Singapore: Insider tips from a local

Supertrees in Singapore

When I visited Singapore for the first time I instantly fell in love with this city-state: its futuristic design, the combination of different cultures and the diverse food. I was lucky to meet Jaclynn Seah there, who is from Singapore and writes on her blog “The Occasional Traveller”. She showed me around and we had a great time. She tells you her insider tips for the Lion City – the best time to travel there, accommodation, restaurants and sights.

Jaclynn Seah travel blogger Singapore - The Occasional TravellerJaclynn is The Occasional Traveller, a Singaporean girl with a full-time day job who loves to travel. She started her blog in 2010 to encourage fellow deskbound wanderlusters like herself to remember to take that time off and get away. She is always looking forward to that next trip!

Singapore Marina Bay Sands Hotel Luxury Travel BlogHere are her insider tips for Singapore:

Why should everyone travel once in a lifetime to Singapore?
There’s nowhere in the world quite like Singapore!

When is the best time to visit it?
Singapore is hot all year round and we hardly have any seasons. Year end tends to be cooler but also more rainy, though really it can rain any time of the year.

June and December are school holiday periods in Singapore so your tourist attractions will be more crowded with families, so you might want to avoid those periods.

Singapore Skyline SunsetWhich attractions of Singapore are worth to see?
The Marina Bay area (which you usually see on TV during the F1 Grand Prix in September) is a tourist hotspot but for good reason – Singapore is prettiest in the evening when the buildings are all lit up.

I recommend starting from the Esplanade, walking clockwise around the bay area across the Helix Bridge until you reach Marina Bay Sands.

Singapore SupertreesOther tourist attractions that I think are worth seeing are Gardens by the Bay (18 Marina Gardens Dr) – the alien-looking Super Tree Grove is mostly free (unless you want to go on the Skywalk, a rickety walkway suspended near the top of the tree structures).

But it is worth going into the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest as well – beautiful and cool, a good way to spend your time ‘indoors’ if Singapore is being all humid or rainy.

If you want a proper outdoor garden, Singapore Botanic Gardens (1 Cluny Rd) is centrally located in the downtown area and was just awarded a UNESCO award.

Kampong Glam Singapore travel blogThe ethnic enclaves like Chinatown and Little India are also popular, though my favourite of the lot would be the Arab/Muslim Quarter Kampong Glam close to Bugis. It’s a true mishmash of culture – with the hipster shopping Haji Lane alongside traditional cloth merchants at Arab Street.

Walk around some more and you will discover cute cafes, bold graffiti and hints of Malay heritage all around the area.

Singapore Street Art - SlacSatu BatikWhat are your insider tips?
Check out the street art in Singapore – we have very strict laws against vandalism but there is a burgeoning street art scene nonetheless. It’s a great alternative way to explore Singapore. Kampong Glam is a good place to start.

If you are on the roads or taking a cab, Singapore has a rather complicated taxi surcharge system, as well as road tolls during peak hours which can make the taxi ride a more expensive affair.

Try and avoid the morning peak (7 – 9.30 am) and the evening peak (6 – 8 pm) as far as possible. Or just take the subway aka MRT, which is quite well connected.

Singapore foodTo save money on food, eat at the outdoor hawker centres. Indoor food courts tend to be more expensive, especially if they are in the central business districts.

Ask locals for their food recs, most Singaporeans are more than happy to tell you where to get good and cheap grub. If all else fails, just pick the store with the longest queue and wait!

In which district should visitors book a hotel?
Most of the hotels are in the central downtown areas, but for something a little different, consider the smaller boutique hotels in the ethnic enclaves like Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam. (honestly I don’t have a lot for this one since I actually live here…)

Singapore hawker foodWhich food is typical for Singapore? Your tips for restaurants?
Hawker food is what makes Singapore’s cuisine so enticing. Also, there’s a very rich and diverse mix of food from all different cultures that you can find in most hawker centres. Frankly I’d skip the restaurants and just spend all my time eating cheap at the hawker centres!

Tiong Bahru Singapore hawker centreMy favourite less touristy hawker centres that I usually recommend visitors to check out are Old Airport Road Food Centre (51 Old Airport Rd, near to Dakota MRT station on Circle Line) and Tiong Bahru Market (83 Seng Poh Rd), both very popular with Singaporeans.

