After looking online at photos of a vibrant, eco-friendly and beautiful metropolis, I was beyond excited to visit the city-state of Singapore. My expectations were very high, but I’m pleased to say that the city absolutely delivered.
We had heard so much throughout our travels about how expensive Singapore would be that we were utterly prepared for it to bankrupt us. I am pleasantly surprised to be able to tell you that it’s more equivalent to prices in the U.K. Expensive compared to our previous destinations such as Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, but really not that expensive at all.
Getting around…
One of the best ways to save money whilst in Singapore is to invest in an EZ-link travel card. For those of you who have visited my home town London, this is basically like an Oyster Card. Except the EZ-link cards have pictures of Marvel characters on them! Singapore: 1, London: 0.
For those of you who haven’t been to London, it’s a reusable card that you use to tap in and out of train stations or buses. You can purchase an EZ-LINK card at the airport MRT station for $12. $7 of this will be stored value that you can use for travel. If you run out of money on the card you can easily top it up at any MRT station, although you should be aware that the minimum top up is $10 and most of the machines only take cash. Using these cards WILL SAVE YOU MONEY!
What to do?
Once you’ve saved some cash on travel expenses and food (which you’ll hear about later) you’ll be able to fit in all the activities you want to! Char and I spent a total of five days in Singapore. This gave us plenty of time to fit in everything that we desperately wanted to see, but there is so much to do here that it’s impossible to get it all done in just one trip. At least it’s a good excuse to return in the future!
Little India
We chose to explore the area around our hostel first. We headed into the area of the city known as Little India to visit the Sultan Mosque and wander along Haji Lane. This area of the city is vibrant and colourful and you can find some fantastic street art. Haji Lane contains a number of quirky shops and cafes, including the famous Selfie Coffee. I, unfortunately, am not a fan of coffee, so no selfie on a cappuccino for me!
Chinatown
Another fantastic area of the city to spend time is Chinatown. There is an abundance of things to do, from roaming the street markets to exploring the beautiful temples.
Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
Our personal favourite was the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. This temple worships a different kind of Buddha to what we had become accustomed to in Thailand – Maitreya Buddha, or the future Buddha.
There is a conveniently located museum upstairs in the temple where you can learn all about Buddhism and the different Buddhas. Char and I were fascinated and spent ages wandering through the exhibits, taking in as much information as we could. Be warned, there is a lot of it!
If you’re not so into reading about the history of Buddhism you can explore the rest of the temple. Hidden gems await on every floor, even the roof where you can find a peaceful prayer garden and the largest Buddhist prayer wheel in the world!
Most impressive is the fourth floor that houses the sacred tooth relic within a 402kg, solid gold stupa. The tooth relic is believed to have come from Buddha himself. Take your time here so you can really appreciate this stunning place of worship.
Gardens by the Bay
Moving on, a short journey on the MRT will take you to possibly the most famous part of Singapore, Gardens by the Bay. You will need the majority of the day to fully appreciate this area of the city. The gardens themselves are beautiful, well thought out and easily accessible. You can wander around at your own leisure to all the attractions. Super Tree Grove is jaw dropping both during the daytime and at night. The free daily light shows will leave you both astounded and delighted. Not even the rain dampened our mood!
Flower Dome
To explore the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome we purchased a combined ticket online. This not only saved us some money, but also time as we didn’t have to wait in long queues at the ticket booth. First up, the Flower Dome is filled with an array of plants, all organised into different Mediterranean climate zones. Sculptures and displays help guide you through the giant greenhouse and add to the overall experience.
The centre of the dome has an exhibit that changes throughout the year. Our visit coincided with the Wizard of Oz theme. You can imagine our joy at getting to skip down the Yellow Brick Road, into the Emerald City. If you haven’t yet realised that Char and I are basically massive children, then more fool you!
Cloud Forest
Now the Cloud Forest absolutely blew us away. This dome contains the tallest indoor waterfall in the world. As you journey into the cloud forest, you progress through multiple mountain micro-climates. If you’re lucky enough to arrive at the right moment, then you’ll catch the dome being misted. Within minutes the top of the man-made mountain becomes shrouded in a fine fog. This really does give the forest an eerie, yet magical feel.
Within the mountain itself, you learn just how fragile each of the micro-climates within the dome actually are. The removal of just one plant species could spell the end for an entire ecosystem. You go on to learn just how much the human race is impacting the planet, and how although a 5°C global rise in temperature may seem like nothing, it can actually have disastrous consequences.
The exhibit itself gets its point across extremely well. It bought me to the brink of tears. We could all do more to make a positive impact on the world in which we live, but quite frankly, Singapore puts us to shame. The entire city is green, sustainable and thoughtful. Gardens by the Bay is run almost entirely on renewable energy. Just incredible.
