10 Best Places to visit / things to do in Singapore

I visited Singapore for the first time nearly 5 years ago, but my journey in Singapore started about 3.5 years ago when I finally moved here. I still remember my first trip here as a tourist when I wanted to do so much but had only 5 days to cover it all. Who knew this would become home one day? 😊

Even now, when friends and family are planning a trip to this tropical island and I get a call bombarding me with the questions on the must dos and must visits, I go down the memory lane. So, I decided to pen down all the information you need to plan your perfect trip to Singapore. 

Let’s start with the basics first.

1. Packing Essentials:

• Clothes – Singapore is a tropical country, so it’s best if you carry airy, breathable clothes.
• Sunscreen, Sunglasses, and Hats – These are some of the must-haves in your bag. Since Singapore is very close to the equator, the sun is very harsh.
• Umbrella – In Singapore, a blazing hot sunny day can turn dark and stormy in the blink of an eye, so it’s best to travel prepared.
• Swimwear – Most hotels will have swimming pools, but even if you’re Airbnb-ing, most Airbnbs will also have pools. Plus, there are beach clubs that are worth a visit, so it’s suggested you carry one.

  2. Hotel locations: Singapore is the 2^nd smallest country in Asia with one of the best public transportation systems in the world, so you can practically stay in any part of the country. However, some of the recommended locations based on the proximity to the most locations would be:

• Orchard Road / Somerset
• Little India
• Chinatown
• Bugis
• Harbourfront / Sentosa

  For budget travelers, Bugis & Chinatown have some great hostels options. Spacepod (pics below) at Lavender provides sleeping pods, neat and clean bathroom and even breakfast (upon request) to make your stay comfortable.

  
  

3. Getting into Singapore –
   Once you’ve landed at Changi airport, you can flag off a standard taxi from the taxi stand. Taxis are affordable, and I’ll highly recommend taking one, especially if you’re traveling with your family.
   You can go to the taxi stand and queue up until your turn. These are metered taxis, so there is no scope for bargaining. 
   Alternatively, you can download any of the two ride-hailing apps (Grab or Gojek) and book a taxi. For downloading the app, you can use Changi airport’s offers free wifi which by the way has a great bandwidth. So you can connect and download it at the airport itself.
   In case you’re traveling on a budget or solo, you can also take the MRT from the train station at the airport. An EZLink card can be bought from the information counter at the MRT station and you can use it in all public transport (trains and buses) to navigate through the city.

Major attractions in Singapore

There are plenty of things to do in Singapore. But I’d suggest you pick the ones that suit your preferences.

1. Universal Studios – Located at RWS, Universal Studios is a theme park with rides, shows, and attractions. The mandatory universal globe picture is right at the entrance of this place, so this has to top your list. A ticket to Universal Studios costs about SG$75 and you’ll need an entire day to cover it. You can take an express pass to bypass the regular queues. The express pass is + SG$70 (approx). So overall, you pay double the price to skip the lines.
   My personal favorite rides are: Transformers, The Mummy and the Rollercoasters. Even the Steven Spielberg show is not to be missed.
   Insider tip: Go on rides in the single rider queue to skip the queue. You might not be able to sit with your family/partner (a few minutes of separation is not going to kill you), but it’s going to save a lot of your time for sure!
   
   
   
2. Singapore Zoo – Set in the rainforest environment, Singapore Zoo is known for its open concept. Animals here are not caged up in tiny cages. Instead, they live in their spacious natural habitat. It’s opened every day of the year and offers two interesting options to choose from.

• Night Safari
• River Safari

  Both are quite unique, but I personally prefer the latter. The ideal way is to cover it on foot and align your visit to the shows to have a more engaging experience. End your trip with a much talked about – River Safari. Here a small boat will take you through different parts of the jungle.
  Insider tip: You can check out the show schedule here. 

