Singapore, the only island-city-country in the world, just off the Southern tip of Malaysia, boasts a tropical climate, some of the best food in the world and an impressive global tech hub.
On top of being one of the cleanest and safest cities in the world, it's mash up of Eastern and Western cultures makes it so unique that it just has to be added to your list!
It's transformation from a 3rd world country to a 1st world country in just 50 years shows how efficient and innovative the country is while maintaining it's unique cultural roots.
What makes Singapore such a great lay-over destination to break up long flights is that you can see all the main attractions in just 3 days! From the largest greenhouse in the world to the origin of the famous 'Singapore Sling', there is plenty to see!
Without further ado, let's hop straight into our 3 day itinerary! Feel free to skip to 'How to get around' or 'Where to stay'!
Contents
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 1)
Gardens by the Bay
Covering 101 hectares of land in central Singapore, Gardens by the Bay displays the plant kingdom in a masterpiece of garden artistry. Featuring over 1 million plants from 5000 different species, it is no wonder Gardens by the Bay has attracted 50 million visitors and is in the top 20 checked in places on Facebook!
It consists of 3 main gardens: Bay South, Bay East and Bay Central and is open from 5am to 2am so you can visit any time of day!
At night time, go and be dazzled by 'Garden Rhapsody', a creative light and music show at the Supertree Grove every single night at 7:45pm and 8:45pm.
How to get discounted tickets to Gardens by the Bay
Book your accommodation on Booking.com and chances are you'll receive a voucher for a discount to the park (plus over 30 other attractions!) Just head to City Tourist Hub at Marina Square Shopping mall to redeem your ticket and you're set! One-way shuttle services from Marina square to the Gardens are included. Our ticket included the Flower Dome, Cloud Forest & OCBC Skyway, the 3 best bits! The other 30 attractions that booking.com offers discounts for include Singapore Zoo, Singapore Cable Car and Universal Studios. #notsponsored #iwish
The gardens consist of 12 main attractions so it will take you all day to see everything and a blog post that'll take 10 years to read so I'm just going to focus on the 3 best attractions (in my opinion) in this amazing city of plants:
1. Flower Dome
2. Cloud Forest
3. OCBC Skyway
1. Flower Dome
As soon as you step into the largest greenhouse in the world it is not just sweet relief from the extreme heat of outside but a refreshing and colourful sight to behold!
With 9 gardens showcasing plants from 5 different continents, you will surely find plants you've never seen in your life. From the African Baobab to the Ghost tree of Madagascar to the Kapok Tree of the Brazilian Amazon, let your eyes soak it all up!
2. Cloud Forest
The 58m tall dome exhibits a 35m waterfall, making it the world's tallest indoor waterfall! Spraying mist and steam from 10 different spouts, the myriad of rare plants creates a mountain of cacti, orchids, mosses and ferns. The cloud forest consists of 6 levels including flesh-eating carnivorous Venus fly traps and giant lime stone crystals!
Wander along the misty cloud walk and peer down at the gardeners abseiling down the face of the mountain, trimming and weeding the 35m lush vegetation. From this high up, you definitely won't be able to see the tiny orchids that can only be seen through a magnifying glass...I mean, how cute is that! Don't forget to visit the Lost World, Secret Garden and Crystal mountain cave!
Feeling peckish? Just outside the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest is a large gift store, restaurant and small shop selling ice creams (much needed), hot dogs and snacks. For a true taste of Singapore, try the bright green pandan cake sold right outside the restaurant for a super tasty bargain!
3. Supertree Grove & OCBC Skyway
The 25m to 50m iconic Supertrees not only provide the much needed shade in such a hot and humid city but are amazing to peer up at!
The best part is walking along the 25m high OCBC Skyway that connects two of the giant Supertrees, providing panoramic views of Singapore's city skyline and the famous Marina Bay Sands.
