I arrived in Singapore early in the morning on Saturday 20th July 2019 and took a taxi to my brother's place, on the 18th floor of the above apartment block.
It was lovely to see my brother and his wife Norshidah, and to meet for the first time the bundle of joy that is my latest niece, Nadia.
I had four nights in Singapore before heading back to NZ, and the main focus was on lots of family time with Warren, Norsh and Nadia, as well as Norshidah's mother Zainon, and Rambo the cat!
You can never have too many auntie cuddles and auntie selfies!
We did venture out to my favourite sports mall where there are loads of Yonex shops selling badminton gear at pretty sharp prices. I was very happy with the new pair of shoes I picked up.
Speaking of badminton, it's cool how there are random outdoor courts dotted around the place.
On the Monday, while Warren and Norsh worked, I headed over to the island resort of Sentosa for the day. I had never visited on any of my previous trips to Singapore.
I headed to Palawan beach on the monorail. In one direction it was blue skies and fluffy white clouds...
Whereas the skies were looking a little more ominous looking out to sea...
Not long after I took the pics below, the heavens opened and I experienced a full-on tropical downpour for around half an hour!
Luckily I managed to find a sheltered spot to wait out the downpour. Tropical showers don't usually last that long, and it was very effective at clearing the air and combating the stifling heat!
Before long it was like the rain had never happened, so I could continue with my wandering.
The only paid activity I did on Sentosa was a visit to the aquarium, as I do like a good aquarium! This one didn't disappoint...
The scale of the main tank was very impressive, and at feeding time it really was a feeding frenzy!
A lot of aquariums around the world light up their jelly-fish tanks, and it does make for a spectacular display.
It was a fun day out at Sentosa, and I got a nice moody sunset as I walked across the boardwalk back to the mainland.
My Tuesday was pretty relaxed, but I did arrange a meet-up with Justine Olsen, who I used to play rugby with in the Waikato during the late 1990s/early 2000s. Her and her husband are both teachers on the international circuit, and they and their two boys had moved to Singapore literally a few days before I met them to take up a new contract.
I was flying out at 10:45 Wednesday night. I enjoyed one final hawker centre meal with Norshidah, then one final cuddle with Nadia before heading to the Jewel at Changi Airport at around 2pm.
The jewel is a brand-new (as in, only been open 4 months when I visited) entertainment and retail complex at Changi Airport that connects to three of the Changi terminals. It reportedly cost around 1.85 billion New Zealand dollars to build. One of the services offered is early-check-in, so despite it being around 8 hours until my flight departed, I was able to get rid of my luggage straight away. It was then time for exploring!
The jewel is an incredible piece of design and engineering. At its heart is the 40 metre 'rain vortex', the world's tallest indoor waterfall. The skytrain that links the terminals passes right by the face of the waterfall.
The 'Forest Valley' stretches out over 5 levels. It's pretty amazing to think that you can go on a bush walk of sorts in one of the world's busiest airports!
It is free to enter and wander around the Jewel, but I paid for some of the extra activities available in the 14 000 square metre canopy park on the top floor of the complex.
The Topiary Walk and Petal Garden were very cool.
I also did the walking Sky Net, where you walk across nets suspended 25 metres above ground. I gave the bouncing version a miss!
With your ticket you also have the option for a second entry, so you can visit again at night with all of the gardens lit up.
The vortex also looked spectacular lit up for the nightly light and sound show.
As well as all the experiences, the Jewel also offers extensive retail and dining options. I couldn't miss the first Pokemon Centre in Asia built outside of Japan
I also couldn't resist picking up a small gift for Will... This far too adorable plush 'Sleeping Eevee'.
After dinner it was time to make my way to my terminal, ready for my flight home. After over 6 weeks away travelling I was looking forward to being reunited with my husband and sleeping in my own bed.
