72 Hours In Singapore
I had this idea. I was getting a little bored with Perth and we had just spent the last couple of years basically isolated from the rest of the world due to Covid19 and the hyper inflated airline prices once countries started re opening. I wanted to do something new, something to put me on the spot and challenge me. so I came up with the idea of “what if I could travel to another country & photograph it in a single weekend? The Main goal I set myself was to cram in as much photography and see as many places as I could in 2 full days and capture the subjects, buildings and daily life in Singapore.
Before we get into it ill go over what i brought for the Trip, Things you might need before visiting Singapore, and getting around. .
Photography Gear Taken:
Nikon Z7
Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 s
Fujifilm X100v
Peak Design 6L Sling
Spare batteries for each camera
SD Cards and XQD Cards
IPad Air 13
I packed all of this into my Gopro Daytripper backpack. Other items included Glasses ‘Both Reading and Sunglasses, some headphones and Passport’
Because of Singapore’s warm humid climate I basically just took shorts, t-shirts and some good walking shoes. I doubled up on everything which ended up working in my favor as I ended up changing twice a day due to the humidity and amount of walking I did. ‘don’t forget sunscreen!
The Case I use is the 70L Kathmandu Hybrid Trolley, this case has never let me down and had traveled with me to many countries now.
Entry Into Singapore:
Before you Visit Singapore you will need an arrival card and possibly a visa depending on your Country, for Australian Passports we only required the arrival card.
Singapore Visa: Click here to check if you require a via
Singapore Arrival Card: Click here
Transport:
There is a plethora of transport options to help you get around in Singapore.
MRT ‘subway’
Taxi )
Bus
Cycle Hire
Walking - Singapore’s city was developed to make it as easy as possibly to get around on foot.
Day one was a travel day. I finished work at the usual time of 1:30 on a Friday, went home, had a shower, and did some final packing before saying my goodbyes to my wife and son. Then, I hopped into an Uber to the airport. It felt weird to think I'd be back in only a few days, and it was starting to sink in a little bit. I had done solo trips inside Australia but never overseas.
Check-in at the airport was smooth and probably one of the quietest I've seen. My flight was on a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner run by Singapore's budget airline Scoot. The 5-hour flight was more than comfortable, along with a couple of movies I pre-downloaded onto my iPad.
Getting through customs in Singapore was very straightforward. Once through, it was time to collect my luggage, which was already waiting for me on the conveyor. Due to how late it was, the trains were no longer running, so I grabbed a lift in a Taxi and headed into the city.
Now it was starting to sink in, and the excitement for the next day's adventure was growing. I had chosen to stay somewhere as central as possible, and the Lyf Funan was the perfect spot. It's a modern hotel with an emphasis on being social, and it had everything I needed for my stay. With that, it was time for a much-needed sleep.
Day two: The first day of exploring the city, and I was out the door as fast as I could. I brought two cameras with me on this trip, but it's still one of the lightest setups to date. I had a Fujifilm X100V with its fixed 23mm lens (35mm full-frame equivalent) and then my trusty Nikon Z7 with a Nikon 50mm f/1.8mm prime. Having two prime lenses would not only keep my setup lighter and less ponderous over which lens to use but would also make my shots more uniform and force me to work for my compositions.
My first stop was Marina Bay. It was a weekend, and I knew it could be a good spot with lots of interesting subjects to capture. As I made my way, I noticed a huge grandstand and the loud projected music of a marching band. Little did I know that Singapore was in the preparations for its National Day of Independence which explained why there was the Singapore flag almost everywhere you looked, you could feel the sense of Patriotism in the city. I managed to capture this shot and continued on.
Upon reaching the bay, I realized quite quickly that I was going to struggle to get a shot of the Merlion, which was okay as it wasn't on my main shots list. It is always interesting standing back and watching the hundreds of people trying to recreate that one iconic shot for their socials. Instead, I saw the opportunity and chose to capture the crowd of people huddled around the beloved statue.
As I continued on, I stopped to get a shot of the famous Raffles Hotel with its luxury cars parked out front. Unfortunately, I didn't try out one of the famous Singapore Slings. Maybe next time though. The building itself is beautiful and I would have loved to explore inside.
