What do I even begin with - the food or the culture, the diversity or the luxury? If you think Singapore is only about fun and shopping, get ready to be surprised. It is a mix of so many cultures that even though it is a small island country, the diversity is vast. From street shopping to luxury shopping, from street food to Michelin star food, from ancient temples to latest technology - you name it, Singapore has it.
Thanks to the different cultures, Singapore has so many distinctively different neighbourhoods to explore.
You don't need a map to get around here. Every street is colourful and full of life. This is the place to try some delicious Chinese street food and buy some souvenirs.
Here comes the glamorous part - the area that makes Singapore what it is famous for. From luxury shopping malls to uber-cool parks - it has it all. To top it all, this area has some of the best viewpoints in the city.
This luxury hotel, facing the Marina Bay, has world's largest infinity pool. However, this is accessible only to the hotel guests. If you want to enjoy the view from 57th floor without burning a whole in your pocket, you should visit Sands Skypark observation deck. Best time to visit would be during sunset and stay till the evening.
Other than gorgeous views, this place is also known for Shoppes, the luxury shopping mall. It is a paradise for shopaholics. There is a canal inside it and you can also enjoy a boat ride.
Gardens by the Bay is a futuristic nature park that deserves every bit of the hype it gets. There are different parts of the park and you can choose to buy tickets accordingly.
The cloud forest was my personal favourite. This temperature controlled botanic garden is a great place to learn about different types of floras. It also has world's tallest indoor waterfall and a hidden garden.
The other indoor garden is the Flower dome, which happens to be the largest glass greenshouse in the world.
The main highlight of the park is the Supertree Grove. The unique illuminated supertrees in the evening will teleport you to the world of Avatar. You can also enjoy the panoramic view of the gardens from OCBC skyway. You can take a single ticket that covers cloud forest, flower dome and OCBC skyway or take individual tickets depending on what you want to cover and what you want to skip. There is a private area of silver hued supertrees called Silver leaf that offers a great view with the backdrop of Marina Bay Sands.
The Singapore Flyer is the giant Ferris wheel in Singapore. Plan to visit the observation deck at night to get an amazing panoramic view of Singapore.
Sentosa is a resort island with loads of recreational options for everyone. It is easy to get to the island. There is a monorail named Sentosa express that connects all the places in the island with the mainland Singapore. You can board the monorail from level 3 of VivoCity shopping mall. Once you enter the island you can use this ticket as a hop on hop off service before leaving the island.
There are three beaches on the island - Palawan, Tanjong and Siloso. You need to get down at the last stop Beach station to access the beaches. I chose to visit Palawan beach in the morning which according to me was the best time since there was no crowd whatsoever.
Irrespective of your age or interest, you will not regret spending a day in the Universal Studios Singapore. The monorail stop for the same is Resorts World Sentosa. Here are a few tips which might be helpful: if you are planning to visit USS:
Plan your rides beforehand: There are 7 themes located across the park. As soon as you enter, the first theme is Hollywood. If you decide to go anti-clockwise the next zones will be New York city, Sci-Fi city, Ancient Egypt, The Lost World, Far Far Away and Madagascar respectively. Reach the park as early as possible so that you don't have to rush. You will find a free layout of the park upon arriving which would be helpful to locate the rides. My personal favourites were the Transformers ride and the Jurassic Park rapid adventures. As soon as you enter the park, go to the rides you do not want to miss. As the day goes by the queue gets longer. Therefore try to finish the important rides first.
Don't carry the world: You have only a day to explore all the different worlds inside USS. This involves a lot of walking and standing in queues. Therefore don't carry a lot of items with you as you will be very tired by the end of the day. Plan what all items you want to carry based on what rides you want to take e.g. you don't want to be carrying or wearing anything loosely connected if you want to ride the roller coaster. There are lockers in many places but they are chargeable. If you want to go to the Jurassic Park rapid adventures, be ready to be drenched. You can buy plastic covers on the spot or you can carry a raincoat and/or a backpack cover instead.
Carry a bottle: You don't need to buy water inside. All you need to carry a bottle. You will find taps for drinking water in many places inside the park.
Other than Universal Studios, Sentosa is also famous for its Resorts World. It offers many activities and you can find all the information here.
Singapore zoo is one of the most popular zoos in the world. Unlike any other zoo, there are multiple activities that you can enjoy:
Night Safari
Visiting Jurong Bird Park
River Safari
Visiting Wildlife Reserves
However, the one I went to and loved it to bits was Rainforest Lumina. This was not like anything I have ever experienced. The magical world of virtual trees and creatures was so much more refreshing than I expected it to be.
As the name suggests, this is the hub of Indian Culture in Singapore. Indian street arts, houses with big colourful windows, garland and jewellery shops - this is indeed a little India in the heart of Singapore. The nearest MRT station is Little India and once you are here, you should not miss the beautiful and vibrant residence of Tan Teng Niah.
