The roof of Singapore.

Ask any tourist what’s the most famous hotel in Singapore, and most will confidently answer Marina Bay Sands. And they’d be right! This iconic hotel, with its distinctive unique design, which towers over a small man-made patch of land by the Bay (here), is so dominant you literally can’t miss it – not that anyone would want too!…

And ask the same tourists what stands out the most for them regarding the Marina Bay Sands, and the answers will be unanimous: the rooftop! Of course! And it totally deserves the hype. So let’s head up there right now. Up we go to the top (57^th) floor – from where the views are absolutely mind-blowing:

Down below – the Gardens by the Bay we’d just strolled through, and off in the distance – the never-ending line of ships waiting to get into port ->

Looking one way…

And looking the other ->

Singapore’s mascot – the Merlion. And of course, crowds all around. Gotta stop by next time…

Over here there used to be a grandstand, but they’ve torn it down and are building something new:

Zooming in, you get scenes like this:

And… the legendary – ultimate! – rooftop infinity pool overlooking the entire city:

Normally it’s rammed, but if you’re real lucky you can score a rare shot like this:

Ahh, just gorgeous! Especially when you float over to the edge and soak up those views…

And don’t even get me started on the sunsets up here. They’re next-level!

Sadly, I wasn’t aware of just how good they get here so didn’t bring my camera. But since we had a work party up to, I hijacked the event’s hired photographer’s camera! ->

Here’s the shot I got:

And another one from the party:

Next evening, I came fully prepared but, alas, the sunset wasn’t so great ->

My pics still turned out pretty decent, though (and unpeopled)! ->

Somewhere way out there on the horizon you can spot the coastal skyscrapers of Johor Bahru, Malaysia:

And if you really focus, you can see the silhouettes of three port cranes against the setting sun:

The sky was putting on a real show:

Apparently there’s another cool rooftop bar on that building over there too:

That’s it – the sun’s done for the day.

Curtain!

Btw, some of these photos were taken by my travel companion, OS, on her smartphone.

A little later we passed a street-art installation here called “80 Icosahedron” by Anthony James. It’s been here since 2019 ->

Such a cool idea: one side of the glass is transparent, while the other is mirrored (semi-mirrored glass). The edges of the icosahedron are lit up from the inside, and all the reflections create this surreal, trippy vibe ->

It’s best seen in a video. Yes – really like these. I want one! Where can I buy it, and how much does it cost? (“Price on enquiry“. That means it ain’t gonna be cheap!)

Oh, and check out this spot nearby – a whisky lovers’ paradise! ->

A dangerous place. So just a quick tasting – and off we go…

For the sake of balance, let me add a few drops of bitterness to this barrel of honey. Marina Bay Sands is amazing (well, except for the prices), but I did notice a couple of annoying things that weren’t there before.

First – they’ve closed (apparently for good) the gym on the 55^th floor, which was hands down the most epic gym I’ve ever been to! Two halls (one for weights, one for aerobic fitness) on opposite sides of the hotel, and with views of the ship-filled strait on one side and the city skyline on the other. It was pure magic! Sadly, it’s history now.

And second – the brutal 20-minute lines for breakfast if you show up at 9-10am (it’s a bit better if you come at 7-8). Not ideal if you need to be at the exhibition (right across the street) by 11 for your speech.

That’s it for now folks. Singapore: done. Next up – suitcase, taxi, and… that airport. And where to next? Find out in my next post!…

The best high-res photos from Singapore are here.