This next building I stopped at was one I was really excited about seeing in person and photographing. In my research before this trip, I had seen an image pop up of this almost helix building with a honeycomb-shaped structure and knew I had to find it. I love the images I got of it, and props to the architect for such an interesting-looking design!
Throughout this trip, I used an eSIM mainly for navigation, as I had all my photography spots marked on Google Maps. The process was super easy and meant I didn't need a physical SIM card. The eSIM I used for Singapore was Holafly
After the Honeycomb building, I made my way to the Arab Quarter and had a good look around. It was like I had been transported to another country. There were Turkish lamps and colorful rugs outside of stores, and the smell of baked goods was making me really hungry. A perfume shop caught my eye with all its ornate colored bottles, and I could definitely see a possible shot here. I politely asked a man who was mixing different fragrances if I could take his portrait while he worked, to which he agreed. I did some research later when I got back to the hotel on that day, and it turns out they had been selling fragrances since 1933. Crazy!
By this stage, and after taking in the smells of the amazing Arabic food, it was time for some lunch. I wanted something traditional, and so the search began. I knew the traditional thing would be to find a food court—they are safe to eat at due to safety and health regulations and are abundant around the city. I managed to find a small one near my hotel (Taste Food City (Peninsula Excelsior Shopping Centre), the friendly shop owner ushered me to a seat before recommending I try the Salted Egg Fried Chicken dish. Honestly, it was one of the best dishes I've eaten, even though my mouth was on fire from the chili. After my meal, I explored some of the shopping malls around the hotel. The area is renowned for its second-hand camera stores, and I could have easily spent hours checking out the old Nikon, Leica & Hasselblad film cameras.
I headed back to my hotel and after a brief refresh, a change of clothes (Singapore is super humid), and grabbing some charged batteries, it was time to head out for the evening. Being my first night, I set my focus on Marina Bay and the city lights. I walked out to the Jubilee Bridge to take a couple of 'hero shots' of the scene. I took these mainly as photos for my own memories/snapshots, and as much as I like them personally, they aren't anything special.
From there, I wandered over to the Concert Hall. The roof is made up of all these spiked panels that, correct me if I'm wrong, move depending on the sunlight. The light was still pretty bright at this stage, so I opted to process the photos in black and white. Such a cool building.
As I kept walking, I noticed stalls and various food outlets starting to open up for the evening rush. There was an abundance of people out and about, but with Singapore's forward-thinking infrastructure, there was plenty of space, and it didn't feel crowded at all.
The sun was starting to set, so I made my way to my main photo location of the night, which would be the Helix Bridge. This steel footbridge, modeled on the DNA structure, was a perfect spot to set up and shoot the panorama I was hoping for. As the city lights started to turn on and the light was starting to fade, I dialed in my settings and began taking my shots. Because I chose not to bring a tripod on this trip with me, I had to do this handheld, but with the Nikon Z7’s image stabilization, I didn't struggle too much. I opted for a Landscape and Vertical Panorama in the end and love how they turned out.
Shortly after capturing the shots I wanted, the platforms on the Helix Bridge were being closed for the night. I grabbed my gear and continued on towards the Marina Bay shopping mall. There wasn’t an awful lot that caught my eye at the mall, but I did manage to get a shot from a ledge of some longboarders. Then inside the mall, there was this huge projected animation in the center of the food court that seemed to also be interactive.
At this point, I was getting pretty tired. I had walked 18 km on day one and was keen to grab some dinner and head back to the hotel for the night. Not being very close to any food halls and with many of them shut by now, I opted for Indian food—not traditional, but I was starving! I ordered Butter Chicken, Rice, Garlic Naan, and a pint of beer, which didn't even touch the sides! A little more pricey than the food halls at $70 AUD, but hey, it filled me up.
As I made my way to the hotel, I walked through this underpass. Even at 10:30, the city is still alive with people out walking or riding their bikes. I saw the opportunity for one final shot before bed.