  
  

3. Sentosa Island – Sentosa Island has a lot of offer. You can read all about the attractions here and choose to suit your preferences.
   Reaching Sentosa – You can take a train to Harbourfront station on the circle & North East MRT line and take a cable car to get to Sentosa. Or take a taxi that takes you straight to the island. If the weather permits, you can walk to Sentosa via Sentosa Boardwalk – a 1 km long bridge that connects Sentosa island to Singapore. It shouldn’t take you more than 15 mins to reach.
   There’s plenty to do in Sentosa but my personal favorite attractions are:

• SEA Aquarium
• Skyline Luge and Skyride
• Wings of Time
• Dolphin Island
  Insider tip: Bear in mind, you’ll need 1 full day to cover these activities, so reach early. Apply lots of sunscreen, wear comfortable clothes (caps & sunglasses are a must) and keep yourself hydrated.

4. Singapore Flyer – Hop on to the Singapore Flyer to enjoy panoramic views of Singapore. The best time to go is when the sun sets. During this magical hour, the skies turn into a different hue and the skyscrapers light up to give you the best view of the skyline. The ticket cost per person is about SG$33. One round lasts about 30 mins so you can head to Gardens by the Bay post this. Now GBTB is not one of my personal favorites but I highly recommend you watching the Garden Rhapsody – the night light & sound show at the Supergrove trees. This is free of charge and happens daily at 7:45 and 8:45 pm.
   Insider tip: Try reaching 20 mins before the show time to grab the best seat.
   
   
   
   

5. Arab Street and Haji Lane – Head to Arab Street for some lip-smacking Mediterranean food. Masjid Sultan makes for an ideal backdrop for those looking for Instagrammable photos 😊 My favorite eatery here is Alaturka, but you can also try some local delicacies like Roti Prata and Murtabak in this neighborhood.
   Next up is Haji lane (my favorite place in Singapore!) – With the graffiti walls, hipster cafes, designer boutiques and so much more makes this the coolest place in Singapore. It’s a must visit for everyone coming to Singapore, especially for the first-timers. Some places to explore in Haji Lane: 

• Go to Selfie Coffee 
• BluJaz Café: Enjoy some live jazz music and beer inside the café or sit outside to soak up in the psychedelic vibe of the place by looking at the neon-lit graffiti.
• Going Om
• Windowsill Pies: Enjoy delectable pies in a comfortable and cozy ambiance.

  
  

6. Boat Quay and One Altitude – Nestled in the heart of CBD, Boat Quay is one of the favorite sundowner spots in Singapore. Fancy a drink by the river? This place is for you! There are some nice eateries around here too so you can have a hearty dinner while enjoying the views of Marina Bay Sands and the CBD.
   Once you’re done, head to 1-Altitude, one of Singapore’s best rooftop bars with a spectacular 360-degree view of the city. It is one of the most popular places to dance the night away in Singapore. The cover charge – $35 inclusive of 2 drinks. 
   Insider tip: Ensure you’re dressed for the night club. Entry in slippers/flip flops is strictly prohibited.
   
7. Clarke Quay (nightlife!) – One of the most talked about places to explore Singapore’s nightlife is worth all the hype. Some recommendations for partygoers will: Cuba Libre (Latin bar & nightclub), Zouk (plays top chartbusters) and Chupitos Shots Bar.
   Mind you, alcohol is Singapore can really cost a hole in your pocket. It’s best to pre-jam before you hit the clubs.

8. Merlion Park –
   Spoiler Alert!! The much-seen symbol of Singapore – the Merlion statue might disappoint you a little. But it’s still worth a visit for the mandatory Marina Bay backdrop selfie.

    
   

9. Chinatown – A trip to Singapore would be incomplete if you haven’t visited Chinatown. It’s known for authentic Chinese food, bright red lanterns, and cost-effective souvenir shopping. If you’re traveling around the Chinese New Year (Feb) or the Mid-Autumn Festival (Aug-Sep), you have to visit this place to check out the decoration.
   

10. Marina Bay Sands Hotel & the Infinity pool – Now if you’re in a mood to splurge, this place is for you! A night at The Marina Bay Sands Hotel would cost about SG$500 and the pool is accessible only to the hotel guests. The pool looks down at the city skyline, Marina Barrage, and the Flyer and you won’t find a more spectacular view anywhere. So, if your budget permits, go ahead and book at least one night at the hotel.
    