If you are still keen on restaurants, check out local food websites like hungrygowhere, burpple and Yelp Singapore for user reviews by Singaporeans. We’re big on our food so these might give you a better sense of the local favorites.

Singapore SlingWhere to go out in the evenings?
Ann Siang Hill near Chinatown is a pretty happening area with bars and restaurants and a blocked off road for pedestrians to roam freely.

There are so many places you can choose to hang out in, but a favourite of mine is the rooftop bar at PS Cafe (28B Harding Rd), or eat cheap at Maxwell market (famous for Gordon Ramsay’s favourite Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice) before finding a nice spot for a drink.

I like the bar stretch at Emerald Hill close to Somerset MRT as well – my usual haunt is Ice Cold Beer (9 Emerald Hill Rd) for a good range of draft beers and amazing chicken wings.

Number 5 at Emerald Hill and Que Pasa (7 Emerald Hill Rd) are owned by the same management and share the same kitchen, though they are more famous for cocktails and wine respectively.

Or stroll along the Singapore River – particularly around the Clarke Quay and Marina Bay area. Evenings are cooler and offer a great night view, and these areas come alive then.

In the Clarke Quay area, I like Cafe Iguana at Riverside Point (30 Merchant Road) for its mega margaritas, and at Marina Bay I like Overeasy at One Fullerton – you get a great view of the Marina Bay Sands complex and the laser light show that happens a few times every night.

Is Singapore an expensive destination?
Comparatively it’s not as cheap as the surrounding countries in South East Asia – the Singapore dollar is stronger, but there are plenty of cheap/free things to do as well if you know where to look and avoid the tourist areas.

Travel Blogger Jac at Haw Par VillaWhich articles in your blog are most helpful for visitors?

Here you may find some more insider tips from locals (English and German articles), e.g. about Brisbane, Cape Town, Yucatan in Mexico, Bali and Barcelona.

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Singapore: Insider tips from a local

 

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Anja Beckmann

Reisebloggerin bei Travel on Toast
Auf diesem Reiseblog gebe ich Tipps für Ausflugsziele in NRW, Städtereisen, Strandurlaub, Urlaub mit Hund und vegan reisen. Folge mir gerne auf Social Media!

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10 Kommentare

  • Antworten
    BJÖRN
    15. August 2017 um 11:34

    Cooler Blogeintrag! Danke für die Tips :)
    Grüße Björn

  • Antworten
    Carmen
    27. Februar 2017 um 23:34

    Danke für die tollen Tipps :)

  • Antworten
    Surender
    15. Juni 2016 um 12:36

    Wonderful writeup with stunning images. I also never traveled to Singapore but i wish to be there soon. I just heard Singapore is one of the most visited tourist destinations of South East Asia.

    • Antworten
      Anja Beckmann
      19. Juni 2016 um 09:59

      Yes, Singapore is a great place. Have fun visiting it!

      Cheers
      Anja

  • Antworten
    Kati
    29. Mai 2016 um 05:17

    I’ve never really considered going to Singapore on one of my trips. I have so many other trips lined up and planned that I do not think I’ll be able to fit it in anytime soon, but I must say that this place looks unique and gorgeous. The Marina Bay area is extremely beautiful. I would love to visit one day! Happy Travels!

    • Antworten
      Anja Beckmann
      29. Mai 2016 um 09:07

      Yes, Singapore is really worth visiting. I fell in love with the whole city, but was especially impressed by the Marina Bay Sands hotel with its gorgeous infinity pool on the rooftop. Happy travels to you too!

      Anja

  • Antworten
    angela
    28. Januar 2016 um 16:06

    Hallo Anja, Deine Webseite ist sehr ja interessante. Auf unserer Weltreise kommen sind wir im November 4 Tage in Singapour Singapour. Hast du einen Tip für uns in welchem Hotel oder Pension wir übernachten könnten. Vielleicht ein Tip auf meine Mail. danke

  • Antworten
    Anja Beckmann
    20. Januar 2016 um 15:32

    Klasse, dass dir der Artikel gefällt! :)

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