One can write a blogpost just addressing the shopping itinerary in Singapore. I am not exaggerating when I say that it a paradise for all types of shoppers. Here are few of my favourites:
High street shopping: There are probably a hundred shopping malls across the country where you will get all high street fashion brands. Some of them might also offer great sale and discounts. Here are my favourite places:
ION Orchard mall
VivoCity shopping mall
Bugis+
Street/Cheap shopping: Who doesn't like street shopping when you can get clothes of good quality in a throwaway price? You must experience shopping at Bugis street. Don't forget to carry cash and many shops do not accept cards. For great deals on electronics and luggage, you can visit Mustafa.
Luxary shopping: The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands has the largest collection in South-East Asia and is the one stop shop for all your luxury fashion brands.
Airport shopping: Finally, you can do some duty-free shopping at one of the best airports in the world - Changi airport. There are plenty of shops in all terminals that you can shop from.
Singapore has plenty of things to do at night. You can enjoy a light and sound show at Supertree grove in Gardens by the bay. You can also enjoy the panoramic view of Marina bay from Sands Skypark or Helix bridge or Singapore flyer.
Night Safari and Raniforest Lumina are other two options if you fancy something offbeat to do. I adored my time at Clarke Quay. I had a very relaxed evening tasting some amazing dishes and sipping into Singapore Sling in one of the restaurants by the canal. You can even walk around this area following the canal. Don't miss the view of Marina Bay Sands and Old hill street police station.
Needless to say, you have hundreds of options in Singapore if you want to party or grab a drink.
The Peranakan houses of Koon Seng road can be the perfect backdrop for your photo. Try to visit early in the morning if you don't want vehicles and people in the frame.
Start your day right at the Chinese and Japanese gardens. It is a serene and tranquil place and far from the hustle and bustle of the city. Get down at the Chinese Garden MRT and follow the signs to visit Chinese garden, Japanese garden and the twin pagodas.
Singapore is the place to try various cuisines and go binge-eating. Lau Pa Sat or Telok Ayer Market is a historic building in the downtown Singapore that is a big food market and a great place for scrumptious local cuisine. You must also try Chinese street food at Chinatown. I found Singapore Sling a bit over-hyped, but loved Tiger beer. It is also pretty easy to have Michelin star food in Singapore without paying a bomb.
I had only 3 days to spend in Singapore. As a result, I had a very tight itinerary. I managed to make 3 vlogs, 1 for each day, which might help you plan a trip to Singapore.
You can also find the photos on my Instagram handle: ineverynookandcorner or look for the tag #singaporeseries_ienac.
Singapore was my 2nd international solo trip. I loved the chaos of Chinatown, the chill vibes of Clarke Quay, the great fireworks at the Marina Bay and silent walks in the Rainforest Lumina. Long story short, other than the weather, I loved every bit of Singapore and can't wait to visit again.
Quickies:
- Singapore is a multicultural country. Its population is dominated by Chinese, Malays and Indians (mostly Tamilians).
- Located just 1 degree north of the Equator, Singapore has a tropical weather through out the year. It is really hot and humid, especially during Summer months. Therefore, wear comfortable clothes and stay hydrated. If the forecast shows rain, do not forget to carry umbrella/rain coats/rain covers for bags.
- The Singapore Dollar (S$) is the currency of Singapore. You will see plenty of cash machines/ATMs everywhere in the country including the airport.
- Singapore is really strict about their laws. You should not litter or eat/drink in the MRTs (metro) or chew/buy gums. The fine is quite expensive. Therefore, pay attention to all the sign boards you see.
- The type G electrical plug is used in Singapore. The same plug is used in UK, Ireland and Malaysia as well.
- Transport is very convenient in Singapore. You can reach almost everywhere by MRTs. I would recommend that you buy a tourist pass. You can get 1 day (S$10), 2 days (S$16) or 3 days (S$20) pass from one of the few MRT stations that sell it. They also charge S$10 as a security deposit, which you can get back if you return your card later. You can get the list of MRT stations where you can buy and return your cards, along with their operating times, here. It is also recommended to download the latest map of Singapore MRT in your smartphone, as it will come really handy at times. For those places, that are not easily accessible by MRTs (e.g. Koon Seng road), you can book a taxi. Grab is the Uber of Singapore and is the cheapest. You need to install their app and is pretty easy to use.
- Instead of booking the attractions on spot, look for discounts online. There are many websites that offer good deals for the same.
- Indians need to apply for Visa before 30 days of travel date. There are plenty of sites on the internet to give you all the necessary details.
- A day in Singapore should cost you approximately 150-200 SGD excluding airfares and visa charges.
