As I was flying over to Singapore to start my 3 months solo trip, I realised that I really hadn’t done any research into my Singapore itinerary. I didn’t have a plan of  where to go or what to see. I knew about the Gardens by the bay (as we all do) but apart from that, I was kinda clueless. If I have to be completely honest though, I really wasn’t that much looking forward to Singapore either. After spending so much time in London and travelling around Europe, I had seen so many cities that my love for city breaks was definitely on the low. But I gotta say, Singapore exceeded the expectations and actually I had a way better time there than I expected.

Itinerary Day 1

When I landed in Singapore I was full of emotions. I had just left everything in Europe, had packed my bag and gone travelling the world not knowing exactly where I was going or how much or none at all I’ll enjoy this whole new adventure. So the first day in Singapore was kind of weird for me. Or maybe it was just the jetlag 😀 . As soon as I got a couple of hours of sleep in the cozy apartment of my friend Alex, I put on my comfy walking shoes and went out to explore the flashy parts of this glamorous country/city I had only seen in pictures.

I was so curious to explore the place on foot that I threw myself into the 30 degrees of heat and set off on a roasting adventure 😀 !

Walk along the riverside from the Old Kalling Airport Gateway to the Singapore Flyer

Exploring Singapore on foot is definitely within the reasons I really loved my time there. Even though the city really isn’t that massive, because of the pretty hot weather all year round, people really don’t seem to walk around that much. So when I reached the park by the Old Kalling Airport gateway, I was so happy because in an area so beautiful with such spectacular views, there was no one there. In fact on the entire walk from the gateway to the Singapore flyer, which is Singapore’s London eye equivalent, I only saw a handful of locals. As I was strolling along the perfectly landscaped riverside path, I couldn’t help but stop a number of times to take a photo or sit down under a palm tree right by the river just to take in the views.

Singapore is such a flashy place, full of high-end brand stores and pretentious restaurants that it was quiet peaceful moments like these that opened my eyes to the nice side of the city.

Take a peak inside the Singapore flyer

As you can imagine, the Singapore flyer attracts a lot of tourists since it’s kind of the city signature. You can see it from almost everywhere which is why I guess people queue up to see the views from the top.  For the whooping S$33 you can ride the flyer for 30 hopefully memorable minutes. But for me personally, it wasn’t of interest since I was gonna see the views from elsewhere. However what I found pretty cool was the inside of the flyer. The Singapore government has pumped a lot of money into making every piece of the city as green and lively as possible and the flyer is definitely no exception.

On the ground level, there is a charming pond with massive golden fish and park which is the perfect stopover after the riverside walk. It’s nothing too glamorous but it really made me realise how much thought and effort the Singaporeans have put into man-making everything so perfect! For just over 50 years since the independence from Malaysia, they’ve really transformed the country into a truly phenomenal vibrant place.

Explore Marina Bay and take a peak into the Arts Museum

As soon as you get to the flyer, you’ll immediately spot all the popular sites in Singapore. One of them of course is Marina Bay which is home to the Marina Bay Sands, aka the posh hotel with the rooftop pool, a pretentious huge shopping mall with free WiFi 😀  and the funky ArtScience museum. Yes, turns out the architectural genius that looks like a spaceship of an outstretched palm is home to a museum. Even if you’re not into art science, definitely peek inside. It’s quite cool to go in and look up to get a feel for its unbelievably impressive architecture. During the day Marina bay is the perfect spot to relax, have a stroll under the palm trees and get your eyes filled with skyscraper views (even if you’re sick of tall buildings like me 😀 ).

Walk across Helix bridge for a panoramic view over the bay

The marina is definitely one of my favorite places in Singapore, there is just something special about it! So if you had seen me, you would have thought I’ve totally lost it 😀 because I was walking around in all directions trying to get as full a view over it as possible. Turned out all I had to do was cross the bridge and there it was, the most beautiful panoramic view of the bay (from the ground anyway)!

