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| Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Singapore |
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| Sentosa Singapore |
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Rain Vortex, Jewel Changi Airport
Singapore |
" LIFE is shorter, live it. Memories are sweet, cherish it "
My childhood cousin brother Sung's beloved wife (Lee Sock Eng, aged 69) passed away peacefully in the middle of last week due to illness. My brothers & sisters in Kuala Lumpur were saddened to hear of the news & conveyed our deepest sympathy & condolences to cousin Sung and his family. May her soul rests in peace. Together with my wife, both of us made a visit to Singapore & attended her funeral & also a golden opportunity to "catch up" with my other cousin brothers & sisters residing in Singapore ! My last visit to Singapore was in 2016 !
For this Singapore visit, both of us extended our stay & using a Singapore MRT & LRT System Map & MRT smart card, I was able to bring my wife & visited a number of touristy places in & around Singapore (besides attending the wake & funeral). I also took the opportunity to meet up with my Singapore travel buddy, Mr Lam at Merlion Park followed by a guided walking tour to Chinatown of Singapore !
I stayed in brother Hong's house in Sembawang for the first two days & then checked into a hotel in Geylang for two additional nights.
This Singapore visit was my first overseas trip after the rapid spread of Covid-19 pandemic to various countries in the world since March 2020 ! A Movement Control Order (MCO) & Vaccination Program was imposed / implemented by the Malaysian Government after March 2020 to battle & curb the spread of the virus.
Both my wife & myself were glad that we were able to "roam" Singapore for 4 days during this Covid year of 2022, breathing "fresh air" in this small island country, ranked 5th in the safety & security domain, 9th in the 2022 Global Peace Index ! KM, Happy travelling & I am looking forward for my 2nd overseas visit (post Covid-19), this time to the Land of Smiles ie Thailand from Nov 20 > Dec 2 2022 ! Christmas is near the corner so keep smiling; season spinning again, the year keep rollin' by !
My travel buddy: my wife
Travel Itinerary: First Coach, Subang Jaya, Selangor (Malaysia) > First Coach Vista, Singapore (approx 370km, one way)
Total cost incurred: S$197 (Rm670) per pax
Bus: Rm188 (S$56) per pax
MRT: S$40 per pax
Hotel (2 nights): S$160 (twin sharing)
Homestay (2 nights in brother's HDB Flat): Nil
Food: $21 per pax
Exchange Rate: S$1=Rm3.40; S$1=US$0.711
Singapore Immigration Protocol: all travellers entering Singapore are required to submit your SG Arrival Card (provide personal information & electronic health declaration) within 3 days prior to the date of arrival (apply online or via "MyICA" mobile application). You will receive an acknowledgement (via email) upon successful application.
At the immigration Counter, you need to present your passport, SG Arrival Card (PDF download) or acknowledgement email (either hard or soft copy) & produce covid-19 vaccination certificate for checks by transport operators or authorities.
Travel Highlights:
1) Orchard Road, Singapore
2) Rain Vortex, The Jewel, Changi Airport, Singapore
3) Sentosa Singapore
4) Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
5) Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Singapore
6) Gardens by The Bay, Singapore
7) Raffles Place, Singapore 8) Boat Quay, Singapore
9) Merlion Park, Singapore
10) ArtScience Museum, Singapore
11) Helix Bridge, Singapore
12) Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade
13) Fullerton Hotel, Singapore
14) Speaker's Corner, Hong Lim Park, Singapore
16) Buddha Tooth Relics Museum, Singapore
Day 1 Saturday Oct 29 2022 - Express coach ride from my home place (Subang Jaya) to First Coach Vista, Singapore, travelling time approx 6 hours (inclusive of 2 immigration clearances if no major traffic jam at the check points) plus another 35 minutes of MRT ride from Bouna Vista > Sembawang & another 15 minutes walk to my brother's Hong home place. After a short rest, my wife & myself took a MRT from Sembawang > Boon Keng MRT station to attend an evening session of my cousin brother Sung's wife wake.
1) 09.45 Day 1 Saturday Oct 29 2022 - boarding First Coach from Digital One, Subang Parade, Petaling Jaya, Selangor > The Star Vista, Singapore (nereast MRT station, Bouna Vista), a return bus ticket Rm188 (S$55), travelling time approx 5.5 to 6 hrs via Tuas Malaysia / Singapore 2nd link; 4 departures from Subang Jaya daily (09.45, 11.45, 16.45 & 18.45)
12.20 Day 1 Saturday Oct 29 2022 - arriving at the R & R Highway Stop in Pagoh, Johor, 20 minutes break for light refreshment & toilet runs !
2) 14.30 Day 1 Saturday Oct 29 2022 - arriving at the Tuas Malaysia / Singapore 2nd Link, despite the weekend (however, there was a long queue of cars heading from Singapore > Johore Bahru, Malaysia direction), immigration clearance on both sides was smooth, photography prohibited inside the immigration premises !
