Singapore is one of my absolute favorite spots in Asia. We’ve been twice now, and I cannot wait to go back and continue exploring the city. Our first trip was a quick 12 hour layover – Singapore is the best place to have a layover, because first off, the airport is ABSOLUTELY incredible. You could easily spend an entire day exploring everything Changi has to offer. Singapore also has a tourist pass that allows you to leave the airport and explore the city even if you’re only on a quick layover.
The airport is super close to the city, and getting from the plane, through customs, to the taxi stand takes 20 minutes tops (took about 5 on our last trip when COVID had just begun). Taxis are very clearly marked and all run on a metered fare. You can also download the Grab app, which is their version of Uber if you want a cheaper ride. I recommend getting the app if you’re staying for a while, as it’s the easiest and cheapest way to get around. You can also use it to order any food if you just want a day in.
Stay:
The Marina Bay Sands is easily the nicest hotel in all of Singapore. As a loyal Bonvoy member, a hotel has to be pretty phenomenal for me to choose to stray, and so far there are only three hotels in the world that have the power to make me give away nights. The MBS is one of the most recognizable structures in the entire world.
With three massive towers, covered by the world’s most incredible infinity edge swimming pool, the Marina Bay Sands is a cannot miss in Singapore. While the pool is definitely the most well known attraction, the hotel also has a casino, a mall, and a gazillion incredible restaurants. You could easily spend your entire vacation within the property, and many of the restaurants in the rest of this post are within the resort. Make sure that when you stay, you sign up for their rewards program! Everything you spend in the resort (including the mall!) gets you points, and we were able to get to the second tier with just one trip!
On our first stay, we wanted something much more affordable than the Marina Bay Sands, and being a VERY loyal Bonvoy member, we opted for the Four Points by Sheraton. I have to say, this was the nicest Four Points I’ve ever seen. Check-in was a breeze, and our room on the 12th floor was small, but absolutely adorable. I have a soft spot for window benches, and this one overlooking the river was perfect. The rooms also come with an Android phone you can use for FREE for the duration of your stay, giving you access to wifi, phone calls, and tourist attractions while you’re out and about in the city. This is totally clutch if you’re planning on staying for a long visit.
Do:
As I mentioned above, you could literally spend your entire vacation inside the MBS resort (although I don’t recommend it). The Shoppes at the Marina Bay Sands are absolutely incredible. It’s worth a trip alone to see the beautiful multi-story fountain by the food court. Personally, I enjoyed my trip to Sephora the most – Asia always has so much incredible skincare, and I went nuts buying things that you can’t find back in the States. Also, if you’re staying in the hotel, make sure to bring your rewards card with you to the mall! You can get special deals at many stores, and you get points for everything you spend. It’s also a great place to buy designer items and get tax back at the airport!
The Gardens by the Bay is honestly one of the most amazing attractions in all of Singapore, and conveniently right across from the MBS. Walking around the Silver Garden and along the water is completely free, and you can take some incredible photos of the Supertree Grove. There are two conservatories you can purchase tickets to – the Cloud Forest and the Flower Dome. We bought tickets to both, but the Cloud Forest is WAAAY cooler than the Flower Dome. The Flower Dome is more of a desert landscape, and the Cloud Forest is basically like being inside the movie Avatar, except everything is real. You cannot take a trip to Singapore without checking it out.
The ArtScience Museum is close to the Gardens and the MBS resort, and has some incredible exhibits. We were able to see the incredible teamLab Future World exhibit while we were last in town. Be sure to check out all of the exhibits and the package deals you can get when purchasing multiple spots!
From the Gardens, you can walk across the Helix Bridge towards the Singapore Flyer. The bridge is modeled after a strand of DNA, and reminded me a lot of all of the walkways across the Thames in London.
The Singapore Flyer is an incredible way to get a sense of just how expansive Singapore really is. I know city ferris wheels can seem super touristy, but I promise it’s worth it. The flyer goes a bit slower than most city wheels, and on a Thursday morning we had almost no wait at all. Definitely a must do.
Eat:
The most important foodie thing to do in Singapore is to visit a Food Court and eat at the incredible Hawker stands. In my opinion, the absolute best is the Maxwell Food Centre. This is the perfect place to spend an hour or so trying all of the incredible dishes Singapore has to offer. If you’re traveling with a group, I highly recommend getting a bunch of items to share, so that you can try as much as possible.
Old Nonya was my favorite. Here you can get the Signature Laksa dish, which is a spicy coconut curry noodle soup, complete with prawns and egg. This was hands down one of the best things we ate in Singapore.
Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice is also a must stop. This is probably the most famous of the hawker stands in all of Singapore, and the simple dish is absolutely incredible.
