Things to do in Singapore
Updated April 2024
Top places to see:
Marina Bay Sands (Merlion), Gardens by the Bay, Flower Dome, Cloud Forrest, National Museum
Cultural Exposure: Arab Street, Chinatown, Little India
I also like to take family and friends to the Singapore River Cruise (link), S$28 for 35-40 mins, the best experience in the evenings.
Local food:
Lau Pa Sat or Maxwell Food Center (S$15-30 per pax) : conveniently located in the city center; a bit more tourism and expensive comparing to other more local hawker centers (e.g., East Coast Lagoon Food Village, Chomp Chomp, Bukit Timah Food Center)
Peranakan restaurants (local cuisine S$40-60 per pax): National Kiteck at the National Gallery, Violet Oon at ION Orchard and Jewel Airport. Blue Ginger
Chilli Crab (S$100+ per pax): The most famous places are Jumbo Seafood and No Signboard. (Both are chain stores.) Another store with the Marina Bay Sands view I sometimes go to is Palm Beach.
My favorite local food is Frog Porridge ($30-45 per pax), only open for dinner and late-night supper. If you can handle spicy, ask for the Gong Bao flavor. My go-to store is the Dragoncity Claypot Frog Porridge. It is close to the east coast park if you have time for a city/coastal walk. Eminent Frog Porridge is more famous and has a more street-food dining experience.
Another place with a good view of the Singapore River but standard food: Harry's Boat Quay.
Offshore islands for a day-trip:
Pulau Ubin Island: Chek Jawa Wetlands and good for cycling; camping areas also available (watch out for wild monkeys and boars)
Lazarus Island: best beaches in Singapore in my opinion; one retail shop opens on Fri, Sat, and Sun until 5 pm (visited in Apr 2024); connected to St John's island by walking (15mins); last ferry back to main island at around 6 pm;
Sentosa Island: the most famous and most tourism; nice-to-visit if you can only afford a few hours rather than a full day
Hiking trails:
Southern Ridges (park map): 1-2 hours walk depending on your starting point; a good variation of city, forest, and harbor views
MacRitchie Reservoir (park Map): more than 2,000 hectares of forest and over 20km of trails, including the TreeTop Walk (3-4 hours), around MacRitchie Reservoir. The last entry is at 4:45pm for the Tree Top Walk and Mondays are closed.
Other trails I visit regularly: Rifle Range Nature Park, Railway Corridor, various canals.