Singapore: A Short Travel Guide

Singapore is a tiny island nation in Southeast Asia. It is a melting pot of cultures and a global hub for business and finance. Despite its small size, it boasts world-class attractions and incredible diversity, with influences from Chinese, Malay, Indian, and European cultures. On top of that, Singapore is renowned for its cleanliness, safety, and efficiency, making it an easy and enjoyable travel destination. In this travel guide, we share our top things to do in Singapore as well as great places to stay, eat, and drink.

Marina Bay

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Check out our video about Singapore to see the best things to do through our camera!

Things To Do In Singapore

• Admire Jewel Changi Airport (Tip: there is a Rain Vortex Light Show at 8 & 9 PM daily - also 10 PM Fri-Sun)

• Visit Fort Canning & the Battlebox

• Hike the Southern Ridges

• Explore Little India

• Spot wildlife at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (Follow the Summit Loop Trail)

• Dine at local Hawker Markets (Go on a local hawker market food tour with tastings)

• Visit Kampong Glam (Arab Street & Haji Lane)

• Stroll around the Marina Bay Waterfront (Don't miss: Spectra light and sound show at 8 PM and 9 PM in front of the Marina Bay Sands)

• Experience the Marina Bay Sands (Head to the MBS Observation Deck or Cé La Vi Rooftop Bar for magnificent skyline views)

• Walk through the Botanic Gardens (Visit the National Orchid Garden)

• Enjoy the Singapore Quays: Boat Quay, Robertson Quay, and Clarke Quay (Go on a traditional bumboat cruise)

• Explore Chinatown

• Take in iconic skyline views (NOVA Rooftop, 1-Arden,

  Mr. Stork, or Urban Farm @ Funan)

• Do a bike tour of the city highlights (do the same bike tour like we did!)

• Explore the Gardens by the Bay (Get your tickets to the Flower Dome & Cloud Forest in advance!)

Download our Google Map with all the places to go, eat, drink, and stay here.

Supertrees @ Gardens by the Bay

Places To Stay In & Around Singapore

• PARKROYAL COLLECTION - Marina Bay ($$$): This luxurious hotel is located right around Marina Bay so has a perfect location. The hotel is beautifully designed with an outdoor swimming pool, fitness center, and various restaurants and a bar. Rooms have deluxe king beds!

• Jen Tanglin - Orchard Road ($$ - where we stayed): This mid- to upscale hotel is a bit outside the tourist center, but centrally located across Orchard Boulevard Metro Station along the North-South Line, with easy and fast connections to the attractions. The hotel room was very clean, had comfy beds, and great shower. We found it had all we needed! There is also an outdoor swimming pool.

• Hotel Mi Rochor - Kampong Glam ($): A budget accommodation in Singapore terms (still expensive for Southeast Asia). Convenient location near the Rochor metro station and Kampong Glam area. Nice modern rooms!

Cé La Vi skyline view

Places To Eat And Drink In Singapore

Bars:

• 1-Arden: beautiful rooftop bar & garden with views onto Marina Bay Sands

• ATLAS: one of the top 50 bars in the world with an immense selection of gins

• Bar Stories: bar in Kampong Glam that crafts cocktails based on your preferences (they will ask your choice of liquor, preferred flavors, and vibe)

• Cé La Vi: rooftop on top of Marina Bay Sands - 35 Singaporean dollar entry that can be redeemed for food and drinks

• Mr. Stork: great rooftop restaurant and bar with good sunset view

• NOVA rooftop bar: offers the best views of the Marina Bay from above (also delicious cocktails)

Great Hawker Centers:

• Amoy Street Food Centre

• Chinatown Complex & Hawker Centre

• East Coast Lagoon Food Village (waterfront)

• Golden Mile Food Centre

• Hong Lim Market & Food Centre in Chinatown

• Lau Pa Sat (more touristic Hawker Centre)

• Maxwell Food Centre

• Tekka Centre in Little India

• Tiong Bahru Market

Local food:

• ADDA: authentic Indian food

• Bollywood Farms Pte Ltd: Countryside organic farm with educational activities & a chill eatery for seasonal Indian fare

• Ji Ji Wanton Noodle Specialist: inside the Hong Lim Market and popular for its wonton noodles (so delicious!)

• Kele @ Chinatown: pineapple tarts

• Komala Vilas Restaurant: great restaurant in Little India serving Indian vegetarian classics

• Liao Fan Hawker Chan (Chinatown): inside Chinatown Complex Market and known for its soy sauce chicken

• Nanyang Old Coffee: traditional coffee shop in Chinatown

• Pure Pandan Chinatown: known for its traditional pandan cake

• Sahebs - The Indian Restaurant: lovely Indian restaurant along Orchard Road

• Samy's Curry Restaurant: famous Indian restaurant, especially for fish curries

• Song Fa Bak Kut Teh 11: popular eatery known for its bak kut teh (pork ribs in broth) & braised meats

• Ya Kun Kaya Toast: breakfast place for kaya toast

• Zhong Guo La Mian Xiao Long Bao: inside Chinatown Complex Market and known for its dumplings

International cuisine:

• BAKALAKI Greek Taverna: Bright, breezy restaurant with an upbeat vibe & menu of upmarket Greek fare

• Bunt Ends: famous Australian-style barbecue restaurant

• Cappadocia Turkish & Mediterranean Restaurant: nice Turkish restaurant in Kampong Glam

• Ikigai izakaya the riverwalk: Japanese cuisine

• Le Bon Fork (Club Street): trendy restaurant with good selection of quality meats

• Limoncello Restaurant: classy Italian restaurant at Robertson Quay

• Lucca's Trattoria: Italian Restaurant

• MERCI MARCEL CLUB STREET: Easygoing restaurant offering French bistro staples for breakfast, lunch & dinner, plus a terrace

• Raffles Courtyard: legendary bar and restaurant of the Raffles Hotel with a cozy outdoor patio

• Rosso Vino: nice Italian waterfront restaurant at Robertson Quay with fresh pastas

• Rumah Makan Minang: Halal Indonesian eatery serving nasi padang, beef rendang, satay & more in a low-key space

• Tapas,24 Singapore: chill tapas bar with the usual tapas and great paellas (Robertson Quay)

• The Berry Spot: nice to-go açai bowls and smoothies in the Marina Bay

• The Ramen House: some great Japanese ramen at a reasonable price

• Thevar: Michelin Star restaurant that serves Indian food with a modern twist

Hong Lim Market & Food Centre

Map Singapore

Find all the places to go, eat, drink, and stay in Singapore on Google Maps, follow and save the list, do the following:

1. Tap on the link to open it (click button below)

2. Tap Follow. This list will now be added to the group of lists you follow.

3. Optional: To unfollow a list someone shared with you, tap the list Saved.
   

If you follow the list we made, all our saved places of Singapore will show up in Your Places. The places will also appear as suggested locations in Google Maps.

Save Google Maps Places

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Use These Websites To Save Money On Your Trip To Singapore

• Booking.com for places to stay

• Skyscanner for cheap flights

• GetYourGuide for local tours

• Rentalcars.com for affordable car rentals

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Are you having a hard time planning your trip to Singapore? Get our Interactive Travel Planner to keep it all organized.

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Need more travel inspiration? Check out our other destinations and articles about Southeast Asia:

• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Travel Guide

• Penang Island, Malaysia Travel Guide

• Langkawi, Malaysia Travel Guide

• Hanoi, Vietnam Travel Guide

• Luang Prabang, Laos Travel Guide

• Siem Reap, Cambodia Travel Guide

• Phuket, Thailand Travel Guide

• Bangkok, Thailand Travel Guide