The Ultimate Guide to Singapore
Top Attractions in Singapore
Jewel Changi Airport
Even before stepping out into the city of Singapore, you have a great sightseeing opportunity at the Jewel Changi Airport. In addition to the hundreds of restaurants and coffee shops, there are also different themed gardens in the airport terminals including Butterfly Gardens in Terminal 3 and the Arrival Gardens in Terminal 1. There are also playground attractions for the kids in the form of the Manulife Sky nets!
Marina Bay
Marina Bay is one of the more upscale areas in the city with many different eating and drinking options. They range from casual food centers to luxurious fine dining locales. It also has several shopping complexes as well as popular nightclubs.
A famous landmark in Marina Bay is the Marina Bay Sands luxury hotel, which has the world’s largest infinity pool on the rooftop.
Singapore Zoo
If you love animals and are looking for a cuteness-filled day that’s perfect for the whole family, head on to the Singapore Zoo! Here, you’ll see 3,500 animals of 300 distinct species. Don’t worry—the Singapore Zoo is one of the world’s few “open zoos” which allows the animals a lot of freedom to roam around.
River Safari
The River Safari is an amenity of Singapore Zoo and is Asia’s only river-themed wildlife park.
Coast-to-Coast Trail
For people who love the outdoors, walking, and/or biking, the NParks Coast-to-Coast Trail is the perfect attraction to visit! This 36 km (22 miles) trail spans across the whole of Singapore and connects Jurong Lake Gardens in the west and Coney Island Park in the northeast. Along the trail, you’ll see the beautiful nature of Singapore.
Singapore Sports Hub
If you are a sports fan or an athlete of some sort, you might like to visit the Singapore Sports Hub, which is the location of the biggest sporting events in the city, including the HSBC Rugby Sevens. They also offer yoga sessions for free for visitors. Not only that, but there is a connected shopping complex complete with a rooftop water park.
Pulau Ubin
Palau Ubin is a great addition to any travel itinerary, and it will teleport you to Singapore in the 1960s. When you’re on this island that’s close to Singapore, you’ll be able to explore what everyday life was like for people who lived in Singapore years ago.
SEA Aquarium
With 100,000 marine animals of 1,000 species and across 50 different habitats, it’s no wonder that Singapore’s SEA Aquarium is one of the largest aquariums in the whole world. Here, you’ll be impressed by the size of the aquarium’s collection of different sea creatures. One interesting fact about the SEA Aquarium is that it has the largest collection of manta rays in captivity.
Jurong Lake Gardens
Spanning about 90 hectares, the Jurong Lake Garden is one of the largest gardens in Singapore. It also includes Lakeside Garden, Chinese and Japanese Gardens, and Garden Promenade. Built around Jurong Lake, the Gardens aims to provide visitors with views of as much of the country’s beautiful wetlands and landscape as possible. Jurong Lake Gardens is also a great place to spend the day with the whole family!
Merlion Park
For a peek at Singapore’s national animal, visit Merlion Park, which is a park named after and dedicated to the half lion half mermaid mythical creature that serves as Singapore’s national animal! Due to its proximity to Marina Bay and the Marina Bay Sands hotel, you can also observe a beautiful sunrise and sunset from the Merlion Park.
Wessex Estate
If you’re interested in historical locations, the Wessex Estate is certainly an interesting place to visit. Although the area is mostly a residential neighborhood, you can still go around and observe the same architectural designs from when British officers and soldiers took up residence in these houses. Today, there’s a small but prominent art scene there, as a small enclave of artists who own studios at the Wessex Estate.
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
Visit Singapore Madame Tussauds Wax Museum and have the chance to be in the same place as famous celebrities and heroes, both international and local.
National Gallery of Singapore
Formerly the home of the Singaporean Supreme Court and City Hall buildings, the National Gallery of Singapore is now an art exhibition gallery, housing 8,000 different art pieces that reflect and tell the story of the history and culture of the Singaporean people.
Singapore Food and Drinks
Because Singapore is a city with residents coming from many different cultural backgrounds, the food in Singapore is one of the city’s biggest pride. Anywhere you go, you’ll be greeted by the sweet aroma of many delicious dishes hailing from all corners of the globe.
Hawker Centers
Among many things, Singapore is known best for its hawker centers, which is a specific area inside or around a building complex, often open-air, a food market where you can purchase from many different stalls selling food from different countries.
Lau Pa Sat Hawker Center
Perhaps the most famous of the outdoor seating Hawker Centers in Singapore, Lau Pa Sat Hawker Center offers a range of different food and drinks hailing from all around the world.