If for some reason you don’t have time to check out Maxwell (make time!), there is also a small food court of Singapore dishes called the Rasapura Masters Food Court in the MBS Shoppes, and another in the Changi Airport (you should eat at this one on your way out).
If you’re like me, and travel sometimes based on whether or not the city has a restaurant on the Top 50 list, you’re in luck with Singapore. Odette is currently rated the 18th best restaurant in the world, and it absolutely did not disappoint. The entire restaurant is bright and decorated in white, gold, and a soft pale pink. We had a big group, and so we were able to sit in their back private room, and were lucky enough to get a tour of the kitchen when we finished our lunch!
For a more low key dinner, I recommend Fu Lin Bar and Restaurant. They have great happy hour drink specials, and an extensive cocktail list. The food is also incredible, and great for sharing if you’re with a group. Highly recommend all of the dumplings, the crabmeat and prawn fried rice, the crispy pork belly, and the Sichuan green beans.
If you’re staying at the Marina Bay Sands, there are also some incredible restaurants within the resort to check out.
Adrift by David Myers was the best food at the hotel in my opinion. Located in the lobby of the hotel, it’s an easy choice as well. Since we had a large group, we ended up ordering a ton of appetizers and entrees and splitting them amongst the group. The top items were the crab sandwich, the lobster salad bao, and all of the noodles. They also have an incredible wine list. You can’t go wrong!
LAVO is a must see, and the perfect way to get the views from the top of the hotel even if you aren’t staying there. Located on the rooftop of one of the towers, it has a large food menu, and an extensive cocktail list. We opted to head up for drinks around sunset and before dinner. We were there during the beginning of COVID so it was pretty empty, but normally you’ll want to make reservations in advance.
Mott 32 is a chain, but definitely worth checking out. It’s located within the Shoppes attached to the MBS, and is a super upscale dim sum restaurant. The decor of the restaurant is an attraction in itself, and their cocktails are of the highest quality with incredible ingredients. Our absolute favorite items on the menu were Soft Quail Egg, Iberico Pork, and Black Truffle Siu Mai, the Crispy Sugar Coated Peking Duck Bun, and the Lobster Har Gow. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with anything you order here, and I definitely suggest over-ordering so you can try as much as possible!
Drink:
Those who know me know that I am obsessed with the restaurant Top 50 list, and it’s my life goal to visit all of them. There is also a similar list of the Top 50 bars in the world, and Singapore has an incredible amount of them.
The highest rated bar in Singapore is ATLAS Bar, which is currently rated the 4th best bar in the world, and boy is it incredible. The Art Deco design alone is worth a visit, and the cocktails are all based on events within the Art Deco era. The menu of drinks is incredible, and so much thought went into the categorization of the drinks. They also have hundreds of labels of gin, and you can drink gins from every decade within the 90’s if you have enough money to burn. We actually came here technically on our third trip to Singapore – we had a few hours on our connection in between our flight from Kuala Lumpur and our flight home to the US, and used the tourist pass to grab a few drinks before heading back to the airport.
Native is number 18 on the list, and was our favorite in terms of the experience. It was pretty empty when we went, and we were able to really understand the menu, learn a ton from the bartender, and take a tour of their lab upstairs where they design many of the cocktails. They make a ton of gins in house, and all of their cocktails use super unique ingredients. I can’t quite remember which drinks we tried, but we chose by telling the bartender a bit about what we liked, and then he decided which drinks he thought we’d like the most. It’s much less assuming than ATLAS, but arguably more unique cocktails and a much more intimate experience.
Right near Native, is another amazing cocktail bar, The Spiffy Dapper. It didn’t make the top 50 list, but it’s definitely still a must stop on your trip to Singapore. With a dive-bar, shipwreck-esque theme, at first you would never expect the incredible cocktails from their extensive menu. They also have some wonderful late night eats as well.
Not alcohol, but getting a hot chocolate at Angelina is always a treat. The cafe is originally from Paris, but the lines at their Vendome location are always hours long. The cafe in the Shoppes at the Marina Bay Sands does not have that barrier, and the chocolate tastes just as wonderful.
I could not end a post on Singapore without mentioning again, the incredible Changi Airport. It is, in my opinion, the most amazing airport in the entire world, and worth a visit all on it’s own, and hence, it’s own post. I recommend getting to the airport 2-3 hours earlier than you normally would, so that you have time to enjoy all of the incredible amenities – shopping, exploring, eating, etc.
Overall, Singapore is one of the most amazing cities to visit in the world. I have always had an incredible time, and I can’t wait to go back again and discover even more incredible spots! Let me know if you have any must-see destinations for my next visit!
