Singapore is a must visit tourist destination for a lot of people whereas for me its more of a destination to drink, eat & shop rather than doing touristic activities. The country is amazing and they’ve built a lot of touristic spots but Singapore is also very expensive. Infact it is one of the most expensive places to live in right up there with New York and London. I’ve visited Singapore twice – way back in 2011 for Christmas/New Year and then again in 2018 for an official training (I extended my stay to roam around). I honestly enjoyed the touristic activities first time around but primarily enjoyed getting a drink at the rooftop restaurant of Marina Bay Sands and shopping at Orchard Street and Bugis Street when I visited the second time around.

Here are my top 5 things that you MUST do whenever you visit Singapore:

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

This has to be my FAVOURITE thing to do in Singapore. I love amusement parks and Universal Studios is amazing. It will take you back to your favourite movies and make you experience them again. The best part is that there is something for everyone – from roller coasters to horror themed rides to kiddie fun. The only thing to keep in mind is to make it there on a working day of the week. During my first visit we went on a holiday (Christmas) and we had to wait in the queue for hours before we could get on the rides. Eventually we bought ourselves the express tickets to be able to enjoy maximum of the rides. The second time around I went on a working day, it wasn’t as crowded and we could enjoy all the rides – some even twice. I also loved all the slushies and shake stands – I act like a total kid in amusement parks. There are shops where you can buy souvenirs which are extremely overpriced but you can pick up something small as a keep sake. I ended up picking up a set of minion magnets (minions are adorable). While Universal Studios is also located in Sentosa Island, I recommend a whole separate day just to enjoy the amazing rides that this place has to offer.

TIP: Check out Klook to pre-buy your tickets at a discounted price and get packed discounted deals for all touristy activities.

SENTOSA ISLAND

Sentosa Island : Sentosa is an island that has been converted into this fun place with a resort, the S.E.A aquarium, fun adventure sports and loads of eating joints. It is connected to the city by road, cable car, pedestrian boardwalk and monorail. I took the cable car to go and the views are so gorgeous that I definitely recommend taking it one way atleast and preferably in the morning to be able to enjoy the views. There are multiple things to do once you’re there. My top picks are –

1. Beaches – if you’re with friends head to the beach to play some games, get a drink and chill preferably in the evening because days are very hot in Singapore. (this activity is free)
2. Fort Siloso & the skywalk- If you’re a history buff, Fort Siloso is Singapore’s only well-preserved coastal fort that served as part of the country’s defences. Visit the skywalk to enjoy the beautiful views of Sentosa Island. (this activity is free)
3. The Southern Most Point of Continental Asia – Situated right on Palawan Beach, this tiny islet is accessible via a suspension bridge to bring one across to the Southernmost Point of Asia. Flanked by two viewing towers, the timber viewing deck offers an uninterrupted view of the South China Sea.
4. iFly Singapore – if you’re an adrenaline junkie, visit iFly for indoor skydiving. (this activity costs upwards of 80USD)
5. S.E.A Aquarium – to enjoy the beautiful underwater views. (this activity costs 27USD)
6. Skyline Luge Sentosa – Zip down the four different trails (Dragon, Expedition, Kupu Kupu and Jungle) specially designed with hairpin corners, long straights and exciting slopes. (This activity costs upwards of 24USD)
7. Sky Park – for bungy jumping (this activity costs upwards of 9USD)
8. Wings of Time – is a beautiful show that is put up on the beach. It is the best way to end your day on Sentosa Island. (this activity costs 14USD)
9. Resorts World Sentosa – If you have money to spend, definitely think about spending a night in resorts world. There are around 8 hotels for you to choose from including Hard Rock Sentosa. The beach villas cost around 6000 USD per night whereas Hotel Michael costs around 1000USD per night.

TIP: Look for deals and passes on Klook to cut some costs on activities. Additionally, plan your day around the activities you want to do to make the best of your time because getting from one activity to another can take time. Again, try visiting during a working day to give the crowds a miss!

(Photos sourced from the internet)

GARDENS BY THE BAY

After Universal Studios, this has to be the best thing to in Singapore. It is extremely popular with tourists and bloggers as well. The Gardens by the Bay is a nature park spanning 101 hectares in the Central Region of Singapore, adjacent to the Marina Reservoir. It is so beautiful to walk around all that nature which has been grown over enchanting structure. It almost feels like you’re on a different planet (almost like Avatar). Definitely visit in the night to see the gardens lit up and gorgeous – everyday between 7PM & 10PM the place is lit up magically. The night show is called Garden Rhapsody – isn’t that a gorgeous name?

TIP: Visit the garden in the evening to catch the sunset & light show!

(Photos sourced from the internet)

Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari & River Safari

I dislike zoos and avoid visiting them because I am against caging of animals. My parents wanted to visit the Singapore Zoo for their river and night safari as well as the Jurong Bird Park for the pink flamingos. The only highlight of the zoo was definitely seeing pandas and the gorgeous pink flamingos in the Jurong Bird Park! But overall, the river and night safari are amazing experiences. The night safari is unique to Singapore. Tourists are taken around the zoo at night to show nocturnal animals followed by a show with the animals. At one point in the show, there is an actual snake hidden below one of the tourists seats – which was scary as well as thrilling. In the river safari, you’re taken on a boat through the zoo past some animals and at some points you can get off and see the animals. Both the night and river safari are very different experiences and hence, I’d recommend them!

TIP: Set one day for just the zoo activities but be prepared to be exhausted by the end of the night. Again if you want to save some money look for package deals online for all activities together. Klook has some great deals!

(Photos sourced from the internet)

Jewel Changi Airport’s Tallest Indoor Waterfall

My fifth recommendation was going to be to get a drink at Marina Bay Sands’ Rooftop bar or shopping at Orchard Street and Bugis Street. But in 2019, the Changi Airport opened the World’s tallest indoor waterfall and it looks spectacular in photos. While I haven’t visited Singapore since the waterfall has opened – I’ve read reviews of how amazing it is. Most tourists arrive at the airport a couple of hours before their flight and while Changi Airport has insane number of shops as well as restaurants to kill your time, I’d recommend visiting the waterfall.

TIP: 1) Head to the airport 3-4 hours before your flight to maximize all you can do at the airport – there is a lot to do! But if you have an early morning flight, it may not be very advantageous as the airline counters open exactly 2 hours before the first flight out (had to wait for 1 hour for Malaysian Airlines to open their counter at 6AM). 2) If you’re travelling during the holiday season look for deals on Charles & Keith at the Singapore airport. We picked up a couple of purses at 60% lesser cost than in India.

(Photos sourced from the internet)

Those were my top 5 recommendations for Singapore. There a lot of other places worth visiting like China Town, Little India, Marina Bay Sands Hotel & Mall, The Merlion & Clarke Quay. We also took a cruise from Singapore for 4 days and visited Langkawi and Phuket. Additionally, Changi City Point is an amazing outlet mall near the airport where you can buy a lot of branded items for cheaper, brands such as Charles & Keith, Aldo, Kipling amongst others. Depending upon how much time you have include these activities in your itinerary too.

Have you been to Singapore? What are your must visit places and recommendations? Let me know in the comments if you have some secret nooks that I missed!

PS: While re-reading the post I realized I’ve mentioned Klook a couple of times, hence this disclaimer – this is not a sponsored post! I use Klook for most of my travel across Asia as well as Europe and it has been very beneficial to save time and money on tourist attractions and day trips. I even pre-bought my SIM cards for trips to Singapore and Spain from on here.

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