Ten things to do in Singapore
We have been to Singapore numerous times as it makes a great stopover destination on the way back home to Oz, but equally is a fun long weekend kind of place as well. There is so much to see and do there, especially given it’s size .
Every time we visit Singapore we do something new that we haven’t done or seen before. In time we may make this post the 15 or 20 things to do in Singapore, or even more than that!
Gardens by the Bay
When looking up Singapore some of the images you are most likely to see will be that of Gardens by the Bay, in particular the Supertree Grove.
Gardens by the Bay actually consists of three waterfront gardens and several attractions, in addition to the Supertree Grove, including a Flower Dome, Cloud Forest, sculptures and more.
However the Supertree Grove night show is our top choice and is a unique experience of lights and music that should definitely be at the top of any list when visiting Singapore. Shows are scheduled every evening and for more information on times and some of the other attractions, refer to the the Gardens by the Bay website.
Sentosa Island
Sentosa Island is a man-made island accessible by a small bridge from the main Singapore island.
Sentosa has a ton of stuff to do, many directed at families and children, but there is still something for everyone and all budgets. Relax at one of Sentosa’s beaches (Palawan, Siloso and Tanjong), get back to nature at one of Sentosa’s nature or aquarium parks or check out one of the islands’s theme parks such as Universal Studios or Adventure Cove Waterpark. Get a birds eye view of Sentosa and Singpore’s main island on the Skyline or take in a museum or show.
Shopping
If Singapore is known for one thing it has to be shopping! Singaporeans almost treat shopping as a sport and therefore it is no surprise that there is no shortage of great places to shop.
Orchard Road is perhaps Singapore’s most famous shopping destination and this street alone provides many hours of opportunities to spend money, the street lined with malls featuring designer brands and department stores, as well as a variety of bars and restaurants. VivoCity is Singapore’s largest shopping mall, again filled with a variety of shops as well as outlets and entertainment. Another favourite is The Shoppes at Mariana Bay Sands, the architecture adding to the impressiveness of the high end names and designer brands. Singapore has also cemented its name as a shopping destination by adding The Jewel (pictured below) to it’s Changi Airport.
If malls are not your thing, do not despair. Singapore offers plenty of outdoor and unique shopping opportunities via its outdoor markets (e.g. Bugis Street Market, Chinatown), busy roads (Serangoon Road, Little India) and little laneways such as Haji Lane (more on these further below).
Marina Bay
Marina Bay is an upscale area of skyscrapers, posh hotels and luxury malls all on a waterfront promenade featuring the iconic Marina Bay Sands; three towers topped off with an infinity pool that has become a well known feature of Singapore’s skyline.
Marina Bay has plenty to see and do, offering a bit of everything from shopping and food, to gardens and cruises.
But we can’t talk about Marina Bay without including more on Marina Bay Sands itself. Firstly, this hotel gets super busy and it is not cheap. The infinity pool located 57 stories up is only available to hotel guests, so if you’re like us and can’t fork out the cash for your entire Singapore stay at the Marina Bay Sands, book in a single night only and get your Instagram pics in the famous pool. And if a single night is still a bit out of your budget then don’t worry - you can still get the same incredible view for a small entrance fee at the Sands SkyPark Observation Deck, on the same level as the pool.
Visit one of Singapore's Neighbourhoods
Singapore is home to an array of diverse neighbourhoods, each offering something different in the way of history and attractions, food and culture. Each time we visit Singapore we try to visit at least one or two that we haven’t been to before, or sometimes just re-visit an old favourite.
Below are some of our favourite and most recommended neighbourhoods, as well as others to check out.
Favourites:
Little India - Colourful and vibrant. The little lanes make walking easy while exploring the fascinating street art and historic temples, taking in the smells of spices and food.
Chinatown - The streets of Chinatown are a blend of old and new. The evidence of old Chinatown are evident via the buildings and temples and there is a Chinatown Heritage Centre to learn more about the early Chinese migrants to Singapore. Chinatown is perhaps the best area to steal a bargain if you’re a shopper but the attraction for us is definitely the food. A mix of cool restaurants and market/ hawker centre stalls mean there are food options at all price points and to suit everyone’s taste.
Kampong Gelam - Quirky, colourful and interesting, this neighbourhood is my personal favourite. The area, sometimes referred to as the Arab Quarter, is located around the Sultan Mosque and there is no shortage of cool bars and eateries, funky boutiques and unique stores and it’s difficult to not fall in love with the vibrant laneways such as Haji Lane.
Others to check out: Colonial/ Civic District for the historic buildings, memorials and museums; Joo Chiat for the vibrant shophouses and Peranakan culture; and Tiong Bahru for its architecture, history and hip shops.
Indulge in Singapore’s food culture
Singapore has an amazing food culture. Choose from traditional dishes to every international cuisine imaginable, with a choice of fine dining, hip restaurants or cheap and cheerful in one of the many Hawker markets. Food in Singapore is fun!
