May 18, 2026

Singapore at night is even more spectacular than by day! The city sparkles! I had set up another tour for us to take in some of the iconic light and water shows, this island is known for also on our first day. Decided we should go big and get a great first taste of things! We joined this tour at 6pm, right before dusk, so we had prime viewing!

The guide brought us to the back side of the Marina, home to Gardens by the Bay, where you get a great view of the city from the other side of the marina basin in front of the Marina Bay Sands ( MBS). Here we walked up a great overlook to see the dusk set and the lights start to come on.  Above shows the electric treetops in the Gardens by the Bay on the right and the Singapore Flyer or ferris wheel on the left. In the middle is the peak of the Flower Dome.

Next we headed to the Gardens by the Bay for the 7:45pm electric tree light show. The show is about 15 minutes, with great music.

After the treetops show we were taken over to the electric boat marina. Only electric and solar boats operate in this marina because this water is part of the drinking water for the whole city. This wharf area is very lively with tons of bars and restaurants all lite up in varing shades. I can't wait to return to explore more of these areas.

We watched the MBS Spectra Show from a boat, in the middle of the Marina, in front of the MBS. This show is a water and lights one that last another 15 minutes, also set to music.

After the Spectra show finished the tour bus took us back to the hawker stalls at Lau Pa Sat for our late night dinner. Then we headed back to the ship to rest up for more FUN tomorrow!  Below is photo of Odyssey taken by a fellow passenger all lite up below monorail.

2nd YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF SAILING THE WORLD

By Pat Patrick • October 1, 2026
WOW!! I can't believe it has been two years of sailing around the World already for me and my fellow shipmates on the Villa Vie Odyssey! We left Belfast, Ireland back on September 30, 2024 and it has been such a great adventure to date! We have been to 201 different ports, some more than once, during those two years, with much more to come!

APOPO, SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA

By Pat Patrick • September 29, 2026
Before coming to Cambodia , I sadly have to admit I was unaware of the landmine problems they face. On our first night in Siem Reap, where we hiked up the hill to try and see the sunset views, there was a small band of men playing instruments and our tuk tuk driver explained to me they were victims of landmine explosions who had lost limbs or their sight and were trying to make money via donations to support their families.

Ta Prohm Temple ( AKA Lara Croft: Tomb Raider), CAMBODIA

By Pat Patrick • September 28, 2026
I rallied for our last temple of the morning, because I heard this one was unique and I think it was my favorite. Ta Prohm was built starting in 1186 by King Jayavarman VII as a Buddhist monastery and university dedicated to the king's mother. It was left mostly un-restored so that huge banyan and silk cotton trees grow directly over and through the walls. In 2001, the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider movie was filmed here.