    
    

Some Money Saving Tips:

1) Eatigo: Eatigo is a time-based table reservation app, so if you’re dining in at a restaurant during the non-peak hours, you can get discounts up to 50%. But the reservations must be made 30-45 mins in advance. It has a map view that shows you the nearby restaurants and the discounts being offered by each to make your decision-making process faster.

2) Klook: Offers great deals and discounts on touristy spots and activities. Check out the on-going promotions here.

Hope my tips and suggestions are useful to you. Have a great time when you’re here! 
Feel free to ask any questions that you might have in the comments section below. Happy to help! 

 

 

Antakshari

The biggest perk of working for an Indian television channel in Singapore is that you never really feel away from home. Your work in an office full of Indians, your advertisers are majorly Indians, you use Indian media to promote your content, and most importantly, your content marketing strategies are focussed towards tapping more Indians/ South Asians.

The Indian diaspora in South East Asia can broadly be categorized into 2 categories – recent movers and 2nd/3rd generation Indians. While the recent movers would still consume Indian entertainment content to be connected to their roots, 2nd / 3rd generation Indians prefer watching content relevant to their lives and culture. Therefore, it is important for us to produce shows that appeal to this consumer set all the time.

So last quarter, we decided to create a mass-property that would appeal to all age groups and backgrounds and thus germinated the idea of reviving India’s favorite musical game show – Antakshari. We were confident that this age-old family game is sure to take the NRI audiences down the memory lane, so we bounced off the idea to our presenting sponsor StarHub and in no time, they got on board.

The campaign started with an awareness cum registration drive which was carried out at multiple touchpoints like malls, business districts, Diwali parties, Indian community events etc. We received over 500 registrations. First 50 teams to register were invited for a preliminary event where they competed in an intense yet fun-filled Antakshari match. We were delighted to see the enthusiasm with which each team participated.

Antakshari

Indian television channel, Zee TV brings Antakshari to Singapore

Indian television channel, Zee TV brings Antakshari to Singapore

Shortlisted 10 teams were invited to the Semi-finals & finals next week. During the week, people sent us images and videos of Antakshari parties they hosted at their homes to celebrate their small victories. We were overwhelmed with joy to see such phenomenal response from the public.

On the event day, teams got their supporters along. They sang, danced, waved their placards and cheered for their supporting teams during the show. Top 4 teams competed against each other over multiple rounds to win the prestigious title for “StarHub presents Zee Antakshari Winner”. The show was recorded and 4 episodes covering our contestant’s journey from registration to finale stage were aired on Zee TV APAC in December 2017.

Indian television channel, Zee TV brings Antakshari to Singapore

Indian television channel, Zee TV brings Antakshari to Singapore

What went on the sets was impressive. We enjoyed it as much as the participants did. We sang along the participants, we cheered along the supporters and we danced to their victories. Those days didn’t seem like the regular work days. We felt immense joy in putting together the show.

And as a result – our viewership ratings shot up in December. 🙂

Day 26: 5 Lessons I Learnt from Volunteering

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The beauty of moving overseas is that gives you an opportunity to recreate yourself. It’s a chance to dive in and experience new things. It’s a time to step out of your comfort zone and work on your personal development. Since no one knows you what you’re like at home, so you can let go of your reservations and be vocal about your opinions, try out new things, probably have the haircut you always wanted to have, meet new people and have a whole new life for yourself.

I am blessed to have gotten this chance and I’m doing every bit to make the most of it. Last weekend, I volunteered for a community building activity with Beyond Social Singapore where we were supposed to mingle around with the disadvantaged residents of Henderson Road and survey them in order to understand the challenges faced by them.

Here are the 5 things I learned from it:

1. It’s a great opportunity to get a firsthand account of another culture
When you start afresh in a new country, you come with a lot of preconceptions. But living and interacting with locals and understanding their problems gives you a chance to really see the unseen aspects of a community

2. It teaches you to count your blessings!
While many people view their hot showers, cars, electricity, regular water supply as a necessity, there are many people all over the world living without these. Talking to these people helps you make decisions about your needs vs your wants. It also increases your gratitude multiple times over and makes you realize how fortunate you are

3. It’s fulfilling!
Even the smallest of things done with the right intention make a difference. Sometimes all people want is to be heard. Talking to them, getting to know their issues and problems and contributing in whatever way you can is much more fulfilling than an ice cream sundae.

