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Singapore was the first country I traveled to during a 6 month backpacking trip in 2019. In fact, it’s the first country I traveled to completely solo because although I went to South Africa alone in 2016, I had someone waiting for me at the airport and met friends there right away. But not Singapore, I was all on my own here. For this reason, the country is special to me. It tested my “solo survival” skills first and gave me my very first taste of empowerment exploring a new country all on my own. And what a perfect place to start! When trying something new, it’s often good to set yourself up for success so you’re more likely to continue. And that’s what my Singapore trip was, a success! I spent 3 days there exploring the modern city with towering buildings and hanging plants, eating food from cultures around the world, being mesmerized by the night lights of Marina Bay Sands, and enjoying satay at the street markets.
Singapore was the first country I traveled to during a 6 month backpacking trip in 2019. In fact, it’s the first country I traveled to completely solo because although I went to South Africa alone in 2016, I had someone waiting for me at the airport and met friends there right away. But not Singapore, I was all on my own here. For this reason, the country is special to me. It tested my “solo survival” skills first and gave me my very first taste of empowerment exploring a new country all on my own. And what a perfect place to start! When trying something new, it’s often good to set yourself up for success so you’re more likely to continue. And that’s what my Singapore trip was, a success! I spent 3 days there exploring the modern city with towering buildings and hanging plants, eating food from cultures around the world, being mesmerized by the night lights of Marina Bay Sands, and enjoying satay at the street markets.
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 t...
The official language of Singapore is Malay, but Chinese and Tamil are also widely spoken, and almost everyone is bilingual in English.
Singapore Dollar
SYMBOL: $
ABBREVIATION: SGD
CONVERSION: The currency rate is subject to change but typically 1 USD ~ 1.4 SGD
Singapore’s official plug type is G, however, because people from around the world frequent Singapore, many hotels and hostels have a universal outlet. That being said, the voltage is still 230 V and frequency 50Hz. Because this is higher than the U.S., as a rule of thumb I advise using a travel converter and adapter, especially when using hot tools such as a straightener.
U.S. citizens can travel without a visa to Singapore if staying for less than 90 days. However, visa information is subject to changes so double check here.
To check health advisories and what vaccinations are needed to travel to the Singapore check the CDC website.
Singapore is known to be an extremely safe country and the biggest threat one might face is petty theft. As always, travel with a day bag that closes completely with a zipper to avoid pick pocketing or something falling out. And as always, get travel insurance!
Reusable water bottle – it gets very hot!
Good walking shoes
Camera
Flowy, light clothes for the hot weather
Singapore is a year round destination! This is both a good thing, and a bad thing because it means the heat and humidity cannot be avoided! When traveling to Singapore be sure to pack accordingly, and bring an umbrella for the rain which happens relatively often!
The main airport of Singapore is the Changi International Airport. Not only is it one of the cheapest airports to fly to in South East Asia from the U.S. (the main reason I started my backpacking trip here), it’s also where the enchantment of the country begins! Changi Airport has been voted the best airport in the world 8 times! It might have something to do with the waterfall flowing from the ceiling while a train speeds underneath it.
Singapore can also be reached by land through Malaysia. Buses are daily occurences and can be booked on 12Go.Asia.
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 – most apps (like Google Maps) will tell you exactly what stops to get off at and the people working in the stations are incredibly helpful.
To use the MRT, buy a pass from the station at the airport when you arrive. If you’re only staying a couple of days, it makes the most sense to get the 3 day tourist card for $20 USD from a kiosk. This will give you unlimited rides within your 3 day stay. If you decide to do this, just be sure to return it to one of the ticket offices at the end of your trip, to get your $10 deposit back. If you would rather not buy a tourist card, you simply pay per trip and receive a paper ticket.
A hostel dorm bed ranges from $14 – 40 USD per night, while a private room in an Airbnb averages from $75 – $150 USD per night, and hotels $100 – 200 USD per night.
The cost of food greatly depends on where you eat. Food markets and Street food can be found for a couple of dollars whereas sit down restaurants can be $15 and up, potentially much more.
The MRT tourist card is $20 USD for 3 days or one fare ranges between $0.50 – $1.50 USD.
Backpacking through most South East Asian countries is easy to do on a budget, but Singapore is not one of them. It is an extremely wealthy country which means it’s expensive and should be budgeted for as if you were traveling through Europe. For this reason, as well as it’s smaller size, most backpackers stay for no more than 3 days.
As a backpacker in Singapore I would budget $50 a day. If you decide to stay in a hotel and/or go to more expensive exhibits and restaurants, then your budget would would be much more.
Credit cards are widely accepted throughout Singapore. However if you plan on going to markets or eating street food, I suggest having cash.
