Welcome to Enchanting Journeys

Asia sticks to you. From the nomadic steppes of Kazakhstan to the frenetic streets of Hanoi, Asia is a spiritual place infused with the gods of past & present: the ancient spirits of the land & the family, the deities of Buddhism & Hinduism & the rules of Islam. Skyscrapers rise above streets like crystal gardens, while at street level, traders hustle, food-hawkers hawk & temples bustle with devotees toting their offerings.

Welcome to the Lion City - capitalising on its melting pot of cultures, finally getting some spark,  fast becoming one of Asia’s must go’ destinations.

Arrive in Singapore.

After you exit in the Arrival Hall at Terminal? - Singapore Changi International Airport International Airport, subsequent to Immigration & Customs &, you will be welcomed by the Journeys Representative who will ensure your comfort & transfer you to the hotel. He / she will provide assistance during Check-in & also discuss the program for the next few days.

Reach the hotel & Check-in & relax for balance of the afternoon.

*Check-in time is 02.00 pm. For earlier arrivals in the morning, we will request the hotel for a complimentary early Check-in but cannot be guaranteed unless reserved & paid for ‘immediate occupancy’.

Ditch the image of Singapore as a dull, sterile Utopia - scratch the surface & you will discover a strange brew of Chinese, Malay, Indian & Western cultures, a rich social stew that is anything but boring. Sure, the graffiti-free trains run on time, traffic jams are nonexistent & everyone looks clean-cut & wholesome, but who needs pollution, poverty & chaos?

Here,There,Everywhere| Island of Feasting| Green City| Shopping Frenzy

To arrive in Singapore is to step into a world where the call to prayer competes with the bustle of capitalism; where old men play mah-jongg in the streets & white-clad bowlers send the ball flying down well-tended cricket pitches; where Chinese fortune-tellers & high-priced management consultants advise the same entrepreneur. This great diversity of lifestyles, cultures & religions thrives within the framework of a well-ordered society. Singapore is a spotlessly clean - some say sterile - modern metropolis surrounded by green, groomed parks and populated by 5 million orderly & well-regulated people, including many foreigners.

The city state founded as a British trading colony in 1819, since independence it has become one of the world's most prosperous countries & hosts the world's busiest port. Combining the skyscrapers & subways of a modern, affluent city with a medley of Chinese, Malay & Indian influences and a tropical climate, with tasty food, good shopping & a vibrant nightlife scene, this Garden City makes a great stopover or springboard into the region

Singapore is a small country on a small island, but with just over five million people it is a fairly crowded city & in fact second only to Monaco as the world's most densely populated country. However, unlike many other densely populated countries, Singapore has over 50% of its area covered by greenery & with over 50 major parks & 4 nature reserves, it is an enchanting garden city. Large self-contained residential towns mushroomed all over the island, around the clean & modern city center.

Whizzing around Singapore can take a matter of minutes, thanks to one of the world’s most efficient & widespread public transport systems. Hankering for breakfast in Little India, but want to visit the temples in Chinatown before lunch? No problem, you will be there in a jiffy using the sparkling MRT system - & why not stop at Marina Bay for a spot of shopping on your way? Plus, with new metro lines opening practically every two years, this tiny island just keeps on becoming easier to explore.

The concrete jungles that once dominated Singapore’s skyline are slowly giving way to green skyscrapers, which look more like living ecosystems than business hubs. Fervently working towards its ‘City in a Garden’ dream, the nation is ploughing money into becoming more sustainable & well, green. Head out of town a little and you will find plenty of walking trails, treetop jungle bridges, wildlife galore & the city's green jewel, the UNESCO World Heritage listed Singapore Botanic Gardens - these are the lungs of Singapore.

Singapore’s mouth- watering food is the number one drawcard, taken very seriously. From cheap hawker fare to Michelin-starred fine dining, food-enamoured Singaporeans will line up for it, Instagram the hell out of it & passionately debate whether it is ‘die, die, must try’ - Singlish slang for ‘to die for’.

Don’t fret about finding a place to chow down, as each neighbourhood is home to local hawker centres & coffee shops dishing up some of the island’s best meals for just a couple of bucks. Pull up a pew at a hawker centre, crack open a Tiger beer & immerse yourself in a munificent range of Asian delights; heavy on the flavour, light on the wallet.  Simply follow your nose or join the longest queue - whatever morsels lie at the end, they are almost guaranteed to be scrumptious.

Want to splurge? Singapore delivers Southeast Asia’s best shopping and innovative, stylish restaurants, plus a swathe of top-notch hotels. Top of the tree is Raffles, a timeless symbol of colonial opulence.

When the sweltering outdoor heat gets too much, Singaporeans love ducking inside for a spot of retail therapy & a good dose of air-conditioning. Orchard Rd is the queen of shopping malls: with all the high-street brands, plenty of high-fashion houses & a few discount outlets thrown into the mix, everyone’s needs (& more often wants) are catered for here. If you prefer your shopping a little less mass-market, head out to local neighbourhoods for independent designers, quirky art galleries, bustling markets, Chinese medicines, Persian carpets & a sari or two.