4. It unites people from diverse backgrounds
Volunteering attracts people from different countries, castes, cultures, colors and they all connected by their desire to help

5. Smiles are Universal
If you can’t do anything else, make people smile. There is so much suffering in this world, who knows, that one smile is probably the best part of someone’s day?

Share your experiences in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you. 🙂 

Day 21: A Birthday to Remember

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Greetings to my lovely loved ones, and a very happy Sunday to you. Before I dive into recapping my birthday, I have to give my sincere thanks to all of the wonderful birthday wishes that came in through messages, email, phone calls, Skype and Facebook. I cannot express how loved it made me feel.

I’m one of those who love celebrating their birthdays. I equate it to a national holiday. I also have a one month countdown where my friends and family participate in my big small celebrations all throughout the month.  But this year was different.

In retrospect, so much has changed in the last one year.  I got married, moved countries and celebrated my birthday for the very first time without my friends and family. It’s a strange feeling. But this was also my first ever birthday celebration with my husband and he made sure I did not miss a single thing.

The celebrations started with a riverside dinner date on the 18^th night.  Just him, me and a bottle of Chardonnay. There’s something about dressing up in your birthday outfit and heading out for a night of dining and wining that has fancy written all over it. It was a perfect setting for the mood and I loved it thoroughly.

19^th was a Saturday and to my understanding, we were booked for a dinner followed by clubbing in the evening. Throughout the day, I attended phone calls from family and friends back in India and that in a way made me feel homesick.  I’m a very social person and I have always had large social groups. All my birthday parties back home were big with a lot of people. Here, it was just going to be me and him. I was missing home but I kept a straight face as thinking about it was only going to make it worse.

As we drew close to the evening, we started getting ready per the plan. I just wanted to head out of the houses to a place full of people.  Moments before we were supposed to leave rang the doorbell and to my surprise, we had a gang of friends at our doorstep singing the birthday song. And rest is history.

So my husband planned a surprise and had our entire expat group together for my birthday. Chardonnay and Chivas flowed all night. We stayed talking and dancing and drinking into the night. I was so touched and overflowing with joy that I had a smile plastid on my face all throughout. And I could see another proud one on my husband’s face too. We culminated the night enjoying India’s victory over Pakistan in T20 cricket match.

The expat friends are always a luck of chance. And we consider ourselves to be lucky to have found many wonderful people here. More than that, I feel lucky everyday to have found a partner who reads my mind each time and makes my life so beautiful.

Peace, love and blessings!

Day 19: Hiking Hacks For First Time Hikers

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Last weekend, we planned a brunch scene with friends at Mushroom Café which was followed by Kayaking at MacRitchie Reservoir.  The weather that day was really kind, so we decided to hike instead. We chose the longest and the most adventurous trail to the HSBC Treetop Walk. It’s a 250 meter free – standing bridge that crosses between two highest points at MacRitchie.  At its highest point, you will be 25 meters above the ground – that’s up to 7 storey high. Do I see adrenaline pumping through your veins?

This was my first ever hiking experience and I got super excited on the thought of it. Only to be carried out like a corpse later. We entered the trail from the Venus Drive and walked into the forest through the steep roads covered by trees on both sides.

Serene, isn’t it?

But who knew what started as an adventure will soon turn out to be a nightmare. Since we started empty stomach, I started feeling dehydrated after a while and by the time I reached the top, I was so sick that I had to be piggybacked out of the place.