Things to do in Singapore:
Explore the neighbourhoods:
Thanks to the different cultures, Singapore has so many distinctively different neighbourhoods to explore.
Chinatown:
Let's start with my favourite one - Chinatown. Connected by MRT (station- Chinatown DT19, NE4), this area is easily accessible from the rest of the city. Full of authentic restaurants and souvenir shops, the Pagoda street is always full of vim and vigour.
Once you are done with exploring, head to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum which is, as the name suggests, a Buddhist temple. You are not allowed to enter with short clothes. Pick one of the wrap around skirts from the entrance and drop it at the same place once you are done. It is very calm and peaceful inside, with beautiful and intricate interior.
Thian Hock Keng AKA Thianfu temple is a few hundred yards away and it is the oldest Chinese temple in the history of Singapore. The temple is as stunning inside as it is outside. The rear exterior wall beautifully depicts the story of early Hokkien immigrants to Singapore.
Kampong Glam is another neighbourhood that is full of diverse culture.
You cannot miss the stunning Sultan Mosque when you are in Kampong Glam. It is situated in the heart of the neighbourhood.
The adjacent Arab street is the Islamic hub of Singapore. It is a great place to try some halal food, explore local boutiques and take good photos.
However, my favourite corner is Haji lane, with its hippie laidback vibes, cool coffee shops, amazing street arts and loads of photo opportunities.
Kampong Glam:
Kampong Glam is another neighbourhood that is full of diverse culture.
You cannot miss the stunning Sultan Mosque when you are in Kampong Glam. It is situated in the heart of the neighbourhood.
The adjacent Arab street is the Islamic hub of Singapore. It is a great place to try some halal food, explore local boutiques and take good photos.
However, my favourite corner is Haji lane, with its hippie laidback vibes, cool coffee shops, amazing street arts and loads of photo opportunities.
Singapore Marina:
Here comes the glamorous part - the area that makes Singapore what it is famous for. From luxury shopping malls to uber-cool parks - it has it all. To top it all, this area has some of the best viewpoints in the city.
Marina Bay Sands:
This luxury hotel, facing the Marina Bay, has world's largest infinity pool. However, this is accessible only to the hotel guests. If you want to enjoy the view from 57th floor without burning a whole in your pocket, you should visit Sands Skypark observation deck. Best time to visit would be during sunset and stay till the evening.
Other than gorgeous views, this place is also known for Shoppes, the luxury shopping mall. It is a paradise for shopaholics. There is a canal inside it and you can also enjoy a boat ride.
Helix bridge:
Next to Marina Bay Sands you will find Helix bridge which is a pedestrian bridge and has a unique architecture. After a long tiring day in Singapore, a few minutes on this bridge was so refreshing for me. This place offers a different angle of the Marina and a good spot to click pictures.
Gardens by the Bay:
Gardens by the Bay is a futuristic nature park that deserves every bit of the hype it gets. There are different parts of the park and you can choose to buy tickets accordingly.
The cloud forest was my personal favourite. This temperature controlled botanic garden is a great place to learn about different types of floras. It also has world's tallest indoor waterfall and a hidden garden.
The other indoor garden is the Flower dome, which happens to be the largest glass greenshouse in the world.
The main highlight of the park is the Supertree Grove. The unique illuminated supertrees in the evening will teleport you to the world of Avatar. You can also enjoy the panoramic view of the gardens from OCBC skyway. You can take a single ticket that covers cloud forest, flower dome and OCBC skyway or take individual tickets depending on what you want to cover and what you want to skip. There is a private area of silver hued supertrees called Silver leaf that offers a great view with the backdrop of Marina Bay Sands.
Singapore Flyer:
The Singapore Flyer is the giant Ferris wheel in Singapore. Plan to visit the observation deck at night to get an amazing panoramic view of Singapore.
Sentosa Island:
Sentosa is a resort island with loads of recreational options for everyone. It is easy to get to the island. There is a monorail named Sentosa express that connects all the places in the island with the mainland Singapore. You can board the monorail from level 3 of VivoCity shopping mall. Once you enter the island you can use this ticket as a hop on hop off service before leaving the island.
There are three beaches on the island - Palawan, Tanjong and Siloso. You need to get down at the last stop Beach station to access the beaches. I chose to visit Palawan beach in the morning which according to me was the best time since there was no crowd whatsoever.
Irrespective of your age or interest, you will not regret spending a day in the Universal Studios Singapore. The monorail stop for the same is Resorts World Sentosa. Here are a few tips which might be helpful: if you are planning to visit USS:
Plan your rides beforehand: There are 7 themes located across the park. As soon as you enter, the first theme is Hollywood. If you decide to go anti-clockwise the next zones will be New York city, Sci-Fi city, Ancient Egypt, The Lost World, Far Far Away and Madagascar respectively. Reach the park as early as possible so that you don't have to rush. You will find a free layout of the park upon arriving which would be helpful to locate the rides. My personal favourites were the Transformers ride and the Jurassic Park rapid adventures. As soon as you enter the park, go to the rides you do not want to miss. As the day goes by the queue gets longer. Therefore try to finish the important rides first.
