The Ultimate Singapore Travel Guide

Singapore is everything you could want from a city and more. A thriving island city state, a sparkling centre for innovation, a marvellous melting pot of culture and an urban jungle home to an actual super tree grove. We loved it. Really flippin’ loved it. Coined the city of the future, Singapore is honestly beautiful, spotlessly clean and  probably the most extra place I have been so far, seriously, the place oozes sophistication.

For those of you that are new around here, Josh and I started our trip around the world with a one way flight to Singapore in November 2018 and have since returned three times. Can I warn you before you read any further that we arrived in Singapore in November and wow it was hot, like 33 degree heat, 89% humidity and we would certainly have struggled without AC. Call it an itinerary/bucket list/whatever you fancy, but after three trips to the city I now think we have come up with the perfect list of things to do on your trip to Singapore:

LITTLE INDIA & TAN TENG NIAHS HOUSE

Now we were in Singapore during Deepavali which was fabulous and the atmosphere was splendid. Little India was naturally the heart of the celebrations and was smashingly vibrant, busy and colourful. There is a lot to see and explore. In general I would advise getting up and out early whilst in the city, as that way you can make the most of the ever so slightly cooler temperatures. Just take a wander through the streets, take in the sights, the smells and take a look in the shops selling everything from fruit and veg to flower garlands and strings of chilli.

We meandered through the streets and the markets and found ourselves at the House of Tan Teng Niah, which you will more than likely recognise from Instagram! Ironically the house is actually the last remaining Chinese villa in Little India. The villa was constructed in 1900 for Tan Teng Niah’s wife and 91 years later won the Singapore Institute of Archiects Honoruable Mention Award. Go take a look and snap all the photos.

MARINA BAY WATERFRONT PROMENADE & THE SPECTRA LIGHT SHOW

As you can probably guess, this is a walkway along the bay. I mean not just any walkway, or any bay for that matter. The waterfront area in Singapore was definitely our favourite spot and it is easy to see why. Adorned with the glitziest of skyscrapers and architectural wonders the promenade is a fabulous place to take an evening stroll.

You know I said that Singapore is extra, I meant it! Every night you can experience Spectra – the captivating outdoor light and water show which takes place along the promenade. Honestly, you will be mesmerised by the perfect symphony of music water and light. Oh and I forgot to mention, it’s totally free, just rock up to one of the two nightly showings! The show takes place every night and the timings are: Sunday – Thursday: 8pm & 9pm and over the weekend there is an extra show – Friday & Saturday: 8pm, 9pm & 10pm.

helix bridge

The snazzy Helix Bridge connects Marina Centre to Marina South which is home to Gardens By The Bay and the infamous Marina Bay Sands. This visually pleasing and uniquely designed pedestrian walkway, you guessed it has a double helix that resembles DNA. It’s a a great walk day and night with four strategically planned viewing platforms dotted along for you to enjoy the spectacular views of the Singapore skyline.

GARDENS BY THE BAY

Probably the top ‘activity’ on our itinerary was the Gardens by the Bay. I am so glad it lived up to all expectation. So much in fact, that there will be a post solely dedicated to this jungle in the city. Honestly, this spot wouldn’t look out of place in a sci-fi movie, think Avatar and we will be on the same wavelength. We just loved it. Take a good chunk of your day to meander among the Super Trees, get out of the heat in the Flower dome and gawp at the worlds tallest indoor waterfall – you won’t regret it!

OLD HILL POLICE STATION

Pop along to Old Hill Street Police Station, home to the Ministry of Communications and Information as well as the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. All jazzy and rainbow coloured this colonial landmark located at the junction of River Valley Road and Hill Street first opened in 1934 and was the largest government building in Singapore at the time. If I remember rightly the Old Hill Police Station is a stones throw from Chinatown and there’s also some pretty river views to appreciate along your way.