Chinatown Food Street
As the name suggests, this Hawker Center is located in Chinatown and therefore specializes in Chinese cuisine. Locals and tourists alike come here to enjoy dishes that come from the Chinese-Singapore and Chinese cuisines.
Tiong Bahru Market
Tiong Bahru Market offers a variety of dishes, it’s true, but it’s ideal to eat breakfast and lunch here, as most of their most popular dishes are dishes best eaten during the morning and afternoon. The early opening and closing times reflect the breakfast and lunch culture.
Tekka Center
Tekka Center, a 3-story complex, is at the entrance of Little India on Serangoon Road. The fact that you’ll see local Indians frequenting Tekka Center for the food and drinks speaks volumes about the quality and authenticity of the food served here. Here, you’ll find cheap Indian dishes such as spicy and non-spicy curries, Biryani rice, and of course, the lassi drinks!
Chomp Chomp Hawker Center
This Hawker Center is located outside the city center and because of this, it’s not as well-visited by tourists. However, that doesn’t mean that Chomp Chomp Hawker Center doesn’t get any visitors. Opening early and closing late in the day allows you to visit at any time of the day. In the evenings, Chomp Chomp gets especially busy, with people coming from all over Singapore to try different rice and noodle dishes made by local chefs.
Makansutra Gluttons Bay
Makansutra Gluttons Bay is another well-visited Hawker Center in Singapore, but perhaps not entirely because of the food. Of course, the food here is absolutely delicious, but the selling point of Makansutra Gluttons Bay is the breathtaking view of the nearby bay. If you want dinner and a view, you won’t be disappointed when you come to Makansutra Gluttons Bay.
Satay by the Bay
If you’re planning on visiting Gardens by the Bay, SuperTree Grove, Cloud Forest, and the Flower Dome, some of Singapore’s most popular tourist sites, you might also want to stop by Satay by the Bay which, as the name suggests, is a food market by the bay that specializes in satays. For people who don’t like satays, however, not to worry! They also have stalls selling other seafood, rice, and noodle dishes.
Singapore Restaurants
Singapore is famous for her Hawker Centers, but of course, they aren’t the only options to have your stomachs filled, especially if you’re wanting to drift along the more expensive and more luxurious side of Singapore dining. These are not all of Singapore’s restaurants, but some of the best ones.
Les Amis | French Fine Dining
Les Amis is a French restaurant that opened in 1994 and that has been serving upscale French cuisine, creating an extravagant fine dining experience for their customers. All the chefs and staff work together to ensure the freshness of the food and the satisfaction of the people who come to enjoy their food.
Restaurant Zen | Swedish
Founded by celebrity chef Bjorn Frantzén, the restaurant Frantzén is one of the most famous and visited two-star rated fine dining restaurants in Sweden. Zén is Frantzén’s third Asian establishment and ever since 1925, Singaporean locals and visitors could enjoy upscale Nordic food. As Frantzén once described it, the food served at his restaurants is “Nordic but with a French perfume.”
Candlenut | Peranakan
“Peranakenese” is the term used to describe people of mixed Chinese and Malay/Indonesian descent. As such, Peranakanese cuisine consists of food that reflects the Chinese, Malay, and Indonesian heritage of the community. Candlenut was established to honor this particular cuisine, an integral part of Singapore that not many people outside of Singapore know about. Here, you’ll be able to enjoy “comfort food that has been pushed to its fullest potential.”
Cloudstreet | International
At Cloudstreet, the chefs aim to offer an experience that is perfectly mixed between Asian and European cuisine. Cloudstreet is also on the more expensive side, but visitors will always find the price worth the quality of the food!
Thevar | Indian
If you want a taste of Indian food with a modern twist, look no further than Thevar! Located in the vibrant heart of Keong Saik, Singapore, Thevar promises its customers a high-quality gastronomic experience. As stated on their website, “Thevar is a contemporary grill restaurant that serves classic dishes with a unique twist with Indian spices that will amaze your senses.” Indeed, Thevar is a restaurant for all to enjoy!
Note that Thevar does not offer vegan options!
Jumbo Seafood | Seafood
A chain restaurant that has several locations throughout Singapore, Jumbo Seafood is the go-to restaurant if you want delicious seafood served with a sense of luxury and a comfortable atmosphere. You can be assured that the seafood is always fresh and that the staff is always happy to serve you! At Jumbo Seafood, you must try one or both of their specialty dishes: Chilly Crab and Black Pepper Crab.
Liao Fan
You probably heard of Liao Fan. If you haven’t, you’re in for a treat! Here, you can buy the cheapest Michelin-rated meal!
