[Explore] City Tours - Captain Explorer DUKW Tour + Dinner at Palapa

City Tours offers unique experiences and value-packed tours, such as the FunVee open-top sightseeing bus and Captain Explorer DUKW Tour (船长探索鸭子游). My daughter and I had the opportunity to be tourists in our own country, alongside Pink and her daughter, as we embarked on a fun ride aboard the DUKW Amphibious Vehicle. 

We met up at 5pm outside City Tourist Hub at Marina Square Shopping Mall, which is the designated departing point. Before boarding the DUKW Amphibious Vehicle, an authentic revamped Vietnam War-era vehicle, we took many group photos and here's one showing our excited faces! It was our first time on the DUKW tour.

Throughout the 1 hour tour, the friendly and knowledgeable guide shared with us a lot of insightful commentary on Singapore's iconic landmarks. The main highlight was 'Splashdown', where our vehicle made a thrilling splash into Marina Bay's waters. There were some screams but nobody get wet though.

We cruised past iconic landmarks like the Singapore Flyer, Esplanade Theatre, and Gardens by the Bay. The tour also offered an unobstructed panorama views of the Marina Bay Sands, the CBD area (I can see my workplace!) and the uniquely-designed Helix Bridge, which resembles DNA. The up-close encounter with the majestic Merlion was truly unforgettable, as being on the water provided the rare opportunity to view it from the front. 

The ride on the water was pretty smooth and took about 45 minutes. Here are some fun facts I picked up from the tour guide during the ride: Singapore has 17 reservoirs that serve as water catchment areas for rainfall. The three biggest Ferries wheels in the World are located in Dubai, Las Vegas and Singapore. The Singapore Flyer is the third-largest Ferris Wheel in the world, with each rotation taking approximately 30 minutes.   

The last 15 minutes was a land tour, and it was quite a bumpy ride. We drove past some 5-star hotels, such as Swissôtel, the tallest hotel in Singapore, and Raffles Hotel, where a one night stay can cost around $2,000 - $3,000. Overall, it was a one-of-a-kind experience that brings us to see Singapore's skyline and landmarks.

More information

Operating Hours: Daily, except for Monday

09:00 am - 11:00 am & 13:00 pm - 18:00 pm 

(Hourly departure)

 Meeting Point: #01-207, City Tourist Hub @ Marina Square Shopping Mall 

(Next to 7-Eleven)

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Together, we had dinner at Palapa, which serves Indonesian food at City Gate. We ordered a few different sets to try, and I really love their spicy and tangy sambal. My girl still can't handle chili yet and the little bit of spice in the indomie made her cry a bit, while little Enya commented on how she loves spicy food. Hopefully, my girl will learn to love spicy food soon! After dinner, the girls enjoyed the CHOCO ALBAB Unicorn Strawberry cereal, coated with real strawberry chocolate sauce. What a nice sweet treat to end the day! Thanks Pink for organizing the day's itinerary and sharing the tip that we can claim 2 hours of free parking with a $20 receipt!   

Palapa Indonesian Fast Food 

Address: 371 Beach Road 
#02-28 City Gate 
Singapore 199577

Operating Hours: 11am - 8pm 
(Last order at 7.30pm) 

XOXO