I managed to swap my Kuala Lumpur and London Heathrow flights for a six day trip to Singapore and Melbourne. I’d not visited either of these destinations since my first month of flying almost three years ago now, so I was happy to be going back there and getting three layovers rather than just two.

We departed Dubai at 9:40am and it was seven and a half hours over to Singapore Changi Airport landing just after 9pm. By the time we got to the hotel it was quite late and I ordered some room service and went to bed ready to explore the next day.

 

I’d arranged to meet my friend Matt who lives in Singapore for lunch, so I jumped in a taxi and we went for lunch on Orchard Road at a restaurant called Courtyard. I’d not seen Matt in over a year, and it was so lovely to sit outside for lunch whilst cooling down over iced coffee and lunch. I opted for a prawn Caesar salad for lunch which was heavenly and we sat chatting away and catching up since we last saw each other.

Feeling full up, Matt suggested we head to the Marina Bay Sands bar called Lavo which is free to enter unlike the bar we tried out last time we were there. With me flying that evening, it was only mocktails whilst we admired the incredible view from the 207m or 679ft high hotel bar, but I must admit, it was a VERY good mocktail!

Marina Bay Sands is an integrated resort fronting Marina Bay in Singapore, owned by the Las Vegas Sands corporation. At its opening in 2010, it was billed as the world’s most expensive standalone casino property at S$8 billion, including the land cost. The resort, designed by Moshe Safdie, includes a 2,561-room hotel, a 120,000-square-metre (1,300,000 sq ft) convention-exhibition centre, the 74,000 square metre (800,000 sq ft) The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands mall, a museum, two large theatres, “celebrity chef” restaurants, two floating Crystal Pavilions, art-science exhibits, and the world’s largest atrium casino with 500 tables and 1,600 slot machines. The complex is topped by a 340-metre-long (1,120 ft) SkyPark with a capacity of 3,900 people and a 150 m (490 ft) infinity swimming pool, set on top of the world’s largest public cantilevered platform, which overhangs the north tower by 67 m (220 ft). The 20-hectare resort was designed by Moshe Safdie architects.

 

The view from the top is incredible, and with Lavo being on the edge of the towers, you could get a great panoramic view over the city, on this clear day you could even see the a few of the Indonesian islands!

We ventured back down into the mall for a quick browse, before exiting out in the marina. It’s a shame I couldn’t have stayed later to watch the fountains, its meant to be an incredible water and light show. I wonder how it competes with the Dubai dancing fountains?

Time to head back to the hotel to get ready for my wake up call and head across to Melbourne! Thanks for being a great tour guide Matt, loved catching up with you!

Departing Singapore at 22:40, we arrived the next morning at 09:30 after an eight hour night flight. I was feeling exhausted after a busy day in Singapore, paired with a long night at work. So when we got to the hotel I allowed myself to nap for a couple of hours, which I never let myself do and this is why. By the time we got across to the hotel, checked in and I got up to my room and removed my make up etc, it was almost 12pm. Setting an alarm for two hours later, I thought I would take the train across to Brighton Beach. However, I was that tired I completely switched off my alarm mid sleep and woke up seven hours later to the sun going down. I was so annoyed with myself as I didn’t rate Melbourne the last time I’d been here, hence why I hadn’t been back in almost three years. Such a waste of the day, so I quickly threw on some clothes and walked into the centre to find something to eat.

I was craving a Nandos, but walked past a burger bar called Betty’s Burgers which looked nice, so I grabbed a table for one and ordered myself a pork belly burger with fries and an apple cider to wash it down with. A very mellow evening in Melbourne, nothing like the summers day I had envisioned.

I went back to the hotel and Skyped with my parents before crashing out in bed again. I slept for a total of 21 and a half hours on this layover… I don’t think I’ve ever slept that much in my life. I must have been exhausted and needed it.

Feeling incredibly refreshed for this next sector, we had a very light load back to Singapore, which was nice after the two previous packed out sectors. And eight hours later we were back in Singapore landing just before midnight.

For this layover, I’d planned to go to Universal with one of the other crew. Yet, cause I had slept so much in Melbourne, I was still wide awake at 7am, and we were meeting for 9am in the lobby. So I dropped her a text to say I wasn’t going to make it as I didn’t want to exhaust myself with me having annual leave after this multi sector trip!

Waking around 14:30, I googled a good place for brunch within walking distance from the hotel and walked to a place called Coffee Academics, which I really recommend. It was a very cute picturesque cafe with a brilliant menu offering dishes for every kind of brunch palette. I went for a Manuka latte and avocado toast (makes a change for me doesn’t it) and it was delicious, I will most definitely head back here on a Singapore layover.

A quick wander through the mall, I then walked back to the hotel in the humid heat to relax in bed before the night flight back to Dubai.

If I’m honest, this was a very boring multi sector for me. I didn’t do very much, which isn’t like me, but I’m feeling super refreshed for my leave now as I sit writing this on my flight. Stay posted for what I get up to with my week off work!

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