Singapore

The city-state island country of Singapore is both a window into the past and a glimpse into the future. This tiny country that peeled off from Malaysia years ago and established its own independence has defined itself as a powerhouse world economy and bastion of what could be a viable sustainable future. All while maintaining a rich history and diversity of Chinese, Malay, and other cultures through its food, temples, structures, and of course, its people. I absolutely love Singapore and due to a flight cancellation where they actually took the plane out of service, ended up staying an extra couple days. The history of the city's evolution since the 60s is absolutely fascinating. The food really is incredible and so varied. Definitely a culinary haven, even if you're not a foodie. For my fellow tea enthusiasts, Singapore has so many amazing tea houses. Singapore is a great place to live, digital nomad, or simply visit as a tourist. It has that rare quality of being both a great city for tourists and great city to spend extended time in. All of this does come at a price, as Singapore is one of the most expensive places in the world. But like anywhere, you can find ways to visit within your budget.

Last Visit: Jul 2024

Cost: $366/day

Stayed: 6 days

Suggest Staying: 3-5 days

English: 5/5

Safety: 5/5

Currency: Dollar (SGD)

Transport: Metro, train, bus, taxi, Grab

My Favorites

1. Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

Highlights: Supertrees, plants

Suggest Staying: 1/2 day

Stay Around: Robertson Quay

Internet: Strong

Possibly the most well known area in Singapore is Supertree Grove in Gardens by the Bay. This amazing city park amongst an otherwise concrete jungle common in most cities is a man made mimicry of nature. The built structures are covered in plants to which a variety of insects and birds call home. You can roam through the treetops and even see a light show. And there’s even more in this area for plants and nature with plenty of food spots not to mention great views of the city. This place is a must see for sure. I went twice and would recommend one visit during the day and then either stay or come back at night around sunset for great photos and then an entertaining musical light show.

See & Do

Supertree Grove. The main attraction with all the “trees” and canopy walk (for a fee) where you’ll get some great photos and be inspired by how the energy and water collection systems work.
Flower Dome & Cloud Forest. These two massive domes contain a variety of flora and are two unique ecosystems. Visit both together at a discounted rate or individually if there’s only interest or time for one. I liked both. Took about an hour each to go through them. Walking along the water to get there you’ll find great views of the city.
Marina Bay Sands. A huge mall with all kinds of shopping, restaurants, and a few tea places. The Apple Store is quite interesting as it is begins underground and then emerges into a bubble perched on the water with some nice city views. There is also the hotel which is absolutely enormous and has remarkable views of the supertrees and the city. I read that you can get in for “free” with purchase of a drink at their rooftop bar. There’s also a casino. Of course you can stay here, but unsurprisingly, it’s expensive.
ArtScience Museum. This neat little museum is great for those interest in both the arts and science. Neat exhibits, some of which change and are interactive. There’s an interactive VR exhibit, but costs extra. When I visited, the Icons and goddesses special exhibit was a wonderful tribute to women in film over history across the glove. Really well done. As a side benefit, great city views across the bay.
Red Dot Museum. Place for design enthusiasts.

Food & Drink

Jurassic Nest Food Hall. There are several places to eat, but in my opinion, this is the best and features Michelin Rated restaurants in this food court style eatery.
Bacha Coffee. Located in Marina Bay Sands mall, this chain is always crowded. I don’t drink coffee, but I loved their coffee chocolate chip cookies and pastries, which I don’t often eat either. Also good for souvenirs.

Tips

Getting There. Two MRT stations, one on each end, drop you within a few minutes walk.

2. Chinatown

Chinatown

Highlights: Markets, food, shops, tea, temples

Suggest Staying: 1-2 days

Stay Around: Robertson Quay

Internet: Strong

Probably where I spent most of my time due to the number of awesome tea houses, restaurants, and markets. It’s quite easy to get there and to walk around on foot. It’s interesting that you can see temples and old preserved buildings mixed in with newer restaurants and shops. There’s quite a lot packed into this relatively small area where you can easily discover new places every visit.

