Singapore is one of the most modernized, clean, family friendly, and safest cities that we’ve ever visited in Asia. Often dubbed as the oasis of south east asia, with a mixture of old exotic charms, sheer opulent architecture, a vibrant city life, and boasts one of the best foods around.
The traffic is very orderly and tolerable (you don’t hear much drivers honking in the streets) and drivers actually adhere to the traffic regulations. The public transportation (subways/buses) are very accessible and safe for any visitors to use. The reason the city is maintained well, is due to their strict litter fines (chewing gums are actually prohibited but litter cans are readily available at just every corner of the city). We spent a total of 4 nights and our time was sufficient to visit the highlights of Singapore.
Here are the top places and experiences that we accomplished in Singapore:
Old Hill Street Police Station is now used by the Ministry of Communications and Information and Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.
Fort Canning Park
Kampong Glam
The Malay-Muslim district of Singapore, hosting the iconic Masjid Sultan Mosque and surrounding pedestrian mall district with a middle eastern influence. Some unique local artisan boutiques and shoppes can be found in this area and a handful of fine Arabic restaurants to try here.
Bugis St & surrounding area
Many shops and eateries are available here and a great place to find the best deals on your souvenirs. You can shop and compare the prices, most stores generally carry the same products and you may be able to bargain with the shop owners for a better price.
Gardens by the Bay
A truly unique experience and a must while you are in Singapore. Such a beautiful display of nature combined with human innovation and architecture. The waterfall in Cloud Forest, is just a marvel to see in person. You will need at least half the day to optimally enjoy all the attractions here. The three major attractions, include the Cloud Forest, Flower Dome, and the Supertree Grove with the skywalk. During peak times you will need to reserve a time to go up to the skywalk. There are also gift shops and restaurants in the area should you need a quick bite to eat. The light shows are available daily in the evenings at 8pm. You can click here for more information on the times and ticket prices. Make sure to show up at least half an hour or earlier, if you wish to have the best seats of the show.
Hawker Centers
You cannot travel to Singapore without experiencing the authentic local foods of Singapore. Singapore has been globally renown for one of the best food culture in the world and many owners take pride in the quality of their food . A few food stalls are even known to have a Michelin star! There are various Hawkers Centers in and around Singapore, so its best to explore and try each one’s specialty depending on what you are feeling that day. During this trip, we were truly inspired by one of the best travel chefs, foodies, and tv personalities out there, the late great Anthony Bourdain — some of the popular local dishes we enjoyed were the Spicy Chilli Crab, Hainanese chicken, satay skewers, and Sup Tulung Merah,
Marina Bay Sands
The most iconic hotel and building structure in Singapore, known for this unique architecture, consisting of 3 main towers which holds about 2500 hotel rooms for guests, a casino, a convention center, and atop of the building is the ever popular infinity pool, with restaurants and 360 degree observation deck of Singapore. Lastly a 800, 000 sq ft shopping mall for your retail therapy fix. We stayed the one night to experience the luxurious infinity pool as it can only be accessed by guests for security reasons. The pool could still get very busy throughout the day, as eager tourists flock to take pictures of that ever elusive view of Singapore’s skyline in the infinity pool. Here is the link to their website, for a full list of attractions and shops at Marina Bay Sands.
Joo Chiat Rd
Popularized for its bright pastel colorful row of neighborhood homes. Joo Chiat township recently declared as a first heritage town and the owners of homes have maintained the homes exterior old character and charm, and makes for some fun family photos.
The Merlion Park and Quay boardwalk area:
The patios and bars along the quay is a popular place for locals and tourists, and are usually very busy in the evening time during dinner hour. It may be best to request a reservation at popular restaurants. The lights shows are displayed by the Marina Bay, are usually available from 8pm and lasts for about 15 minutes. The best view of the light show is accessible from across the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, close to the Merlion Park. The Merlion Statute is the infamous mascot of Singapore, a mythical creature said to have a lion’s head and a fish’s body, dispersing a fountain of water from its mouth. Merlion Park is also the best place to capture Singapores skyline and beautiful to capture at night.
Overall, if you are the more adventurous, thrills, outdoorsy, nature loving traveller on a budget, Singapore may not be your destination. But, if you are looking to visit South east Asia but with the all the modernized conveniences of a Westernized culture, with a metropolitan feel of shopping malls, fancy dining and cafe shops, you will love Singapore and more!!