Coffee, Tea, and Dessert in Singapore
Poh Guan Cake House
A popular baked goods seller in Singapore, Poh Guan Cake House offers customers over 30 different kinds of mooncakes.
Mother Dough | Bakery
Once an essential part of Singapore’s pop-up scene, Mother Dough is now a permanent fixture in Singapore’s dessert world. All of their baked goods are handmade and handcrafted with the best artisanal ingredients and methods.
Chye Seng Huat Hardware | Coffee Brewery
The founder of Chye Seng Huat, Papa Palheta, helped to pioneer the third-wave coffee scene in Singapore. As such, you’ll get the best of the contemporary brews and grinds of coffee
Choice Cuts Goods + Coffee
Located at the center of the city, Choice Cuts Goods + Coffee is a music vinyl store that also offers their customers specially brewed coffee and craft beers.
The Moon
The Moon is a bookstore, cafe, and event space that’s socially conscious, offering all kinds of gluten-free baked goods and drink options as well as novels by authors of different genders, backgrounds, and sexualities. From time to time, The Moon hosts different events and activities that you can partake in, including a tarot reading.
Shopping in Singapore
Takashimaya Department Store
Founded in 1993, Takashimaya Department Store is located at the heart of Singapore and is the largest department store in the city. With a huge collection of high-end fashion brands, including a handful of authentic Japanese brands, Takashimaya Department Store is a luxurious mall and that does mean that it is a more expensive place to shop, but the quality of the goods you’ll purchase here is definitely worth the hefty value. Takashimaya Department Store also has a food court, where you can buy a meal from one of their many restaurants. Takashimaya is definitely worth checking out at least once.
Funan Mall
Offering products from over 190 brands, Funan Mall is a shopping center with a modern and industrial-chic vibe. Aiming to bring together work and play, Funan Mall offers customers the choice of many different brands.
ION Orchard
Another popular shopping center in Singapore, ION Orchard offers its customers over 300 brands whose products range from beauty and lifestyle, dining, home furniture, clothes, and so much more.
Design Orchard
Design Orchard is a special kind of shopping center because it’s more than a shopping center. Yes, it offers over 60 brands from local Singaporean designers and entrepreneurs, but Design Orchard also hosts an incubation space for these designers to display their creative pieces at any time of the year; the connected public amphitheater is opened year-round and serves as a viewing space.
The Social Space
Social Space is, as their website states, a “social, multi-concept retail and cafe.” Not only can you find a cafe here, but you can also shop at The Social Space’s retail section. All the items sold here are fair trade, sustainability sourced, and environmentally friendly, and the store hires those who are more disadvantaged in the community.
The Fashion Pulpit
The Fashion Pulpit is a big champion for sustainability; here, you can buy, sell, and swap your old clothes and buy new clothes At The Fashion Pulpit, you can find both designer brands as well as street casual style at very affordable prices. Best of all, you can rest assured that by swapping and buying clothes at The Fashion Pulpit, you’ll be saving the environment!
IMM Outlet Shopping Mall
With over 90 brands in this outlet shopping center, IMM is a highly sought after outlet mall in Singapore. Prices of goods here can go up to 60% off the wholesale price.
Mustafa Center
Mustafa Center, a seven-story shopping complex, is the pride of Little India at Syed Alwi Road in Singapore. With many different stores selling all manners of beauty, lifestyle, fashion, electronics, and food products, Mustafa Center is one of Singapore’s few 24-hour shopping centers, which means that you can go shop here at any time and never be worried about time.
Dover Street Market
The Dover Street Market in Singapore is the 4th Dover Street Market outlet shopping mall, the others being in London, Tokyo, and New York. The Dover Street Market building consists of multiple falls that are all designed to look like an art gallery, and they’re full of stores that sell a lot of different kinds of clothes, ranging from casual streetwear to designer brands. Whatever you’re after, you’re sure to find it here!
Nightlife in Singapore
Manhattan
One of the top places to go when you want alcoholic beverages, Manhattan is a bar that is located inside the building of the Regent, a luxurious and extravagant hotel located at the heart of the city. As such, the drinks are all on the expensive side, but with the high-end atmosphere, you will be sent back to the “Golden Age of Cocktails and Fine Drinking,” as the website states on its front page.
Not only is the Manhattan a bar, but it is also a space for social events and activities such as wine tasting and cocktail brunch.
Clarke Quay
With its prime location close to the sea, Clarke Quay is the most famous place to go at any time of the day, but especially at night. At night, the area gets a resurgence of energy as people hustle to and from many different fine dining locales and popular bars and clubs.
