Hello everyone!
It's been a while since I last posted here. The main reason is this "posting ennui" I've felt since the start of the year. Another reason is that I've been busy preparing for and eventually settling into my new place here in Singapore. I guess I'll be staying here for good. I'll share the whole story of how I got here, but for now, I just want to share my experience visiting the ranked #8 in the world and #1 in Asia by the QS World University Rankings for 2026: National University of Singapore (NUS).
For context, I'm visiting @glecerioberto in his current playground. He's pursuing his PhD in one of the best universities in the world. He might not have shared it here, so I'm the one sharing it to you guys. Anyway, he invited me to visit NUS last Sunday. I was reluctant at first because it would be my first time to try Singapore's public transport alone, but I don't have anything else to do, I thought I might as well get acquainted with my new environment.
Let me just say how efficient Singapore's public transport is. You won't really get lost because everything's in Google Maps, including the location of the incoming bus and the time it will arrive at the stop. Google Maps suggested that it would take 50 minutes from Boon Lay Avenue to NUS UTown, but I already arrived at the bus stop near the university in just 15 minutes. Maybe because it was a Sunday and it was raining, so there were only a few people going out.
When I arrived at Aft NUS High School bus stop, GB was still in his dorm because he thought I would arrive 40 to 50 minutes after. He just said we would meet at the Education Resource Center (ERC). I just walked towards ERC, following Google Maps instructions. My university could never relate because NUS has no gate nor guards. I just walked to the university just like any student. GB said that the university is often packed with people during weekdays because of the tourists. The university is a tourist spot in itself.
This is the map diorama of the whole university. The ERC is located at the center left of the map, near the expressway. NUS main campus covers 150 hectares of land and I visited just one small part of the campus.
When we met, we decided to immediately head to the canteen because I was so hungry at that time. I had no dinner the night before and it was already almost 11:00 AM. Since the canteen is located at the other side of the lawn facing the ERC, we had to pass by a lot of facilities and one that really amazed me was the indoor wall climbing facility.
I asked GB if he can try wall climbing, but he said you have to join a club in order to use the facility. It was a Sunday, but there were students trying wall climbing. I was already amazed by USC's (my university) land area and facilities, but NUS is on a different level. It's almost double in land area and the number of buildings, collages, laboraties, and facilities are in a different league. USC could never compare (sorry USC).
Our brunch. On the left was my plate and GB's on the right. The food selection at NUS's canteen is so much better than at the hawker center near my place.
After our brunch, GB toured me around. We went to the second and third level of ERC and then went to the UTown Residences. All I observed are green spaces especially those at the rooftops of the buildings. This is the Singapore that I imagined because of their laws related to having green spaces all over the city-state.
Every single tree, shrub, and ornamental plant is deliberately planted and well maintained. The conscious effort to set up and maintain green spaces is part of NUS's "green living" to enhance the campus's livability.
When we went to UTown Residences, I noticed chickens and birds freely roaming around. The chickens are strays and GB said they can't be killed because they're protected by law. They just forage all around the campus. Too bad I don't have a photo to show here.
Of all the photos here, these next two photos are my favorites. It really blends urban aesthetics and green spaces.
I can't get over with the green spaces!
I guess that's all for this post! See you on the next one!
Kim Ybañez
Welcome to Kim's small corner in Hive. He is a chemical engineer by profession but a blogger by passion. He is a wanderlust and an adventure seeker. Join his quests as he visits remote destinations, climbs mountains, tries new and exotic dishes, and explores his country (The Philippines). He's also a trying-hard photographer, so stay tuned as he shares his photos and his thought process while creating them.
If you like his content, don't forget to upvote and leave a comment to show some love. You can also reblog if you want to. Also, don't forget to follow him to be updated with his latest posts.