Singapore Sling
September 2024 Update — NEW PHOTOS 👇🏽
When it came time to leave SE Asia, we found ourselves where we started, back in Singapore.
As a major regional transit hub we found the best flight for our points redemption and schedule to leave from Singapore. We were (mostly) excited to be back in this amazing city for a quick stop. The accommodations are so costly compared to anywhere else in Asia so that was the main downer, and the reason we didn’t spend more time there. But of all places to spend a quick transit stop, you can’t do better than the city with the BEST public transit, a huge plethora of amazing food, and world class parks and greenspace.
We prioritized a few of our favorite things on this quick 36 hour trip.
Maxwell Hawker Center for an amazing plethora of food at affordable cost. A last taste of fresh coconuts, barley water, and ochien were just what we wanted.
Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands Mall for an evening walk and light show. We sought to catch the Rhapsody light show one more time, but the weather had other plans. We had a delightful walk in the park before a massive storm blew through right before the show forcing us to relinquish our perfectly curated seats for shelter. We still got to enjoy parts of the show, albeit soaking wet, and it made for another interesting travel experience.
The Marina Barrage was a spot we missed on the first go around, so we prioritized some beautiful views from this park on the outskirts of the Gardens by the Bay complex.
Our last chance for Laksa. A malaysian dish which is one of our favorites from all of Asia, is available in Singapore and we made sure to get one last taste before we left.
Checking out the Changi airport in more depth. When we arrived the first time we didn’t get to see Changi in its full glory, so we made sure to allot time before our departure to check out the Jewel and some of the other amazing attractions at the airport.
We had wanted to return to the Singapore Botanic Garden one more time in the morning before we left but we had walked SO MUCH the night before we couldn’t make our legs work. We went to the movies instead.
That’s it. It was a fast and furious visit but solidified why Singapore is a must do if you are in the region. Stay tuned for a full reflection of our time in Asia.
Originally Published — February 2024
We couldn’t have asked for a better intro to SE Asia.
It started with our business class flight from London to Singapore on Singapore Airlines. We basically save all our credit card points to cash in for these flights as it is not something that we could ever afford to pay out of pocket, but is so much fun and so worth it for the comfort of a 13 hour flight. This was a significantly longer flight than our one from Houston to Manchester (our only other long-haul flight on this trip) so we wanted to fly in the most comfortable way possible. We flew in an Airbus A350-900 which is the largest commercial airliner. It is a full double decker plane that was MASSIVE. It was quite an experience in and of itself.
Landing in Singapore was another treat as the Changi Airport is well known for its stunning architectural features and amenities and is consistently voted as top airport in the world. Since we were arriving at Changi (versus departing from) we didn’t get to experience all the offerings but did get to check out the Jewel which is an indoor rainforest atrium with a waterfall fountain and shopping mall. This gave us a small taste of what Singapore would be like.
I encourage you to learn more about Singapore’s history but a few notable things we learned before and during our trip that provide context:
Singapore used to be a state in Malaysia (one of 14) but broke off into its on City/State/Country in the 1960s due to political differences. Some say they were kicked out while others say they left. Depends on who is telling the story of course.
Singapore has the highest concentration of millionaires in Asia and is a VERY wealthy country. Think Crazy Rich Asians (which we shamelessly watched again before arriving and can attest to the similarities to life). Because of this, goods are very expensive (the city is consistently ranked as one of the most expensive in the world). We found many prices on par with NYC, so compared to what you can expect from almost every other Asian country, VERY expensive.
They take safety and crime VERY seriously. To the point where virtually every inch of the city is covered by CCTV. In public, you can expect, and feel, as if you are being watched 24/7 (cause you most likely are). We debated the pros and cons (for which we understand there are many) but we will say as travelers we have never felt “safer”.
Image is everything in Singapore. Everything is perfectly manicured, curated, and presented. From the trees that line the streets to the architecture. You won’t find litter anywhere or even so much as a blade of grass out of place. This makes for a very stunning visit but it can leave you feeling like you are in an alternate reality.
Since we only spent 5 days in Singapore (it was very cost prohibitive to stay much longer) we mostly stuck to some of the most famous tourist spots.
Some Favorite Spots
Gardens by the Bay: This incredibly large and sprawling garden was the highlight of the trip. We visited the garden on a few occasions. First we went to visit two of the main attractions, the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome. Then we went back during the evening to catch the famous Supertree grove and the accompanying light show. The garden grounds and attractions were stunning and worth a visit.
Marina Bay Sands: We didn’t stay in the hotel ($600+ a night…no thanks) but did visit the accompanying grounds which include a mall, an evening water light show, and great views of the Bay. They also have an observation deck which seems nice but we didn’t think it was worth the added cost.
The Merlion: Across the bay from Marina Bay Sands stands the Merlion, half mermaid half lion, the symbol of Singapore. We took a sunrise walk along the river to the mouth that opened into the Bay (jetlag was real so we made the best of it and beat the crowds).
Religious temples: We visited several temples of Buddhist and Hindu faiths which were beautiful places of worship.
Singapore Botanic Gardens: We spent a day wandering around this massive national park, strolling through the hundreds of plant species, walking through the tree canopies, and even got to enjoy watching some monkeys forage in the rainforest. Greenspace is a central part of the city’s identity and there was no shortage of immaculate greenspace to enjoy.
One thing worth specifically calling out was the public transit in Singapore. From buses to metro trains they were immaculate, easy to use, and so affordable. The stations themselves had so much signage to help you navigate entering, exiting, and connecting to other trains. I always struggle with direction underground (i.e. what exit to take to be on the correct side of the street you need to be on) but they had very clear signs (both hanging and on the floor) directing you which exit to take that would put you closest to your destination. That was especially important because the underground stations were massive and often spanned several city blocks. You could also tap pay in and out everywhere (thus only getting charged for your journey vs. a flat fee ticket). No tickets or anything needed. And most journeys were less than $2USD.
Overall, Singapore is worth a visit if you are planning on seeing something else in the region but we probably wouldn’t say you should travel across the world just to visit Singapore.
Planning a trip to Singapore? We don’t cover every detail in our blog posts but we often put together Google Maps where we aggregate much of our research on sights, restaurants, and things to do. You can see our Singapore map here.