Marina Bay
If you’re in need of some cheering up when you leave the Cloud Forest exhibit then head to the nearby Marina Bay. Here you’ll find a number of things to see, including Merlion Park where the Merlion Statue can be found, the Helix Bridge and the famous Marina Bay Sands. We were both lucky and unlucky enough to catch a lightning storm over the bay as we were exploring. It made for some pretty spectacular photos, however it meant that when we finally arrived at the rooftop bar that we couldn’t go outside.
The best way to get into the hotel is through the shopping mall underneath. It costs $20 to get into the bar, however you can exchange your ticket at the bar for $20 worth of drinks. Alcohol is terribly expensive in Singapore, but where better than to have a Singapore Sling? When the storm clouds finally cleared the view we were rewarded with was stunning.
#TopTip – I must mention that being so far into the clouds during a storm meant that the thunder claps became truly deafening. I’ve never heard anything quite like it before. I’m not scared of thunder, but I have to admit that the deep, rumbling booms made me nervous. If you’re not a fan of storms I would avoid going up there in one!
Sentosa Island
If you want to head out of the city centre then fear not as there an abundance of things to do! Sentosa Island is home to a number of theme parks and attractions including Universal Studios and Adventure Cove Waterpark. Our strict backpacker budget meant that we could only choose one of them though!
After a lot of thought (and Googling) we decided upon Adventure Cove Waterpark. It was a pretty chilled day out but great fun! Highlights included the wave machine, snorkelling reef and rope assault course, however the best ride had to be the lazy river. I can honestly say it is the best one I’ve been on! We floated through a beautiful cave, a fish tunnel and past some very friendly stingrays. 100% would do again.
Night Safari at Singapore Zoo
For something a little dryer, head in the other direction to Singapore Zoo. There are many different tickets to choose from, however the most talked about has to be the Night Safari. Unsure what to expect, we headed off towards the zoo entrance around an hour after opening time. Continuing with our lucky streak we bumped into a guy selling his tickets at a discounted price as he had to book a flight home last minute. Result!
Feeling giddy with our bargain we practically floated into the zoo and hopped straight onto a train to enjoy the guided part of the safari. I recommend both walking the zoo and taking the train as some animals can only be seen from one particular route.
Close Encounters on the Walking Trail
When we arrived at the leopard enclosure on the walking trail it appeared empty, but we were determined to spot a leopard, despite how elusive they are. My vet brain took over when I pointed out to Char that I thought I could see a tapetal reflex in the bushes. Her bird watcher brain took over when she suggested we crouch down. Not more than five seconds later a huge male leopard walks straight up to the glass and stares us both right in the face before walking off again! WOW!
As if our night couldn’t get any better, the luck continued! We arrived at the bat enclosure as the keeper was putting feed out for them. Being the only people in the enclosure we were promptly handed bananas by the keeper and told to hold our arms out. Almost instantaneously I had three bats on my arm all trying to eat my banana! Despite the blatant lack of health and safety (neither myself or Char are rabies vaccinated) I felt so elated. Definitely one of those once in a lifetime experiences. The Night Safari is a must do!
Macritchie Reservoir
My fellow young ramblers will be pleased to know that there are hiking opportunities in Singapore! Macritchie Reservoir offers fantastic views over the jungle canopy, however I would recommend taking a sturdy backpack. The monkeys are bloody persistent. I had one hanging off my rucksack, with Char laughing as any good friend would, as I spun around screaming for her to get it off. Not ideal! A full post about the walk is coming next ramblers. Fear not!
Eating Cheap?
A fantastic money saving tip is to eat in one of the many Hawker Centres. You can find a full meal for $5 or less! These are basically large community centres with a variety of food and drink venders inside. The quantity of different food on offer is mind boggling. We were spoilt for choice in every centre we visited.
My personal favourite was the Maxwell Hawker Centre, which is just opposite the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Chinatown. Make sure to check it out whilst you’re nearby visiting the sites. You should note that most of the Hawker Centres close at around 9pm, so plan your eating in advance.
Non-budget Food
Some of you will probably have bigger budgets than ourselves. Myself and Char had some room in our budget to fit in a non-Hawker Centre meal during our stay here. Being the nerds that we are there was only one place to go. Platform 1094, otherwise known as the Harry Potter Café.
Potter fanatics out there will definitely appreciate all the little touches in decoration. You’re also able to dine in robes with your house scarves and wands, which of course was totally happening. We both ordered the famous Goblet of Fire cocktail and were enamoured by the display. It didn’t taste half bad either! Dinner was finished off by a duel (obviously). Ravenclaws such as myself have to put Slytherins like Char back in their place after all ;).
So very long story short, I absolutely fell in love with Singapore. It was cheaper than I expected, in a good way. There is so much to do and so much variety that it’s pretty hard to get bored. Most importantly, it’s eco-friendly and sets a massive example to the rest of the world. I’d come back here in a heartbeat!
