I always manage to have a bit of "me" time when I am in Singapore for work. It's usually a hurried, two hour shopping spree, a late night hawker center pig out or an early breakfast at a favorite kopi place. But this last trip the conference I attended was set far away from the city -- a S$35 taxi ride away!
Changi Village Hotel is located east of the city. It's a ten minute ride from the airport, a few steps away from the ferry terminal that can whisk you away to the outlying islands and is also within the vicinity of Changi Air Base, the old British military headquarters and the military hospital.
The scenery is much more lush and tree lined - it seems like you're back in pre war Singapore!
Still, it's out of the way and a 30 to 40 minute ride if you seek the commercial pleasures of Orchard Road!
The top of the hotel features a roof deck infinity pool that overlooks more trees and a view of the sea. Who says the Marina Bay Sands had the first roof top infinity pool in Singapore? This may be just 10 stories above the ground but it's still a nice place to spend a sunny afternoon in.
Since the hotel is so close to the airport, you can sit in the pool and watch the planes fly in. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the A380 but had no such luck!
The hotel may have been far from buzzy and busy Orchard Road but it had a surprise going for it -- at least for me. The whole stretch of the street that the hotel was in contained rows and rows of buildings that housed restaurants and 24 hour kopi places -- a treasure trove of foodie delights to discover!
The blue awnings over the tables and chairs that you see belong to the Old Airfield Restaurant, that includes a good number of food stalls.
Why eat the complimentary hotel breakfast when you can eat here? I woke up early each day and snuck out of the hotel to hobnob with the locals and eat an honest to goodness Singaporean breakfast!
Mizzy Corner served a mean nasi lemak, my favorite dish!
Whole day meetings are so boring! I kept myself from nodding off with a tall hot glass of kopi -- check out the condensed milk at the bottom of the glass!
Lunch break and I am back outside -- again escaping from the hotel lunch buffet. A bit further down from the old Airfield Restaurant, I find the Dynamic Dining House. With a name like that, who could resist?
This counter showcased a whole lot of indian dishes. It's turo turo style at Dynamic Dining, pick and choose! So inexpensive too -- rice and 4 viands costs only S$3.50!
I ask for the vegetarian selection and I get a tray overflowing with coconut chutney, a huge crisp papadum on top of my rice, fried curried carrot sticks, sauteed bean sprouts and ampalaya or bitter melon with chili.
The fork and spoon may be mismatched but the flavors blend so wonderfully together!
Dynamic Dining is full during the lunch time rush hour. But since you choose and pick your own dishes, there is no down time at all!
I wasn't quite so alone during this lunch break. An army of sleek black cats kept me company while I ate.
See you next time, cat -- lunch is over. I wish I could sit and stare into space like you.
But, time to get back to work!
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