Singapore : Travel Guide | Itineraries and Highlights

Singapore is the perfect first or last stop on a trip to Southeast Asia. Often referred to as the Garden City, green spaces and parks abound. The government wants to go even further and turn Singapore into a city in a garden. All these measures help to counter heat islands and improve residents’ quality of life.

It’s a destination that has something for everyone, from the very young to the very old. Honeymooners, backpackers, families – there’s something for everyone. Singapore has enough to keep you busy for a whole month!

In this article, you’ll find some of my favourites, as well as practical tips to help you plan your trip to this magnificent city.

Singapore is a city full of attractions and things to do. Here are some of the most popular and interesting.

Attached to Changi Airport, the Jewel is a large shopping mall with a famous indoor waterfall. Visits to the impressive waterfall and the 4-storey tropical garden are free of charge. Access to the Canopy Bridge is subject to a charge (SGD 14). What’s more, suitcases are not allowed and must be left at the cloakroom for around SGD 10.

It’s an incredible place to visit, whether you’re in transit or not. Set aside an hour to three hours for the visit. There’s also a host of activities for children, including mazes (SGD 19), a suspended net (SGD 19), slides and an interactive lounge (SGD 25).

My top favourite in Singapore. I loved these gardens so much that I went back four times! The gardens are enormous, and most of the site is free to visit. Places where you have to pay for access are detailed below. Tickets can be purchased online, and the park offers free wireless Internet, so there’s no need to wait in line at the ticket counter.

Despite their large size, Gardens by the Bay can be visited in their entirety on foot or by bike. Shuttle buses between the main points of interest are also available (SGD 3 for 2 trips).

Sentosa Island is a fabulous destination for a family day out. It is renowned for its beaches, amusement parks, big resorts, casinos and golf courses. Access is by car, bike, foot or public transport with the Sentosa Express. This monorail links Sentosa Island to the Harbourfront MRT station. Access to the island itself is subject to a fee, details of which can be found here.

Among the most popular sites are:

• Universal Studios Singapore (SGD 82 per adult, SGD 61 per child): A cousin of the famous Universal Studios in Florida and California, the Singapore park is made up of seven themed zones, including Jurassic Park, Ancient Egypt and Sci-Fi City. Access is easy from the monorail station or the cable car.
• S.E.A. Aquarium (SGD 41 per adult, SGD 30 per child): One of the world’s largest aquariums, it offers breathtaking views of over 100,000 marine animals, including sharks, rays and dolphins. Visitors can explore different marine ecosystems through a series of interactive galleries and tunnels.
• Adventure Cove Waterpark (SGD 39 per adult, SGD 31 per child): This waterpark features a dozen slides, a wave pool, a lazy river and even a beach. You can also swim with tropical fish or rays.
• Beaches (free): Ideal for swimming on hot days, there are three small beaches on Sentosa Island.

This imposing building is also an emblem of the city of Singapore. Inaugurated in 2010, Marina Bay Sands is a complex comprising a luxury hotel, high-end restaurants, the world’s largest infinity pool and a huge shopping mall. Here you’ll find luxury brands such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior, etc.

If you’re interested in the experience, rates for one night in one of the 2,561 rooms start at SGD 629. Only hotel guests have access to the infinity pool.

Inside the Marina Bay Sands, you’ll also find the ArtScience Museum (SGD 66 for access to all exhibitions). I absolutely loved the Future World: Where Art Meets Science section. This is an exhibition of immersive digital art by the same artists as team Lab Planets in Tokyo.

It’s a fabulous place to visit with the whole family. The zoo is very large, and the animals seem at home in their spacious enclosures. There are animals from all over the world, including orangutans, lions, kangaroos, sloths, penguins, giant tortoises and more. You can even feed the animals during special sessions. Admission is SGD 50 per adult and SGD 36 per child.

In addition to the zoo, the Singapore Zoological Gardens group owns other parks such as River Wonders, specializing in aquatic animals, and Bird Paradise, a park with over 3,500 birds in huge aviaries. Finally, the Night Safari is another park to visit in the evening to observe all kinds of nocturnal species.

Located on the banks of the Singapore River, this lively district is packed with restaurants, bars, nightclubs and boutiques. It’s the ideal place to enjoy the city’s nightlife, shop, dine on a lovely terrace and admire the river. The famous Merlion statue is also nearby.

For a little break from skyscrapers and urban action, head to the island of Palau Ubin off the coast of Singapore. This island is a large park where visitors can rent bikes, hike and explore traditional fishing villages. It’s a lovely place to spend a peaceful afternoon away from the sometimes sweltering heat of the city. It is reached by a short boat trip from the Port of Singapore (15 minutes, SGD 4).

Singaporean cuisine has Chinese, Malay and Indian influences. Dishes are generally rich and well-seasoned. I recommend you try Kaya toast: a traditional breakfast consisting of toast with coconut jam and a poached egg. The Ya Kun Kaya Toast and Toast Box chains are the most popular.

What’s more, coffee is an integral part of life in Singapore. The cafés are called kopi tiam and serve several variations of filter coffee. A must-try: the traditional Kopi. It’s a blend of concentrated coffee, water and sweetened condensed milk. Delicious, but diabetics should abstain!

Hawker centers are a veritable institution in Singapore. These are huge complexes (indoor or outdoor) with a host of kiosks selling local dishes. Each kiosk specializes in one cuisine and offers one or a few dishes.

These are wonderful places to try out a variety of cuisines at a very modest price. Perfect for travellers on a tight budget! Dishes generally sell for under SGD 5 and portions are generous.

