11 unmissable things to do in Singapore

Looking for things to do in Singapore? We have constructed a list of our 11 favourites to help you out. 

Singapore is a culturally diverse metropolis with a reputation of being one of the cleanest cities in the world. It may be illegal to chew gum, but there are plenty of other things to do in Singapore that you can’t miss! Here’s our list of the top 11.

1. Stay in a spacepod

When we were looking for places to stay in Singapore, we wanted to find something reasonably priced. After a search on booking.com, we found several unique hostels where you can stay in your own space-themed pod. This was a fun experience and worked out considerably cheaper.

2. Take a snap with Merlion

A trip to Singapore would not be complete without a visit to the city’s very own mascot, the Merlion. The statue is symbolic to the Singaporeans and is also quite fun to take a picture with.

3. Roam Singapore Botanical Garden & Orchid Garden

If you’re a fan of nature, Singapore Botanic Gardens provides a perfect escape from the concrete jungle. It is slightly out of the city centre so to reach it I would recommend getting on the MRT to Botanic Gardens MRT station. The gardens boast the world’s largest orchid collection which is well worth the S$5 price tag.

4. Watch Spectra – A Light & Water Show

At 8 pm & 9 pm each evening, a remarkable show is put on over the water at the Event Plaza outside of Marina Bay Sands mall.

The spectacle tells a story with orchestral music, dancing fountain jets, colourful visual projections, lasers and lava and mist effects. This must-see presentation is free to watch and goes on for 15 minutes. There is an additional display at 10 pm on Friday and Saturday nights.

5. Stroll around Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay is an astonishing nature park consisting of three waterfront gardens. You could easily spend half a day roaming around, but if you’re short on time, we’d recommend crossing the dragonfly bridge to visit Supertree Grove and Cloud Forest.

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The Cloud Forest is an incredible replica of the conditions found in tropical mountain regions. It is filled with an abundance of beautiful plants and provides cool air to guests from the indoor waterfall. We paid $16 each to enter. You can buy a package for $28 if you want to go to both the Cloud Forest and the Flower Dome. The Flower Dome is the world’s largest columnless glasshouse. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time.

Supertree Grove will guarantee you Instagrammable snaps. The huge tree-like structures which light up at night can be seen from the ground for free. For $8pp you can go on the Skyway – an elevated walkway between two of the larger Supertrees for panoramic views.

We were lucky enough to visit while the musical extravaganza “garden rhapsody” took place. Lights flashed to a brilliantly put together soundtrack. Keep an eye out on the calendar of events to ensure you don’t miss something brilliant.

6. Roam around markets

There are many markets dotted around the city. Bugis Street market is the largest street shopping location in Singapore. It has just about everything you could think of and more up for sale. Souvenirs, food, drink, fashion, jewellery and beauty items.

The Tekka Centre is a huge multi-use building with shops, a food centre (hawker) and a wet market. The wet market is the largest in Singapore and is interesting to walk around as they sell all kinds of produce that you may not come across elsewhere.

7. Check out Chinatown

Chinatown is home to Singapore’s oldest Hindu temple Sri Mariamman and the Buddha tooth relic temple. Grab some food at Chinatown Food Street hawker centre or stroll around the colourful lantern-lined streets. You can even eat the world’s cheapest Michelin star meal at “Liao Fan Hong Kong soya sauce chicken rice & noodle” located in Chinatown food complex.

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8. Saunter through Little India

Wander around the energetic streets of ‘Little India’ and discover vibrant building facades and street art.

Check out the Sri Veeramakaliamman for an interesting thought-provoking temple experience.

9. Walk around Kampong Glam

This neighbourhood is known as the Malay-Muslim quarter and contains the famous Sultan Mosque, Arab Street and Haji Lane.

Funky shops and creative street art line the streets in Haji Lane, while colourful narrow laneways make up Arab Street.

10. Eat at a Hawker

A trip to Singapore, especially while on a budget, would not be complete without visiting a hawker centre. A hawker is a huge area filled with many affordable food stalls. There are dozens dotted all around the city and are perfect for a quick bite to eat while exploring.

11. Visit Marina Bay Sands

Opened in 2010, Marina Bay Sands is the most impressive resort we have ever seen with our own eyes. The complex contains a hotel, exhibition centre, shopping mall, museum, two large theatres, “celebrity chef” restaurants, two floating Crystal Pavilions, art-science exhibits, and the world’s largest atrium casino, making it, quite literally, unmissable.

“The Shoppes” shopping mall is fascinating to explore, partly because of the canal that runs the length of it. Shoppers and guests can take a ride through the centre on a small boat.

If you can afford to stay at the Marina Bay Sands hotel, we would recommend doing so (and be extremely jealous). Guests have a huge advantage over visitors and can swim in the world’s longest elevated infinity swimming pool.

You can pay S$23 to go up to the observation deck, offering panoramic views across the city. We opted to go to Ce La Vi bar for sundown instead. For the price of $S20 per person, you can gain entry to the 57th-floor bar and receive drink vouchers. The views were sensational, and what better way to admire the cityscape than with a Singapore sling in hand?

If you are short on time, we’d recommend browsing a map of the city and creating a logical itinerary. Here is a map we created before we went to discover the closeness of each point of interest:

 

 

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