Singapore is a unique city that has many different aspects. It is eastern in its culture, but western in how it is run. Singapore is familiar because people from all over the world have come to live there.
My first impression of Singapore eight visits ago was that it was a beautiful, pristine, if the slight, completely sterile city. But once I dug deeper, visit by visit, I discovered a fascinating place that has become one of my absolute favorites.
A city of innovation, commerce, beauty, some of the most shockingly delicious food on earth, and a city populated by diverse and wonderful people. Singapore is a great place to visit because it has a lot of diversity. When you’re in Singapore, don’t forget to visit various places and do different things. And, of course, eat food from the local cuisine!
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Singapore How To Get Around?
Tip number one how to get around Singapore this one is actually pretty simple. When you land in Singapore, you’ll be flying into the massive impressive Changi Airport. There are a lot of ways to get into the city from where you are. You can explore different routes to get into the city. The first is the most expensive but by far the easiest. Just hop in a cab. This is usually my preferred method after a 17 hours flight because, well, I’m lazy and actual taxes here really aren’t that bad. One way to get to the city center by cab would cost you about $20.
The other way is much cheaper and would also be very convenient to get around Singapore. The MRT. Just head to terminal two, follow the signs to the train, hop on the East-West line and transfer to where you need to. Depending on where you’re headed, I also recommend getting an easy link, which gives you unlimited rides on trains and buses for one, two, and three-day periods.
Once in the city center, you can hop in cabs, use the MRT, or use the App Grab. The app is similar to the ride-share apps that are popular in other countries. Grab is cheaper than most other ride-share apps and central Singapore is actually very walkable.
Just be prepared to sweat a lot. It’s hot here. And humid. Very hot and very humid. It’s probably best to expect to be in a permanent state of drippiness from your side to your back.
Where To Stay?
Tip number two where to stay in Singapore? Here’s where things get a little interesting. Singapore is not a cheap place to live, but you can find good deals if you know where to look. In fact, I’m just going to say it is downright spending. Luxury five-star hotels like the incredibly beautiful, but at least in my case, prohibitively expensive Marina Bay Sands will cost you anywhere from 300 to 700 a night. But don’t fret.
There are many great budget hotel options out there. You may need to search for them on aggregate sites, but you will find one eventually. I think I spend about $75 a night for my hotel in Chinatown. And of course, there’s always a hostile route. Whenever I stay in a hostel, I stay at the best in Chinatown.
Where To Eat?
Tip number three is where to eat. For those of you who know me, you know that I travel the world on my stomach, and Singapore is easily one of the two or three greatest food cities in the world.
This town is all about the food. A melting pot of Chinese, Indian, Malay, Thai, Middle Eastern, Indonesian, Singapore is truly the culinary apex of Southeast Asia, and the city-state is home to one of the greatest inventions since birth control the hawker center. The hawker centers are basically Singapore’s way of maintaining its rich street food culture by bringing it inside so they could properly control the safety and food of the water.
These are open-air food courts with hundreds of stalls, each specializing in a few different dishes. Each stall is individually owned, each chef a master of a few dishes, serving up world-class food, usually at around 3$ to $5 a plate. And the first dish I’m going to be showing you is so amazing. It really should be a tip in and of itself, actually. Yeah. You know what? I’m going to make it one.
Chicken Rice
Tip number four eat chicken rice. For my first lunch. Yes, there’s always more than one. I go to the Maxwell Hawker Center down the street from my hotel in Chinatown. There, in a stand in the middle of the center, they serve up the dish that I dream about when I’m away from Asia the ubiquitous Singaporean Hainanese chicken rice.
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Juicy steamed chicken served on a bed of white rice that’s been cooked in the chicken broth. Making a dish with soy, ginger, and chili sauce is easy. You just need a few ingredients. It’s a dish so simple, you’d think it couldn’t possibly be that special. But its simplicity is so beautiful, its flavor so subtle and perfect, it makes me want to write a poem. And I hate poetry.
Probably the most popular stall at the market is the Chen Chen Chicken rice stall. This stall is very famous and Anthony Bourdain has even eaten from it. But it’s not the best in the city. But as fate would have it, the best chicken rice is literally three stalls down, opened by the former chef at Chen Chen. A Thai is simply better. I’ve eaten them both side by side, and sorry, Tony, that’s just the way it is. I call them Tony because I hope at some point we’ll be friends.
