With its unique parks, iconic architecture, its delicious and tasty food from all arround Asia, Singapore is on of the most captivating destinations of Southeast Asia. The city-state attracts millions of visitors each year. So, now it your turn to travel to Singapore !
Singapore is a multi-cultural city-state in which wide range of religions, ethnicities and cultures live in harmony. Diversity is a strength in the city-state.
Singapore is a paradise for photographers, food and shopping lovers. The are a wide range of activities to experience in the city.
Are you ready to be mind-blowded by this futuristic city-state ?
Basic information
Language: English is the most spoken language in Singapore. The four official languages in the city-state are Malay, English, Tamil and Mandarin Chinese. The national language is malay.
Currency: Singapore Dollar, 1 SG$ = 0,74$ US.
Safety: Singapore is an extremly safe place. The city-state has a very low crime rate. The most dangerous crimes you can encounter are crime of opportunity and pickpocketing. Scams are raw in Singapore.
Solo female traveler should feel comfortable when they travel to Singapore. Nevertheless, always take your standars precautions, don’t take safety for granted and always follow your intuition.
Visa: The government is quite efficient concerning visas, the processing time average is between 3 to 5 days, nevertheless it is recommended to apply no less than one month in advance when you want travel to Singapore.
Here are the 13 tips to enjoy your travel to Singapore
Choose the great time to visit Singapore
Singapore has a tropical climate, with high temperatures and high humidity almost the whole year. The country has a consistent weather and welcome many travelers all over the year.
The best time to travel to Singapore is from December to June. These months fall during the dry season, when Singapore has the lowest humidity and the most sunshine.
I recommend you to check the weather before planning your travel to Singapore.
Be aware of the rules
Singapore is one of the cleanest and the safest place to visit in the world. Nevertheless, the country is also known for its laws and regulations, that can be perceived as very strange by travelers.
You have to be aware of these laws to avoid being in trouble, pay fines and ruin your trip.
There is a short list of the unique rules you have to respect during your travel to Singapore.
- Feed Pigeons – 500 $ fines.
- Chewing gum consumption or sale – 100 000 $ fines and up to 2 Years of prison.
- Walk naked in your accomodation – 2000 $ fines and up to 3 Months of prison.
- Smoke in a public area – 200 $ to 2000 $ fines.
- Connect to someone else’s Wifi – 10 000 $ and up to 3 years in prison.
- Make noise after 10 pm – up to 2000 $ fines.
- Forget to flush the toilets – 150 $ fines.
- Being gay – Up to 2 years in prison.
- Sing or play instruments in public – Up to 3 months in prison.
- Drink alcohol and make a party between 10:30 pm and 7 am – up to 2000 $
Choose a well located hotel
Singapore is a small country to visit, most of the main attractions are centered in Sentosa and marina bay. I recommend you to opt for an hotel located in the center, near from these areas. Especially if you planned to spend only 1 to 3 days in the country.
If you plan to spend more than 5 days in the country you can chose an hotel located in the area you are attracted the most and in which you will spend more time.
It will help you to save your time and your money, as you will be near from the places you will visit during your travel to Singapore.
Take public transports or Grab App
The ”MRT”, Singapore mass rapid transit is a dream for travelers, as it is one of the best in the world. The country has an amazing public transportation network, the MRT stations are always a short walk away from the most famous attractions.
Moreover, it is a fast and economic way to travel in the city-state. I wisely recommend you to get a Singapore tourist pass, this pass will give you unlimited travel to Singapore for 1 to 2 or 3 days.
- One day pass : 7,50 $
- 2 days pass : 12 $
- 3 days pass : 15 $
If you prefer to travel in a more convenient and comfortable transportation you can use Grab, it works like Uber and it is the leader app in Southeast Asia.
Apply for your visa in advance
In average, the processing time for visa applications is 10 working days from the date of receipt of the complete file. However, it is recommended to send your visa application no less than one month in advance.
Read all the guidelines carefully and prepare your documents in advance to send your visa application for your travel in Singapore within the recommended deadlines.