Therefore, I decided to share some of my learnings with other novice hikers. Here are 5 hiking hacks for my fellow hikers:

1. Never underestimate the power of a good breakfast:
   Breakfast is indeed the most important meal of the day and you need to consume the right amount of carbohydrates for energy on the trail. We decided to have brunch at the Mushroom Café, but we reached past the breakfast time, so we skipped it. And it was later we realized that it was the worst thing we could do

2. Two Quarts a Day, Keeps Dehydration Away: You need lots of water when you’re exercising. Your body functions better when you’re well hydrated. As a general rule, one should carry 2 quart size bottles and keep consuming it at regular intervals. Refill, whenever necessary!
3. Wear the Right Shoes: Leave the fashion queen in you behind. I didn’t and hence the suggestion. Heading out in lifestyle shoes or uncomfortable flip flops is a recipe for disaster. I wore lifestyle shoes and after a point, I had to walk bare feet wherever possible. It took me a week thereafter to get rid of blisters and toe puffiness. Running sneakers, trail shoes, or light hiking boots are the most preferred
4. Fueling Your Body: Keep up your energy levels throughout the day by nibbling on nutritious fruits and nuts. You can also carry energy bars like snickers to intake enough amount of carbs during the hike

5. First Aid supplies: Prevention is better than cure. Simple things like bandages, cotton, doctor’s tape, antiseptic lotion, antibiotic ointment, tweezers and pain relievers are the basics. Many medical stores also sell pre-packed first aid kits that include these essentials
6. Toilet Paper and Hand Sanitizer: Most of the hiking trails are left virgin which means you wouldn’t find toilets all along the way. And even if you do, don’t expect them to be clean. So be prepared for the time when nature calls

Do you have any weird first time hiking experience too or suggestions to add to the kitty too? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below or tweet at @SG_100days

Day 13: When I Get Homesick, I Stop Being Homesick and Be Awesome Instead!

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Two months ago, I quit my job, married the love of my life and moved to Singapore. Relocation wasn’t supposed to be easy. It never is!  You leave behind a lot, almost everything that defines you – your family, your friends, your job and move to a completely unfamiliar city. But the little adventurer in me was like bring it on! I saw it as a chance to re-invent myself and see what all m I capable of. After all, life is as good as you make it.

Living in Singapore is overall pretty awesome. Not a day passes without an adventure and I always seem to get myself into the weirdest of situations that make up for good stories later. However, life here isn’t a 24/7 party.

*Reality check* I have to get up, cook, look for a job, clean the house etc. And there are times, when I have to fight homesickness too. The weekend gone by was tough. I fell sick and homesick.

When I fall sick, I need nothing but mum and the fact that mum was a five and a half hour flight away was adding to my misery. I controlled and kept myself distracted by cleaning up a little until last night when I lost control and cried like a baby.  Though I have a loving husband to fight away my homesickness blues, but in that moment I just needed to go home (but that’s not an option, right?)

Sudden emotional bouts of homesickness are the biggest hazard that all expats living abroad go through every once in a while. But the good thing is you can fight it away by submerging yourself into something you love doing.  Like for instance, cooking is my newly acquired hobby. So whenever I find myself in a slump, I cook. And I cook something new. The preparation, the process and the anticipation of the outcome makes it a thrilling experience for me.  It shifts my energies from what’s making me sad to something to look forward to. Plus, cooking gives an instant gratification.

Sometimes I destroy more than I create, but it teaches me that sooner or later, we all learn.  We grow out of our comfort zone to become our better, a tad bit wiser self. And in this context, I’d say it helps us be our own cheerleaders. One shouldn’t forget, life is full of happy-sad moments and when the going gets tough, the most important person to have cheering you on is you!  🙂

Day 7: Singlish or Broken English?

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When you move to a different country or region, learning the local language will help you to communicate and integrate with the local community. But ever since I have moved to Singapore, I’ve completely lost faith in my English. Singaporeans speak local English; or what they call it as Singlish which is quirky enough to instill an inferiority complex in a person like me who has been thoroughly mastering English as a second language.

Singlish has been referred to as linguistic blast from the turbulent past by many. Immigrants from three major regions – Malay, Chinese and Indian came to the island in the early 19th century to establish trade here. They all spoke different languages and dialects. Over the time, these tongues affected each other but English remained the common ground. This resulted in Singlish – a unique, rather broken (for an outsider) form of English.

