My First Overseas Trip in 2023 - Singapore! Here We Come!!

📍 Singapore · 👁 3793 reads · ❤️ 11 likes

Travel was stagnant for three years due to the pandemic. Luckily, this year everything has fully opened up. Seizing the opportunity while unemployed, I rushed out to play and let myself go. This time I chose a country I had always wanted to visit: Singapore! I booked a six-day, five-night itinerary. But personally, I feel that to truly understand this city, six days are far from enough!

We went when it opened in February. At that time, we needed a health certificate showing we had been vaccinated to enter Singapore, and for the return trip, we had to prepare a paper negative nucleic acid test result within 48 hours. Now it seems it has been simplified to just a paper antigen test. I believe that in the near future, we will be able to go abroad or return home without any proof.

2. The return airfare to Shanghai this time was extremely expensive, so I finally chose to fly to Hangzhou first and then take the high-speed train back. If you encounter a flight that exceeds your budget on the return trip, you might try this method as well.

3. Singapore dollars can be exchanged directly at Singapore Changi Airport, but be sure to bring cash; otherwise, you can only exchange at ATMs, which charge a 5% fee. My companion and I exchanged S$500 for six days, which was more than enough because many restaurants accept credit cards or Alipay. However, some street stalls and small shops only accept cash, so you must have some on hand.

4. The main transportation in Singapore is the MRT. After clearing customs at Changi Airport, follow the signs to the Changi Airport MRT station. There is a customer service counter near the entrance where you can buy a transport card. I recommend getting an ez-link card and topping it up with S$50. You can use it for the MRT and buses in the following days, and it also works at convenience stores.

5. Some domestic map apps may not work abroad, and we couldn't download Google Maps at that time. In the end, we found that Baidu Maps could be used, though the signal sometimes lagged. However, many routes on it are directly translated into Chinese, which is convenient. I still highly recommend it.

6. Singapore is rainy and hot, so there's no need to bring sweaters or similar clothes. But you can prepare a light jacket, as the air conditioning in some shopping malls can be quite cold.

1. St. Andrew's Cathedral in Singapore

This was the biggest regret of my trip. It is currently undergoing a major renovation, so neither the exterior nor the interior can be visited. If you plan to see this white cathedral recently, you won't be able to enter.

2. Singapore Art Museum

It is right next to St. Andrew's Cathedral, a large building. You can buy a pass to browse the entire museum's art pieces. If you have time, it's worth a visit.

The Civic District area has many museums, including the Civil Defence Museum and the National Museum of Singapore, which are also nearby. If you want to learn more about Singapore's history, you can spend an afternoon visiting them.

1. Merlion Park, Singapore's iconic landmark, where you can also see a full view of the Marina Bay Sands hotel. There is also a life-sized small Merlion statue in the park, which is very cute. Since it's in a corner, fewer people take photos there. You can try using perspective to take a photo with it.

2. Chijmes. Once a convent, it is now a dining plaza with many restaurants offering afternoon tea, light meals, or Western cuisine. You can take a double-decker bus from near Merlion Park to get there directly. The Raffles Hotel next to Chijmes is also beautiful, but the price is equally stunning T-T.

1. Marina Bay Sands Shoppes, including the Marina Bay Sands hotel, is here.

I highly recommend the nightly Sands Light & Water Show!! Each show lasts 10 minutes. Sunday to Thursday: two shows at 20:00 and 21:00; Friday and Saturday: three shows at 20:00, 21:00, and 22:00. On the square next to the Marina Bay Sands shopping mall, beside the Louis Vuitton flagship store, you can arrive early to secure a spot for the water curtain show! I recommend the ground-level square platform; the B1 level is too close to the water curtain, and you might get splashed when the wind blows.

2. Gardens by the Bay. You can walk there via the skywalk inside Marina Bay Sands. It also has a light show every night. Compared to the Sands water show, I prefer the Supertree one, especially when lying on a chair—it's more stunning, like sparkling fireworks! Shows at 19:45 and 20:45 every night. I recommend buying a combo ticket during the day to stroll through Bayfront Park, or go up to the Supertree observation deck for a panoramic view of Singapore. In the evening, try authentic satay skewers at nearby Satay by the Bay, and return to the Supertrees after dark to enjoy the light show.

3. Flower Dome and Cloud Forest

Tickets are required. These two separate attractions can be bought with a combo ticket, or combined with the Supertree skywalk. When we went, the Flower Dome was celebrating the Year of the Rabbit, and the Cloud Forest was having a joint exhibition with Avatar. I had never been interested in Avatar before, but for the first time, I felt that such a world was so close to us. It was very immersive. There were also dinosaurs that could interact and take photos with.

