After completing immigration at Changi, we stored the bags at the EasyBaggy counters. The taxi ride from airport to our hotel ate up 10% of the cash we carried (since its 1.5 times normal price after midnight). Arriving at our hotel at 2am, we just called it a night.
Early morning, we set off to Srinivasa Perumal Temple near our hotel. It is a national monument and one of the oldest temples. It is famous for its 20 meter tall gopuram decorated with Vishnu avatars.
Next we took the MRT to BoonLay for Jurong Bird Park. JBP is a famous romantic tourist attraction managed by Wildlife Reserves of Singapore (in addition to the Zoo, Night Safari and River Safari). In this trip, we only managed to visit JBP, the rest in another trip. NOTE: the monorail is useless, it is best to explore the park on foot - this is the only way to see all the birds, exhibits and shows. Don't miss the Lory loft, African waterfall, birds-n-buddies show, flamingo lake etc. You can feed the birds in Lory loft and get some pretty close shots of the birds. A very enjoyable 3 hours.
Close to JBP are two theme gardens connected by a bridge - Chinese Garden and Japanese Garden. They depict the architecture and landscaping styles of the respective cultures. The main features of Chinese garden are the pagodas, stone boat, statues of legendary heroes, bonsai garden etc.
In Japanese garden, we enjoyed the rock garden and stone lanterns. These gardens are very quiet, peaceful and full of nature - a must visit.
Next up was Chinatown. The moment you alight at Chinatown MRT, you can feel the place - shops, buildings, people, museums, temples. Buddha Tooth Relic & Museum is a must visit - very serene. Each floor contains various relics and chambers. The Buddha pavilion is awesome.
From Chinatown, one can take the MRT to the city or just walk (only 2kms) - we decided to walk to Singapore River - various sights to see here. Cavenagh Bridge is the oldest standing bridge, Fullerton Hotel - an old post-office converted into the most expensive hotel, Merlion sculpture, Central Business District's skyscrapers and Esplanade mall. One can also get excellent views of Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Flyer and the city scape.
Our last activity for the day was the Singapore River Cruise offering amazing views of the buildings, bridges, riverside shops, Clarke Quay and Marina bay.
The "WonderFull" laser-lights and fountains show was a fitting and relaxing finale for the 1st day. The plaza opposite to Marina Bay Sands provides excellent views of the show.
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