Singapore: Day 1

The view of Singapore from our hotel room.
The Merlion! Half mermaid, half lion!



What a wonderful start to our honeymoon! Our royal treatment here in Southeast Asia began as soon as we set foot off the plane at Changi Airport. We were picked up at the gate and shuttled to a very comfortable lounge where we waited for our bags in massage chairs. Once our bags arrived we were taken out to meet our driver, Michael, and hopped in the Mercedes for our ride to the Ritz-Carlton. We never waited in a single line, or had to find our way through customs! We found out that a popular Taiwanese boy band, 'Lollipop', was on our plane but we don't think they even got the treatment we received.

As it turned out, that was just the beginning. We have been absolutely spoiled by the friendly and helpful staff at the Ritz! Every staff member greets us with a smile and "Hello/Good Morning/Good Evening Mr. and Mrs. Kinzer."

Once we got settled in, and over the initial shock of being in such lavish surroundings, we decided to set out and explore the city of Singapore (our new friends at the Ritz had plenty of suggestions as well as highlighted maps of the city). We walked through the famous shopping district of Orchard Road, visited the Raffles Hotel, paid homage to the Merlion, and generally got our bearings in the city. Singaporeans and the frequent visitors of the city must love to shop! We stayed out of the Gucci, Prada, and Armani stores, but they were everywhere. So much shopping to do, so little money :)

We took the Metro back towards the hotel, cleaned up (it's pretty hot and sticky down on the Equator), and grabbed a taxi to the world's only "Night Safari". It is one of Singapore's most popular attractions and for wildlife lovers like Dan it was a 'must see'. We had a great experience exploring the wildlife park in the dark, surrounded by rhinos, lions, elephants, bats, and more. After our long 19 hour voyage to Singapore, however, we were beat, and couldn't even stay awake for the cab ride back to the Ritz.

And there went Day One of our Honeymoon! We can tell that Singapore will be a fascinating place to explore for the next few days. Please check back for more stories about our adventures in Singapore!