F.Club x Attica SG
If you want to dance your worries away, F.Club x Attica SG is a popular nightclub that offers drinks and the latest styles of music. With multiple levels, F.Club x Attica SG offers their customers different music on either of their two floors: for R&B music aficionados, Level One is hoe to the latest and most stylish of R&B and hip-hop artists. If, however, you’re into the house and trance music scene, Level Two might suit your music tastes!
Crazy Elephant
For rock and roll music fans, Crazy Elephant might be your next favorite place! Here, artists and DJs would play live covers of your favorite Rock and Roll hits. You can also show off your musical and dancing skills on the stage during a jam session!
Cuba Libre Café & Bar
For those who live Latin music and the Latin dancing scene, Cuba Libre is the perfect place to go. You can enjoy classic Latin-themed drinks such as the Cuba Libre while listening to DJs jamming out Latin songs.
Boat Quay
If you walk a little ways from Clarke Quay, you’ll come across Circular Road and Boat Quay. Here, you’ll find even more bars and clubs to fill up your nights. These are the two most popular and most visited places in Boat Quay.
Hero’s
For people who love Rock and Roll, sports, or both, Hero’s might be your next favorite spot. With an open bar and a television set all ready for viewing, Hero’s became one of Singapore’s most visited places.
Molly Malone’s
If you’re in the mood for some Irish cheer and a pint of beer or a pint of Guinness, head over to Molly Malone’s, Singapore’s first and largest Irish pub. Alongside all the alcoholic drinks, Molly Malone’s offers its customers full set menus of food and drinks. Molly Malone’s also offers its space for social functions.
Marina Bay Sands
Another location in Singapore that is popular, Marina Bay Sands, gets lit up at night as locals and tourists alike hit the many restaurants, bars, and nightclubs that the complex has to offer.
Zouk
For people who love dance and electronic music, Zouk might just become your favorite place to go! Not only is it a favorite among locals and tourists, but Zouk is also the spot international DJs David Guetta, The Chemical Brothers, and Tiesto once graced the music scene there.
1-Altitude
Established in 2010, 1-Altitude quickly rose to become one of Singapore’s premier and finest bars and nightclubs. Housed within the top floors of Singapore’s tallest skyscrapers, 1-Altitude is locally and internationally praised for its rooftop bar as well as the breathtaking views that one can see while drinking and dancing all through the night. As of recently, the staff of 1-Altitude is also offering a great place to have your wedding reception.
Lantern Bar
A part of the luxurious Fullerton Hotel, the Lantern Bar is established as one of Singapore’s most renowned bar. Here, you can get your fill on both food and drink with the company of great music. If you’re curious about the name, the Lantern Bar was named after the pier that the hotel is located near, Clifford Pier or Red Lantern Pier. It was believed that Singapore’s first immigrants used to arrive at this pier and red lanterns would guide them from sea to shore.
Have Fun With The Family in Singapore
Universal Studios Singapore
After the Disneyland theme parks all over the world, Universal Studios is probably the second biggest and well-known theme park name in the world, and Singapore has the honor of being the home of Southeast Asia’s first and only Universal Studios theme park. Here, you have the freedom to go on the rides, visit attractions, and observe the numerous social events, of which there are 24 attractions in all.
The regular tickets’ prices are as follows
| Child (4-12) | Adult (13-59) | Senior Citizens (60+) |
| SGD61 USD44.69 ₩50,701 | SGD81 USD59.34 ₩ 67,320 | SGD43 USD31.50 ₩35,728 |
East Coast Park
Right: East Coast Park Playground
Singapore is well-known for its beautiful nature and lush greeneries that can be seen all over the country, and East Coast Park is not without its own set of beauty. Not only does East Coast Park serve as a reserve for some of Singapore’s gardens and natural landmarks, but they also offer locals and tourists the options to walk around and explore as well participate in fun activities such as taking photography together or camping and having a barbecue with the whole family! East Coast Park also has an area dedicated to the children; the East Coast Park Playground has a variety of play equipment for kids of all ages!
Hay Dairies
This goat farm was established in 1988 and has over 800 goats of different breeds who are all fed US hay and feed from Australia.
Singapore may be the smallest country in the world, but the amount of beauty and things to do are limitless. A city that never seems to sleep, Singapore has a lot to offer to locals and tourists, whether they are visiting for two days or a whole week; you will never get bored (or hungry!) while you’re here. From Singapore, you can easily travel to nearby countries like Thailand, Hong Kong, and Vietnam.