Day 3, I woke up with slightly sore feet, but I was eager for another day of exploring. My main focus today would be to check out Chinatown and Gardens by the Bay. I started by walking down and through Clarke Quay. It was still quite early in the morning, so the area was relatively quiet with only a few people out and about for their morning exercise before it gets too hot. The colorful walkways made for some cool compositions.
After Clarke Quay, it was time to head to my first photo spot of the day that was on my list. I don’t know the name of the building, but it’s basically three tiers of apartments shaped with the curvature of the road 'Upper Cross Street,' and each building has a large painting on it—a moon, stars, and a sun.
The best way I'd heard to photograph this building was from up high, from the apartment block next to it at 51 Chin Swee Rd. You basically head up the lift and then position yourself so you can see the whole apartment block.
It was very interesting to go up into and walk around one of the apartments that many locals who live in Singapore would reside. After getting my shot, I made my way back down the lift. A local couple joined me in the lift and were very puzzled as to why I was taking photographs from their building. They were super polite, though, and after a brief conversation about where i was from and what i was photographing wished me a great trip. I love those little experiences.
Next up was main Chinatown and the Buddha Tooth Relic. I made my way through the busy food courts and then onto Pagoda Street before heading up Temple Street. Just like the Arab Quarter, I had the feeling of being transported to another country. The buildings and smells had changed once again.
The Buddha Tooth Relic is a beautiful temple within Chinatown and consists of four floors adorned with ornate red and gold patterns and carvings. The ground floor is for locals to gather, light incense, and pray. There were no photos allowed in this spot as it is sacred, so I stood and observed. I was then told by one of the security guards, who clearly saw my camera, that there is a flower garden on the top floor that I might like. I didn’t think twice and headed up.
When you reach the top floor, the first thing you notice is the walls; they are covered top to bottom with thousands upon thousands of tiny Buddha statues. In the center of the garden is a small enclosure with a large prayer wheel in the center. I observed a few locals and tourists as they spun the wheel and then decided it would be rude not to have a go myself.
By this time, it was lunch, and I knew exactly where I was going to treat my taste buds - the Maxwell Food Centre. I had heard about how busy this food court can get and the rules of getting a seat. Luckily, it was fairly quiet, but basically, the food court rules are that if someone has placed an item (bag, umbrella, hat, etc.) on the seat, you must not remove it, as that is their 'reservation' for that seat while they are collecting their food.
Going by the traditional food bandwagon, I ordered a Singaporean staple, Hainanese Chicken Rice. What a flavorful dish, and it cost a quarter of last night's meal. Off to the next spots! By this stage, I'd managed to get most of the spots I wanted to in Chinatown, so I had most of the afternoon to kill before heading to the Marina Bay Skywalk for sunset. I decided to take a long-winded stroll through some more of Chinatown, passing Potato Head before heading toward the marina for some more photographic opportunities.
Upon reaching the Marina, I decided to head to the Gardens by the Bay. Being quite a warm day, I opted to hire one of the abundant bikes from Anywheel. You basically download the app, load some money on it, and then when ready, you scan the QR code on the bike you want to use, and you're good to go. Once finished, you can either leave the bike where you need or drop it off at one of the designated areas for some bonus points back.
I made my way past the Marina Bay Sands before dropping off the bike at a spot near the Cloud Forest. The Gardens by the Bay is a huge area entwined in lush tropical greenery with these large vertical gardens in the shape of trees. The light was very harsh at this point, so I spent most of the time just exploring the plants and bird life.
I still had a few hours to kill before the Skywalk, and itching to take some more shots, I got on the metro and headed over to the Millenia Walk shopping center. I had heard that it wasn't uncommon for Singapore's wealthy to show off their supercars and was hoping that today was no different. Once I arrived, I was pleased to see the rumors were true, with a couple of Lamborghinis, Ferraris, a few exotic-looking Porsches, and a Nissan GTR. The rumors were true!
From there, it was time to head back to the hotel for a freshen up and to grab some recharged batteries before heading out for my last evening in Singapore. I decided to bring both my Nikon Z7 and Fujifilm X100V for tonight's shoot to make sure I could cover it with both focal lengths (35mm & 50mm) and also to have a backup just in case. Both of them fit nice and snug in my Peak Design Sling.