See & Do

Chinatown Street Market. Shops and food markets.
Club Street. Bars and nightlife area.
Temple, Smith, and Pagoda Streets. The popular streets.
Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. Bit of a peculiar museum with so called “relics” from the Buddha, but it’s a place for Buddhists to pray, I saw a very cool monks ceremony, and upstairs you’ll find Buddha statues from all over Asia. Very interesting to see the different representations. All free, right in the heart of Chinatown.
Sri Mariamman Temple. Hindu temple that has religious ceremonies and music for locals and visitors throughout the day. Pretty building also right in the heart of Chinatown.
Telok Ayer Green and You Huang Gong Temple. Just outside the main area of Chinatown kind of off-the-beaten path to see a Taoist temple. Not amazing, but a neat little off beat adventure.
Yueh Hai Ching Temple. Not far from Telok Ayer St is an ancient Taoist temple nestled right in the middle of modern buildings. Easy to miss, it’s a neat little old gem contrasting the modern day emblematic of Singpore’s confluence of old and new.
City Museum. I stumbled upon this gem accidentally. It’s quite a large building right across from the MRT station to Chinatown which ironically makes it kind of hard to miss if you’re paying attention. It captures the incredible history of the city’s evolution to a more efficient, effective, and sustainable green city envisioned by the prime minister back in the 60s. It’s nothing short of remarkable and is why Singapore has become so popular and economically successful, distinct from the rest of Southeast Asia. It’s inspiring to learn about the projects to further expand and evolve the city capitalizing on its sustainability initiatives.

Food & Drink

Hainese Chicken Rice. The national dish of Singapore. This simple dish really is fantastic.
Maxwell Food Centre. One of the most famous and popular hawker centres (food stalls) thanks in part to Anthony Bourdain. Most visit Tian Tian and the line is usually quite long, but if you go literally two doors down, the original chef left Tian Tian and started Ah Tai Hainese Chicken Rice which is essentially the same thing without the wait. There are also loads of other places to eat for Vietnamese, Thai, Middle Eastern, etc.
Tea Chapter. One of my new favorite tea houses. Authentic seated gong fu style tea serving with a long list of incredible teas. It’s a bit pricey, but you do get many steeps and even some tea to take back with you should you choose not to drink it all. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. Great experience for the tea enthusiast. Consider a reservation during peak times, but I had no trouble walking in during the week.
Yixing Xuan Teahouse. My other favorite tea house in Singapore. Family owned and run since the 80s. The family (staff) are so amazing. Friendly and knowledgeable serving some amazing teas. Cool teaware for purchase. They also do an intro to tea where you get to sample a few and learn about tea. Even just sitting conversing with them when it wasn’t busy, I learned something. Consider a reservation if you plan to go during peak teams or have a specific day/time you need to meet. I had no trouble walking in, but it is a bit smaller.
SILK Tea Bar. A unique place with some unique teas. It felt to me like a place where Indiana Jones would go to sip good whiskey. It’s interesting to try some tea (blends) you likely won’t see elsewhere. Also a bit pricey.

3. Downtown

Artscience Museum

Highlights: Shops, restaurants, museums, parks

Suggest Staying: 1-2 days

Stay Around: Robertson Quay

Internet: Strong

I’m defining “downtown” in this context as central downtown as well as some of the surrounding boroughs in Singapore central, not to be confused with places outside centre city. There are many other attractions I didn’t get to, including quite a few nature preserves and parks for those looking for some greener activities.

See & Do

Bugis Street. Bustling main street with street market shops and restaurants. It’s super crowded and touristy but worth at least stopping by.
Haji Lane. Nearby to Bugis Street, cool hip street with shops, cafes, and coffee spots.
Sultan Mosque. Landmark Islamic house of worship. Lovely from the outside. Not sure the protocol to go inside for non-muslims.
The Orchard. This area is a really cool street (Orchard Rd) with malls, food and tons of shopping. You could literally spend hours exploring everything. A bit more on the touristy side, but it’s also where a lot of locals seem to go as well. More pricey obviously than the hawker centres, but I’d recommend wandering around. The library@orchard is a unique library free to the public that’s worth a trip in.
Singapore Botanical Gardens. Massive gardens just outside the city not far from The Orchard.
Clarke Quay. Popular area with shops and restaurants.
Robertson Quay. Popular area with shops and restaurants along the river. One of my favorite neighborhoods to eat and otherwise casually hang out.

Food & Drink

Cornercove. Nice little health food store.
Kopi MORE. Coffee and tea prepared with an espresso machine. Located in the popular Golden Mile Food Centre.
Antea Social. Hidden gem of a tea shop a friend told me about that would otherwise go undiscovered. Cafe vibe, great tea, easy to take away small samples. Light fanfare if you get hungry.
Pistachio Middle Eastern & Mediterranean Grill. Another friend recommendation that was incredible. A little tricky to find, located in Wheelock Place mall which is connected to a different mall. If you can find it, you will be well rewarded.
Ingen Kyoto. Located at Ion Orchard, I visited with a friend. This traditional Japanese teahouse features a vibe akin to a sushi restaurant in a speakeasy. There are some very classy and unique teas. It’s on the pricier side, but tea enthusiasts will love it. Very knowledgable staff with a vast menu.
1872 Clipper Tea Co. Upscale tea reseller. There are several of these around and some have sit down tea service. Includes a great variety of teas beyond just Asia.
PUNCH. Great little breakfast/brunch cafe.
28 Hong Kong St. Speakeasy cocktail bar.
The Book Cafe. Bookstore cafe combo with great tea and food.
MEMO Cafe. Another nice cafe.
Carrotsticks and Cravings. Healthy and casual breakfast spot right on the river.
Bakalaki Greek Taverna. Nice ambiance and food.
Yazawa. Steakhouse with the finest meat if you’d like to spoil yourself. Reservations highly encouraged.
Tanamera Coffee. Indonesian coffee and tea.
Toby’s Estate Coffee Roasters. Popular coffee spot.
Imperial. Chinese restaurant with a long history, though recent reviews have called into question its quality from its historical past. It has a generally good reputation so I’m including here, but I didn’t end up eating here.