Get lost in the Gardens by the bay

The thing I was most excited to see in Singapore were the Gardens by the bay so as tired as I was I couldn’t wait for Day 2 to see them 😀 . So I walked back to the marina and headed right to the Gardens for what turned out to be hours of touring around! Yes, they turned out to be huge! I must admit that even though I had seen quite a few photos from the Gardens, I was certainly quite surprised. When I walked into the gardens there were signs for all these different things you could see and I was evidently clueless to what they all were because all I was associating with the gardens were the Supertrees (you know, those tree-like funky gardens that light up at night?). But turned out there is a ton more to it so I quickly got excited!

The two most popular attractions, par from the Supertrees, are the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest. And I gotta be honest that I wasn’t particularly excited to visit either of them but I thought I might as well since I was already there. I opted to see the Flower Dome only and it was interesting to see it but if you’re on a tight budget, you can easily save yourself the S$15 and explore the rest of the Gardens, most of it for free. It was basically an indoors botanical garden but of course it’s Singapore so they had to make it the biggest and the best so it’s apparently the largest glass greenhouse in the world. I guess that’s why there were massive queues of people trying to get in and crowds everywhere once I got in.

I skipped the Cloud Forest because the main thing people go to see there is the artificial waterfall and for me that just wasn’t that exciting. But for around S$30 you can get a combo ticket and visit both attractions.

The real highlight for me were the Supertrees. Yes, they are artificial and basically a bunch of tall wires and plants in between to make them look like trees but in the evening the kinda show that these “trees” put on is just mesmerizing! But more on that on day 3. During the day what makes the trees so phenomenal is the walk you can take on the bridge that goes round the trees, opening up to spectacular views over the gardens, the river and the iconic Marina Bay Sands. There is a small admission fee to go up to the bridge and you’ll have to roast under the sun for a bit until you eventually make it to the entrance 😀 but it’s totally worth it.

Relax at the marina for the water show at the bay

After a whole day of walking around, you could say that I was exhausted. After a quick dinner with my friend we rushed back to the marina to see the water show at 8pm. You’d think that it can’t be anything that special if they do it every day (yes, every single night at 8pm!) but it’s Singapore. They put effort into everything. And the show was no exception. We sat on the stairs on the marina, awaiting the start of the show. And I gotta tell you, it exceeded all expectations. The music, the lights, the peacefulness and stillness of everyone around us were just something else. Everyone had their eyes fixated on the river and the strikes of water coming out to compliment the music! It was the perfect end to my first day in Singapore.

Itinerary Day 2

Explore the Botanic Garden

It was Saturday morning and my friend was off for work so were brainstorming on a plan for the day but before that it was the perfect time for some traditional kaya toast. Not the healthiest of breakfasts but we needed the calories so we quickly found ourselves a good excuse to indulge 😀 Powered with all the energy we headed to the Botanic Gardens. After seeing the Gardens by the bay I was actually a bit skeptical. How could these gardens be any better?! But I was totally wrong. The botanic gardens were definitively so much cooler. In a different way!

It was the perfect spot for a chilled out walk away from the burning sun in a place so tropical you almost forget you’re in the big city. And that’s exactly what I loved about it. It completely transports you away from the city vibe and into the rain forest and its stunning orchid gardens. The orchid garden was actually my all time favorite so don’t be put off by the S$5 entrance and definitely explore it. After all, they have brought in 1000 different kinds of orchid, how can you not 😀 !

Have a wander around Little India

Possibly the coolest thing about Singapore and what I loved the most about it is how different the districts are from each other. On one side you have the posh skyscrapers, behind them the colonial district with its authentic buildings, across the river – the Chinese district and not far off – the area the Indians call home, or Little India. I haven’t been to India yet but I definitely felt like I was right in the middle of it 😀 !  The smell of spices, the colors of the traditional clothing, the gold shops, everything was screaming INDIA! And I loved it.

The main thing I was after was the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple (I did have to Google the name 😀 ). The amazing carvings and statues on the exterior of the temple was what made me visit but the actual experience happens inside. It is an active Hindu temple so when I visited, there was a prayer on. I took my shoes off and was able to walk in and witness all the rituals first hand which was truly special. Taking photos of the inside of the temple whilst locals were expressing their worship didn’t feel right but if you’re as curious as I am, do go inside!

