If You Go: Singapore

Finally catching up on blogging!  Below are my recommendations from four days on the ground in Singapore.  It's an amazing, diverse, and hot city!  Even in November, I was stunned at how hot and muggy it was - so dress accordingly!

Hotel 

• Oasia Downtown: This hotel is like living in a modern. garden - it's close to downtown (especially Maxwell Center) and the entire hotel is covered in growing vines - with an amazing rooftop pool and a garden on the 27th floor.  Highly recommend!

Restaurants

Singapore is a foodie world capital - the origin of fusion food with world class Indian, Malay, and Chinese food at every turn.  I took several food tours to get to the various hawker centers and get out of my comfort zone...but these were a few of my favorites:

• Jumbo's Seafood: Most famous for their Chili Crab (amazing) - I also loved their cereal prawns.  Heaven on a plate 
• Din Tai Fung: This Hong Kong-based dim sum restaurant has a Michelin star - I tried this in Hong Kong a few years ago and couldn't resist stopping at this branch.  It was just as good! 
• Satay Street: I read this CNN article a few years ago - and it lived up to every expectation.  So much...I went back twice 

Things to Do 

• Night Time River Cruise: From Clark Quay, you can catch a river cruise that will take you out to see the light show at Marina Bay (note: you can also see this from the Fullerton Hotel).  Highly recommend the 8 pm ride - and grab an open air seat if you can to take pictures! 
• Monster Tour - Foodie Tour of Little India: I ended up being the only person on this tour, but gosh was it delicious!  We stopped at several spots around little India for some of the best food on the planet! The dosa and chutney alone, amazing.  Highly recommend.  Also...while you're in Little India, go to the second floor of the hawker center for some incredible sari selection 
• Betel Tour - China Town Foodie Tour: This was a slightly bigger tour...but just as interesting!  We popped into a hawker center, visited public housing, and enjoyed Kaya Toast.  Highly recommend 
• Orchid Garden: The most beautiful garden in Singapore... you walk through the Botanical Garden, which is nice, but not as nice as the Orchid Garden inside. Hundreds of varieties...the tiny orchids were my most favorite.  Stunning! 
• Gardens by the Bay: These glass domes house some beautiful, man-made gardens past the Marina sands hotel.  They were beautiful...and the rainforest was like a large version of Baltimore Aquarium rainforest. A lovely morning