Welcome to Singapore, the tropical sunny island located just north of the equator! This bustling Asian metropolis is on the rise as a tourist destination and makes a great jumping off point for a Southeast Asia trip. You’re not likely to stumble into a crazy rich Asian like Nick Young on the street but you will find a melting post of Chinese, Malay, and Indian residents (and food!) Here’s your handy guide to planning a trip to the Lion City.
Planning a Trip
- Days – 3 days is the optimal amount of time to see the main sights, after which you can spend your time shopping and eating like the locals do. Bali, Indonesia is a short flight away and I also recommend the highly underrated Malaysia or very popular Thailand to round out your Southeast Asia trip.
- Flights – You can fly direct from Seattle, LA, SF, or NYC via Singapore Airlines, one of the top airlines in the world. If flying on a regional budget airline, make sure to fly one with high safety standards like Jetstar or Scoot. Avoid AirAsia and Thai Lion Air.
- Accomodations – Book a hotel (Airbnb is illegal). I recommend staying close to the CBD and near one of the Downtown (blue) line stations. This includes the Central area, Esplanade, Little India, Bugis or Chinatown. Many of the higher end hotels are in the Orchard area, great for shoppers. For the iconic infinity pool shot, you’ll have to pay a pretty penny to stay at the Marina Bay Sands.
- Attractions – Klook consistently offers the lowest prices for attractions like Gardens by the Bay and anything on Sentosa Island. By pre-booking you can pay with credit card (and even pay in USD). Show up with your voucher for easy check-in. Save S$5 on your first order with my referral link!
Know Before You Go
- Weather – Average temperatures are in the 80s but can feels like 90s+ with the humidity. There are no seasons so you can visit year-round, though it’s slightly wetter in the rainy season (Nov – Jan).
- Timezone – GMT +8 – When it’s 8pm in NYC after Daylight Saving Time ends, it’s 9am in Singapore. In the summer it’s a 12 hour difference (flip the am/pm).
- Language: English (and others) – As a tourist, you will have no problem conversing with others though you will hear locals and expats speaking many other languages. Some hawkers or restaurants in ethnic neighborhoods like Chinatown might not be as English-friendly but they’ll still take your money!
- Safety & Cleanliness – Singapore has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. It’s also impeccably clean. You can drink the tap water, unlike the rest of Southeast Asia.
- Money – $0.74 USD = $1 SGD (also noted as S$1). You can withdraw cash from any ATM or use the currency exchange at the airport. If you have a credit card with no foreign transaction fee, you will only need cash for hawker centres, taxis, and a few discount stores. When asked what you are paying with, it’s best to say “Visa” instead of “credit” or you can say “paywave” if you intend to pay with a contactless card or Google/Apple Pay.
- Transportation – You can reach most places using buses or the MRT, Singapore’s clean and efficient subway system. You can purchase an EZ Link card at the airport tourist desk or at any 7/11 or MRT station. Or use contactless payment! You will need to tap upon entering and exiting MRT stations as the fare is distance-based. When not using public transit, you can use Grab, the SEA version of Uber, or hail a taxi. Not all taxis accept credit card and can incur a 10% surcharge when they do, so make sure to ask.
- Electric plug: UK type G plug, bring an adapter.
- British influence – Walk/drive/stand on the left. Use words like air con, takeaway, lift, queue.
- Singaporean things – The locals like to queue for things and infer value from how long a line is.
- Apps to Download
- WhatsApp – Messaging app of choice
- Wireless@SG – Automatically connect to free Wi-Fi
- Grab – Ride-hailing app like Uber. Do not use GrabShare, only JustGrab.
Things to Do
Must See
- Spectra – This Vegas-style light and water runs every night at 8pm and 9pm (+10pm Fri/Sat) in front of Marina Bay Sands. It’s most impressive right up front but you can get some great shots across the water.
- Gardens by the Bay – Check out the Supertree Grove and the largest indoor conservatory in the world. Make sure to catch the dazzling Garden Rhapsody show nightly at 7:45pm and 8:45pm. The views from the OCBC Skyway (requires ticket) are stunning, but it’s free to watch on the ground.
- Marina Bay – Take a nice evening stroll on the promenade at night to see the Merlion, Spectra light and water show, and Helix Bridge .
- Jewel at Changi Airport – This impressive rain vortex was completed earlier this year and cost a whopping $1.7 billion. Terminal 1 has a ton of good food and drink options, including Shake Shack if you’re craving a burger.
- Skyline views: Altitude, Atlas (art deco cocktail bar), Marina Bay Sands rooftop at Lavo or Ce La Vie.
- Chinatown – Visit the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, stroll the souvenir streets (maybe try some durian?), and shop/eat at Chinatown Point.
- Little India – Check out the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple and eat Indian food at Tekka Centre, a hawker centre frequented by Indian residents.
- Kampong Glam – See the impressive Sultan Mosque and take pictures with the surrounding street art. Walk through Haji Lane and shop at the boutique fashion stores. Also try the murtabak (Muslim stuffed meat flatbread) at Zam Zam.
More Attractions
- Singapore Botanic Gardens – This UNESCO world heritage site is full of lush tropical plantlife and a nice respite from the city’s urban core. It’s free to enter and S$5 for the popular orchid exhibit.
- Sentosa Island – Spend the day at Universal Studios Sentosa (buy on Klook to save $) and the S.E.A. Aquarium, or visit the man-made beaches and hang out at Tanjong Beach Club. At 8pm, there is a free Crane Dance show with light, water, and visual effects.
- Take a stroll by the river around the Esplanade, Asian Civilisation Museum, and National Gallery. Boat Quay and Clarke Quay have many nice restaurants with riverside views.