The walkway is 128m long, providing plenty of photoshoot opportunities to prove that you 'floated above the ground' #oncloudnine. Find all 18 Supertrees in this massive park...hint: look for the hidden ones in the Golden and Silver Gardens!
Now you've probably exceeded your step count for the day just getting lost in this ginormous park but it's time for some retail therapy at the famous Orchard road!
Orchard Road
This world-famous, 2km long shopping strip is the island's most visited shopping destination with a collection of 22 mega malls, 6 shopping centres, designer boutiques, cafes, restaurants, displays and street stalls. At Christmas time, the endless display of Christmas lights and Disney's 'Frozen' themed walk through exhibits is pretty over the top!
If shopping is not your thing, Orchard Central has the world’s tallest indoor climbing wall, ION Orchard has a 5,300 square foot sky observation deck or there's always the Singapore Art Museum and National Museum of Singapore.
Best place to eat in Singapore: Tung Lok Seafood
Tung Lok Seafood - For the best Chili crab you will ever taste...I mean, did you even go to Singapore if you didn't try Chili crab?
Located on level 11 of Orchard Central shopping mall, this sky high restaurant provides wonderful views of crazy orchard road and an abundance of traditional and delicious dishes. My personal faves were the cereal coated prawns and coffee glazed sticky pork...not to mention the lemongrass pudding!
Day 2
Firstly, it's important to be aware that Singaporean culture is a hotpot of Asian and European, which is why it is uniquely known as the country where 'East meets West'. This is what makes Singapore's cuisine, religion, language, festivals and music so diverse!
While 76.7% of the population are Chinese Singaporeans, 14% are Malay, 7.9% Indian and the remaining 1.4% consist of expats and tourists.
Due to this, Singapore has several distinct ethnic neighbourhoods, including Katong (home of the Peranakans), Kampong Glam & Geylang Serai (focal points of the Malays), Chinatown and Little India, all of which are totally worth visiting.
Little India
Wandering along Serangoon Road, where the smell of curry spices waft out of traditional restaurants and jewellery stores flash their bright gold bangles, makes you think you're actually in India. Additionally, the numerous tailor shops, pungent aromas and various mosques highlight how strong each culture is embedded in Singapore.
But no trip to Little India is complete without a visit to the busiest, most colourful and most difficult to pronounce temple - Sri Veeramakaliamman...say that ten times fast...
Hundreds of tiny statues line the exterior and the inside is just as impressive (it's free too!). If you liked the temple then you'll like the House of Tan Teng Niah - Singapore's most colourful building!
Grab a bargain on a gold bangle or emerald ring then we're heading to Chinatown!
Chinatown
Chinatown is hands down the best possible place to go for lunch. After you scramble through the narrow roads of souvenir shops selling pointless knickknacks, indie boutiques, craft and antique stores, take a short visit to the Buddha Tooth Relic temple. Look out for club street, which is full of wine bars!
And NOW #thetimehascome for Chinatown Food Street - one of the best places to try tasty, authentic and cheap local cuisine.
Whether it's roast duck, fresh seafood, wok-fried noodles, steamed dumplings or Laksa, pick any seat in the street and you'll be guaranteed a tasty meal! Finish with a cendol or mango pudding and THEN you're done.
So full that you're in need of a drink? It's time to head to the World famous Marina Bay Sands hotel!
Now for a true iconic Singapore Sling, Singapore's most famous hotel, Raffles hotel, is the place to go! The well polished, blindingly white colonial exterior with intricate lattice-paned windows with an old fashioned, teak-wood 'Long bar' inside make it a truly classy experience, especially when the famous cocktail itself was developed here at Raffles Hotel in 1913 by the bartender Ngiam Tong Boon. #therealmvp
Unfortunately, during my visit to Singapore Raffles hotel was undergoing renovations #rip but the Marina Bay Sands Hotel sky deck was not a bad alternative!