Have lunch in a traditional Hawker center

Now, time for lunch! Little India in itself is full of so many Indian restaurants that it can be overwhelming to pick just one. Which is why going to a Hawker center is a brilliant idea. Not sure what a Hawker center is? Well, it’s basically an indoor street food center. Genius right! Evidently the Singaporean government wanted to bring the Thai street food idea in house but without the somewhat on-street messiness that comes with it so they brought it all indoors. Full of many food stalls, huge choice of food from various cultures and tables all around, the Hawker centers are the casual, cheap places to grab a quick bite and no surprise, they’re everywhere. Ask any local and they’ll point you to the closest one!

Wander around Clarke Quay

 I’d always prefer to walk than take a bus or tube and Singapore is perfect for that. Wandering around got me to Clarke Quay which is such an amazing part of Singapore. It’s another hippie area with a lot of bars right on the river and nearby is the building of the Old Hill Street Police Station which is so full of color that you’ll probably recognize it as soon as you see it. Not because it’s actually that impressive but because it seems to be all over Instagram lately.

Explore the colonial district

Singapore might be a modern, skyscrapers everywhere kinda city but it has certainly preserved its history in a way a few others have managed to. And the area of Singapore that testifies to that is the colonial district.

When I walked around, I couldn’t stop but think how amazing it is to have all the colonial low height buildings with their traditional colors and architecture in the forefront and  all the skyscrapers at the back. It was such a unique and beautiful scene! Oh, it was also the evening at this point which made it even more special with all the lights of the financial district lighting everything up in the backdrop.

Itinerary Day 3

Visit Chinatown

Singapore is very much a Chinese-majority country so exploring Chinatown is a must on every Singapore itinerary. Having just come from London with probably the biggest and most lively Chinese district, I didn’t quite expect much. And to be honest, there isn’t a whole lot to point to that you gotta go and see. Much like Little India, exploring Chinatown is more of a cultural experience than a “let’s take some pretty pictures” kinda activity. To me it was amazing to see again how different this area was compared to everything I had seen before and for that I loved it. I started off at the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple which I really enjoyed exploring. It’s a good entry into the Chinese culture and the district.

Explore the Arab Quarter

Assuming that you’re not cultured out already, head out to the Arab quarter for a final dash of culture overload 😀 ! It’s a colorful, friendly district with a lot of Persian carpet shops and restaurants from various part of the world, Turkish, Lebanon, you name it. It’s also the place where you can find the Sultan mosque which really is impressive to see. Go inside or just have a wander around.

Look for Haji Lane

Not too far from the Arab street is probably the hippiest street in Singapore. With all its colonial styled buildings, bright colors and funky bars and restaurants, this street definitely came as a bit of a surprise. But it perfectly suits the neighborhood! The only thing that didn’t sit well with me was the bulk of boutique shops on both sites of the street which was kinda ruining the hippie vibe but once you shut your eyes to it, it’s actually a pretty cool spot.

Check out Gardens by the Bay for the evening show

Every trip should end on a high so after a long day of touring around, I was ready to go back for one last Singapore evening show off. I intentionally left this for the last night because I knew it was gonna be special, and it was. I got myself a nice spot on the bridge connecting the gardens with Marina Bay Sands, at around 7:30pm  and like a kid on Christmas eve I was waiting impatiently for the show to start.

All of a sudden, all the supertrees lit up, music was put on and everything was kinda brought into life. It’s hard to put it into words and I wish I was a better photographer to let my photos speak for themselves but this definitely was the perfect way to finish my quick trip in Singapore. Not only that but after the show was finished, it turned out that it was the day of the big firework test before Singapore’s national day and there was a big firework show at the marina so rushed back to catch that as well. Reflecting back, I don’t think I could have possibly wished for a better end of my trip.

Singapore surprised me more than I expected. I kinda thought it’ll be just another overrated big city/country but it has preserved so much of its authenticity and culture and has managed to find such a fine balance between development and history that I got it why people love it so much! I did too 🙂

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