The cleanest city of world, well-protected on an own island with hundreds of skyscrapers, future gardens and many rules: this is Singapore. For eating in the train there is a fine of $500 and chewing gum is forbidden. Therefore you have a cultural mix of Chinese, Malay and Indian surrounded by different expands. Explore the hipster street, super trees and infinity pool (how to sneak in for free) of Singapore with worldtravellerin.
TRAVEL TIPS
When to go: Singapore is definitely the most humid city I have ever visited, February and March are non-monsoon times. November is the wettest month, January the coldest
Visa: Easy for almost everyone, Germans get 30 days for free, popular for visa runs in Asia as well
Getting there: Many flights do stop-overs, a perfect opportunity to visit for one or two days; there are trains and buses from Malaysia but the train from Kuala Lumpur is not convenient (many changes, departs in the night only) and only take the bus directly to city center otherwise you have to stop everywhere and change at the two immigration points on the boarder
Money: Singapore dollar (1€ = 1.5 SGD) and yes, Singapore is expensive but only in comparison to Asia, if you are from Europe it is quite okay
WHERE TO GO
- Gardens by the Bay: my favourite place of Singapore! You feel like in a future city with these massive super trees built for a special eco-system. Don’t miss the light show at 7:45pm and 8:45pm with musical music, entrance free except you want to go in the two domes
- Marina Bay Sands: this five-star hotel is the focus of Singapore’s harbour city and opposite of downtown which means you can see the skyline from there very well, there is a hotel ($600/ night) with a skybar and infinity pool on the 45th floor (?) and a shopping mall next to it which has a river like Venice inside and a outdoor platform to see the skyline and light show from there
>> How to sneak in for free to see the bar and infinity pool?
Usually you have to pay $30 to get up to the bar, in April 2017 there were workings so it was $20. One drink is included in the price but alcoholic cocktails are already $24. So my friend and I went up with another lift to the 16th floor and talked to some people in the elevator which brought us up to the 33rd floor (I think you have to use the second tower). From there we had a fantastic view and another entrance to the sky bar, only paid $9 for a soft drink and sat next to the infinity pool. For this every single person needs a key card from a hotel room, so we just saw it from the bar.
- Haji Lane: street art and hipster shops with small cafes and Arabic food street with mosque nearby (in Arab Street)
- Bugis: Best cheap street food (fruit juices for $1) and shopping
- Botanical gardens: biggest garden area of Singapore with orchard garden (the sign of the city) and tropical plants, train station or buses like number 7 which goes through the city center
- Downtown: skyscaper area, nice to walk around and see the harbour and Marina Bay Sands from the other side
- Clark quay: good for nightlife, bars and clubs
- China town: near Clark quay and nice for the evening as a market and for food
- Chinese gardens
Many travellers I met didn’t like Singapore and only recommended one day but I have been with a local who guided me around (Couchsurfing) which made my stay unforgettable. I would even come back again but of course you could have seen everything in 2 days. If you have been travelling in Asia for a longer time, it is nice to have some Western standard and clean city but if you just begin that is probably not what you are looking for if you come to Asia.
MY VLOG ABOUT SINGAPORE
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