Singapore 2024

Monday18November

The Singapore cable car line crosses the canal to reach the island of Sentosa, a hub dedicated to leisure. But for us, it is the Sentosa Express that takes us to the island for a day under the sign of relaxation. It is at the Resorts World station that we stop, the stop to join the Universal Studios park!

The rotating globe, emblem of Universal studios, marks the entrance to the Singapore theme park. There are only five theme parks of the franchise in the world, two in the United States, one in Japan and another in China.

We start gently in the "Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase" attraction to wave hello to Elmo and Cookie Monster, one of the puppets of my childhood...  

The next attraction is much more eventful... The Transformers: The Ride 3D takes us to the heart of a battle aboard an Autobot.  

Optimus Prime in person...

We pick up the pace in the Sci-Fi City zone with the "Battlestar Galactica: Human vs. Cylon". These are the tallest dueling roller coasters in the world, with two intertwining tracks. The "Human" course, with the red rail, is a seated roller coaster, while the "Cylon" is an inverted course where passengers are suspended under the black rail. Obviously, we will do both!  

In the ancient Egypt themed zone, the entrance to the 'Revenge of the Mummy' attraction is flanked by two monumental statues of the god Anubis with his jackal head.

The castle of Far Far Away inspired by the universe of the Shrek films which houses the "Shrek 4-D Adventure" attraction.

The show "WaterWorld" inspired by the 1995 film. Stunts, jet-ski chases and seaplane on the program.

The end of the post-apocalyptic show.   And the end of the park for us because we are going to join the mainland to join another attraction of the country, that of the SkyPark!

Here we are, once again, at the foot of the Marina Bay Sands where we enter to reach the elevators that will take us to its boat-designed roof terrace.

And hop, here we are perched 200 meters above the ground with the superb panoramic view of the city!

The big wheel Singapore Flyer and the greenhouses of Gardens by the Bay, the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest where we were yesterday.

Without forgetting the SuperTrees.

The Singapore Strait is one of the busiest maritime highways in the world. At nightfall, hundreds of ships waiting at anchor form a constellation of lights that responds to that of the park.  

The "small" floating shops on the marina: the Apple Store and Louis Vuitton...

Two emblematic hotels of the city, the Mandarin Oriental and the Fullerton Hotel.

On the other side of the platform, the infinity pool is always full. It is reserved for hotel guests. Too bad!  

The Singapore Flyer passes its 28 capsules in a cyclic chromatic variation, a veritable luminous kaleidoscope.

Back down. In the heart of the The Shoppes shopping center, an artificial canal allows a Singaporean version of the gondola ride. Visitors can board a sampan to navigate between the shops, a shopping method that avoids congestion in the aisles...  

In the center of the mall is the "Rain Oculus". This installation, work of artist Ned Kahn, is a large acrylic bowl 22 meters in diameter. It collects rainwater from the roof and swirls it into a vortex that pours two floors below. The waterfall feeds the canal where the sampans navigate. We will see it in action later.  

We go out for a moment to go see the sound and light show "Spectra".

Every evening, the Marina Bay comes alive for free for 15 minutes to the rhythm of fountains, colored lights, lasers and projections on water mist screens. The aquatic and luminous choreography unfolds in front of the skyline of the business district.

The apple-shaped Apple Store seems to float on the water.

Return to the "Rain Oculus" which pours the collected rainwater and comes to feed the canal where the sampans navigate.

The day is over! Return to the hotel via the covered passages, or "five-foot ways" of the Geylang district.