The Unseen Singapore

It's 2026, and it's time to play host again! One of the interesting parts of doing so is coming up with the itinerary. Since the guests weren't first-timers who needed to be impressed by the grandeur of Singapore, I chose the hidden gems rarely explored by tourists. Oh yes, even I myself had never been to Kusu Island!

The May Day visit!

The main participant was BL, accompanied by Jimmy. Both have been my long-time travel buddies since the Semarang 2019 tour, but this was the first time both of them had ever traveled overseas together! Since his last successful SG life quality tour in 2024, Jimmy finally returned as the spokesperson for Singapore. BL needed to hear from a fellow Indonesian about why Singapore is great, and I was happy to let Jimmy narrate the entire journey.

BL himself told me that there were two reasons why he eventually agreed to come. Yes, he found the itinerary unusually charming, but what drove him mad was the fact that he was literally pestered by Jimmy every day. He couldn't take it anymore, so the only logical choice was to agree just to get it over with!

Jimmy showing the solid metal fence. 

There was going to be a lot of walking. We started from Harbourfront and our first destination was Marina at Keppel Bay. As we passed the condo fences, Jimmy launched into his signature move. He knocked the metal fence to show BL how solid it was. Then he switched to explanation mode and babbled about how Singapore only uses the best materials that are built to last. The SG Life Quality Tour had officially begun!

I always liked the marina because of its relaxed and cozy ambiance, but it was interesting to hear what others had to say. Jimmy shared about his dream of owning a yacht. BL chimed in and talked about how fun it was to fish. As we reached the bridge to Labrador Park, Jimmy scoffed at those who said Singapore was only good for a three-day visit. He challenged BL, betting that no tourist would believe he was in Singapore if he posted the photos of our walk to Labrador Park.

At the sea side, heading to Labrador Park.

We passed through the mangrove area of Labrador Park. Right at the end, we spotted a monitor lizard, an animal that is prevalent in Singapore's waters. We took a break and had our lunch at Alexandra Retail Centre before resuming our journey to HortPark. By the time we exited Kent Ridge, we had been walking for about four hours. 

Our next stop was Lakeside. Taty came to say hello. HRR and his wife Shanty, who joined BL and me in Japan 2023 Tour, also tagged along in the last leg of our walking tour. We covered Lakeside Garden and Chinese Garden before heading back to the city, finally alighting at Farrer Park. 

The meetup at Lakeside MRT. 

We stopped by Don Don Donki, where Jimmy jokingly complained in our chat group that he'd been ganged up on by the four alumni of the Japan Trip as we convinced him to buy Ichiran Ramen. From City Square Mall, we headed to Anjappar for dinner. They were okay with Indian cuisine, but most of them mistook Gobi Manchurian for a fish-based dish before Jimmy corrected them. It was cauliflower!

East Coast was the next destination. We were supposed to have a drink at Brewerkz, but it was completely full. As we had no place to go, we wandered while Jimmy was busy explaining to BL why East Coast was cool and Indonesia lacked anything quite like it. After that, we headed to Mel's Place, a pub with a live band playing oldies. And, as we had our Kronenbourg 1664, they played the Beatles. Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, brother!

Jimmy pointing to the right direction!

That drinking session wrapped up the night. We eventually walked towards Marine Parade MRT and went our separate ways. It took us a while to reach home because the TEL is not linked with Downtown Line in Tampines yet, so it was almost midnight when we reached home. 

The next day started at Kopitiam in Meridian, near Endrico's house. From there, we headed to Punggol and went all the way down to Clarke Quay. We took a quick detour to BullionStar—because who doesn't like silver and gold? After that, we turned towards Boat Quay to go to UOB for some banking matters and, finally, to Marina South Pier. 

Heading to Kusu Island.

That's where we took a ferry to Kusu Island. The ferry stopped at Lazarus Island before our destination, so the total travel time was close to an hour. Jimmy and BL got down on their knees and prayed while they were there, then we circled the island. It was pretty small and since the day was quite hot, we took the next ferry back at 3:30 PM. An angler sat next to Jimmy and they soon got busy chatting about fishing.

When we returned to mainland, we had our dinner at Lau Pa Sat. Once we were full, we headed to the casino at MBS. Jimmy must have won throughout his short stay there, because he insisted on buying us supper afterwards. I brought them to Frienzie in Punggol Container before finally calling it a night.

Happy faces before entering the casino.

Day 3 began with breakfast at Rivervale Mall near my house. BL did a quick shopping at Fairprice before we took bus 109 to Changi Village and crossed to Pulau Ubin by taking a bumboat. Pulau Ubin was a laid-back island with a tinge of modernisation. To be frank, we didn't do much there except cycling around. But it still became something because our tourists didn't get to ride a bike in Singapore every day!