Favorite Hawker Stalls
My favorite hawker centers in the city are maxwell Road Hawker Center, old Airport Road Food Center, the Chinatown Complex, tianborough Chomp Chomp Food Center, Lao PA, and the Eating Street in Chinatown, which I guess isn’t really as much of a hockey center as it is a street that you eat on.
But here are a few of my favorites. At Old Airport Road, I adore the Char Sue at Rose Paradise, which, to be honest, might just be the most perfect plate of food in the entire city. And the Lorene a delicious thick Chinese noodle soup at Jin Mei Jiang Jong. At Maxwell Hawker Center other than the aforementioned one could say afford beaten into the ground chicken rice atai.
I love the creamy hearty kanji at Jenjen Porridge and the charcoal tow at Marina South. Delicious food. The Chomp Chompaca Center is the best spot in town for late-night eats, particularly the ever-popular Gravylicious Hakyan me noodles at AHAQ fried hockey and Mi. And the stupidly delectable spicy stingray at Highway Yuan. Barbecue stingray is good.
The impressive Chinatown complex is the largest soccer center in Singapore, housing over 260 stalls. But a few of my favorites are the Claypot rice at Lienhebenji Claypot, and the crazy simple but crazy tasty chi chang po ong at Gioji Meshi. And here you can even try the world’s cheapest Michelin Star restaurant at Hawker Chan for their succulent soya sauce, chicken rice, or noodles.
The queue for this place can be long, and it’s often busy before it even opens be sure to get change your world satay at stall number eight on Lao Pasad Satay Street. The meat here is smoky, savory, and beyond tender, and the peanut sauce is spicy and perfect. Make sure to wash all this down with a totally unique sugarcane juice or a refreshing soursop smoothie.
Oh god, that’s good. I don’t know what source it is, but it’s really good. My best advice is to be patient and show up at the library hungry. You’ll find a long line and be able to find the information you need without any trouble, and your stomach will take care of the rest. For me. This is Singapore. The Hawker Centers are an important part of this city and I will do everything in my power to make sure they stay that way.
Want You Be My Neighbor?
Tip number six speaking of culture and melting pots, explore the many varied and fascinating neighborhoods this city has to offer. Let’s start because that’s where my hotel is in Chinatown. This neighborhood is full of incredible food, temples, and the cheapest souvenirs in town. The smells coming from the restaurants and food stalls are really great. I enjoy coming back here because of how good the smells are. Make sure to hit up the particularly charming area around Kung Sik Road, including the cobbled street of Duckston Hill.
This whole area has a fantastic village feel, with shuttered windows, treelined streets, amazing food, and some of the best nightlife in the city. Another neighborhood I love is little India. Here the streets are lined with stalls selling crafted flowers, gorgeous art, and fresh produce, and the people are vibrant, lively, and full of energy. And as if we hadn’t talked about food enough already, Little India is also home to some of the best Indian food you will get in the city not named Mumbai or Delhi.
My two favorite spots are the all-vegetarian Kamala Villas for Southern Indian food. Specifically, Dassai, a perfect pancakelike wrap filled with spiced vegetables and potatoes, and Joggers, Northern Indian cuisine for any damn thing they serve you.
Especially they’re made to order garlic butter naan. The next neighborhood to check out is the polar opposite of the first two the Orchard Road Shopping District. I’m not really big on malls, but even I have to be impressed with the shopping in this city. There are many benefits to visiting the rooftop garden at Orchard Central. One of them is that you get a great view of the city.
Make sure to check out the incredibly cool Arab street, and don’t miss the very funky Haji Lane, a little alley lined with kitschy shops and colorful buildings. It’s super charming. Chiangbaroo is a fun, more local neighborhood. They’re all cute little bookshops, busy cafes, the excellent Louise Hynes Curry Rice, and a really cool market.
And above the market, surprise, surprise another great hawker center. Finally, take a walk around the bay to get some spectacular views of the city, look up and marvel at the architecture, the innovation, and the prosperity of this small but impressive country.
Marina Bay Sands
Tip number seven check out the Marina Bay Sands maybe you can’t afford to stay there and swim in the incredible infinity pool. However, by going to the nearby beach and swimming there, you can still have a great time.