And to top it up, it’s spoken at a machine gun speed with words pronounced so abruptly that most common and simplest of them become a challenge to hear. Yesterday, I went to a close by salon. My hair dresser started explaining me my hair type and what products should I use to make them better etc. By the time I left the salon, my head started spinning and I lost complete faith in English. He was so difficult to understand. And I face the same problem while ordering food or groceries from restaurants and grocery stores.
While most of the Singaporeans I meet can switch from Singlish to standard English, but the accent still makes it hard to understand.

I know that all cultures have their own forms of slangs and so does Singapore. But for a newbie like me, it’s becomes a recipe for disaster. It seems a struggle at the moment, but I’ve heard of an app that teaches you basic Singlish in the recent past. Let me download it and see if it makes my life any simpler. Grrrr…

Day3: When in Singapore, do as Singaporeans do!

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Back in Delhi, my days always ended up being rushed and fumbled through – driving, sitting in traffic, grabbing a coffee on the go before sitting for work. I never really had time to sit back, relax and see the world go by. But when I moved to Singapore, I had all the time on me and I started spending most of it watching people – by the pool, at public libraries, at coffee shops etc. It was a great way to get an insight into the vibe of the city.

My observations:

• Queues are sacred: You will see queues everywhere – outside restaurants, at the taxi stands, at bookstores, outside shops distributing freebies, black Friday sales – everywhere
• English + Singapore – Singlish, lah!
  Singaporeans speak English that no one else understands. They call it Singlish. It’s a mix of Cantonese, Mandarin, Tamil and Malay mixed up with English. Some common words used are lah, lor, can etc
• Singaporeans love acronyms and have them for almost everything. Right from government organizations to iconic buildings to even highways. Like they’d use MRT for Mass Rapid transit and MBS for Marina Bay Sands
• Uncles and Aunties: In most of the western countries, you call each other by name regardless of their age, but Singaporeans refer to all elders as uncles and aunties
• Reserve the table with a tissue: It’s lunch hour and you walk into a hawker center. You’re trying to find a seat and suddenly you see an empty one with just a packet of tissue sitting innocuously on the tabletop. Don’t ignore it. It’s put there for a purpose – to reserve or what they call as chope the table
• Keep to the left: Especially when taking the escalators. They follow this rule religiously. The right side of an escalator is for people walking up the steps. The left is for people content to stand and wait.
• It’s Kopi and not Coffee!
  Ordering coffee in Singapore is as complex as it can get. Western coffee expressions such as “black”, “cream and sugar”, “cappuccino” or “flat white” will likely gain you confused looks at Singapore food courts & hawker centers. And if you’re a sucker for coffee like I’m, you better learn the coffee lingo sooner than later.

And lastly, when in Singapore do as the Singaporeans do. It just makes life a little easy. Some of these might seem strange but you definitely don’t want to feel out of place. And fret not even if you go wrong sometimes. It’s all a part of learning after all. 🙂

Day1: View from the top

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When I first arrived in Singapore in 2013, my boyfriend (now husband) took me for the city tour instead of getting me straight home. I was awestruck to see the ultra-modern cityscape. These larger than life skyscrapers which included some of the most iconic & complex buildings like Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Flyer, Esplanade, One Raffles Place were a delight to watch. By the time we reached home, I was already in love with Singapore.

Nothing gets a heart swooning as quickly as a good view and my husband knows it best.

Fast forward >>>

2015: I enter the house and reach to my living room window only to see this:

Spectacular, isn’t it?

We live on the 16^th floor in one of the condos at the central east of Singapore and we love the views from high up here. I love watching the city skyline when the dusk sets in. It lights up and transforms into dazzling city of lights. I fall in love with Singapore all over again each time I look out of my window.

Talk about a room with a view and this city has a lot to offer. I didn’t have to go through the house hunting process as my husband took care of it. But if you’re new to the city and want a house with the panoramic sea view or city skyline, look no further. Here’s a list of property guides for all you need.

• Property Guru: www.propertyguru.com.sg/
• iProperty.com: www.iproperty.com.sg/
• STProperty: www.stproperty.sg/
• Singapore Expats: http://www.singaporeexpats.com/
• moveandstay: http://www.moveandstay.com/singapore/
• RoomsDB.net: http://singapore.roomsdb.net/

Happy House-hunting 🙂