My flight from San Francisco via Hong Kong landed around noon, and I had just under seven hours before my connecting flight. I decided to take the Free Singapore Tour from the airport. Indian nationals in transit through Singapore are visa-exempt for 96 hours, provided they hold a valid visa issued for the USA. I registered for the 1:30 PM Heritage Tour, which was fully booked soon after. I would not have been able to take the 4:00 PM tour, so it was fortunate that I signed up just in time.
The group followed the coordinator as we were led toward immigration. The immigration officer checked my US visa, and before I could say anything, he took a pen and circled the expiration date. I was concerned that he felt the need to mark my US visa while I was entering Singapore. The same thing happened to the person behind me in line, so at least I knew I wasn’t being singled out. Unfortunately, this incident weighed on me for the rest of the trip; I was worried that the mark might affect my ability to use the visa to enter the US again. I boarded the bus and tried to distract myself, but to no avail.
We drove out from the airport as our tour guide shared insights into Singapore’s history. Our first stop was the Queen Elizabeth Walk. We had some time here to walk around and see the famous Merlion.
There were also great views of the Singapore Flyer, the Helix Bridge, and the Benjamin Sheares Bridge. Across the water, we could see the ArtScience Museum and the Marina Bay Sands.
Afterward, we got back on the bus and drove past the Little India neighborhood. It was beautifully decorated for Diwali.
Our next stop was the Sultan Mosque, where we had time to grab a bite to eat or do some souvenir shopping.
We then boarded the bus and headed back to the airport. Every participant was given a scented candle for Diwali, which was a very nice touch.
Upon reaching the terminal, I thanked the tour guide and the driver and headed inside. While the visa incident somewhat tainted my first visit, the tour itself was well-organized. I passed through security and immigration and boarded my flight to Mumbai at 6:55 PM.