So as mentioned in my first ever post, I'm from Singapore! I have a love-hate relationship with this country, but mostly love I'd say.
Weather
HOT HOT HOT. Singapore is a country with no 4 seasons and it's just summer all year round like most ASEAN countries. The weather is quite unpredictable when it comes to rain so definitely bring along an umbrella, or you could just get one from the nearest 7-11 store when you need it.
Clothing wise, don't wear anything too thick and long sleeved if you are bound to be outdoors the whole day but definitely bring a jacket as the public transports and shopping malls can get pretty cold sometimes.
Singapore is still a rather conservative society when it comes to fashion and unfortunately anything too loud, revealing, boisterous or just different might earn you some stares from passersby so if you don't mind that, definitely don't be afraid to dress up especially when heading to the Central Business District area or town area like orchard road. Other wise, dressing down in a t-shirt, shorts and slippers should do the trick.
Dressed down Dressed up
Accommodation
Singapore is a really really small country and very easy to get around so it honestly does not matter where you stay. What matters most is your budget because hotels can be quite pricey in the town or tourist areas.
If you feel like you're balling, consider staying at Luxury hotels such as Ritz Carlton, Marina Bay Sands or Capella in Sentosa. Beautiful rooms, great view and perfect locations.
For something more budgeted, definitely consider hostels, boutique hotels and backpacker inns. Majority of them are located in Little India or Chinatown where it is hustling and also very convenient to get to tourist areas like Sentosa, Marina Bay and Orchard Road.
Else, you could also look for other options on Airbnb or Agoda Homes.
Local Transport
The MRT (train) and bus systems in Singapore make it really easy to get to anywhere as long as you have an EZ Link card which you could purchase from any train station.
Singapore Tourist Pass - For shorter stays
A Singapore Tourist Pass has 3 options for unlimited rides each day.
1-day pass S$10
2-day pass S$16
3-day pass S$20
The 3-day pass would be a better deal for a 3 day stay as compared to buying 3 1 day passes. The average would be approximately S$6.70 per day with unlimited rides. However for longer stays, definitely go for the standard EZ Link Card.
EZ Link (transport) Card - For longer stays
I would recommend getting the Ez Link card for longer trips which could still be used on your next trip here if it has not expired. There is a non-refundable deposit of $5.
You can check for it's expiry date or top up the value by placing it on the top up machine which can be found at any MRT stations. The expiry date will appear on the screen along with you card value. If you require any assistants, you can ask the station staff at the counter or any security guard that you see in the stations. Most locals would be happy to help to.
An average MRT ride would cost S$1.40 and an average bus ride would cost S$1.15 but it ranges based on distance of the ride.
The EZ link card can be used on both MRT trains and all buses. You can even use it to buy food and drinks in 7-11 stores and even from certain vending machines if they allow it.
However if your card is low on balance and is insufficient to board the transport, no worries, you could use cash to buy individual train tickets and for bus fares too just that it would be slightly pricier.
hi!Tourist EZ-Link SIM Card - value for internet data + transport
scroll down to mobile data section for more details
MRT Stations
Most attractions are located near or right outside the MRT stations which is super convenient. So you just gotta find which station you're heading too, refer to the MRT Map which is really easy to read, and you're good to go.
Often you would need to change lines but the different lines are usually located very near each other in the stations. Just look for signs hanging from the ceiling or on the walls and you're good to go.
Taking the Bus
Taking the bus can be quite intimidating to tourists but once you know some important things, you can easily travel using both bus and train.
Bus stops have names and numbers in Singapore and you can ensure that you're at the right bus stop by looking for the stop name or number. These signs are usually at the start or end of the bus stop itself and is easy to spot. The numerous numbers in the green boxes are the buses that service the stop, the number right on top is the bus stop number and below that is the name of the bus stop.
Buses don't have fixed timings and there might be numerous buses and routes you can take to get to the same destination. To help you decide which bus to take, you may check for the bus waiting time using the app SG Buses or MyTransport. You simply choose the bus stop you're at and the timings of the different buses will be shown. These apps save lives man.
Timing
It does not take too long to travel around in Singapore using the MRT. The longest your journey could take would probably be about an hour? getting from one end of Singapore to the other.
Peak periods to look out for would be Weekdays 8am-9am when people are heading to work, weekdays 6pm-7pm when people are getting off work and of course the weekends are mostly pretty crowded everywhere.
Mobile Data
There are many options for purchasing sim cards in Singapore however in my opinion, these are the most worth it at it's price points:
1. hi!Tourist EZ-Link SIM Card ($18 for 7 Days) (data + transport)
- 100GB 4G local data
- Unlimited data on Facebook, WhatsApp, LINE and WeChat
- $3 EZ-Link stored value for train/bus rides
- 1GB data roam to Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia & Thailand
- Free round trip on Singapore Cable Car - Sentosa Line (worth $15)
- Up to 25% off Sentosa attractions, and dining offers with HungryGoWhere
- 500mins local calls and 30mins IDD calls
Same as the above with some minor differences. Click the link for a more detailed information.
Food
Yes, Singapore is pretty well known for its local delicacies that is loved by all. Our dishes have elements from Malaysia, Indonesia, China etc. We are a multiracial country after all.
There's no fear of missing food from back home when you're in Singapore because you can find a huge variety of authentic cuisines everywhere, and they're pretty good too.
Hawker Centres, Food Court, Kopitiams
For authentic local food, there's no need to splurge. The famous places for such food are Newton Circus and Lau Pa Sat but there is more to Singapore's food than that. In fact in my opinion, those places are just overpriced and honestly the food isn't that great. There are many other places you can get better quality and cheaper food at very local places such as Chomp Chomp, Ang Mo Kio Block 628 Market, Bedok Corner Food centre and many more.
Don't be afraid to explore localised, non tourist areas. You might be surprised at what you find! I'm just salivating looking at this and I cant wait for you to taste this goodness!
Credit coconuts.co
Restaurants
So a hack I have to pass to you for finding affordable but upscale, quality food places is this app: Eatigo
Basically, it allows you to book reservations and whatever percentage you select, is the amount of discount you get for the meal. There is usually a 15 minutes grace period but try to be there on time to not miss your booking.
There is a wide variety of restaurants on this app and you can also filter the restaurant options based on your location. It's really easy to use and has save me a ton of money and I highly recommend you to download this if you're looking for good eats!
Visiting Attractions
Unfortunately there is no such pass where one pass fits all, however for different attractions located in similar areas, there are bundle passes you can purchase. However, do prepare to splurge as Singapore can get really pricey when it comes to attractions with entrance fees. I will be elaborating on places to visit and things to do in my Local's Guide to Singapore post (writing in Progress).
If you have anymore questions or doubts, feel free to HMU in the chatbox or e-mail me!
I reply Instagram messages too!
Live free, live Flightmoded,
Judith
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