We returned home after lunch and squeezed in one last visit to Bugis because BL had to catch his flight back later that night. From Rochor MRT, we had a quick dinner at Albert Centre Market & Food Centre. BL tried lor mee, a Singapore delight! Then, of course, he had to buy bakwa at Bee Cheng Hiang and tidbits on Bugis Street. 

Last bite at Albert Mall, before heading back to Rochor MRT station. 

Eventually all good things must come to an end. We went home, both Jimmy and BL packed, then the tour guide and the tourist parted ways. Jimmy headed to Novena and I accompanied BL to Changi until he waved goodbye to me from the departure transit hall. The tour officially ended! 

It had been a funny and refreshing trip, I'd say. It was hilarious to see the brainwashing that happened throughout the trip. In the end, BL was a total convert, convinced that Singapore is a great country. God knows how long it will last, but BL did send a voice note to our friend Eday, saying that if he needed to talk to BL, then they should meet in Singapore! Now ain't that something? Haha!

The moments in SG.

Sisi Lain Singapura

Tahun 2026 telah tiba, dan saatnya bagi saya untuk kembali menjadi tuan rumah! Salah satu bagian paling menarik saat menjamu tamu adalah menyusun rencana perjalanan. Karena tamu kali ini bukanlah pendatang baru yang perlu dibuat takjub oleh kemegahan Singapura, saya memilih destinasi tersembunyi yang jarang dieksplorasi turis. Oh ya, bahkan saya sendiri pun belum pernah ke Pulau Kusu!

Kunjungan 1-Mei.

Peserta utamanya adalah BL, ditemani oleh Jimmy. Keduanya adalah teman perjalanan lama saya sejak tur Semarang 2019, tapi ini adalah pertama kalinya mereka berdua bepergian ke luar negeri bersama! Sejak kesuksesan tur "kualitas hidup SG" pada tahun 2024 lalu, Jimmy akhirnya kembali sebagai juru bicara Singapura. BL perlu mendengar dari sesama orang Indonesia tentang mengapa Singapura itu hebat, dan saya dengan senang hati membiarkan Jimmy menjadi narator sepanjang perjalanan.

BL sendiri bercerita bahwa ada dua alasan mengapa dia akhirnya setuju untuk datang. Ya, dia merasa rute perjalanannya cukup unik dan menarik, tapi yang membuatnya "gila" adalah kenyataan bahwa dia diteror oleh Jimmy setiap hari. Dia sudah tidak tahan lagi, jadi satu-satunya pilihan logis adalah setuju saja supaya terornya berakhir!

Jimmy mengetuk pagar di Singapura. 

Sebagian besar rute di hari pertama ditempuh dengan berjalan kaki. Kami memulai dari Harbourfront dan tujuan pertama kami adalah Marina di Keppel Bay. Saat kami melewati pagar-pagar kondominium, Jimmy melancarkan "aksi khasnya". Dia mengetuk pagar logam itu untuk menunjukkan kepada BL betapa kokohnya bahan tersebut. Kemudian dia beralih ke mode penjelasan dan berceloteh tentang bagaimana Singapura hanya menggunakan bahan-bahan terbaik yang dibangun agar tahan lama. SG Life Quality Tour pun resmi dimulai!

Saya selalu menyukai area marina karena suasananya yang santai dan nyaman, tapi menarik juga mendengar pendapat yang lain. Jimmy bercerita tentang mimpinya untuk memiliki kapal pesiar. BL menimpali dan berbicara tentang betapa asyiknya memancing. Saat kami sampai di jembatan menuju Labrador Park, Jimmy berkomentar tentang orang-orang yang mengatakan Singapura hanya layak dikunjungi selama tiga hari. Dia menantang BL, bertaruh bahwa tidak akan ada turis yang percaya dia sedang berada di Singapura jika dia mengunggah foto-foto perjalanan kami menuju ke Labrador Park.

Menuju ke Labrador Park.

Kami melewati area bakau di Labrador Park. Tepat di ujungnya, kami melihat seekor biawak, hewan yang sangat umum ditemukan di perairan Singapura. Kami beristirahat dan makan siang di Alexandra Retail Centre sebelum melanjutkan perjalanan ke HortPark. Pada saat kami keluar dari Kent Ridge, kami sudah berjalan kaki selama sekitar empat jam.

Perhentian kami berikutnya adalah Lakeside. Taty datang untuk menyapa. HRR dan istrinya, Shanty, yang ikut dengan BL dan saya dalam Tur Jepang 2023, juga ikut bergabung di tahap terakhir tur jalan kaki. Kami menjelajahi Lakeside Garden dan Chinese Garden sebelum kembali ke kota dan turun di Farrer Park.

Pertemuan di Lakeside MRT. 

