Welcome to Singapore!

"Singapore is a dynamic and diverse city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia. Renowned for its blend of modernity and tradition, lush green spaces, and multicultural society, Singapore offers a wealth of experiences for travelers. Singapore is widely recognized as one of the safest cities in the world, thanks to its strict law enforcement, low crime rates, and overall emphasis on public safety." - ChatGPT, 2024

While there are four official languages in Singapore (English, Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil), English is the main language of administration and is widely spoken, so it should be pretty convenient for international travelers. There are only two types of weather in Singapore: Hot or Wet. The average temperature is around 30 degree celsius. It is generally a good idea to travel around with an umbrella either to block the sun or the rain. See the latest weather forecast here.

Disclaimer: I have had given recommendations to various people on multiple occasions so I thought it would be nice to collate it somewhere (this page!) so that I can just point to a link in the future. The information below are seeded with my biased opinions and recommendations. If you tried something and liked it, or if have new updated information, please feel free to ping me. I will try to incorporate your suggestion or update the information below!

Getting around

Traveling around singapore is easy and convenient with the public transport system. With a bit more budget, one can also opt for private hires or even rent a car to drive around. Google Maps is pretty accurate and reliable in Singapore.

Touristy stuff for first timers

  • Changi Airport itself! Check out the Jewel
  • Marina Bay area near the Fullerton hotel: Esplanade, Merlion, view of MBS
  • Sentosa: A resort island with beaches, Universal Studios Singapore (USS), and other entertainment options. Some conferences have been held here before as well.
  • Marina Bay Sands (MBS): An iconic integrated resort featuring a luxury hotel, casino, shopping mall, and the SkyPark with panoramic city views. It also features the infinity pool and a fantastic view at the top (but you need to pay to go up).
  • Gardens by the Bay: A UNESCO World Heritage Site. If time and budget allows, check out the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome. I wouldn't recommend paying to go up to the Supertree walk. Just admire the Supertree Grove from far or below. There is also free night light show at 7:45pm - 8:45pm daily (timing may be subject to change).
  • Night Safari: The world’s first safari park dedicated to nocturnal animals
  • Orchard road: High-end shopping area
  • Clarke Quay and Boat Quay: Known for dining and nightlife along the Singapore river
Tip: There is a nice walkway from the top of MBS to Gardens by the Bay, so seriously consider visiting both together! The ArtScience Museum is also right beside MBS.

Less touristy stuff for the initiated and adventurous

  • Walk around neighborhoods such as Chinatown, Little India, Kampong Glam, Bugis, Haji lane, etc
  • Visit the various religious sites in Singapore: Buddha tooth relic temple, Sultan mosque, Sri Mariamman temple, Chijmes, etc
  • Check out other options at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve: River Wonders, Bird Paradise, Singapore Zoo
  • Museums: ArtScience museum, National Museum, Singapore Art Museum, Battlebox at Fort Canning Hill
  • Singapore Science Center
  • Singapore Botanic Gardens: UNESCO heritage site
  • Hiking: Henderson waves, MacRitchie reservoir treetop walk, etc
  • East coast park: seaside, cycling, rollerblading, etc
  • Visit the other islands: Kusu island, Pulau ubin, Coney island, Sisters' island, Lazarus island
  • Visit the HDB (Singapore public housing) showrooms, e.g. see article

Food

Singapore's hawker centers are one of the "Unesco Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity". Scattered around Singapore, these are outdoor eating places with public seating and many food stalls. A smaller version of it is sometimes called a "kopitiam" or "coffee shop" while an airconditioned version of it (usually in malls) is referred to as a "food court". All of these offer a variety of cheap and tasty food options, depending on rental prices. It is not uncommon to be able to get a meal under SGD$5.

Here are some of the well-known hawker centers:
  • Maxwell food center
  • Chinatown Complex Food Centre
  • Old Airport Rd Food Centre
  • Lau Pat Sat: Pricey and touristy (expect prices above SGD$5), but has good variety and options
Restaurants Some food blogs: Good resource for above average food options Specific dishes to recommend:
  • Kaya toast and eggs, with drink (Breakfast / Tea break)
    One of the "traditional" breakfast options in Singapore. Toastbox and Yakun are good "restaurant" options, though you can typically get it much cheaper at any small coffee shop or hawker center. As you can tell by now, non-cafe Singapore coffee is mostly "sock coffee" and the lingo to order one can be complicated. Ordering tea is also similar by just replacing "kopi" (coffee) by "teh" (tea). If you're feeling adventurous, you can also try "Yuan Yang" which is a mix of coffee and tea, popularized in Hong Kong.
  • Laksa: 328 Katong Laksa is a popular choice
  • Curry chicken noodle
  • Satay
  • Fried carrot cake
    Actually fried daikon and not carrot in the sense of the carrot cake dessert that you are probably more familiar with. They come in white (savory) or black (sweet), and can be fried with or without chili, i.e. 4 options to choose from
  • Hainanese chicken rice: There's a famous stall called Tian Tian at Maxwell food center
  • Chili crab: I would recommend ordering "fried mantou" (some kind of fried dough) to dip the chili crab sauce with
  • Bak kut teh (pork bone broth): In literal english, "Meat, Bone, Soup". There are two variants of it: either a white peppery base or black herbal base. One of the better known white base soup is Song Fa
  • Wanton noodle
  • Minced pork noodle
  • Nasi lemak
  • Nasi briyani
  • Mee siam
  • Mee rebus
  • Roti John
  • Roti prata
  • Roasted delights: Char siew, roasted duck, etc
  • Indonesian chicken rice: Ayam Penyet, Ayam Pangang, etc
  • Peranakan / Nyonya cuisine: This cuisine is a mix of Chinese and Malay/Indonesia influence
  • Ang Ku Kueh (Snack): Chinese pastry with soft, sticky glutinous rice flour skin wrapped around various types of fillings. A very famous one is Ji Xiang. The original Ji Xiang is at Outram and the other Ji Xiangs you see elsewhere are a "spinoff" from one of the brothers. People have differing opinions over which is nicer. I don't know about the spinoff but I personally like the Outram one. Peanut and salted bean are the "standard/traditional" flavors.
  • Curry puff (Snack): Can have just potato fillings and/or chicken and/or sardine
  • Tahu goreng: Fried bean curd with peanut sauce
  • You Tiao (Breakfast / Snack): Fried dough fritter. Goes with by soaking into drinks like soya bean milk!
  • Bakkwa: Honey glazed pork jerky. Traditional Chinese new year snack but people also enjoy it outside of the festival. Chinatown has lots of shops selling this.

Souvenirs

Food-based souvenirs
  • Soup bases and paste packs from supermarkets such as NTUC Fairprice
  • Kaya (coconut jam): Toastbox and Yakun are good options to get kaya
  • Pandan chiffon cake: Bengawan Solo comes to mind, but they have gotten pretty pricey over the years. Do check out other bakeries such as Swee Heng, etc
  • Kueh Lapis (traditional Indonesian thousand layer cake): Bengawan Solo comes to mind, but they have gotten pretty pricey over the years. Do check out other bakeries such as Swee Heng, etc
  • Salted egg snacks, e.g. IRVINS
  • Bakkwa (Chinese honey-glazed pork jerky): Commonly found brands include Bee Cheng Hiang and Fragrance
Note: Certain items like kaya must be checked in. Please check when buying!