Don’t worry about tips
Tipping is not customary in Singapore, as most of the cafes and restaurants already charge a 10% of service fees.
If you absolutely want to tip a waiter who provided you an excellent service, the best way is to give the cash directly to the person, because some restaurants take the tips lefts by customers on the tables.
Tipping Hotel porters is not mandatory but acceptable. And Taxi derivers do not accept tips, they will always give you your extra money back.
So, don’t worry about tips when you travel to Singapore.
Eat like the locals
Singapore is especially recognised for its seafood. If you want to savor Singaporean food, make sure to try Chili crab and black pepper crab which are one of the most popular dishes in Singapore. Other plates like stimbal stingray and the chicken rice also one of the favorite dishes.
You will find the most authentic food for cheap in the Hawker center, it is where most locals eat. Concerning the higiene standards you can chekck the colored signs displayed at each stand from A (The best hygiene) to B (a risk).
For a deepest experience, you can opt for a food and culture tour.
Gardens by the Bay is a showpiece of garden artistry and horticulture, which offer a picturesque paradise for photography and nature lovers.
Visit ” gardens by the bay ” during the golden hour
It is one of the most famous attraction of the city, rather crowded, as It is an entertaining place that really worth visiting.
The supertree Grove and the gardens, open at 5 am and are free to visit the whole day, if you want to explore the higher walkway between tree, you will have to pay small fees.
The Cloud forest and the flower dome open at 9 am, the adult entry ticket costs 28 SGD (20.60$). I advise you to come 15 minutes before the opening.
Dress according to the weather
As mentionned before, the weather in Singapore is humid and hot. If you do not want to be drenched perspiration or completely wet after a downpour when you explore the city. I wisely advise you to wear light, cool and comfortable clothes. But also to carry a pocket umbrella and a lightweight foldable rain jacket with you.
Book all your tickets in advance
Singapore is a touristic country which attracts millions of visitors each year. Tourist attractions are often busy in Singapore. To not miss any attraction, make sure you book in advance and online.
You can get Singapore activity passes which will give you access to multiple activities of your choice for a great price. It can go up to 55% discount.
Carry spare cents
During your travel to Singapore you will mostly have to pay in change. From your shopping in the famous markets to buying a 2$ drink outside, there will be many situations on which you will be obliged to use change.
You can maybe avoid this issue while shopping. Nevertheless, you will face this problem when you will commute via buses, as the buse drivers will print your ticket only if you insert the exact amount of change in the money boxe. If a ticket costs 1,5$ you insert 2$, you will not get your 0,50 cents back.
So, I wisely advise you to carry cash money on you, and also a lot of cents.
You can consume tap water
The water is clear and clean in Singapore, you can consume it at any point. A bottle in Singapore costs 2 Dollars, it is better to have its own and refilled it, at the nearest point you find.
Moreover, plastic water bottles are harmul for the environment and expensive.
Spend time at the Changi Airport
Changi Airport is ranked 3rd best airport in the world in 2022. The airport is considered as one of the best tourist attraction in Singapore. Instead of spending your waiting time sitting for hours like in a usual airport, there are numerous free entertainments and activities to enjoy in the Changi Airport.
The area I loved in the Airport during my trip in Singapore is the Jewel based in the terminal 1, in which there are multiple gardens and atractions, such as the 50m Vortex waterfall, Forest Valley, Mazes and Canopy Bridges. But also many retails and restaurants.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of the activities available in the Airport, with the terminal indicated.
- Grab a free massage (T1, 2 and 3)
- Watch a movie (T2 and 3)
- Visit the Rooftop cactus garden and walk through the Piazza or Sculptural Tree Garden (T1)
- Admire the “Kinetic Rain”, a display of 1,216 polished copper raindrops. (T1)
- Explore the interactive Enchanted Garden and the wonderful Orchid garden (T2)
- Visit the amazing Butterfly garden and take a ride on the tallest slide in an airport in the world.(T3)
- Explore the Jewel (T1)
If you travel to Singapore, you should spend a day or few hours in this unique airport.