The most popular hawker centers are Lau Pa Sat, Maxwell Food Centre, Amoy Street Food Centre and Chinatown Complex Market and Food Centre.

Finally, traditional dishes to try in these centers include Hainanese chicken rice, chili crab, satay skewers , laksa, nasi lemak and chai tao kway (fried carrot cake in English).

Singapore-Changi a huge airport is an air transport hub, serving some 380 destinations in over 100 countries. Many visitors begin or end their Southeast Asian tour in this city.

So there are plenty of options for getting to Singapore with points. Airlines from all three major alliances (Star Alliance, Oneworld and Skyteam) are present in the region. The choice is yours, depending on the cards and points already in your wallet.

From Montreal, the fastest and cheapest options in points will include a stopover at a major European airport (e.g. CDG, LHR, FRA, MUC). Expect to pay around 60,000 Aeroplan points and $145 for a one-way economy flight. The first segment is often on board Air Canada, and the second is with Singapore Airlines. These routes are ideal for two-in-one vacations. For an additional 5,000 Aeroplan points, you can add a stopover of up to 45 days. So you could visit Europe and Singapore in the same trip.

Here are the best cards to earn Aeroplan points:

Qatar Airways serves the Montreal-Doha-Singapore route for 47,500 Avios miles (fixed fare) and around $200 in taxes in economy class. This is the cheapest option in points.

On Air France, the cheapest one-way economy fare starts at 55,000 Flying Blue miles and nearly $260 in taxes. Flexibility is required, as these rates are not available for all dates.

Air France and American Express are exchange partners, so you can transfer your Membership Rewards points to your Flying Blue account at a ratio of 1:0.75.

The best cards for earning American Express Membership Rewards points are:

Singapore shares a border with Malaysia and Indonesia. Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, can be reached in just over 5 hours by bus. A ferry links the island of Batam in Indonesia with the port of Singapore in less than an hour.

To travel to other Southeast Asian countries, a flight is required.

Fortunately, low-cost airlines such as Scoot, Jetstar and Air Asia serve a wide range of destinations from Singapore. These flights are short and affordable. For example, Bangkok can be reached in 2 hours 30 minutes for less than $100.

If you’re looking for a more upscale travel experience, national carrier Singapore Airlines is an excellent choice. Renowned for its business class and luxury first class, this carrier is highly reliable, with impeccable on-board service.

As a member of the Star Alliance group, Singapore Airlines allows travellers to book flights using Aeroplan points. These short-haul flights follow the partners’ fixed pricing according to the distance flown.

For example, the SIN-BKK, SIN-SGN, SIN-REP, SIN-KUL routes fall within the 0-1000 mile range of the Pacific zone. They cost 8,000 Aeroplan points in economy class and 20,000 points in business class.

Singapore Airlines has its own loyalty program called KrisFlyer. In Canada, KrisFlyer miles can be earned by transferring Marriott Bonvoy points at a rate of 3:1.

Flights from Singapore to other destinations in Southeast Asia will cost you between 13,500 and 25,000 KrisFlyer miles. Although taxes are lower with KrisFlyer, booking via Air Canada with Aeroplan points remains the easiest option.

Hotels are expensive in Singapore. Using your reward points wisely can save you a lot of money.

The Marriott Bonvoy group has 15 hotels in Singapore. Points rates range from 30,000 to 60,000 points per night. This is an excellent destination to use your Annual Free Night Award if you are a holder of the Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card. I stayed at the superb The Westin Singapore for 35,000 points.

Check out our recent Singapore hotel reviews to guide your hotel choice, at The Westin Singapore and Four Points by Sheraton Singapore, Riverview.

There’s less choice when it comes to Hilton, which offers 4 well-located hotels in Singapore. Rates start at 30,000 points per night.

In Canada, there are no credit cards affiliated with the Hilton Honors program. The best way to earn points in this rewards program is to transfer them from American Express Membership Rewards. The redemption rate is 1:1, so you can convert 30,000 American Express Cobalt^® Membership Rewards points into 30,000 Hilton Honors points.

Getting around Singapore is easy. The public transport network is well-developed and extremely convenient. The subway network (MRT for Mass Rapid Transit) is fast and frequent, with stations located throughout the city. In addition to the MRT, there are buses and a light rail system (LRT).

The pricing system is based on distance. The further you go, the higher the price of your passage. A regular passage costs between SGD 0.99 and SGD 2.26.

If you plan to travel several times a day, a transport pass is a good, cost-effective option. You have two options: the EZ-Link card or the Singapore Tourist Pass. The EZ-Link card is a reloadable card where you have to put in funds. Since credit or debit cards are accepted to pay for passage, the EZ-Link is not really attractive to tourists.

On the other hand, the Singapore Tourist Pass gives you unlimited access to all types of transport for 1, 2 or 3 days (SGD 10, SGD 16 and SGD 20). The card is on sale at all major MRT stations, including Changi airport at Terminal 2. (Mind you, this kiosk only accepts cash… which is rather contradictory with their system).

I don’t recommend renting a car: parking spaces are limited and indoor parking is expensive. If you’d like to get around by car, cabs are plentiful and Asia’s equivalent of Uber is Grab.

Singapore is also very bicycle-friendly, with a well-developed network of cycle paths. Several companies offer bike-share rentals, including SG Bike and Anywheel.

Singapore is an extraordinary destination that combines modernity and tradition. From skyscrapers to bustling cultural districts, culinary delights to lush parks, this city offers an unforgettable experience. Singapore has it all, for families as well as for travellers seeking a luxurious experience.

Here’s some essential information to help you plan your trip to Singapore.