3) 15.30 Day 1 Saturday Oct 29 2022 - arriving at the First Coach Star Vista, Vista Exchange Green, Singapore
4) 17.00 Day 1 Saturday Oct 29 2022 - boarding a MRT train from Bouna Vista MRT station > Jurong East (transit) > Sembawang MRT station (approx 40 mins) & stayed for 2 nights in my brother Hong HDB flat in Sembawang, Singapore. For my 5 days moving around the Singapore city, I used a ezlink MRT smart card (initial payment of S$10) & top up with extra cash if you are using the card for more frequent MRT or bus trips (minimum stored value is S$5). The card is valid for 5 years !
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| Sembawang MRT station, Singapore |
18.30 > 19.30 Makan Makan (Eating) - dinner with brother Hong's family in Yishun Life Seafood Restaurant, Yishun, Singapore; ordered 6 tai chow Chinese dishes totalled S$90 (a treat from my brother Hong).
20.00 >22.00 - took a MRT from Sembawang > Book Keng & together with my wife attended cousin Sung's wife wake in Mcnair Road, Singapore. Cousin sister Lan & her hubby drove us to Sembawang after attending the wake.
Day 2 Sunday Oct 30 2022 - a morning walk to Chong Pang Market & Food Centre for a breakfast followed by a visit to Orchard Road & attended the funeral of my cousin Sung's wife. After the funeral, my wife & myself made a visit to Jewel Changi Airport.
1) 07.30 Day 2 Sunday Oct 30 2022 - morning stroll with my brother Hong's family from Canberra Road to Chong Pang Market & Food Centre (approx 2km) passing through a number of private residences & up-market apartments in Sembawang area !
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| Sembawang Mart |
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| Sembawang New Town, Singapore |
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Canberra Residences,
Sembawang Yishun, Singapore |
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| Sembayang Spring |
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| The Sensonsa |
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| Selelaris |
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| A Bus Stop |
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| Sembawang Hotspring ? |
2) 08.00 Day 2 Sunday Oct 30 2022 - breakfast with my brother Hong's family (Jennifer, Wendy & Ryan) in Chong Pang Market & Food Centre, 105, Yishun Ring Road, Singapore; KM's delight fish porridge & carrot / yam cakes.
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| Fish Porridge S$3.50 |
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| Carrot Cake S$1.20 |
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| Yam Cake S$1.10 |
3) 09.00 Day 2 Sunday Oct 30 2022 - after the breakfast, our group took a town bus & visited the Giant Hypermarket in 604, Sembawang Shopping Centre (household & grocery shopping for my brother Hong's family).
4) 10.30 Day 2 Sunday Oct 30 2022 - boarded a MRT train from Sembawang MRT station > Orchard MRT station
5) 11.00 Day 2 Sunday Oct 30 2022 - visited the famous Singapore Orchard Road together with my brother Hong.
Tang Plaza, 310, Orchard Road, Singapore - founded by C K Tang, one of the oldest departmental store (1970s) in Singapore, the building's green tiled roof & facade was modelled after the Imperial Palace of the Forbidden City in Beijing.
ION Orchard, 2, Orchard Turn, Singapore - next to Orchard MRT station.
Takashimaya, 391, Orchard Road, Singapore - opened in 1993, an upmarket Japanese departmental store.
Isetan, 350 Orchard Road, Singapore - a leading Japanese departmental store.
Ngee Ann City, 391A, Orchard Road, Singapore
Mandarin Gallery, 333A Orchard Road, Singapore
Hilton Hotel, Orchard Road, Singapore
Orchard Shopping Centre, Orchard Road, Singapore
14) Pullman Hotel, Orchard Road, Singapore
Lucky Plaza, Orchard Road, Singapore - completed in 1981, one of the most successful shopping centres in Singapore !
Wisma Atrium, 60A Orchard Road, Singapore
12.00 Day 2 Sunday Oct 30 2022 - took a MRT train from Orchard Road > Somerset MRT station > Dohby Ghaut (transit) > Boon Keng MRT (to attend my cousin brother's wife funeral & cremation service) 
6) Boon Keng MRT station > McNair Road, Singapore (10 minutes walk to my cousin brother Sung home place)
7) 12.45 Day 2 Sunday Oct 30 2022 - lunch with my brother Hong in a Food stall near Boon Keng MRT station
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| Seafood Noodle Soup S$6.80 |
8) 13.15 Day 2 Sunday Oct 30 2022 - attended my cousin brother Sung's wife (Sock Eng) funeral in McNair Road & cremation service in Mandai Crematorium Hall 2, Singapore (14.30 > 15.30); my heartfelt condolences to cousin Sung & his family. Sock Eng maybe gone but will never be forgotten.
Feb 2016 - a memorable picture taken during my solo visit to Singapore, an evening dinner with my cousin brother Sung & his beloved wife (Sock Eng), two daughters & cousin sister Chang & hubby in Singapore. Cherish every moment & every person in your LIFE, because you never know when it will be last time you see someone !
Nov 2016 - a memorable picture taken during an evening dinner with cousin Sung & his beloved wife (Sock Eng) & 2 daughters & son-in-law together with my wife & myself in Dim Sum Haven, Far East Square, Amoy Street, Singapore ! A round table of smiling faces from a magnificent 7 !
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