Well, neither can I, but they have lots of other cool stuff to do. The view from the Sky Park observation deck is probably the best in the city. There is, of course, a massive mall, if that’s your thing, and a casino if that’s your thing. Also, Spectra, the free light and water show they put on every night at 8:00 and 09:00 p.m. Make the one at the Bellagio look like a drinking fountain.
And if you don’t feel like paying the money to go up on the observation deck, you can get pretty much the same view from Spago at the top of the Tower, too. Just tell them you’re headed up there for a drink, or better yet, spend the money you would have spent on the observation deck and actually get a drink. Win-win.
Singapore Sling
Tip number Eight speaking of drinks, don’t, I repeat, do not get a Singapore Sling because it’s like $36, and b it’s a complete drink. Nothing says $36 like a Maraschino cherry.
There. I’ve made my piece. We can move on.
Gardens By The Bay
Tip number Nine visit the gardens by the bay. It is a garden with both beautiful architecture and stunning greenery. The garden has waterfalls that cascade down the sides the garden, and there are also large trees that provide shade.
Make sure to check out the tree. Walk through those awesomely weird tree things and the mind-bogglingly spectacular cloud forest. This place is really beautiful! It’s worth seeing for sure.
Botanic Gardens
Tip number Ten visit the Singapore Botanic Gardens more gardens I know, but these are completely different and equally amazing. This is a beautiful park! It has a lot of greenery and it seems like it would be a perfect place to spend a summer day.
Take in all the beauty of the gardens while you are there. Jog or walk around the gardens to take in the beauty. Know how to run in the humidity, since I can never understand it. But, relax and enjoy the gardens nonetheless.
Night Safari
Tip number Eleven does the night safari at the Singapore Zoo. The night safari at a zoo is one of the coolest things you can do. It allows you to see all kinds of animals in a very different setting. Traveling through a zoo at night is an amazing experience. You’ll be able to see some of the animals that are usually not visible during the day.
The whole thing is eerie, mysterious, great for families, and very fun. And I must say, having read about the Singapore Zoo and the wildlife reserves, I love what they do for animal conservation, preservation, and education.
It’s a great company and a great time. Highly recommended.
Santosa And Lazarus
Tip number Twelve head outside the city to the island of Santosa and cool off that sticky body of yours in the Strait of Singapore. This small island, accessible to the main island of Singapore by bridge or Monterey, has some of the best beaches in the city. It’s a touristy place, but it’s also a great place for families.
There are several different attractions nearby if you’re looking for a more relaxed stay at the beach. The Universal Studios, outdoor mall, and aquarium are all great places to go if you’re looking for something to do. The water park is also a fun place to go if you’re wanting something more exciting.
Go on to St. John’s island and walk across the footbridge to the remote Lazarus Island, a gorgeous, jungle-laden tropical island with arguably the best and certainly most secluded beach in Singapore. Lay back, take in some vitamin D, and refresh yourself in the lovely water.
Just Wonder And Get Lost
Every corner of this city-state has something unique to offer. From shopping to temples, architecture to food, this is an always interesting place. It’s also one of the safest countries in the world to walk around all you want, whenever you want. I mean, be smart, but it’s safe. Don’t believe people when they say that the laws are strict and that it feels like a totalitarian dictatorship.
Most of those people haven’t even been there. I mean, yes, the laws are strict. So guess what? Don’t break them. Don’t want to get a massive fine for spitting gum on the sidewalk.
Don’t spit gum on the sidewalk. Just like any other town, Pasadena has rules. And, one of those rules is not to do things that are on the sign. Surprisingly enough, Pasadena is a laid-back town and most people follow the rules. Come check it out. It is absolutely worth the 17 hours of flight in coach, in a middle seat, in between two snoring people and a screaming baby.
And whatever you do, please eat at a hawker center. I’ve never really been a religious person when confronted with the concept of heaven, I’ll admit I’ve taken a somewhat incredulous approach. If I am lucky enough to end up in heaven, it will most likely look a lot like the hawker centers in Singapore. These centers are filled with different kinds of food and are very popular in that country.
I always love to hear what you have to say. I want to say thank you to the Singapore Board of Tourism. I’ll see you soon. Soon from somewhere else in the world.