Of course, it is not all about shopping, eating and G&Ts on the veranda.

Work up a sweat with outdoor activities - walking, cycling & water sports - or check out the contemporary arts scene, thriving under the government’s promotion of Singapore as an arts hub. If you want a break from the urban confines, the centre of the island has sparkling reservoirs & leafy tracts of forest where all you will hear is, monkeys clattering through the boughs.

Evening, meet the Journeys Rep / Driver at 05.00 pm & proceed to enjoy an iconic event, available in very few countries, if any. The Night Safari is the world's first nocturnal zoo & is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Singapore.

In the area adjoining the Singapore Zoo, the Night Safari explores the adventure of the tropical jungle after dusk with stunning audio-visual effect.

What better way to enjoy a night out in the wild than to embark on a Safari Adventure Tour? Inside, you can have an absolute tour of the jungle with safety & comfort, sitting in a tram. Your 40 minute tram ride will take you through the East & West Loop passing by a large reservoir & weaving through selected habitats designed exclusively for imitating the natural environment from the Himalayan Foothills to the Southeast Asian Rainforest & the Indian Subcontinent. The Trams ere very comfortable, seating 4 people in a row allowing you to see the enclosures on both the left & right side throughout the excursion so it doesn’t really matter where you sit. See numerous nocturnal animals, starting from ferocious predators to timid forest dwellers, in their natural habitat under the subtle moon glow lighting.

Opened in 1994, Night Safari is the world’s first safari park for nocturnal animals. Home to over 2,500 animals of over 130 species, it spans across 35 hectares of forests. With 38% of its species under threat of extinction, one of the Night Safari’s focus area is captive breeding. They also have a strong mission to promote biodiversity.

With over 1.1 million visitors to the attraction on an annual basis, Night Safari is bursting at the seams & they have been receiving mixed reviews. The common complains across the board are overcrowding, long wait times, over-priced food & sometimes not being able to see the animals. Yes, the Night Safari is seriously crowded. But it is worth it if go in well prepared. Just take it with a grain of salt & have yourself a good time!

The heat in Singapore is stifling. You can prepare for this by obviously dressing in something cool, have cold beverages readily available (especially if you’re not willing to pay the exorbitant prices at the Night Safari itself) & most importantly, invest in a hand held fan. But on the open Tram however, it is nice & cool with a constant breeze. Be prepared for the rain as the guided Trams continue to operate. Pack a poncho, which is so much easier to carry around than an umbrella and an Insect Repellent, especially essential in such a tropical climate, in a rainforest surrounded by animals.

The entire excursion is in perpetual darkness until you reach the enclosures which have lights so you can see the animals. And as flash photography is not permitted, you can take a few happy snaps with your phone only.

On the completion of the tram ride, your Tour-guide will accompany you on a walking trail where you will be able to encounter animals at closer quarters. There are 4 well lit & easy to navigate trails you can go on, namely the Fishing Cat Trail, the East Coast Lodge Trail, Leopard Trail & the new Wallaby Trail and you can enjoy seeing the animals at your leisure.  Hear insider stories about the animals or ask any burning questions you might have.

This nocturnal Wildlife Park also offers 4 very unique experiences (not included - extra payment) which you might like to check out.

You can spend an evening in the wild with dinner, tours & a cosy night in a tent, more like a rainforest glamping experience! You can watch the Lion & Malayan tiger at feeding times. And if you want to really splurge (money no object) then there is also 5 course dinner option on a moving Tram.  You can also get a private Guide to take you around the Park without the hassle of queuing for public Trams.

Night Safari excursion would not be complete without the 20 minute Creatures of the Night Show (included) performed in the big outdoor amphitheatre (weather permitting) amidst the rainforest. There is also the Thumbuakar Fire Performance (not included - extra payment).

And now, it time to go home, oops… hotel.

Overnight.   

After breakfast, you will meet the Tour-guide in the lobby at 9.00 am & embark on a half day 4 hour city tour to discover the colorful city.

The tour showcases the contrast between old & new and the blend of the East & West in modern Singapore as you travel through the different districts.  Experience the history, culture & lifestyle of multi-racial Singapore. 

You will visit the Colonial district for a view of Padang, the Esplanade & Theatres on the Bay. Photograph The Merlion, Singapore's mystical half lion half mermaid.  Next head to Chinatown, the foreground of our fore-fathers humble foot-steps as immigrants and a place rich with traditions & great cultures of Chinese. Stop at the magnificent Sri Mariamman Temple - oldest Hindu Temple here,

Then, a visit to the Gem Factory gives an overview of the tedious process works involved producing such valuable jewellery.  Later, enjoy a casual walk, breathing cool fresh air, within the grounds of National Orchid Garden - a 52-hectare reserved forest & be enchanted by fauna & flora.

Finally, enjoy an ultimate shopping experience in Orchard Road, the epicenter of shopping in Singapore. Your Journey will end at the Singapore Flyer, the world's largest observation wheel where you will have a bird's eye view of the island city.

Come back to the hotel or continue exploring on your own.

Balance of the day is at leisure. Or perhaps opt for one of the many options available (we will be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements).

