Marina Bay After Dark

What can you do when the sun set at Marina Bay Sands and its surrounding area? A lot apparently. Whichever side you're on, be sure to capture the amazing view of Singapore skyline after dark.

Marina Bay Sands
Stepping out of Bayfront MRT Station, I walked around the premise until dusk. It was almost 7 (the sun sets quite late in Singapore) and I was checking out what's on the Art & Science Museum to plan a visit with Andrew when he arrived the following day. Then the view started to steal my attention. Maybe because it's a Thursday and there was almost nobody by the bay. So I went down and started taking picture. Coming from the crowded Jakarta, the tranquil Marina Bay is really something to treasure on.

You can watch laser show at 8PM or 9.30 PM on weeknights, there are more shows on weekends. The 15-minutes fun show is often packed with tourists and passerbys. A lot of joggers showed up after dark too. Marina Bay Sands, whether it's inside the shopping center or along the waterfront, is a really nice place just for taking a walk and spend the rest of the evening with your loved ones. Kids can run around (watch out for steps) and enjoy the breeze.

Laser Show seen from the other side of Marina Bay

Lau Pa Sat

For dinner after the show, I wasn't too keen on sitting down on a fancy restaurant at Sands. So I headed to Lau Pa Sat (also known as Telok Ayer Market), the historic food court in Singapore. The food court dated back to early 1900s when it was a simple wooden building on the coast. Despite a recent revamp, we can still feel the vintage feelings of the Victorian building, along with the chimes that ring every 15 minutes. It might be hot during the day, but after dark, this food court is packed with office workers scrambling for dinner before going home through MRT. Foods are varied, you can find anything here from Japanese, Korean to Indian and Vietnamese. Prices are pretty much the same (I based the prices on food courts with a glass of Kopi O Kosong). Of course these selections are beyond the regular Chinese available on every food court. It's a fun walk from Marina and a quite a surprise to find an old building in the middle of what seems to be Singapore's Wall Street.

Fullerton
Raffles Place MRT is the best place to reach this area, another mix up of history and contemporary architecture. One Fullerton is a lively spot when the sun goes down and there's the symbolic Merlion in the end of the walkway. You can get a glimpse of the laser and light show here too, but it's way too small to see the pictures reflected on the water. Fullerton Bay Hotel, a box-shaped, five-star hotel at Marina waterfront, opens its lobby doors to passerby so enjoy the air-conditioned, majestic interior (and if you're lucky the live music from the restaurant) as you walk by the dock. While it's amazing during the day, watching Marina Bay Sands and the buildings light up after dinner is really a treat.

FOR KIDS:
Garden By The Bay
Once upon a time, me and Dudu visited the garden as the sun goes down. Would love to go again when the sun is up but still, the place is still as nice at night. The Far East Organization Children's Garden is a great place to stop by and have fun for the children. It's free and opens late until 9 PM on the weekend. The water playground in the center catches attention right away. However, spend sometime to explore behind the trees and bushes because they have hidden playground and a huge Rainforest tree house for kids 6-12 years old). Don't forget to bring towel and extra clothes everywhere you go in Singapore because you can easily find a water park that can fulfill your children's thirst of energy release.