupa (a Buddhist structure which contains relics), which was claimed to be part of the remains of Buddha. The tooth measured nearly 3 inches (7.5 centimeters) long, which is much too long for a human tooth. But the myth was born!

The temple is gorgeous. It has several different levels, many of which are open to the public and are actively used for prayer or meditation.

I wrapped up my visit in Chinatown by wandering the busy streets filled with people, shops, and restaurants. Each of the three ethnic quarters I visited today were beautiful, vibrant, and interesting.

Cooling Down After a Hot Day

After a wonderful tour filled with beautiful sights, interesting stories, and delicious food, I made my way back to my hotel. I found a welcome oasis at the pool. A refreshing swim in the pool was exactly what I needed on this very hot and humid afternoon in Singapore. It was the perfect way to relax and refresh, in preparation for the long journey back home in the morning.

Conclusion

My wonderful time in Singapore wrapped up with two full days of amazing adventures. From wandering through the city, to a fling on the Flyer, to a fantastic ethnic food tour…my time in Singapore was very well spent. There is so much to see and do here that I feel I only scratched the surface. But this vibrant city is amazing!