HAJI LANE

Singapore’s answer to Shoreditch. A hipster haven. Full of quirky cafes, independent shops and all the funky murals. We enjoyed a little saunter along having a peek in shop windows and admiring the fab street art. We then hopped across to Arab street which runs adjacent to Haji Lane and stopped by ‘All Things Delicious’ mainly for the air-con, I mean breakfast, which definitely lived up to its name. Get the iced caramel latte with a METAL STRAW – a win for the wannabe zero waster in me.

MASJID SULTAN 

Don’t leave Haji Lane/Arab Street without stopping by Masjid Sultan. Deemed to be one of Singapore’s most impressive religious buildings, situated in Kampong Glam, Masjid Sultan or the Sultan mosque, is the oldest mosque in Singapore. One of the most visited tourist attractions, it’s definitely not one to miss.

CHINA TOWN & SRI MARIAMMAN TEMPLE 

Whether your looking for Chinese cuisine, culture, gadget shops or beloved tourist gift shop-tat you will find it all in Chinatown. Ooh and don’t forget to swing by the Sri Mariamman Temple. Built in Dravidian style,  it is Singapore’s oldest Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Mariamman, known for her power to cure illnesses and diseases.

PEOPLES PARK COMPLEX

I saw this recommendation over on Wanderers and Warriors. Basically head up to the 6th floor of this shopping complex for an awesome free skyline view of the city. The multi-storey yellow apartment building is fast becoming a bit of an urban backdrop for all the instagrammers out there.

ORCHARD ROAD

Way back in the 1830’s Orchard Road was an unnamed road home to fruit orchards, nutmeg plantations and pepper farms. Fast forward to 2018 and you will find yourself in retail heaven. Check out the Ion complex, it’s pretty impressive futuristic facade was enough to have us going for a mooch about the shops.

The Botanic Gardens are centrally located in Singapore and are super easy to access on the metro. The gardens are free to enter from 5am to midnight everyday and to be quite honest it’s just a lovely walk. Everything in the park is very well signposted and you can pick up a map from the entrance that details the different gardens. Amongst the lush settings is the National Orchid garden, which  is considered to have the largest display of tropical orchids in the world, with over 60,000 orchids from 1,000 orchid species and 2,000 hybrids. FYI the Orchid garden is the only ticketed area of the Botanic Gardens and does cost $5pp (SGD not USD or approx. £2.90). 

KOON SENG ROAD

Now if you have the time, I would very much recommend popping over to Koon Seng Road. Yes it may be a street of colourful pastel houses. But very beautiful pastel houses they are. A bit of history for you, this area was built by the Peranakan Chinese in the early 20th century and rumour has it that the colourful tiles were imported from England and Belgium. Oh and the street is named after Cheong Koon Seng, one of the first of the thirteen Chinese students to study at the Anglo-Chinese school in Singapore.

FYI Koon Seng Road is in Katong, east of the city centre and not on the MRT Line. There are buses that go this way but we found the easiest way was to jump in taxis there and back.

GARDEN RHAPSODY LIGHTSHOW

Yes I know I mentioned the Gardens by the Bay earlier, but they’re too good not to feature twice. Be transported to a different world with the Supertrees alight a spectacular cacophony of light and sound. The balcony is arguably the best viewing spot for the show, but go back for a second time and get a different perspective and lay underneath the Supertrees – be prepared to be dazzled!

The Garden Rhapsody has been taking place since 2015 and it is free to enjoy this spectacle, composed by award-winning Lighting Designer Adrian Tan and music composer, Bang Wenfu. The extravaganza takes place daily at 7.45pm and 8.45pm!

jEWEL AT CHANGI AIRPORT

If I told you, that you could spend the majority of your time in Singapore in the airport you’d probably think wtf. Changi Airport in Singapore really is something else. It has been voted the worlds best airport for the 7th consecutive year by Skytrax and for good reason.

The latest addition to this tremendous airport is the magnificent Jewel complex, spanning over 1.4 million square feet and linking directly to the three terminals. Consisting of gardens that are home to more than 900 trees and 60,000 plants from around the world. Among the hotel, cinema, 280+ retail and food outlets, the real masterpiece is the world’s tallest indoor waterfall.

