Singapore is widely touted as one of Asia’s most walkable cities – so we put this to the test during our visit by walking from the Esplanade to Marina Bay Sands: a distance of about 1.5 km – 2 km.

The circuit encircles the inlet between the mouth of the Singapore river and Marina Bay, and is a popular spot for tourists since it features various attractions and hotels along the way.

We set off from the Esplanade, which sits directly across the water from Marina Bay Sands and the Art Science Museum. The latter was one of the items on my go-to list, but unfortunately there wasn’t enough time, so I had to be content just looking at it from afar.

Speaking of which, the design of both buildings are fascinating and very true to the maritime theme: MBS with its ship-like roof terrace, and the Art Science Museum which resembles a lotus flower ‘floating’ on the water.

We made our way onto Jubilee Bridge, which connects The Esplanade with the iconic Merlion statue and the towering skyscrapers of Singapore’s CBD.

The bridge runs in tandem with the older Esplanade Bridge, acting as a pedestrian-friendly alternative for foot traffic, as the older one was quite narrow. Most of those walking were tourists like ourselves, but there were many locals jogging as well.

Merlion, we meet again after 11 years! My last time here was on a solo trip in 2013. The scenery hasn’t changed much. Tourists still do the mandatory “water-coming-out-of-mouth” pose.

It’s all in good fun, but at the same time quite hilarious to see so many people with gaping mouths attempting to position themselves in the right spot for photos.

And here’s the view of the Esplanade where we started our walk. The Esplanade is also nicknamed the “Durian”, because its ‘spiked’ exterior, which are actually aluminium sunshades, resembles the thorny fruit.

The original design was not well received – apparently the public called it ‘two copulating aadvarks’ (I laughed reading this on Wikipedia, but can’t find the original quote so take this with a grain of salt). But I think it’s become quite an iconic part of the Singapore landscape since then.

**Fun fact: the durian is the national fruit of Singapore, despite it not being grown there commercially due to lack of space. Meanwhile, the national fruit of Malaysia, which is known for durians, is the … papaya.

The sun was setting by then, blanketing the landscape in a golden glow. Wooden sampan boats ferrying tourists chugged lazily along the water. As a cherry on top of this beautiful sight, a rainbow appeared between the buildings!

There are a number of luxury hotels near the waterfront, such as The Fullerton Bay Hotel. There was a pathway cutting through the outer deck of one of its restaurants, which we took to get to the CBD. There were also signs telling visitors that they might spot otters in the area.

The Central Area is Singapore’s main financial and administrative hub, housing many international corporations and government buildings. It is also the site where Sir Stamford Raffles, considered the founder of modern Singapore, landed with reps of the British East India Company in the early 1800s to establish a free port of trade between Europe and Asia. It’s amazing to think about how Singapore has transformed since then (or even just in the last 50 years).

More fun facts: Many of these skyscrapers are built on reclaimed land. The original shoreline is actually located near the Thian Hock Keng Temple in Chinatown, which is now hundreds of metres from the coast.

After about an hour (and plenty of stops for pix), we arrived at the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. It was packed over the Christmas holidays (yes, I know this blog post should have been uploaded sooner lol), and the atmosphere was upbeat and lively, with sparkling lights and a carnival happening nearby.

We had already been to The Shoppes the previous day with my family, but had to leave early coz my parents were tired. Since it was just N and I this time, we stayed longer for the night scenery. The sky was already fully dark by 7.30pm, so I chose a good spot facing the CBD and waited for Spectra, MBS’s free 15-minute light and water show, which happens daily at 8 pm and 9 pm.

N popped over to the Louis Vuitton store to help his sister with some enquiries. As befitting the luxury brand, the store is housed in a beautiful Crystal Pavilion and is the world’s only floating LV boutique. It looks particularly striking at night with all the lights, like a glittering jewel.

N got back just in time for the show. It was a pretty showcase of water, mist, and light projections paired with music, admist the gorgeous backdrop of Singapore’s skyline. I wouldn’t call the show mindblowing, but it’s free and worth a short wait if you’re already in the area.

So what are my thoughts about walking in Singapore? I think the city is well planned and pedestrian friendly, especially in tourist areas – there’s always a proper way to get somewhere, and commutes are easy once you get used to the train / bus system. It’s such a crucial thing for tourism and just for the general socioeconomic wellbeing of a place, which many other places (*cough*KL*cough) can’t seem to get right. I dream of a day that I can get from my house to KL without a car, and that won’t take me 3 hours lol.

Getting to Esplanade

You can reach Esplanade via the Red / Green MRT Line by alighting at City Hall, or the Yellow line which takes you directly to Esplanade.

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