Soooo… this happened:
Yes, I have visited Singapore this October and I can honestly say that it was one of those „lifetime experiences.“ Not only it was my first big trip, but also my first time traveling alone – huge deal,
right?
Swanky Travel had the honor to participate in ITB ASIA 2018 . We were invited by Zagreb tourist board , and let me say that accepting that invitation was the best decision ever made.
On Monday, October 15th, I grabbed my little suitcase, my little self and headed to the airport. After „only“ 24 hours, ( yeah of course there is a 6 hour time difference, but 24h hours sounds more dramatic ), I was at the Changi – Singapore airport . If you’re curious about the size of the airport, I was in a shuttle for 20 minutes before realizing I WAS STILL IN THE AIRPORT!!
When I caught my first glimpse of the city, it made me sigh. I wasn´t blinking because I didn´t want to miss an inch. When I finally arrived in front of my hostel, the only thing I could do is blink, to the point where I was just completely asleep. Yes – the first thing I did in Singapore after check in was SLEEP… It was 3 pm. Wow, that power nap was exactly what I needed to get ready for an adventure.
Swanky Backpack, sunglasses, Swanky Water and a selfie stick ( of course ) – that was all I needed.
I will mention the highlights – but honestly, this whole trip was a highlight.
Marina Bay with the famous Merlion – official mascot of Singapore ( mythical creature with a lion’s head and the body of a fish )
Marina Bay Sands – THE hotel, with THE viewpoint ( SkyPark ), with THE infinity pool ( I came sooooo close but could not use it because it was only for hotel guests ).
Gardens by the bay – spectacular kompleks of parks, nature, botanical gardens and happy singing trees that actually mad me cry.
( This was the end of day one so you can understand why I was a bit emotional – being where I am, experiencing this amazing place )
Santosa ( the state of fun ) – you can walk across the bridge or ride a gigantic cable car to an island. On the island you can visit Universal studio, S.E.A. Aquarium, wonderful resorts and beaches, Madam Tussauds, Trick Eye Museum, and soooooo much more….
On my second day I ended up eating candy and watching The Crane Dance. In case you are wondering, this consisted of huge crane robots shooting water and fireworks while doing „a mating dance.“ Yeah, I still don’t believe it.
Clarke Quay –party timeeee… this awesome neighbourhood is a place to be, with hundreds of bars, clubs, restaurants, and people from all around the world hanging out. With the temperature always being around 27°, it´s like summer vibe all the time.
Singapore ZOO – that´s just my thing – everywhere I go, I visit the ZOO. The Singapore ZOO was definitely different from any other I had ever seen. The nature was amazing and the animals had so much space, with no real fences, so a monkey can fall on you at any time 🙂
Pulau Ubin – I didn’t have quite enough time for this but I still put it on my list. It is an island closer to the airport. It was truly beautiful, still covered in nature and almost untouched by man. That means no cars, no traffic, no skyscrapers and modern arhitekture, wonderful beaches and local life.
The thing that fascinated me the most is the mix of traditional Chinese housing and modern architecture. I often saw super high skyscrapers right next to small Chinese homes, coexisting in a
city. Singapore was so clean I could almost walk barefoot, and so tempting you could spend millions every step of the way. Not to worry though, you can also find a full lunch for about $5.
My schedule worked out pretty nicely since I had 2 full days to explore the city, and 3 days of exhibiting at ITB.
Now, as for ITB, that was a different kind of adventure 🙂 I think this picture will be a great explanation:
Yup, I was wearing the national Croatian football dress and spontaneously became a Mascote.
We knew that winning the World Cup 2018 ( read: came in second 🙂 ) would bring some popularity to Croatia – but I was not prepared for this! People were congratulating me ( like I was playing ), screaming CROATIIIIAAA when they saw me, taking pictures with me,… IT WAS AWESOME! But the most important thing is that now even more agencies want to bring their guest to my country, and I will have the opportunity to be their host.
Swanky Travel is already preparing for tours in 2019 ( thank you ITB, thank you Zagreb Tourist board , thank you Luka Modrić, thank you Swanky team,… ) but first thing is first – X-MAS – so stayed tuned to check who was naughty and who was nice…