Of course, you have to be a guest staying there if you want to swim in the infinity pool for probably the most instagrammed picture taken ever #boyfriendsofinstagram but the sky deck bar is open to anyone and the panoramic city views are unparalleled.
From the top level, 55 stories high, you can see how expansive Gardens by the Bay are and this is the only time the Supergrove trees will appear tiny.
Marina Bay Sands
If you've ever seen 'Crazy Rich Asians' you will feel like you're in the movie...getting lost in Nick Young's dreamy eyes...if you haven't, watch it before you visit!
Although the cocktails in Singapore are pricey (~$30 AUD), it is definitely worth the experience! Enjoy an iconic Singapore Sling with the scenic view of Singapore in front of you and spot Merlion park which is where we'll be heading next!
But first, FOOD! If you didn't already get the gist, Singapore is THE food hub. Now, you may have been told that Singapore is super expensive, I certainly was told that. Ignore all that, only the cocktails are!
If you're looking for traditional, culinary destinations with a wide variety of authentic, national dishes for a cheap price (what more could you ask for really...) then the answer is simple - Hawker street food (aka outdoor food courts). The best one you can visit is Newton's Circus, which also features in 'Crazy Rich Asians'.
Ranging from $2.50 to $5, the food here is cheap and of the best quality! The satay chicken and beef skewers are must-tries and go well with a Soursop smoothie! If you've never eaten Stingray before then here is the place to try it!
National dishes to try
Hainanese Chicken rice (Singapore's number 1 Natoinal dish)
Sambal Stingray (don't be scared, it's super filling!)
Char Kway Teow
Singapore noodles
Wanton Mee
Chilli crab
Bak Kut Teh ('pork bone tea'...it's not tea, just soup!)
Other notable Hawker centres in Singapore
Old Airport Road Food Centre
Maxwell Road Hawker Centre
Tiong Bahru Market
Chomp Chomp Food Centre
Once you've stuffed yourself with every possible dish you can feast your eyes on, it's time to walk it off at Merlion Park!
Marina Bay Sands Laser light show
Every night at 8pm and 9:30pm (plus 11:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays), Marina Bay Sands put on a laser light show and the best place to view it is directly opposite, across the water, from Merlion Park. That way, you have the spectacular Marina Bay Sands in the background #instaworthy.
Merlion park is named suitably for the half lion, half mermaid sculpture spouting water from its mouth, another Instagram opportuntity to #catchthewater while you wait for the laser light show to start but I suggest getting a front centre viewing spot for the show, known as 'Spectra'.
Water jets, lasers, fountains, lava and mist effects dance in time to an orchestral soundtrack, making for a truly magical Singaporean experience!
The show goes for 15 minutes and another great viewing point is from a river cruise or the first floor of The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands for an up-close viewing.
Day 3
Sentosa island
Grab your hat and bikini because today we are heading to Sentosa island! Located just 15 minutes from the CBD and accessible by road, cable car and monorail, this 500 hectare, man-made island is Singapore's leading leisure destination!
Home to Universal Studios, Sentosa Golf club, rainforests, spa retreats, roller coasters, yacht marina, luxurious housing and accommodation, restaurants and shops, Sentosa truly has it all!
Other notable attractions on Sentosa include the Tiger Sky Tower, Singapore Butterfly & Insect Kingdom and the Sea Aquarium, which is one of the largest collections of aquatic animals in the world.
But the only reason I came to Sentosa island was for the tropical beaches. What better way to cool down in the notorious Singaporean humidity!
Sentosa Island consists of 3 main beaches: Siloso, Palawan and Tanjong.
Remember these are all man-made beaches so the sand is imported from Australia. You definitely won't find the crashing waves of Sydney over here!
Although they're more of a lagoon, the beaches are super clean and the waters are calm for cooling off in. Ideal for families during the day and parties at night!
Siloso beach
A sandy cove and busy beach surrounded by restaurants, bars and clubs such as Mamba's Beach Club. You will find stalls selling snacks, cargo ships on the horizon and plenty of palm trees for those fantasy island feels.