While you can eat pretty much anything in Singapore, it is famous for certain dishes, so if you can, give one or more of the following a try:
Chilli Crab (Try one of the many Jumbo Seafood outlets)
Hainanese chicken rice
Laksa
Char kuay teow
Barbecued stingray
Some of our favourites places are shown below. Wantons in Chinatown at Wanton and a mix of dishes from the Hong Lim Market & Food Centre (hawker market)
Our favourite streets and areas (aside from the aforementioned neighbourhoods) include Robertson Quay (pubs, bars and food variety), Hongkong Street for Amo (great Italian) and Cuppage Road (shopping relief near Orchard Road)
Singapore also has great coffee and brunch options. Our favourite Ronin Cafe, had actually closed at the time of writing, however we understand that they have created a new option called Gather in the Raffles Hotel Arcade and we can’t wait to check that out on our next visit. Their coffee was amazing!
For other coffee options try Toby’s Estate and Common Man Coffee Roasters. Another winner we discovered was Wild Honey which has yummo food and a liquor license, great for a boozy brunch.
Check out the amazing bar scene
Any list we provide here for Singapore’s bars we know is going to be out of date pretty much as soon as we write it. That said, there’s a few bars we’ve made repeat visits to that we have included below, as well as a link to a really good resource that is kept up to date.
Singapore’s bar scene really is amazing with its top quality drinks, inventive fit outs, ambiance and just outright coolness. That all said, drinking in Singapore doesn’t come cheap which is why if you are ready for a good night out, choose well.
Our two repeat bars are 28 HongKong Street and The Other Room.
28 Hong Kong Street is one of Singapore’s first speakeasy bars and can be tricky to find behind the unmarked shopfront door on Hong Kong Street. But go inside and you’ll find cool tunes and shelves lined with top shelf drinks ready to mix up creative cocktails.
The Other Room is another bar hidden away behind an unmarked door, this time inside the Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel. Press the buzzer and you’ll be welcomed into an intimate bar with an almost overwhelming choice of cocktails and quality liquors.
Not a bar, but also one we have given repeat business is Boomarang in Robertson Quay. We like this place not because it’s an Australian bar but because it is a bit more casual and has a lovely location on the river, great for a quiet afternoon drink. I’ll also admit we came across Boomarang when I was looking for somewhere to watch an AFL game that I really didn’t want to miss. Boomarang is also good for live sport.
Just for a completeness we’ve added a few bars that are currently on our wish list and as we do finally get to them, will update this page. Our wish list is (in no particular order): Atlas Bar (Rochor), The Old Man (China Town), Employees Only (Chinatown), LeVel33 (Marina Bay) and Raffles Long Bar ( the home of the Singapore Sling)
Also refer to Timeout for an up to date list of the best bars in Singapore.
Enjoy Singapore’s parks and gardens
One of the most surprising things for many visitors coming to Singapore is the amount of green. A couple of decades ago the government set out to raise the quality of life and green in the city with a goal to transform its ‘Garden City’ to a ‘City in a Garden’ (Source: Wikipedia) . We think they did it too.
We’ve already mentioned Gardens by the Bay however there are so many more gardens and areas where you can enjoy trees, walking/ running paths and just nature in general. Refer to this list of parks for some ideas. Some of our own favourites that are city central are the Singapore Botanic Gardens and Fort Canning Park.
Clarke Quay
Clarke Quay might seem an odd choice to go in our top ten and we won’t lie, it’s very touristy. But we’ve included it because it is a nice place to walk along during the day (and you can also include Boat Quay for that as well), and it’s a great place for a drink in the evening.
We usually stay around the Clarke Quay area because it feels so central to other places we will visit while in Singapore. Chinatown is within walking distance, Roberston Quay is close for more food and drink options, Marina Bay is not too far and there’s also great transport options with the MRT. But Clarke Quay is nice within its own right because you can stay local and still take in all of the energy of the party goers in the evening. You have lots of food and drinking options, you can take a boat ride on the river (admittedly we’ve never actually done this), it’s great for a morning run and there’s some good shopping options there as well. #winning
Take in the arts & culture
Something that is less spoken about (well at least from a tourist’s perspective) is Singapore’s arts and culture scene, which makes sense when you think about Singapore as a mix of cultures and histories.
Singapore has a wide choice of galleries, museums and temples and we have barely made a dent in all that it has to offer.
Some of the temples we think are worth checking out include : Thian Hock Keng Temple (Chinatown), Sri Mariamman Temple (Chinatown), Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple (Little India/ Rochor) and Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum (Chinatown).
Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple (Little India/ Rochor)
For art try the Opera Gallery, Gillman Barraks (made up of 10 galleries) and Deck for photographic art.
Oh, and don’t forget about the urban street art in some of Singapore’s Neighbourhoods. Haji Lane and Little India are particularly awesome for their street art.
For museums try the Asian Civilisations Museum which provides insight into the various Asian cultures that make up the base for Sinagpore’s multi-ethnic society (this is on our list for our next visit but believe you can easily spend a half day there). There are three main heritage centres that will give you the history and insight into the country’s main cultures - the Indian Heritage Centre, Malay Heritage Centre and Chinese Heritage Centre. Finally there is the National Museum of Singapore which was established in 1887 and is Singapore’s oldest museum.
As you can see, there is a lot to see and do in Singapore and every visit we make we find more. Hopefully this post is helpful when planning your next trip or stopover to Singapore and we will try to add to the list as we discover more. Happy travels!