Singapore, the smallest country of South East Asia is great to explore for a day or three if you are visiting another country nearby like Malaysia or Indonesia. It’s so amazing and has a lot of options. Whether you like shopping, nature, futurism, architecture or delicious food, Singapore has it all!
I have visited Singapore twice, the first time was just me and my husband, however, the second time we went with our 7-month-old baby, and it was just as wonderful as the first time. I think it’s one of the best child-friendly countries to visit. It’s very safe, modern and also known for being the cleanest country of the world! In this blog, I will give you all the highlights and tell you my ultimate Singapore tips.
First of all, I will tell you how to get around in Singapore. After landing in the beautiful Changi airport you can take a taxi that brings you to your hotel. It takes approximately 25 minutes to the city for around 25 SD. The taxis are 24/7 available at all 3 terminals.
Grab: Another great and cheaper option is to take a grab. This is like the Asian version of Uber. All you have to do is downloading the Grab app, make a profile and you will get the nearest grab driver to take you anywhere (We also used this app a lot in Malaysia).
MRT: Another way to reach the city center of Singapore is by taking the MRT. This is the cheapest option and it will take you approximately 30 minutes to get to the city center. It will cost you only around 3- 5 SD.
Traveler Tip: Get yourself a 3 day MRT Singapore tourist pass. This pass will cost you 25 SD and you will have unlimited public transport rides. We did buy this pass and it was super convenient.
The best sightseeing in Singapore
Gardens by the bay and the Supertrees
This phenomenal park consists of futuristic metal trees connected by a high walkway. Make sure to come at night to see the supertrees come alive. The sound and light show starts at 7.45 pm and 8.45 pm. Go to the grassed lawn in front of the supertrees to get the best view of the show!
Marina Bay
This is the touristic centrum of the city. You can walk along the water and take some beautiful pictures of the skyline. At night there will be a spectacular light show. The best way to see the laser show is to watch it from the merlion park.
Marina Bay Sands Hotel
The icon of Singapore, also well known as the eyecatcher of Singapore’s beautiful skyline. Inside this huge complex, there is a luxurious shopping mall with a lot of restaurants. If you are not a big fan of luxury brands then you will definitely not regret going up to the 57th floor to get an amazing view of the city from the Skydeck.
Clark quay
From here you can hop on a river cruise that takes you around the city.
Little Arabia
When you arrive in little Arabia you will notice it’s completely different in comparison to the rest of Singapore. It’s a small and very cozy area with a lot of cute boutiques, restaurants, antique stores and not to forget about the beautiful Sultan mosque!
This beautiful mosque with the golden dome is built in 1824 for the Sultan Hussain Shah, the first Sultan in Singapore. Enter the mosque from Musqat street to see and pray in this huge praying room.
So, if you want a taste of the Arabic culture then you definitely need to go to the Arab street. For a second it felt for me like I was in the Middle East instead of Singapore. You will find here the most authentic shops selling perfumes, Persian carpets and more!
At the end of the street, you will have a beautiful view of the Sultan mosque with some palm trees on each side. While you are in this area you have to stroll through the most colorful street, HajI Lane. This is the smallest street in Singapore with a lot of cafes and restaurants.
One thing I liked the most about this area is that everything was so cozy, all the shops and restaurants looked like small colorful houses, and also on Friday night and at the weekends is this street car-free! So make sure you bring your camera to make some glamorous pictures.
China town
The first time we actually stayed in Chinatown at scarlet Singapore. Here you can find the Chinatown street market, the buddha tooth relic temple and take in the culture. It’s also a strategic place to stay because of it’s an ideal location.
Shopping in Singapore
Orchard Road is the shopping district of Singapore where you can stroll down the road to visit the beautiful shopping malls. Here are my TOP 5 Shopping Malls in Singapore:
ION Orchard
Paragon shopping mall
VivoCity
Suntec City
The shops at Marina bay Sands
A bonus tip: Go to Bugis street if you’re in for a little bargain and had enough of the big shopping malls.
Best food in Singapore
It’s never hard to look for halal food in Singapore because one thing we definitely loved is that all the fast-food chains like McDonald’s, Burgerking, KFC, etc are halal.
Like I said before, Haji Lane and Arab street have a lot of halal restaurants. If you like Middle Eastern food than this is the place to be. There are plenty of Turkish and Lebanese restaurants in this area to choose from. Get your self a delicious mezze platter with some hummus, kabab or falafel and you are all set for a night of good food! Are you more in a mood for a good burger, go to “I am” in Haji Lane for their burger. It was definitely one of the best burgers I have ever had!
Looking for some local food? go to Zam Zam restaurant, this is a restaurant were a lot of locals go to. You can find it nearby the Sultan mosque on Northbridge Road. Make sure to get their specialty, Murtabak.