City Guide for Singapore: Important Things To Know

Singapore, a city-state with a cosmopolitan population, and a cultural melting pot, is a popular destination for holidaymakers and vacationers. Regardless of whether you’re visiting the city as a backpacker or touring with your family, you’ll definitely enjoy your trip. You’ll never have a dull moment in Singapore as you won’t at all feel time fleeting away while you gape at colonial structures and glitzy skyscrapers.

 

The island nation packs in numerous tourist attractions and places of interest, despite being only 17 miles long and 31 miles wide. However, Singapore, unlike its Southeast Asian neighbors like Vietnam, Cambodia or Thailand is not a budget-friendly destination. On the other hand, you can explore most of the attractions if you plan a weekend trip to Singapore.

 

Thanks to the city’s extensive and highly efficient public transportation network, you can crisscross the entire island within a day. Therefore you can make the most of your budget excursion to Singapore, provided you prudently organize your itinerary. 

 

What to See and Do in Singapore?

You’ll lap up every moment of your Singapore sojourn as you visit the city’s vibrant multiethnic neighbors; whet your appetite at high-end restaurants, and shop at Orchard Road. Make sure you sample Singapore’s globally popular ubiquitous street food in-between your jaunts to Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Zoo, and Sentosa Island.

 

Chinatown

Singapore’s Chinatown nestling adjacent to Central Business District, and sprawling two square kilometers, is the perfect epitome of a melting pot. If you want to learn about the Chinese culture and society, and sample eclectic Chinese cuisines, simply head to Chinatown. Sink your teeth into dim sums,char kway teow (stir-fried noodles), Mandarin Chicken Rice, and much more.

 

And yes Chinatown is home to several Michelin-star restaurants, including the most affordable Michelin-star diner-Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle. After a wholesome Chinese brunch, visit the temples, stalls, and curio shops to complete your Chinatown tour with a bang. 

 

Gardens By the Bay

‘Gardens by the Bay’ is nothing like all other parks or gardens you may have seen so far and therefore deserves a visit. Check out the Cloud Forest and the dreamlike Supertree Grove and click snapshots with your smartphone for posterity’s sake.

 

Marina Bay Sands Skypark

The towering Infinity Pool atop the Marina Bay Sands Hotel is a Singapore landmark offering you breathtaking views of the city. The best way to access this pool is by booking a room in the luxury hotel. However, you can purchase a coupon for getting to the hotel’s observation deck for soaking fantastic glimpses of the city.

 

Little India

Your Singapore vacation would be incomplete if you do not visit Little India-one of Singapore’s most ethnically diverse districts. You can head straight to Little India after visiting Chinatown via a ferryboat across the Singapore River. Little India has a pulsating and lively culture, symbolized by the district’s colorful shophouses, temples, mosques, and restaurants.

 

Surely tuck into local fares like teh tarik (“pulled” tea) and roti paranthas (pancakes), and shop for Indian clothing and souvenirs.

 

Sentosa Island

Known worldwide as the resort island of Singapore, Sentosa Island attracts tourists and locals alike because of its theme parks. Sentosa Island also draws travelers owing to its manmade shores, Resorts World Sentosa, nighttime son-et-lumiére , and much more.

 

Singapore Flyer

Official unveiled in 2008 on 15th April, the Singapore Flyer stands at a dizzying height of 165 meters. Besides catching spectacular panoramas of the city, you can also view neighboring countries Malaysia and Indonesia, from the Flyer’s top.

 

Singapore Museums

Singapore has its fair share of museums including but not limited to ArtScience Museum, National Gallery Singapore, and National Museum of Singapore. So if you’re a history buff, you’ll definitely like to check out these museums.

 

Singapore Botanic Gardens

The Botanic Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, spreads across an area of nearly 74 hectares and houses the National Orchid Garden. The garden is a tropical paradise dotted with themed gardens, velvety lawns, and crystal-clear lakes, and more than 300 exotic plant species.

 

Night Safari

There’s no way you can give the Night Safari a miss, especially if you’re travelling with kids. Take bus no 138 that stops outside the Ang Mo Kio MRT station, a little late in the evening to avoid the crowds.  An electric tramcar takes around the site, and brings you real close to about 100 wild animal species.

 

You can buy a discounted multi-park coupon that’ll also let you visit Jurong Bird Park, and Singapore Zoo, besides the River Safari.

 

Sample Street Food

You’ll find it very difficult to resist sampling Singapore’s world-famous street or hawker food, especially if you are a foodie. UNESCO accorded the city’s street food Cultural Heritage status in 2020 while Michelin bestowed it Michelin-star status in 2016- a first for any street food culture anywhere in the world. There are about 105 hawker food centers all over the island, peddling affordable and mouthwatering meals.

 

Best Time to Visit

Singapore’s climate is typically tropical implying that the city-state remains balmy all through the year. You can visit Singapore from April through June, and catch views of the most popular tourist sites, as the city remains dry and sunny. However the peak tourist season starts from July and lasts till September end, and therefore the best period to tour Singapore. 

 

Transportation Modes

Singapore’s public transportation system is not only one of the world’s most extensive but also extremely efficient. SMRT Buses and SBS Transit Ltd are two major bus operators providing over 300 listed bus services. However the quickest way to travel around Singapore is via the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) metro trains. Buying a Singapore Tourist Pass costing 10 SGD per day, lets you travel as much as you can in a single day.

 

The Singapore Tourist Pass is valid for buses as well as the MRT. 

 

What to Pack?

Avoid overpacking and include only the necessary items so that you can move around easily and comfortably. Ensure to pack the following items and articles:-

 

As touring Singapore can be quite expensive, you can keep your trip short, a couple of days at the most. Yes, you’ll be cover the entire island in a couple of days, given Singapore’s stupendously efficient and well-developed public transport system. And remember to respect local laws and avoid spitting, littering or jaywalking or you could end up paying steep fines.