04 Jun 15 Things to Do in Singapore
Singapore is almost always where people begin or end their backpacking travels through Asia. Whether you’re spending a few days here or only have a short time during a layover, there are plenty of things to fill your time and give you a glimpse of this modern city!
1. Explore Jewel Changi Airport
As soon as you step off the airplane, Singapore will wow you will their modern architecture and designs. The city’s collaboration of technology and nature is immediately depicted in the massive greenhouse within their airport featuring a manmade, funnel waterfall! The airport is also full of shops and cafes if you need a coffee to cure your jet lag or grab a forgotten item.
2. Walk through the Gardens by the Bay
Whether you’ve seen these massive artificial trees on the internet or in Crazy Rich Asians, it simply does not do the Super Trees justice until seen in person. Standing at the base while the tree structures tower above you, plants flourish around you, and tiny lights dance will have you feeling like a small fairy out of the movie Fern Gully. And the plus is, it’s free! However, if you want to do the sky walk or explore the other attractions such as the Cloud Forest or Floral Fantasy it does cost.
3. Wander through the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands is full of designer stores and even has a river boat inside! If you’re on a backpackers budget like I was when I visited, you won’t be doing much shopping here. However, it’s worth exploring as the mall is so extravagant and fun to window shop through. It’s also very accessible, you can walk down a path that connects Gardens by the Bay to the hotel and mall.
4. Take in the view of downtown
After wondering through the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, be sure to go onto the harbor deck through the mall doors. From here you’ll get a stunning view of the downtown Singapore skyline!
5. Visit at the ArtScience Museum
If you’re all ready at the Marina Bay Sands mall, head over to the ArtScience museum for a trippy light show. The museum rotates new exhibitions, all of which are immersive and combine the worlds of science and art. If you travel with kids, they also have a lot of fun, interactive activities!
6. Explore Chinatown
It seems like every city in the world has their own Chinatown, and Singapore’s is probably my favorite! Chinatown shows off it’s culture through architecture, and the best part – food! The most popular place to visit is the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple which, funny story – I walked by this place (pictured) and assumed this was it. But turns out I completely missed the Tooth Relic Temple which is much bigger
! The temple is 5 stories high and sight to see (or so I hear lol). At night check out Ann Siang Hill and Club Street for chill nightlife experience.
7. Enjoy Singapore Botanic Gardens
No not a garden of superficial trees that light up, Singapore also has a real garden with real plants. And it’s absolutely beautiful, with archways of plants creating a tunnel. Entrance to Singapore Botanic Gardens is $5 SGD, about $4 USD.
8. Stroll down Arab Street (Kampong Gam)
Arab street has so much to offer from the Masjid Sultan, to shops full of Arabic art and again, my favorite – food!! Middle Eastern cuisine is some of my favorite and so I was really in my happy place here 😊
9. Wander down Haji Lane
Haji Lane (right next to Arab street) is a road lined popular to tourists with colorful street art, quirky cafes, lively bars and quaint shops. This hipster lane is absolutely fascinating and will spark your curiosity. Walking down it, you’ll be turning your head left and right to observe the varying personalities of each shop. My favorite was Selfie Coffee, this cafe served the most bizarre drink – a latte with your own face on it!
10. history lesson and photo opportunity at Fort Canning Park
Fort Canning park was on my list for an iconic circular stairway within that resembles a large well. However, there’s also an incredible amount of history to be learned here! It also makes for a great place for a picnic and walk!
11. Fill your belly in Little India
If you’re like me, you’ll agree that Indian food is to die for! And Singapore has a whole area dedicated to it. In Little India I enjoyed some creamy butter chicken and visited the Hindu temple, Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple.
12. Hit up Clark Quay/Boat Quay Pubs
If you’re looking for a fun night life experience, head over to Clark Quay where the lively street is lined with pubs and bars. You can take your pick from sports bars, pubs with live music, or a rooftop bar. You’ll also likely meet other people from around the world! I enjoyed this experience with a guy from Italy and a girl from Japan 😊
13. Witness Singpore's Lightshow
Every night Singapore puts on a variety of light shows, one of my favorite experiences while in Singapore! The first, a must see, is Gardens by the Bay at night. The tree structures dance as they light up in an array of colors to the tune of music. Be sure and get there early so you get a good view and don’t miss it! The show starts at 7:45pm and is free to watch!
The second, is the Marina by the Sands fountains and hotel which shoots lasers from the top of the building! A great view of this show is from The Clifford Pier, but really anywhere opposite of Marina Bay Sands will have a great view!
14. Walk through Downtown aka The Garden City
A concrete jungle – but wait.. There are some plants! Walk around downtown Singapore and you’ll find buildings with plants seemingly growing on them. The most well known one is the PARKROYAL hotel; although, there are many buildings that have adopted the Garden City concept as well.
15. Enjoy cheap and delicious street food
Between Chinatown and Downtown, there are so many street food centers all around that offer a variety of delicious food choices that are cheap! I ate at the food center near my hostel (Maxwell Hawker Center) several times as my meals here were around $3 and soo yummy! I also met many other travelers there from France and Thailand. On a separate night, I enjoyed satay on the street with people from my hostel. Street food is great experience to share with others, enjoy yourself, and its cheap and safe in Singapore!
Where to Stay in Singapore
Singapore has it all when it comes to accommodation: beautiful hotels, reasonable AirBnb’s, and unique hostels. And because the country is so small and the transportation so reliable, it does not matter too much where you decide to stay.
Personally, I chose Chinatown and if I were to go back, I would stay here again. Chinatown was not so busy that it was loud, but there was lots to do all around. Additionally, there’s food and drink on every corner! I also found that jumping on the MRT, Chinatown was a great central location for everywhere I wanted to go.
Getting To Singapore
International flights so Singapore are some of the cheapest in Asia, which is why many traveling through South East Asia begin here.
If you’re traveling from Malaysia though, it’s also possible to take a bus.
Getting Around Singapore
The most efficient way to get around Singapore is the MRT. Not only is it extremely reliable, but it’s very clean and very easy to navigate – I had no problem figuring out the stops at all! But if you do, don’t worry, the people at the station will help you without asking if they see you staring at the map for a second too long. Additionally, when looking up directions to the places you want to visit, most map apps will give you the MRT directions as it is the most popular way to get around Singapore.
To use the MRT, buy a card at the airport when you arrive. If you’re only staying a few days, it makes the most sense to get the 3 day tourist card that gives you unlimited rides within that time span. You can purchase one for $20 at a kiosk. If you decide to get a tourist card though, be sure to return it to one of the ticket offices at the end of your trip, to get your $10 deposit back.
Traveling to Singapore? Check out my Singapore destination page!
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