Sensational Singapore *

Well, I'm back from my so-called vacation! It was difficult for me to actually leave KL as my clients kept on having last minute "emergencies" that required my attention but sometimes late holidays are better than no holiday at all! In the end, I had to postpone my leave until the day of our flight itself, but even then I kept on receiving messages from certain clients throughout my stay, which definitely put a damper on my break! :(

The good news though was that our arrival coincided with the first day of the Great Singapore Sale. Naturally, I had to check out the duty-free shops in Changi Airport and happily bought 3 sets of miniature perfumes for my Perfume Gallery since there was an irresistible 15% discount for 3 sets!

We stayed at Hotel Phoenix, which is located in the heart of Orchard Road - giving us immediate access to all the major shopping, entertainment and dining venues in the city centre. Our room was great - spacious and very comfortable, with our own massage chair to relieve our aching muscles and tired legs after a long day of shopping, and of course my standard requirement of a nice big bathtub to complete our stay!

It was great to be back in Singapore after more than 10 years. Obviously a lot has changed since then and Singapore is now filled with breathtaking skyscrapers and posh high-rise condos that made me wish I could extend my stay longer to soak up more of what she has to offer. Walking on the pristinely clean streets of Singapore was also enjoyable as the weather was not as hot as it is back home (you were right TSZ!).

We spent most of our days shopping, or rather I did! The sale was excellent and since all the cool spots were walking distance from our hotel, we had the privilege of checking out nearly all of the major department stores in the vicinity.

Food did not pose a problem for us in Singapore. We were spoilt for choice with the wide array of eating outlets available near our hotel. We especially enjoyed dining al fresco in some of the cafes along Orchard Road, in particular one called NYDC, where I had a taste of their Ice Mocha Elephancinno - a must try for coffee enthusiasts like me!

Although short, our trip was definitely sweet! We enjoyed every bit of our visit, from the friendly Singaporeans who made us feel right at home to the polite and efficient taxi drivers who provided excellent service with no attempt of short-changing visitors like us. After our brief stay here, Singapore is now definitely on our list of great vacation spots for shopping and dining!