2023 Spring Asia Cruises I - Holland America Westerdam Singapore to Yokohama, Japan
February 24-25, 2023 (Thursday/Friday) Ontario Aiport-Taoyuan Airport-Changi Airport
(I am so behind in posting on the blog with three other cruises still waiting but I figured it is time to move on and post our most recent travel here. I will continue with where I left off later if God willing.)
After three years of staying put without major overseas travel, it was time for us to head out. This time it will be a month-long trip including two cruises and then about 10 days visiting family in Taiwan. It was quite surreal that we were actually flying long distance after three years but we were very excited and ready for the new adventure.
Upon arriving at Ontario International Airport, which is the closest airport to us, we checked in without any problems other than they forgot to print the TSA Pre-Check status on son's ticket. That caused him having to go through the whole security check thoroughly. What a pain! Next time we have to make sure the TSA Pre-Check stamp is on every single ticket to avoid the problem.
Flight was quite on time with just about 10 minutes late as we settled into our seats on this China Airlines Airbus jet. A full plane with many passengers. It was past 11:00 PM, so evidently we were tired and anxious to get the long flight over with.
Ready for the long flight.
A full plane.
First meal, dinner which was very good!
Second meal, two hours before landing in Taiwan.
We arrived Taiwan Taoyuan Airport at close to 6:00AM when the airport was already busy. We had to find our way from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 (the older part of the airport) to make this transfer. Quite a long walk for our tired legs. Then we had to wait for our next flight to Singapore, which won't happened until 8:30. As we went into the waiting area at the boarding gate, we found the family members who will be traveling with us on this trip. It is becoming more real now.
Waiting at the boarding gate at Taoyuan Airport.
Still quiet at this time.
It turned out that we had two female pilots taking charge of out flight this morning.
Ready for take off!
Another full plane.
We were served a decent delicious lunch on this flight.
Arriving at Terminal 3 at Changi Airport in Singapore and went through immigration process without a hitch. Then we had to decide on how to get to the airport. I have heard that Grab is similar to Uber in Southeast Asia and had downloaded their App but had not used them apparently. We were successful in finding a 9-person van through Grab for $68 SD. I suppose it was reasonable and we were happy that we did not have to drag our luggage on the metro system and walk to the hotel. The drive was quite long from the airport to our hotel in downtown, so to me it was worth it.
Taking our ride on the van to the hotel.
Furama City Center, Singapore
Hotel rates are quite expensive in Singapore but we managed to book a hotel for an acceptable price and at a great location near Clarke Quay and Chinatown. An older hotel with nothing fancy. We were pleasantly surprised by the wonderful view we got outside our window on the 18th floor.
What a view!
Room was good.
Clean bathroom
Good enough for the three of us.
Jumbo Seafood
We were all very tired so we decided to go out for an early dinner and then call it a day. One place we would like to try on this trip is the Jumbo Seafood Restaurant which is a famous restaurant in Singapore for their chili crab. It's a 7-minute walk from the hotel which is manageable. Without reservation we were not sure if we would be successful in getting a table at this popular eatery. Fortunately, because it was early enough, we had to wait just about 10 minutes for a table on their 2nd flood dining room.
Checking in at the restaurant entrance with a short line.
Got a good table upstairs.
Bring on the food!
This was recommended by the waitress, a veggie dish with sambal (chili sauce).
I wanted to try this drink, Lo Han Guo which is suppose to be good for health.
Our order
Scallops wrapped in taro ring.
Prawns with Golden Salted Eggs. Yum!
Chili Mud Crab, the main dish.
Excellent!
Entrance to the dining area on 2nd floor.
Always a line.
This restaurant is right by the Singapore River at Clarke Quay.
A popular place frequent by both tourists and locals.
Singapore River
After walking along the river a bit, we took the short walk back to the hotel and called it a day. A good first day of our travel. The problem was, out of all 6 of us, four had painful leg cramps during the night, not sure why but figured it might be the result of sitting too long on the plane rides. After soaking our legs in a tub of hot water, we were able to sleep through the night. We will explore some more of Singapore tomorrow!
Video of our first day in Singapore here.
"As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work." -- John 9:4
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