Things to do in Singapore
Updated April 2024
Updated April 2024
National Museum (if you are into the history of Singapore), Marina Bay Sands and the Merlion, Gardens by the Bay, Flower Dome, Cloud Forrest, Botanic Garden
Cultural Exposure: Arab Street, Chinatown, Little India, Sri Mariamman Temple (Indian), Wat Ananda Metyarama (Thai), Sultan Mosque (Muslin), ...
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.
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) and shorter ones, 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.
Song Fa Bak Kut Teh 松發肉骨茶 (S$15-30 per pax) : conveniently available in many locations including the airport
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 Kitchen 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 and reasonable pricing, but standard food: Harry's Boat Quay.
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