Other Considerations

Changi Airport & Jewel Mall

Rain Vortex

Singapore is well known for its Changi airport. One of the best, if not the best, in the world. It’s quite remarkable. Each terminal has its own attractions and food, but the main draw is the Jewel Mall, complete with a multi-level plethora of shops, food court, and the largest indoor waterfall in the world. It’s quite impressive. You can also watch a movie, jump on a giant cargo net, go swimming, or otherwise just wander about. It’s quite large, so if it’s of interest, budget minimum a couple hours. Free Internet that works well.

Cost Breakdown

Flights: $3,723 (KL > SIN; SIN > SF)
Lodging: $1,476 (hotel)
Transportation: $75 (public transit, Grab)
Activities: $45 (gardens, museums)
Food: $600 (estimated $100/day)

Total: $5,919

*Big part of the total cost includes one-way business class flight to the U.S. My time in Singapore was a bit more "indulgent" than typical for me, so costs may be somewhat higher than for others. Leveraged credit card points for much of my lodging, but the rate is captured for budgeting purposes.

General Tips

Getting There. If you're coming from or returning to North America, it's a pretty long direct flight at roughly 14 hours. In the U.S. you can fly direct to/from Seattle, San Francisco, or Los Angeles. Business Class is pretty game changing if you can afford it. Leveraging credit card points is the best way to do so. As someone who can't sleep on a plane, I slept about half the flight and spent the rest of the time eating, reading, or watching something. It was better than flying to Europe which is half the time since I was able to actually sleep for half the flight. I don't care about the fancy treatment, just being able to lie down is amazing. As a bonus, the food is great and so much of it! As an alternative, you can do 2 flights if you prefer to break the trip in half, going through either Seoul or Tokyo. And of course if you have time, stop there for a few days at least. It's worth noting that my flight from SIN > SFO was cancelled and instead of United or Singapore Airlines (which is awesome but very expensive), I was rebooked on a 1-stop flight first to Taipei and then on SFO. This was a great way to do it (other than direct) because it was only a several hour flight to Taipei during waking hours and then the second leg was just after dinner, easily transitioning into bedtime with no disruptions while you sleep. So less sleep disruption if you otherwise had a stop over farther away.
Getting Around. The public transportation in Singapore is amazing. It's easy to get anywhere you want with relative ease. At least in the city, including the subway (MRT) and buses. You can either pick up a transit card or use a "tap" credit card directly which I found to be much more convenient. Especially if you're only there a few days. Grab is also an option if you want less waiting, more direct transportation.
Accommodations. I typically look for somewhere just outside the city that's quiet, near healthy food options, and easily get to major attractions. For me this was Robertson Quay. While I came to find it's a bit more expensive and a popular area for expats, it's quite nice, chill, great food, easy access to the metro, and close to other major sites. Chinatown is another option if you're looking for more hostel options and/or nightlife.
Changi Airport. I considered this an attraction on its own and actually planned to spend a couple hours there while waiting for a night flight. However, you can't check in to your flight until 2-3 hours in advance, so if you have luggage to drop off, you'll need to either take it with you or store it for a fee in a locker at the airport. It's a huge airport, so plan accordingly with extra time to visit what you want and still make it back in time for your flight! The Changi app will help you plan your visit.
Food. Hawker Centres are the cheapest ways to find food out and about. Are often very tasty and very local cuisine. Street markets are another option. You can also go the other way for high end fine dining and then there's everything in between. The food all across Singapore I found to be generally great and price varies depending on what you want.
Water. You can drink the tap water without concern. Certainly in the city.
Toilets. Unlike the rest of Southeast Asia, you can flush toilet paper, but I would still check with your hotel or hosts as common courtesy to be sure. Many places use bidets, which if you're a first timer, is both weird and great.
Budget. Everyone says, which I agree, that Singapore is very expensive. Like anywhere, it depends. Average hotel prices and food will be higher than other places, especially Southeast Asia. I would double or triple your budget for Singapore compared to other places in Southeast Asia, but looking around for deals, credit card points, guesthouses, hostels, hawker centres, cooking will help you save money. Or just accept it and indulge yourself.