As I left the hotel, I opted to hire a bike again. I was running a little late, and this was my fastest way of getting there. “Pro Tip”: When you book the Skywalk, if you can, I would highly recommend booking an allocated time over the all-day pass. I booked the 7 pm slot, and when I arrived, there was a line of people with the all-day pass waiting to go up, with some even being turned away. Once my time, 7 pm, came up, I went straight through and up the lift to the viewing platform on level 57. You can book here
The sun was just starting to set when I arrived at the top, and I knew immediately I needed to try and find a good vantage spot to start taking photos. It was a real mix of trying to get as much content as possible and still enjoy the views because, come on, how often do you get a view like this?
It's tricky getting a shot handheld, with diminishing light and people constantly bumping you. You also can't take a tripod up for obvious reasons, so something has to give, and that's the ISO. Once I got a few shots of the city and Marina Bay, I moved over to the other side to get some shots of the Gardens by the Bay. It still baffles me how small a country Singapore is, but how large its freight industry is; you can literally see ships parked out into the horizon!
It was pretty dark now, and satisfied with my time on the Sky deck, I was ready to head back down and out for some dinner. I walked through the Marina Bay Sands and caught the MRT over to Chinatown. I knew the Maxwell Food Court was a safe bet, so I headed there once more. I was really surprised to find the train very quiet and decided to take a couple of snaps. The MRT trains and the stations are super clean and easy to navigate; I was able to tap on and off using my bank card.
Upon arriving at my station, I realized I had slightly messed up and was a few blocks away from where I needed to be—a rookie mistake. It was interesting to walk through some of the places I had visited during the day and see how much they change once the sun sets and the street lights turn on. It gives a completely different perspective on an area. As I crossed one of the main streets into Chinatown, I passed this huge crane, which I thought was worth a photo.
Once I got to the Maxwell Food Court, I ordered another Hainanese chicken rice along with a fresh sugarcane drink from another stall. Both hit the spot beautifully.
It was getting close to 10 pm by this stage. I had eaten my last meal in Singapore but didn't want to head home straight away. Instead, I opted to catch the MRT back to Marina Bay and take a slow ride back to the hotel. It was the perfect send-off. By this stage, it really was quiet in the stations and on the MRT, but it felt oddly peaceful. I got out of the station, picked up a hire bike, and began riding, crossing the Helix Bridge and past the Merlion and Concert Hall before getting off to take a few more shots of the iconic scene. The tally for day 2 was 19.8 km.
Day 4: I woke up on Monday morning, packed what I hadn't already the night before, and went to check out. The Lyf Funan had been the perfect spot to spend my 72 hours here, and with its central location, it was dead easy to get around. I would definitely stay again if I ever come back.
I jumped in a taxi and headed to Changi Airport. In the taxi, I reflected on everything I had seen and done in the last two days and how excited I was to see my family and to get stuck into editing my shots. Checking in and dropping bags off was very simple with the self-serve kiosks, and once done, it was time for one last photo spot, The Jewel Changi. Unfortunately, the iconic waterfall was not on when I was there; it may have been too early in the morning. Still, this iconic shopping mall is something you need to see before you leave Singapore.
Soon it was time to head back to the airport to board my flight home. Once seated, I tallied up how much ground I'd covered in the two full days. I had ended up covering a total of 37.8 km (56,017 steps), which was no small feat for myself. I was pretty chuffed, to say the least. Now it was time to sit back and rest for the 5-hour journey home. As we took off, I got a small glance of Marina Bay before disappearing into the clouds.
After a few hours, we had reached the Australian coastline, and what I presume was Shark Bay. I love seeing Australia from above, especially the top end. Excuse the image quality; the 787 windows produce a strange tinge that I didn't notice at the time.
Before long, we started our descent back into Perth, passing through the clouds, over the Avon Valley and Guildford before touching down for one of the softest landings I've had into Perth Airport. Home,
72 hours later.
