Singapore is one of the smallest countries. It is the only city-island-country in the world, however it has so much to offer! I would like to call Singapore as a gateway to Asia. Most people would come to Singapore as a stopover place when travelling to other places in Asia as most airlines will connect in Asia via Singapore. So if you have are travelling in Asia and changing your flights in Singapore, I would highly recommend spending in the city at least 24-48 hours. It does also make a great place for holiday itself.
Why Singapore? A futuristic and modern city in the middle of South East Asia that offers tropical feel and many activities.
Top Things to see - Marina Bay, Gardens By The Bay, Botanical Gardens, Little India, China Town, Orchard Road shopping, Sentosa Island.
Best time to visit - February to April (lower temperatures and humidity). Overall Singapore is very hot and humid all year round with frequent thunderstorms and rainfall.
Safety - Extremely safe.
Costs - One of the priciest South East Asian countries. However, you can find cheap local street food and public transport is very affordable.
I have been in Singapore about 7 times now. First time, when we travelled in Asia and flew from Phuket to Singapore then continued our travel to Hong Kong and all other times when I stopped over there with work.
The good news are - Singapore is small and it is very convenient to get around. I have personally mostly used taxis (Grab which is popular in Asia and you can also pay in cash), walked around and also used metro, bus and train. Using public transport in Singapore is easy - you can just tap in and out your contactless payment card. Singapore is expensive, especially compared to the rest of South East Asia, however the prices won’t beat European and American prices. There are many places, which are free to visit in Singapore such as Gardens By the Bay and Marina Bay Sands light shows, Botanical Gardens, Sentosa island and many others. If you use public transport system and chose to eat street food, it will also not hurt your pocket.
If you are visiting Singapore for only a day, I would most definitely visit famous Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands. Both are located next to each - Gardens by the Bay are behind Marina Bay Sands famous boat hotel with an infinity rooftop pool. There is a light show in Gardens by the Bay every evening around 8pm and 9 pm and lasts for 15min (check their website for the latest up to date information). The entrance is free, however if you wish to walk on the Skybridges, the price was around £10. After the light show I would head straight to the harbour front walking through the Marina Bay Sands Hotel for another light show on the water which also takes place every evening around 8pm and 9:00pm. So, for the best experience head to the light show in Gardens by the Bay for 8pm, enjoy the light show, then queue up for the Skybridge giving you enough time to get to the Marina Bay light show. I personally think the light show on the water is more impressive. If you fancy a bite to eat, there are food courts on the ground floor in the Shopping Centre near Marina Bay Sands or there are also food courts in Gardens By the Bay. Neither places will break your bank and offer varied and delicious cuisines.
After you have seen both magical light shows, you have to visit rooftop of Marina Bay Sands Hotel. There are two options to do so. First one is to pay entrance to the observation deck (around £25) or you can also head to one of the restaurants or bars for free, however there is minimum spend usually a cocktail or two, which will cost you around £15 each. It is totally worth it and from my experience as I have done both options would be to enjoy a drink and view as you end up paying the same price. Unfortunately, to experience infinity pool you have to have a room reservation in the hotel which costs around £300 - still something I want to do.
If your want to experience a nightlife in Singapore, a place to go would be 1-Altitude bar/nightclub. It is known as the highest bar in the world, on top of 63 storey building. It offers 360 views of the city and is located over 3 floors. The entrance is quite pricey - £40 after 9pm, but includes 2 drinks (which normally cost around £15 each). Again, pricey, but totally worth it!
Of course, there is so much to see during the day and now it depends how much time you have in the city, you can visit the famous shopping district in Orchard road, head to Sentosa island, enjoy tropical Botanical gardens or head to the Little India. As I have been in Singapore many times, I have visited all of the places and I would say - if you are heading elsewhere to a nice beach in Asia, I would skip Sentosa island, even though it is nice, you will most likely see better beaches on your next adventure. But, if you have 48hours you definitely have time to visit this man made island which has beach, bars and restaurants and famous Universal Studios.
Botanical Gardens are located around 30 min walking distance from Orchard road and if you want to do some shopping these places are located conveniently close to each other. From there, you could take a metro or taxi to Little India and enjoy deliciously made and reasonably priced curry. Khansama Tandoori Restaurant is my favourite. And of course, just taking a walk around Marina Bay Area and business district, enjoying local street food in Marina Square.
You will definitely fall in love with this developed, even futuristic city in the heart of Asia where local traditions mix with modern architecture. And every time you will come to Asia, you will want to stop over in Singapore over and over again!
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