1. Singapore Zoo - MRT Khatib station, then follow the signs to take the zoo's shuttle bus directly.

Highly recommended! It's a zoo you can spend a whole day at. The zoo is divided into three parts: the zoo, the River Wonders, and the Night Safari. Tickets are sold separately, but you can also buy a combo ticket for a better deal. It's recommended to buy tickets online; buying on-site incurs a S$5 per person service fee. There is a free shuttle bus in the zoo, which you can take if you get tired. The giant pandas are in River Wonders, which is very cold, so remember to bring a jacket! Except for the Night Safari, the other two parks close at 5 PM. If you want to visit two parks in one afternoon, plan your time well! The Night Safari has entry times at 19:15, 20:15, and 21:15. You can go early to queue and enter earlier.

Due to our hotel arrangements, we didn't visit the Night Safari this time, which was a big regret. But the other two zoos were also very interesting. The animals were within arm's reach, especially the monkeys and a certain blue chicken-like bird that loved darting among the crowd, hahaha.

2. Universal Studios Singapore - MRT HarbourFront station, then take the third-floor monorail to Imbiah station.

Not much introduction needed for Universal Studios; it's a must-visit amusement park in Singapore!!! Off-peak hours are 11:00 to 18:00, closed on Tuesdays. You can buy tickets on Ctrip in advance, print them out, and present them to the staff for scanning upon entry.

Must-do rides: Jurassic Park, Ancient Egypt, and Transformers. These are all 3D or 4D thrill rides, exciting and visually stunning, but they also have the longest queues, so plan your time accordingly.

Remember to bring a raincoat! On the Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure, if you get a bad seat, you might get drenched from head to toe!

Puss in Boots has a suspension bridge ride that is also cute. If the queue is short, it's highly recommended. Remember to sit on the left side! Otherwise, you'll just see the park scenery the whole time.

Let me first recommend three favorite restaurants from my trip!

1. Our first meal in Singapore was crab recommended by a Singaporean friend. Super delicious crab vermicelli! The meat was firm and springy! The vermicelli expands easily, so I recommend swapping it for steamed buns, which are also good.

Their salted egg ribs are also highly recommended! The ribs were incredibly tender, not dry at all, with the rich, salty flavor of salted egg yolk! Absolutely amazing!

2. Another local Singaporean brand recommended by a friend. Huang Ya Xi! We searched for the branch at Marina Bay Sands until our legs were about to give out but couldn't find it😹 Luckily, we found the one at Chui Huay Lim by following the navigation. We ordered a set meal for two. The must-try is their Bak Kut Teh; I even refilled the soup. The first sip was intense, with a strong peppery warmth! Highly recommended! Their braised pork intestines are also good, very clean and tender. They also have braised pork kidney, which I'd like to try next time.

3. Known as the cheapest Michelin one-star restaurant. The soy sauce chicken is incredibly delicious. We initially ordered just one portion of rice to taste, but after two bites of chicken, we were hooked and ordered a platter. The chicken melts in your mouth, tender and fragrant. Their char siu is also good!

Two more coffee shops worth recommending.

1. BACHA COFFEE. A very famous coffee shop in Singapore, with a wide variety of coffee beans from around the world. You can order a pot of coffee with an afternoon tea set and savor it inside. It's also a good place to buy drip coffee bags as souvenirs. There's a mixed pack of five flavors, perfect for those who have trouble choosing.

It has many branches. The one I visited was on Orchard Road. Address: Orchard Turn, #01-15/16 ION Orchard Mall, Singapore 238801. This branch is beautiful and spacious, great for photos.

2. Nanyang Old Coffee. 268 South Bridge Road.

An old shop in Chinatown. Besides their excellent coffee, other drinks are also good! No risk of disappointment.

3. Singapore's laksa noodles are delicious. We ate them twice and finished every time. If you go to the Singapore Zoo, you can try the laksa at the food court near the entrance; one stall there has very good laksa. The coconut chicken rice next to it is average.

4. Satay skewers. We discovered a food court in Marina Bay during the last two days. Super tasty, sweet, with tender chicken and lamb. There is also a stall selling salted egg fried fish skin that is incredibly delicious!!! Highly recommended. The food court is near the park.

5. A typical Singaporean breakfast is toast, coffee, and soft-boiled eggs. The way to eat the raw eggs is to crack them into a saucer, add a few drops of soy sauce. If you can handle the texture, you can try spreading it on toast for a combined flavor, which is also very tasty.

The above is my rambling guide to the Singapore trip. Sorry if it's a bit messy. Haha. I feel that Singapore, despite its high cost of living, is a country with a comfortable cultural atmosphere. Although we walked until we were exhausted for five days, there were many places we didn't get to, such as St. Andrew's Cathedral, the National Gallery, and the Night Safari. I hope to have another chance to walk another five days someday! (＾－＾)V

Travelogue Directory

1. Some opening ramblings

2. Preparation work and notes

3. Attractions guide

4. MRT - City Hall Station

5. MRT - Raffles Place

6. MRT - Bayfront

7. Other attractions

8. Restaurant recommendations

Travel information

Hotel index

Guide index