Don't carry the world: You have only a day to explore all the different worlds inside USS. This involves a lot of walking and standing in queues. Therefore don't carry a lot of items with you as you will be very tired by the end of the day. Plan what all items you want to carry based on what rides you want to take e.g. you don't want to be carrying or wearing anything loosely connected if you want to ride the roller coaster. There are lockers in many places but they are chargeable. If you want to go to the Jurassic Park rapid adventures, be ready to be drenched. You can buy plastic covers on the spot or you can carry a raincoat and/or a backpack cover instead.
Carry a bottle: You don't need to buy water inside. All you need to carry a bottle. You will find taps for drinking water in many places inside the park.
Other than Universal Studios, Sentosa is also famous for its Resorts World. It offers many activities and you can find all the information here.
Singapore Zoo
Singapore zoo is one of the most popular zoos in the world. Unlike any other zoo, there are multiple activities that you can enjoy:
Night Safari
Visiting Jurong Bird Park
River Safari
Visiting Wildlife Reserves
However, the one I went to and loved it to bits was Rainforest Lumina. This was not like anything I have ever experienced. The magical world of virtual trees and creatures was so much more refreshing than I expected it to be.
Little India
As the name suggests, this is the hub of Indian Culture in Singapore. Indian street arts, houses with big colourful windows, garland and jewellery shops - this is indeed a little India in the heart of Singapore. The nearest MRT station is Little India and once you are here, you should not miss the beautiful and vibrant residence of Tan Teng Niah.
Shop till you drop:
One can write a blogpost just addressing the shopping itinerary in Singapore. I am not exaggerating when I say that it a paradise for all types of shoppers. Here are few of my favourites:
High street shopping: There are probably a hundred shopping malls across the country where you will get all high street fashion brands. Some of them might also offer great sale and discounts. Here are my favourite places:
ION Orchard mall
VivoCity shopping mall
Bugis+
Street/Cheap shopping: Who doesn't like street shopping when you can get clothes of good quality in a throwaway price? You must experience shopping at Bugis street. Don't forget to carry cash and many shops do not accept cards. For great deals on electronics and luggage, you can visit Mustafa.
Luxary shopping: The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands has the largest collection in South-East Asia and is the one stop shop for all your luxury fashion brands.
Airport shopping: Finally, you can do some duty-free shopping at one of the best airports in the world - Changi airport. There are plenty of shops in all terminals that you can shop from.
Enjoy the nightlife
Singapore has plenty of things to do at night. You can enjoy a light and sound show at Supertree grove in Gardens by the bay. You can also enjoy the panoramic view of Marina bay from Sands Skypark or Helix bridge or Singapore flyer.
Night Safari and Raniforest Lumina are other two options if you fancy something offbeat to do. I adored my time at Clarke Quay. I had a very relaxed evening tasting some amazing dishes and sipping into Singapore Sling in one of the restaurants by the canal. You can even walk around this area following the canal. Don't miss the view of Marina Bay Sands and Old hill street police station.
Needless to say, you have hundreds of options in Singapore if you want to party or grab a drink.
Go off the beaten path:
Koon Seng road:
The Peranakan houses of Koon Seng road can be the perfect backdrop for your photo. Try to visit early in the morning if you don't want vehicles and people in the frame.
Chinese and Japanese gardens:
Start your day right at the Chinese and Japanese gardens. It is a serene and tranquil place and far from the hustle and bustle of the city. Get down at the Chinese Garden MRT and follow the signs to visit Chinese garden, Japanese garden and the twin pagodas.
Eat your heart out:
Singapore is the place to try various cuisines and go binge-eating. Lau Pa Sat or Telok Ayer Market is a historic building in the downtown Singapore that is a big food market and a great place for scrumptious local cuisine. You must also try Chinese street food at Chinatown. I found Singapore Sling a bit over-hyped, but loved Tiger beer. It is also pretty easy to have Michelin star food in Singapore without paying a bomb.
My 3 days itinerary:
I had only 3 days to spend in Singapore. As a result, I had a very tight itinerary. I managed to make 3 vlogs, 1 for each day, which might help you plan a trip to Singapore.
You can also find the photos on my Instagram handle: ineverynookandcorner or look for the tag #singaporeseries_ienac.
Singapore was my 2nd international solo trip. I loved the chaos of Chinatown, the chill vibes of Clarke Quay, the great fireworks at the Marina Bay and silent walks in the Rainforest Lumina. Long story short, other than the weather, I loved every bit of Singapore and can't wait to visit again.
No comments:
Post a Comment