- Chijmes – This former convent also happens to be the location of the Crazy Rich Asians Wedding. It’s now a complex of bars and restaurants that is popular at night.
- Peranakan Houses in Joo Chiat – All of the influencers come here to take pictures in front of some of the most expensive and colorful shophouses in Singapore.
- ArtScience Museum – Great for kids, especially Future World, the teamLab permanent digital exhibition. Sign up for the free Sands Rewards program to get 1-for-1 (i.e. buy one get one free) tickets.
- National Museum – See artifacts from Singapore’s colonial past and learn about the history of this young nation.
Shopping
- Orchard Road – Here you’ll find the most concentrated area of malls from low end to high end. Many are connected underground so you don’t even have to go outside! The best food in is in the basement food halls.
- Daiso – S$2 ($1.50 USD) Japanese dollar store filled with cute and useful items. Go crazy and bring cash!
- Don Don Donki – This Japanese superstore sells all kinds of goods and also has a few food stalls including the popular Japanese sweet potatoes.
- Any grocery store’s snack aisle – It’s always fun to try new snacks or familiar snacks in new flavors (popcorn kit kats taste like kettle corn in the best way!)
- Irvin’s salted egg snacks – Go bold and try the salted egg fish skin or pick up the salted egg crunchy roll, always a crowd pleaser.
- Uniqlo – It’s even cheaper than the US but take note of sizing, which runs on a smaller scale. Also bring your passport: if you spend S$100 you’re eligible for a tourist tax refund, a 7% discount.
Food
Must Eat
- Chicken rice – The national dish of Singapore is simple poached chicken served over a bed of fragrant chicken-infused rice with cucumbers and fresh chili sauce. Tian Tian at Maxwell is the famous one but Ah Tai a few stalls over usually has shorter queues.
- Roti prata – South Indian crispy flatbread served with curry. Can be doughy or crispy like a scallion pancake.
- Hokkien mee – Wok-fried egg & rice noodles cooked in a flavorful prawn stock and lard, topped with a squeeze of lime.
- Satay – Juicy chargrilled meat sticks served with a peanut sauce. You’ll find these all throughout Southeast Asia but preparation styles can vary.
- Soya sauce chicken at Liao Fan Hawker Chan – The famous “cheapest Michelin star meal in the world.” I recommend the egg noodles instead of the rice, as the noodles have a nice chew. Go to the original stall in the Chinatown hawker centre.
- Soup dumplings (xiao long bao) at Din Tai Fung – Consistently the best pork XLB around. Even their veggie dumplings are very good! Most locations don’t take reservations so try to avoid peak lunch and dinner times unless you are willing to wait .
- Carrot cake – Forget everything you know about the sweet American dessert. Here it’s savory stir-fried cubes of radish cake and egg in a smoky garlic soy sauce with caramelized bits. Can order black (sweet) or white (no black sauce, savory).
Hawker Centres
- This is the best thing about Singapore and is also distinct from the street food stalls you’ll find in the rest of Southeast Asia. Hawker centres are open air food courts where you can find inexpensive, delicious, freshly prepared local food. All of my must eats listed above, except for Din Tai Fung, are found at hawker centres. Grab a table beforehand and chope your seat by leaving a set of tissues then walk around and join the queue at the popular stalls.
- If you want to avoid the touristy atmosphere, skip Lau Pa Sat and Newton Centre.
- My personal favorites are Old Airport Road and Chinatown (also like Maxwell and Tiong Bahru Market) and these are all close to downtown by public transit.
- It’s generally better to go during the day at lunchtime, as many stalls close in the evening.
- If you are vegetarian, be aware that many stalls use lard so look for stalls that specifically have “vegetarian” in the name or ask the hawker. Shrimp paste is also commonly hidden in sauces like the peanut sauce served with satay.
- Oh and be prepared to sweat 😉
More Asian food
- Tipping is not a norm, though many sit down restaurants will tack on a 10% service charge (on top of 7% GST).
- Water is not always free at restaurants and not always cold, unless you specify.
- Dim sum – Classic Chinese small plates, best with a group! Try the salted egg yolk custard (lava) bun, also known as liu sha bao.
- Hotpot/steamboat – You can find these all over the island, even a street full of restaurants near Bugis. For a premium experience, go to Haidilao and make sure to order the tomato broth and fresh noodles!
- Peranakan cuisine – fusion of Chinese and Malay cuisines – If you like coconut milk and curry-based sauces, check out Violet Oon or True Blue.
- Egg tarts at Tong Heng
- Japanese food – ramen, unagi, fluffy pancakes, wagyu beef, you name it and it’s here – Check out Takashimaya Food Hall for an array of options.
More local dishes
- Chili crab at No Signboard Seafood or Jumbo Seafood – Actually more sweet than spicy, make sure to get the fried mantou buns to dip in the rich sauce.
- Bak kut teh at Song Fa – Herbal pork rib soup is comfort food for Chinese people.
- Kaya toast at Ya Kun Kaya Toast – Kaya is a coconut jam infused with pandan (hence the green color) usually served with soft boiled eggs and kopi (coffee).
- Laksa – Thick wheat noodles in a spicy coconut curry soup base. Sungei Road Laksa is the famous one.
- Nasi lemak – Malay dish with coconut rice, fried chicken, egg, cucumber, peanuts, anchovies, and sambal chili. Available at many hawker centres and the Coconut Club.
Singapore is a fun place to visit and I hope this guide makes your trip easier to plan. Let me know if you need any further recommendations. I am happy to help! 🙂
