As I’m definitely not a city girl, I was surprised to find out that I really enjoyed Singapore! Of course, I did only stay there for 3 days, and that was quite enough for me. But I definitely recommend this as a stop along your way. It’s a great place to explore for a few days before heading to Malaysia.
An adorable restaurant near Arab St, where I stayed
Another reason to only stay 3 days is that it’s quite expensive. I stayed at this hostel, which was a very average hostel, but it cost $17/night. I did like the location though. It was on Arab Street and there were a ton of cute restaurants and bars with lots of beautifully painted wall murals. And it was about a 10 minute walk to the nearest metro station which was pretty convenient. Did I mention there was a Popeye’s within walking distance! Hello buttery biscuits and french fries!
Glow-in-the-dark walls on Arab St. at night
The main parts of the city are as pristine, beautiful, and interesting as everyone says. The high fines for littering keep the streets looking beautiful, and there are many unique buildings with beautiful plants surrounding them or growing up them. A focus on the environment seems to be important, which you’ll see more of at Gardens by the Bay.
The supertrees as the storm was rolling in.
Supertrees as the sun was setting.
Gardens by the Bay was definitely one of my favorite things about visiting Singapore. The super trees are stunning (albeit not as tall as I thought 🤔), and the light show in the evening is fantastic. I paid for the full access ticket which was $28. This gives you access to the everything, like the Cloud Forest and the Flower Dome, but does not include the Skyway which is a bridge connecting some of the super trees (it’s $8 extra). Unfortunately, it stormed a bit the day I went, so the Skyway was closed. The park itself is quite large, and you can spend a lot of time exploring it. The Cloud Forest was really cool too, definitely worth it. And the Flower Dome had some unbelievable flowers along with some great educational material about how we can and must save the planet before it’s too late.
The marina at night!
My other favorite thing about Singapore was the marina, especially at night! Omg, I had such a great time there! There’s this wonderful light-up double helix bridge, an area with live music, a very expensive and beautiful mall, stunning views, and of course the famous boat hotel. I did not go up into the boat hotel because I am afraid of heights. But the most fun I had at the marina was actually renting an electric scooter and scooting around the whole thing! Idk why, but this was just so grand; I was laughing the whole time. I also had the best soft serve melon flavored ice cream of my LIFE there! It cost $4 which was obscene but so worth it. See if you can find the stand selling it!
You can get to both the marina and Gardens by the Bay using the metro. In fact, the metro stop for Gardens by the Bay is very fun and reflective of what you’ll see there!
The only other main place I explored was Little India, which I wasn’t impressed by. And I missed some opportunities for some Michelin star-rated street food. So check that out before you go! Happy travels!