The Best Places to Visit in Singapore
Singapore is one of the smallest countries in the world, sitting just off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It’s technically a city-state, as the only city in Singapore which shares the land of the country with some greenery and islands. It’s an incredibly clean, diverse, and powerful country. Once a small fishing settlement, it’s now a modern globalized country complete with skyscrapers and cultural areas everywhere. Singapore city is one of the greatest cities in the world, being good at everything it does really.
Capital: Singapore
Currency: Singapore Dollar
Language: English, Malay, Tamil, Mandarin
When to visit: Year Round
1) Singapore
Singapore city is a dense patchwork of neighborhoods, cultures, and districts, stitched together by one of the most efficient urban systems in the world. There is so many different areas of the city, the blend is incredible. You can choose to be surrounded by giant skyscraper and world class hotels, or walk an hour and find yourself in the middle of an area with temples and street food. Over 63 million people live here, and it’s clear to see why expats from all over Asia create a life here.
Things to do:
It’s easiest to split it up by each neighborhood/area as they all have such different contrasts. We are starting with Downtown Core and Marina Bay, the area where you can see Singapore’s beautiful skyline amongst the water, plus the world famous Marina Bay Sands Hotel, an architectural masterpiece. Definitely walk around this whole area at night, it comes alive in a different way. Walk across Jubilee Bridge and take a photo of Merlion, the fish-lion statue which spouts water. Under an hour walk away is the area of Chinatown, where you can see all of the temples, cafes, and markets amongst the busy streets. The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and the Sri Mariamman Temple are amongst the most iconic. Contrasting Chinatown is Little India, the neighborhood filled with color, noise, and life. You shoud visit here if you want spice shops, textile stores, and street food stalls - it’s a different cultural experience in the same city. Southeast of Little India and above Downtown is Kampong Glam, and it’s an area centered around the Sultan Mosque. The other two areas were easy to figure out, but this area is for the Malay/Arab heritage of the city, and overall it’s a cool creative spot with nice streets. The city is way too big to name every cool neighborhood, but even if you just stay in and around the Downtown area you’ll see most of the great sites. Far up north are things like Singapore Zoo, and places like MacRitche Reservoir where monkeys hang in the world. It all depends on what you want to see.
How to get there:
Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) has got to be the best in the world. There is so much international connection for flights.
Otherwise, take an overland train or bus from Johor in Malaysia, crossing into Singapore.
2) Singapore Changi Airport
Singapore Airport is so incredible, that it’s literally an attraction of it’s own. It’s located on the eastern edge of Singapore, about 20 kilometers from the city center and has multiple enormous, clean and efficient terminals. You need to visit here, whether your flying in and out or not.
Things to do:
The most iconic photos of this airport are all from the Rain Vortex in the Jewel Changi Airport (the shopping center and green area). Everyone knows it, it’s the massive indoor waterfall which drops through several floors and has multiple viewpoints. If you want, you can pay to walk Canopy Bridge, the beautiful walk on the upper level with many viewing decks. All around the vortex is Forest Valley, which surrounds the whole thing and has so many trees and bushes, as well as seats and places to relax. It’s like a whole area you can genuinely just chill in, not just an attraction to look at. The complex is linked to terminals 1-3. If you’re passing security in the airport, then you have to go to Butterfly Garden, the tropical enclosure filled with greenery and free-flying butterflies you can literally just walk through. It’s found in Terminal 3 of the airport. Terminal 3 also has a literal free movie theatre, showing screenings 24/7, which is crazy. Including the endless shopping options in every terminal, Singapore Changi is in my opinion undeniably the world’s best airport.
How to get there:
Besides obviously flying in there, take the MRT to Tanah Merah MRT Station, then transfer to the airport line.
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