A little more recovered from jet lag, we packed lots of fun activities into the second half of our week in Singapore! One of our busiest days was when, after a morning at the pool, Dave and my mom and I headed to the cable cars to get to a different part of Sentosa and see the city from above. It was HOT that day, but we still had a great time walking around and seeing the Merlion up close. I also couldn’t stop snapping pictures of the orchids all over the place–they’re far from my favorite bloom normally, but the ones that grow in Singapore are just so vibrant and unique!
That afternoon, our longtime family friends picked us up for a driving tour of the city. This was the perfect way to squeeze in a few spots that we wouldn’t have much time to explore or visit otherwise…like the apartment building my family used to live in! I never dreamed I’d be able to show this place to Dave and it was even more special than I had imagined it would be.

Another stop was Chinatown, with the mission of making sure Dave didn’t leave Singapore without smelling a durian! Honestly, the ones we found weren’t toooo bad, but at least he got a whiff, and the picture of him and my dad below makes me laugh :)

Our friends then took us to Changi Village for our most authentically Singaporean meal of the trip. Not a single one of us looked at the menu, and they just ordered course after course of interesting local dishes for us to try! Dinner with them is always an adventure, and I was super proud of Dave for tasting every single thing, even the things I was too chicken to try (like baby squid–eyeballs and all!). The highlight was chili crab, one of Singapore’s most beloved dishes. That’s it below swimming in sauce–we had to wear plastic bibs since it’s so messy, but it was lots of fun to dig into, and so delicious.

One of my must-visit locations was the Raffles Hotel, a gorgeous historic hotel that was built in 1887. It’s definitely a tourist spot nowadays, but if you have a soft spot for history, design, or Singapore slings, it’s worth the trip :)

I couldn’t leave Singapore without my favorite meal: satay, fresh roti paratha, and more freshly squeezed watermelon juice. My dad brought Dave and I for our last lunch in Singapore and it was definitely one of the culinary highlights of the trip!

We spent most of our last day in Singapore lounging by the pool and relaxing in preparation for our 30-hour trip back home. We were sad to leave after five quick days, but I’m tremendously thankful to have had the opportunity to show Dave my childhood home and rediscover so many things I had forgotten about!

P.S. If you missed Part 1, find it here :)