A Weekend in the CBD and SG60 Celebrations

We recently went for a staycation in Singapore’s CBD. It’s probably not too exciting for office workers who commute there daily, but we were stocked to spend the weekend. We had our wedding at the Westin and thought that it’ll be nice to return for our anniversary.

The view from the Westin's Infinity Pool

I’m no countryside mouse, but I’m not used to city parking and did a double-take when I arrived: the rates were $1.10 for every 10 minutes. We parked for less than an hour, and we were already charged $5.50. How do people park their cars here? But thankfully, whole day parking was available after 6pm on Fridays and we had a complimentary parking pass for the rest of the weekend.

We didn’t plan it this way, but our stay coincided with the nation’s preparations for the upcoming National Day. There were road closures around the area and we had to shelve some of our plans to go around the city. But on the bright side, there’s plenty more activities to see, including fireworks on some of the rehearsal days. In fact, I suggest that everybody planning to stay in Singapore’s CBD should have their trip happen over one of the National Day rehearsal’s weekends. In hindsight, there’s no better week to visit. 

Having drinks on the 60th floor while admiring the preparations for Singapore’s 60th is right on theme. 

One of the best places to see the rehearsals is over at Chuān @ The Sixtieth, a bar where we went for drinks one evening. It’s located on the 60th floor of UOB Plaza overlooking Padang Field.

From our bar’s vantage point, you can see the parade grounds. As the parade proceeded, the Red Lion parachutists dropping into the midst of the CBD was a sight to behold from our table. We got a front row seat, better than anybody who went to the actual event.

The bar have tea-based cocktails, and following our recent obsessions with these cocktails that begun in Osaka, we got My Pu-Er Lady (a concoction of pu-er tea with Roku gin) and another cocktail containing matcha, lemongrass and whisky.

We went back to Westin at sunset. We splashed in the water as the sky darkened around us, and not long afterwards, the fireworks started.

Viewing the National Day rehearsal’s fireworks from Westin’s infinity pool - the views partial but still decent - was another real treat.

If you’re after another location that gives an excellent view of the National Day parade and fireworks, then Skai is another great option. It’s located in Raffles City, attached to Swissôtel The Stamford on the 70th floor and overlooking Padang Field (from the other end).

 We sat at Skai Bar, the bar within the restaurant, and it’ll be another great place to visit to watch any fireworks.

Lau Pa Sat is a short walk away from Westin and we visited everyday. It’s an icon of Singapore’s hawker centre culture. I’ve never been there before our trip (the horror!), but I’m now proud to say that I’m a convert. It’s a well-known tourist stop, but tourists liking something doesn’t preclude things from actually being good. Case in point, Jumbo Seafood Restaurant, which I enjoy. Though I once got ragged on for it by a colleague who - wait for it - isn’t even from Singapore. It’s my family’s favourite seafood zichar restaurant.

The large industrial-sized ceiling fans at Lau Pa Sat makes the complex a lot more cooling than regular hawker centres. And I was blown away by how good the satays were from their famed Satay Street. 

We had our satay alongside gorgeously grilled prawns from Stall 8 courtesy of a recommendation. At $0.80 a stick, it’s cheaper than the ones sold outside my house. These were also much more generous in portion sizes and could be the most delicious satays that I’ve had. The tables and chairs, set out al fresco style and wet from a passing shower, didn’t even dampen my mood. What luck for the rain to have just stopped right before our visit:)

The weekend also falls within the period where Singapore Botanic Gardens commemorated the 10th year of its UNESCO designation. There were light shows scattered throughout the gardens. We brought a picnic mat, drinks and snacks, and sat on the grass by the colonial gazebo to enjoy the open air concert in evening time. 

We also visited the newly reopened Oceanarium in Resort World Sentosa. Some sections of the old Sea Aquarium remain, but I was most excited to visit the new section showcasing jellyfishes. Just take a look at these otherworldly beauties! 

Fried Egg Jellyfish. No, really.  

The display aquariums of jellyfishes may have been the most strikingly beautiful sight that I’ve seen. I don’t think I’ve seen jellyfish in the flesh before, and the pictures don't do them justice: their rhythmic movement appearances were truly spectacular. The entrance fees are worth it just for the jellyfish section.

And here's the nursery where wee jellyfishes are brought up. 

But mostly, we tried to spend as much time as we could around the hotel. It’s Wellness Week in Westin hotel, with complimentary classes (hello early morning Yoga and Reformer Pilates!). On our previous stay, we missed out on the jacuzzi, which is available to all hotel guests, but we made full use of it this time around. We alternated between the warm jacuzzi, the hot steam room and the cold rainfall shower. The hotel massages were also going for half-price on the Saturday of their Wellness Week (!), and we thankfully managed to snag up the last slot for the day.

One nearby restaurant that we’d been to before is the Majestic Restaurant at Marina One just across the street from Westin. We had really good dim sum there when we visited last year after a post-wedding banquet stupor. The serene walk through all the greenery in that building was on point. Their Crispy Prawn Rolls was terrific, as was the Steamed Rice Rolls with Prawns (hmm. I sense a pattern). Anyway, I also remembered they had a terrific fried eggplant with pork floss, but looking at the menu now, perhaps they’re discontinued that?

If you made your way to the Orchard area, you might enjoy dining at Sen Ryo. It's a Japanese restaurant that I’ve been to for a while now, mainly during any free weekdays for their terrific lunch sets. We went for their omakase this time around, which also has a weekday lunch special. It’s worth going for.

All too soon, our stay ended. 

There's a sweetness in discovering something by happenstance, without planning for it. It was pure delight to see the fireworks from the infinity pool and the parachutists jumping off the plane from our table at the bar. We could not have asked for a better way to see the celebrations. What a wonderful stay this had been.