Morning, meet the Tour-guide at 08.00 am in the Lobby & proceed to Mount Faber to board a Cable car for an unimaginable 8 hour experience to visit Sentosa Island & a panoramic view of world’s busiest Harbour.

*Entrance Fees are not included - to be paid directly at the Attractions.

The name Sentosa translates as "peace & tranquility" in Malay, which was in turn derived from the Sanskrit term ‘Santosha’ It was once a British military base and a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp. The island was renamed Sentosa & turned into a tourist destination in 1972 that receives some twenty million visitors per year.

Sentosa is a man-made resort island off Singapore’s southern coast that was built for fun & recreation and connected to the city by road, cable car, pedestrian boardwalk & monorail.

A perfect place to escape the hustle & bustle, it allows you to have a beach resort experience just a few minutes from one of Asia's most enigmatic cities. And the 12 minute cable car ride from Vivo City to Sentosa Island has the added bonus of providing astounding panoramic views that can stretch as far as Indonesia.

Singapore's good-time island - a place of adventure, ingenuity, perseverance -  is dedicated to unabashed fun, from expansive Resorts World, Universal Studios Singapore, Tiger Sky Tower, Singapore Butterfly & Insect Kingdom, ambitious theme parks & one of the largest collections of aquatic animals in the world at the breathtaking SEA Aquarium to zip-lines, fake surf & cool beach bars. On the south coast, Palawan Beach is lined with food stalls & bars and has a suspension bridge to a smaller offshore island. Palm-lined, crescent-shaped Tanjong Beach is more tranquil.

Using actors, immersive exhibitions and dramatic light & sound effects, Images of Singapore Live resuscitates the nation's history, from humble Malay fishing village to bustling colonial port & beyond and adds on to the very soul of Singapore.  Kids will especially love the Spirit of Singapore Boat Ride, a trippy, high-tech journey that feels just a little Avatar.

You will be gawking at more than 800 species of aquatic creature at Singapore's impressive, sprawling SEA Aquarium Singapore, one of the largest in the world, home to over 100,000 aquatic animals.     There are creatures from all the world’s major oceans, with state-of-the-art tanks, placed in 10 Zones spread in 83 long acrylic tunnels, specially designed to recreate the natural conditions of almost 49 aquatic habitats found between Southeast Asia, Australia & Africa. The Open Ocean habitat is especially spectacular, with its 36m-long, 8.3m-high viewing panel, one of the world's largest. You can also see the world famous Dolphin Show. The complex is also home to an interactive, family-friendly exhibition exploring the history of the maritime Silk Route.

Universal Studios is one of the top draw at Resorts World. Shops, shows, restaurants, rides & roller coasters are all neatly packaged into fantasy-world themes based on blockbuster Hollywood films. Top attractions include Transformers: The Ride, a next-generation thrill-ride deploying 3D animation & Battlestar Galactica: Human vs Cylon, the world's tallest duelling roller coasters.

Later, you can enjoy water sports at Island beach & end your day tour with Musical Sentosa - a wonder full lighting & laser show. There is also a Madame Tussauds.

Return to the hotel.

Balance of the day at leisure. Relax or do some exploring on your own. Or perhaps opt for one of the many options available (we will be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements).

Morning, meet the Tour-guide again & proceed for a 6 hour visit to the landscaped Jurong Bird Park.

Built on the western slope of Jurong Hill with an area of 202,000 square metres, it is home to more than 8,000 birds from 600 species, out of which 29 are endangered species. The Park is now a world-famous bird zoo wherein there are specimens of magnificent bird life from around the world, including a flock of one thousand & one flamingos. It is currently the world's largest bird park in terms of number of birds & second largest in terms of land area after Germany's Vogelpark Walsrode.

You will ride on the air-conditioned Panorail for a panoramic view of the Park and into a tropical world of jungle mists at the African Waterfall Aviary. Enjoy the underwater viewing gallery of the spectacular Penguin Parade enclosure, in a re-created Antarctic setting, which houses more than 200 penguins of five species. Within the Penguin Parade enclosure, there are some 50 other sea-birds such as the inca terns & puffins.

Also enjoy the spectacular and funny All-Star Bird Show at the Pools Amphitheatre featuring flamingoes, macaws, hornbills & cockatoos, to watch magnificent birds of prey in action, catch the 'Fuji World of Hawks' show!

Return to the hotel.

Balance of the day at leisure. Relax or do some exploring on your own. Or perhaps opt for one of the many options available (we will be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements).

Alas, the experience comes to an end & it is time to say good-bye to the "Lion City" & go home.  We sure hope that you may want to discover a bit more of Singapore on your next visit.

Check-out of the hotel by 12:00 noon (if the departure time is later in the evening, we will request the hotel to allow the usage of the hotel facilities & to leave the luggage at the Bell Desk).

If you have time, you can catch up on your shopping. You can get a good deal on electronic goods - mobile phones, handi cams etc. at Mustafa Center located in little India & Metro Complex at Orchid Road.

In time, you will be met by a Journeys Rep / Driver, who will ensure your comfort & transfer you to Terminal? - Singapore Changi International Airport for your onward flight.  B

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