Not only is this 40-metre-high, seven storey, indoor waterfall known as the “Rain Vortex” rather eye catching but the near 40,000 litres of water than fall every minute are supplied by collected rainwater.

the atlas bar

This art deco bar of fabulousness is a real delight although perhaps one to miss if on a strict backpacking budget. I mean, for some reason we decided to blow an entire days budget on gin cocktails which wasn’t our most sensible decision, nevertheless not one we regret. If like us you love a good G&T then Atlas Bar is not going to disappoint, there are more than 1,011 gins in Atlas’s collection, earning it the well deserved accolade of having the world’s largest gin collection.

Top tip, if your ‘backpacker’ wardrobe is a little restricted then head here before 5pm when there’s no strict dress code. Oh and if you are feeling super swish then the afternoon tea looked particularly splendid.

fort canning park

Fort Canning Park is perhaps one of the lesser talked about landmarks in Singapore. I mean when you have the Marina Bay and Gardens to compete with, anywhere can seem a little inferior. Anyhow, if you’re a sucker for Instagram worthy locations and have heard of Fort Canning Park, then this is probably the entrance you are looking for.

We had a bit of a nightmare trying to find this spot the first time as the location is not that easy to find. So I have mapped it for you below. Basically, the easiest way to get there is to head to Dhoby Ghaut subway station and cross the green to the ‘underground crossing’. Oh and if you want to quickly snap a photo and then leave to enjoy the rest of the park, arrive before 8am. We first visited in the afternoon and wow the queue to take a photo was ridiculous.

art science museum

On our third visit to Singapore, we finally visited the ArtScience Museum. As suggested by the name the museum beautifully intertwines art and science to depict fascinating scenes and stories. The line up of exhibitions is constantly changing, for instance when we visited in April we got tickets for the Alice in Wonderland exhibition and the Space exhibition as pictured below.

From light installations and feature film screening to 3D light projections and VR experiences this museum has so much to offer. Due to the exhibitions constantly changing the prices can vary, so I would advise checking the website before visiting.

WHERE TO STAY:

I always bang on about using booking.com and for good reason. There are so many perks, from becoming a Genius member, to discount deals – you can’t really go wrong. Just bear in mind what you are looking for and filter that search down to the small print. For instance, we always filter for ratings 8+, Wifi and air conditioning.

I’ve popped some recommendations below that hopefully cater to your budget option, whether that be a sod it, it’s pay day let’s splash all the cash or an, I need a comfy bed to fall into asap kinda trip.

A SPLURGE OPTION:

Marina Bay Sands – now if you’re going to splurge in Singapore, then it has got to be the iconic Marina Bay Sands. We stayed here on our first visit to Singapore and honestly it was incredible. Swimming in that infinity pool is just something else. The location is unbeatable. The service is impeccable and the pool side triple cheese toasties are bang on. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.

A SLIGHTLY KINDER TO THE BANK BALANCE OPTION:

Holiday Inn Express Singapore Clarke Quay – the location of this hotel is arguably one of my favourite areas in Singapore. Clarke Quay is a bustling area with lots of restaurants, bars and it’s super close to everything. It offers a 24-hour rooftop fitness centre, two spa pools and a 40m swimming pool that overlooks the both Clarke Quay and Robertson Quay.

A BUDGET FRIENDLY OPTION: 

HipsterCity Singapore – We stayed at this hostel on our most recent visit to Singapore and can not fault a thing. The prices are brilliant for such a pricey city, the location is good and easy to reach. Choose between Double loft beds or single beds in dorm rooms with shared bathrooms. Each pod bed comes with a light, privacy curtain and designated locker space. There’s also a shared kitchen and communal lounge area. We also had some documents shipped here and the hostel were so helpful in receiving/signing for them.

So there we have it, all the things you should do if you’re planning a trip to Singapore – which you absolutely should be by the way. Have you been to Singapore? Where would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments. Further posts on this spectacular island nation: Vegetarian Food in Singapore, Visiting the Gardens By The Bay in Singapore, Stay at the Marina Bay Sands.

Thank you for reading, Abbie x