Kami mampir ke Don Don Donki, di mana Jimmy bercanda mengeluh di grup chat kami bahwa dia "dikeroyok" oleh empat alumni perjalanan Jepang karena kami mendesaknya untuk membeli Ichiran Ramen. Dari City Square Mall, kami menuju Anjappar untuk makan malam. Mereka tidak keberatan dengan masakan India, tetapi kebanyakan dari mereka salah mengira Gobi Manchurian sebagai hidangan berbahan dasar ikan sebelum Jimmy mengoreksinya. Itu sebenarnya kembang kol!

East Coast menjadi tujuan berikutnya. Kami seharusnya minum di Brewerkz, tetapi tempatnya penuh total. Karena tidak ada tempat tujuan, kami berjalan-jalan santai sementara Jimmy sibuk menjelaskan kepada BL mengapa East Coast itu keren dan Indonesia tidak memiliki tempat yang seperti ini. Setelah itu, kami menuju Mel's Place, sebuah pub dengan live band yang membawakan lagu-lagu lawas. Dan, saat kami menikmati Kronenbourg 1664, mereka memainkan lagu The Beatles. Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, brother!

Jimmy menunjuk jalan ke arah MRT.

Sesi minum-minum itu menutup malam kami. Kami akhirnya berjalan menuju MRT Marine Parade dan berpisah. Butuh waktu agak lama untuk sampai di rumah karena jalur TEL belum terhubung dengan Downtown Line di Tampines, jadi hari sudah hampir tengah malam saat kami tiba di rumah. 

Hari berikutnya dimulai di Kopitiam di Meridian, dekat rumah Endrico. Dari sana, kami menuju ke Punggol dan lanjut terus sampai ke Clarke Quay. Kami sempat mampir sebentar ke BullionStar—karena siapa sih yang tidak suka perak dan emas? Setelah itu, kami berbelok ke arah Boat Quay untuk ke UOB mengurus beberapa urusan perbankan dan, akhirnya, menuju ke Marina South Pier.

Menuju ke Pulau Kusu.

Di sanalah kami naik feri ke Pulau Kusu. Ferinya sempat berhenti di Pulau Lazarus sebelum sampai ke tujuan, jadi total waktu perjalanannya hampir satu jam. Jimmy dan BL berlutut dan berdoa selama di sana, lalu kami mengelilingi pulau tersebut. Pulau itu cukup kecil dan karena cuaca hari itu lumayan panas, kami naik feri berikutnya untuk pulang pada jam 15:30. Seorang pemancing duduk di sebelah Jimmy dan mereka pun asyik mengobrol tentang memancing.

Saat kembali ke daratan utama, kami makan malam di Lau Pa Sat. Setelah kenyang, kami menuju ke kasino di MBS. Jimmy pasti menang selama kunjungan singkatnya di sana, karena dia bersikeras mentraktir kami makan malam setelahnya. Saya membawa mereka ke Frienzie di Punggol Container sebelum akhirnya menyudahi hari itu.

Wajah-wajah riang pengunjung kasino.

Hari ketiga dimulai dengan sarapan di Rivervale Mall dekat rumah saya. BL sempat berbelanja sebentar di FairPrice sebelum kami naik bus 109 ke Changi Village dan menyeberang ke Pulau Ubin dengan menggunakan kapal bumboat. Pulau Ubin adalah pulau yang santai dengan sedikit sentuhan modernisasi. Sejujurnya, kami tidak melakukan banyak hal di sana selain bersepeda. Tapi itu tetap menjadi momen berkesan karena tidak setiap turis bisa berkesempatan mengendarai sepeda di Singapura setiap hari!

Kami kembali ke rumah setelah makan siang dan menyempatkan satu kunjungan terakhir ke Bugis karena BL harus mengejar penerbangan pulangnya malam itu. Dari MRT Rochor, kami makan malam di Albert Centre Market & Food Centre. BL mencoba lor mee, hidangan lezat khas Singapura! Kemudian, tentu saja dia harus membeli bak kwa di Bee Cheng Hiang dan camilan di Bugis Street.

Icip es krim sebelum ke stasiun MRT Rochor. 

Akhirnya, semua hal baik harus berakhir. Kami pulang ke rumah, Jimmy dan BL berkemas, lalu sang pemandu wisata dan turis pun berpisah. Jimmy menuju Novena dan saya menemani BL ke Changi sampai dia melambaikan tangan kepada saya dari aula transit keberangkatan. Tur pun resmi berakhir!

Bisa saya katakan, ini adalah perjalanan yang lucu dan menyegarkan. Sangat kocak melihat "cuci otak" yang terjadi sepanjang perjalanan. Pada akhirnya, BL benar-benar bertobat dan yakin bahwa Singapura adalah negara yang hebat. Entah berapa lama keyakinan itu akan bertahan, tapi BL sempat mengirim pesan suara kepada teman kami, Eday, yang isinya: jika Eday ingin mengobrol dengan BL, maka mereka harus bertemu di Singapura! Nah, luar biasa, 'kan? Haha!

Tiga hari di SG.