Singapore

“How was your trip?”

“trip was good. first couple of days we struggled. but then we discovered our rhythm and did it our way. aaramat. didn't feel like coming back by the end of it. :)” 

“so much to do and see”

Singapore has everything for everyone. But you need to figure out what works best for you. With a 5 year old, we were not going to be able to cover and see everything. We realized this on day one! We’d pushed a little too hard. By the end of the day, all of us were exhausted. I felt like going back home. We had to change something. So we did. We threw away the lists. From here on we took one day at a time. Depending on the weather and the mood and the energy levels, we decided what to do. 

We decided it was ok to miss a few attractions, skip a few restaurants, and to not have the same experience as some of our friends. It was our trip and it had to have our signature.

The Singapore Experience

I personally would rate the Singapore city and food experience higher than the Singapore attractions. The public infrastructure is second to none in the world. Needless to say, the city is sparkling clean. The people are super courteous. They place high premium on kind and considerate behaviour. So if you are nice you won’t be bothered and others would be nice to you too.

Singapore felt extremely safe. No one tried to sell or show us anything. No one bothered us at all. I haven’t felt this safe in a foreign country. We were comfortable walking back to our hotel even late at evenings around 9 or 10 PM.

I had a couple of weird interactions with some of the local food vendors but I am happy to ignore those as small exceptions in an overall amazing trip.

Standout Experiences

We were lucky we got to experience the Impressions of Monet: The Experience exhibit at the Gardens by the Bay. 

Singapore Science Center

Another excellent find was the Singapore Science Center. They have amazing science exhibits. And the amazing thing is - every one of them works! The highlight here is the fire tornado exhibit. Must visit if you have kids.

Cable Car Ride to Sentosa

I had never done a cable car ride. So this was something special for me. The starting point of the ride is extremely scenic too.

Chilling along the wrong side of the Clark Quay

We took a moment and sat on the steps along the river on the quieter side of Clark Quay. Here is me trying to sneak in a selfie.

Double Decker Bus Ride

Vivaan loved it. So I loved it too.

Wings of time 

The spectacular light and sound show on Sentosa Island.

Robertson Quay

Clark Quay is the fanciest, most touristy of the quays. If you prefer a quieter experience, try Robertson Quay.

Apart from these we also did all the touristy stuff which was a lot of fun too! But a lot has been said and written about this elsewhere. So not wasting your time and moving on.

Tiong Bahru Bakery

A really nice cafe where we hung out for a bit! Loved the vibe. Highly recommend.

Emerald Hill

A very pretty historic neighbourhood with pastel colored houses. Perfect for a few clicks at the golden hour.

Food

We started every day with a nice heavy breakfast around 10 AM - yes, that late! We didn’t go to the fancy places for breakfast. We ate at our hotel. This made mornings a lot simpler.

I was pleasantly surpised to see my kid enjoying the local food. This made other meals easy too. We could eat at most of the places without worrying about anything. 

Some of the fantastic local food we had was at Lau Pa Sat and the Zion Riverside Food Center - both are hawker markets. Lau Pa Sat is slightly more upscale, while the Zion Riverside Food Center feels more authentic and less touristy. We even had a michelin rated dish at the Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang at Lau Pa Sat. They are the world’s first michelin rated hawker. It was good.

Apart from that, most of the times when I craved comfort food, I found comfort in Shake Shack Burgers and the Hans Im Gluck (German Burgergrill) burgers. 

We made the mistake of going to an Indian restaurant named after an iconic character from Hindi Cinema - Gabbar. We left with a $100 bill and some serious disappointment. Would recommend you to avoid at all costs, especially, if you have traveled from India.

We didn’t spend a lot of time in Little India or China Town. We visited these areas but didn’t stay there or eat there. I don’t think we missed much.

Getting Around

The bus and the metro are the cheapest ways of getting around Singapore. The service is efficient and the network is extensive. Get the metro transit card from your nearest metro station or from any 7/11 store. It costs around $5 and then you top up. Buses accept this card too. The citymapper app was super helpful in figuring out navigation across the city.

Get comfortable with the idea of walking a lot. Take advantage of the trams and strollers at places like the Universal Studios and the Singapore Zoo. 

Grab is the Uber of Singapore. It works a 100x better than Uber anywhere in the world. Really great experience overall. We took cabs when we were tired of walking and figuring out the bus routes. If you are traveling with a kid, book the family cab. It comes with a child car seat.

Tips

• You don’t have to stay in Little India. Especially, if you don’t care too much for Indian food / are not traveling with parents.

• Skip the Duck Tour - Extremely polluting vehicle, with really loud engines. Not a good experience at all.

• Spending too much time at places like the Changi Jewel waterfall. If you want to visit this place, visit when you are just arriving in Singapore. Don’t leave it for the last.

• You can request your hotel for an umbrella and return it at the end of the day.