Orchard Road and Bugis Street

Most people usually think shopping when they hear about Singapore.  True enough, it was a shopaholic's paradise.  Orchard Road is filled with famous brands like Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Georgio Armani to name a few. A wide selection of clothes, shoes and bags are there for anyone who's ready to burn their wallet or max out their credit cards.  But for a poor backpacker like me, it was torture. I was contented posing in front of the stores and just do window shopping.  Haha.

There were a lot of different malls along Orchard Road and one can easily get lost among the long aisles of branded items.  Prices range from S$12 to who knows what. The Great Singapore Sale happens this weekend so expect all the items to be on super sale.  My friend says that sometimes prices can go down to 70% off during this time.

After going to different stores we saw this S$1 ice cream stand.  It's a perfect refuge on a hot summer day.  You can choose from a variety of flavors and whether you want your ice cream to be placed in a cone, a wafer or bread.  I chose a sweet corn flavored ice cream in a wafer.  It was delicious!

Further away from the ice cream stand, there was a guy playing an instrument along the street.  I was impressed by the beautiful sound that he made using an Appalachian Dulcimer – an American folk musical instrument created somewhere between 1800’s - 1940.   His music evoked a certain calmness, very different from the fast-paced people walking along Orchard Road.

Budget conscious people flock to Bugis Street for cheap finds.  It's also a long stretch of stalls selling shirts, souvenirs, bags and many others.  I was able to buy my trip souvenir here - a Singapore magnet for S$5. Haggle and you can get discounts when you buy in bulk.

Singapore truly is a shopper's paradise.  It has something to offer someone who likes branded items and someone who's on a budget.  Be sure to wear comfortable shoes since walking through the long stretch of stalls can be tiring.  Also bring enough water or be prepared to pay at least S$1.50 for a bottle.

And as a bonus, there was a Canon Blogger Workshop on one of the malls in Orchard Road. I get to see the international celebrity photographer, Russell James.