At Siloso beach you can hire kayaks, play volleyball or test out your surfing skills at the flow rider. So if you're looking for excitement, entertainment and activity head to Siloso beach!
Palawan beach
The relaxing, family friendly, #donotdisturbme beach where you go to sunbathe in a quiet paradise. This beach still has the convenience stores, restaurants and must-try coconut ice cream but with more of a picnic atmosphere.
Although there are life guards on duty, you will not find any waves here! Just gentle turquoise waters and a suspension bridge that links Palawan beach to the Southernmost Point of Continental Asia and Asia's closest point to the equator! #itburns You can choose to tour the island on a segway or just watch the oil tankers pass along the horizon.
Tanjong beach
The most remote beach on Sentosa for adults to chill under thatched shelters and palm trees. You will see less cargo ships at this beach but the only place to eat is Tanjong's beach bar. If you're into dj dance parties, this is where the nightlife is at!
So if you desire some tranquility and a gentle breeze to read your favourite book without being splashed by kids, Tanjong is the answer.
How to get around Sentosa
There is a free shuttle bus that takes you around the island to all the beaches from beach station. It is easy to walk to most places on the island though!
How to get to Sentosa
1. Catch the MRT to 'Harbourfront' then choose option a,b or c
a) Monorail: Follow signs at Harbourfront station to 'Vivocity' then take the Sentosa Monorail from VivoCity to Beach Station for $4.00. If you want to go to Resorts World, get off at Waterfront station.
OR
b) Cable Car: At Harbourfront station, catch the Singapore cable car (12 minute ride) by heading to the top of Harbourfront Tower II where the Singapore Cable Car Station is located.
OR
c) Walk along the boardwalk: At Harbourfront station, head to the waterfront promenade of VivoCity Shopping Mall and walk to Sentosa via the boardwalk.
OR
d) Bus: Catch the RWS8 bus from outside Vivocity for $1 and it will take you directly to Resorts World. Once at Resorts world, catch the sentosa monorail to beach station.
So if you're looking for a quick and easy escape from the urban jungle of Singapore city, Sentosa island is the place to go!
How to get around Singapore
The MRT is the fastest and easiest way to get to the main attractions. It's super easy to navigate as the MRT line is just an oval shape. If you've ever navigated through the train stations of London or Tokyo, you'll find this a cinch!
If you'll be catching the MRT a lot then the Singapore tourist pass costs $10 a day, $16 for 2 days or $20 for 3 days - highly recommend as the MRT can eat up your cash surprisingly fast!
Singapore's bus system is the most economical way to get around, it's scenic and covers most places such as Newton's circus. The buses connect you to the MRT if you're staying in places like the Geylang district.
Where to stay
Singapore pretty much IS Marina Bay Sands. It's almost not worth coming if you don't stay there! However, if you don't feel like shelling out for the novelty and would rather spend that money on the main attractions OR if it's just a layover on the way to your main destination then the Geylang district is a convenient place to stay with close access to public transport and top nosh!
Don't be put off by the fact that it is in the red light district! Singapore is one of the safest countries in the world and the Geylang district is where you will find restaurants upon restaurants of super cheap and super yummy Malaysian food.
Just think: rotis, curries, tosay, teh tarik, tropical juices, omelettes, pancakes, you'll find it all here and you won't pay more than $3 (for both the meal and drink...for two!).
Whether you choose to stay at the luxurious Marina Bay Sands or a more modest hotel, we used Booking.com which always has the easiest booking system (we didn't even have to pay until we got there!). If you use the search bar on the left, you'll be guaranteed to find the best deals for accommodation in Singapore, trust me!
It's super easy to get a taste (or many tastes!) of Singapore in 3 days if you plan well (or you can just follow my 3 day itinerary that I put together just for you ;) #yourewelcome).
Happy Travelling!
