SINGAPORE – Why is it one of the most interesting cities I have ever been to?
Singapore is one of the most interesting destinations I have ever visited. I spent only about 72 hours in this city, but it is the place I want to visit again and again. Why?
The overall atmosphere of the city is unique. The population is a mix of cultures and nationalities. This fact influences local cuisine, rare museums, and other sightseeing. The range of tourist attractions is for sure one of the largest in the world. The city is clean, safe, and navigating and traveling around is easy. Local people are friendly and willing to help. Singapore is trying to keep as much greenery as possible; it supports the protection of the environment and sustainability. In this city, I saw more exhibitions, posters, and projects about this problem than anywhere else in the world.
Here is the list of sightseeing/attractions/experiences, which you cannot miss when you will visit Singapore.
WHAT TO SEE, VISIT AND EXPERIENCE:
1. The Gardens by the Bay is probably the most famous part of Singapore and one of the most beautiful. It consists of a couple of attractions, which are located in the park between the “supertrees”. Entry to the park is free, there is an entrance fee to visit particular attractions.
2. Skyway is the attraction where you can walk 22 meters above the ground on the path between the supertrees. The experience is the one you will remember for the rest of your life. From a small distance, you can discover these magnificent constructions, which have been built uniquely to support sustainable sources of energy – they produce energy from the sun.
3. Cloud Forest is the biggest glass greenhouse in the world located in the Gardens by the Bay. You can see a huge collection of flowers and trees as well as a 35-meter man-made mountain and waterfall. At the end of your visit, you will walk through the small exhibitions, which explain how people destroy the environment and state the facts, which we do not want to see. Very informative and very sad, it will intensify your experience from the visit.
4. Flower Dome – botanical gardens located right next to the Cloud Forest. When admiring the flowers, bushes, and trees, you walk from the vegetation of one part of the world to another. In the European part, you can find the strawberries which grow in the gardens, in the African part, there is huge baobab, there are also tulips from Netherland and much more.
5. Do not miss the music and lights show in the Gardens. It takes place twice every evening. The performance is about 30 minutes long and it is one of the best I have ever seen. You can comfortably sit or lay down even on the pathway or buy the ticket to the Skyway from which you will have a completely different view of what is going on around you.
6. The building of the ArtScience Museum is an architectonical gem. It has the shape of a huge lotus flower. It is located near the Gardens, right on the shore of the Bay. It offers permanent and temporary exhibitions in a very interesting style. One of the expositions ‘Future World’ is interactive, and entertaining for kids and adults, too. Another one, ‘2219: Futures Imagined’ was a very intense experience for me. It shows how the future might look like if we will destroy our planet, either we will have too much garbage so we will not be able to live on the surface anymore, or by global warming or nuclear war. How it might look like when we will have our own greenhouses in our flats to grow the vegetables under the surface, how the museums of the future might look like, showing for example football ball or violin.
7. Merlion Statue is the statue of the mystical creature with the head of the lion and the body of a mermaid. Merlion is one of the symbols of Singapore. The 8.6-meter-high statue is placed on the shore of Botany Bay, where it is spitting the water to the sea. The place is a favorite spot for taking pictures. In the park, which is located only a few steps from Merlion, there is a smaller statue – Merlion’s cub.
8. Experience swimming in the pool above the city. On the 57th floor of the hotel Marina Bay Sands, there is 146-metres long infinity pool. But! You can swim there only if you are staying in the hotel. However, you can see the pool during the guided tour of the SkyPark – gardens and observatory on the roof of the hotel.
9. Spectra – the lights and water show is another spectacular performance taking place in the bay, just behind the hotel Marina Bay Sands, near the ArtScience Museum. This show is not so well known as the one in the Gardens by the Bay but it is also breathtaking. It is scheduled in the evenings, twice an evening during the weekdays and three times during the weekend nights.
10. The biggest observation wheel in the world, from which you can spot the coast of Indonesia or Malaysia if you will be lucky with the nice weather. The ride takes 30 minutes and it is open until late, so you can enjoy the view of the busy city during the day or shine off the lights during the night.
11. Changi Airport is a great experience itself. In addition to an unbelievable amount of restaurants, cafes, and shops, it also offers attractions, which you cannot find in any other airport in the world. You can, for example, have a walk in the botanical garden, discover the highest indoor waterfall in the world (40 meters) or walk and jump on the nets which hang high above the ground. The airport also offers a pool and cinema, where the movies are on 24/7. For example. Trust me, there is much more to see.
12. If you are a fan of the American series Friends, you will be excited to visit Central Perk Singapore, the restaurant/cafe, which is the only certified restaurant of F.R.I.E.N.D.S outside of the USA. The interior is an almost exact copy of the cafe from the series, there is even more stuff to see inside, for example, Joey’s statue of the white dog and Monica’s wedding dress. The fans know what I am writing about.
13. The Chinatown is full of street vendors offering souvenirs, street food, and various other products. You can see historical buildings as well as the interesting Chinese Heritage Museum describing the lives of the first Chinese immigrants. The district has the atmosphere of a real Chinese town, with typical red-yellow lanterns and decorations.
14. The Indian part of the city represents another culture, which creates a large part of the city’s population. You can find Hindu temples, and churches but also mosques because all these religions are widely spread in India.
15. Sentosa Island is located in the south of the city center of Singapore and offers many tourist attractions. You can visit for example Universal Studios – a theme park where you can enter the world of various movies and fairytales, for children and adults, too; Madame Tussaud’s Museum with wax figures of famous people; Sea World and many more.
16. You have to taste the local cuisine which is a mix of the cuisines of the various cultures, which lived and live here. You can choose between luxurious restaurants, and fast food or buy food from the street food stand. My favorites are noodles with different kinds of meat or vegetables. Seafood is served fresh and very tasty; there is also a lot of duck meat on the menu, rice, or spicy food. The choice is yours.
MY RECOMMENDATION
Try to buy the tickets online, the prices can be lower if you have a ticket to a dedicated hour. If you will be buying tickets on the spot, check the offers, there can be lower prices if visiting more attractions.
TRANSPORT
Public transport consists of metro and buses and it is a good quality one. Clean, usually not late and easy to navigate through. You can buy tickets from the machine in the stations. For the tourists who stay in the city for a few days, there are good deals on the 24-hour, weekly or similar tickets. You can use these tickets on all the public transport in the city.
In case you want to move around by taxi, download the mobile application called Grab. It is similar to Uber, safe and rides are cheaper than local taxis.
CURRENCY
The Singapore dollar is the main currency used in Singapore. There are many exchange offices in the city, but you can also use a credit card, it is accepted everywhere, except in small markets.
WARNING!
There are a few rules in Singapore, that you do not want to break. In that case, you must pay a high fine, you can be deported from the country, go to jail or even get the death penalty. Therefore, do not try to:
- eat in public transport;
- spit on the ground;
- drop litter;
- jaywalk;
- forget to flush the public toilet – $150 fine;
- feed the pigeons;
- bring the drugs to Singapore – death penalty.
USEFUL LINKS
Visit Singapore – a website about attractions, events, and other information for tourists
Public transport in Singapore – plan your journey, check the prices
Gardens by the Bay – music and lights show – timings
Spectra – The lights and water show – showtimes
Have you realized how many of the biggest/the highest/the only ones, did I use in my post? Yes, Singapore is a truly unique city. And I assure you, this list is not even close to mentioning all the places, which tourists love about this place. I visited 80% of the places you read about and I fell in love. The rest are recommendations of the travelers, and I asked about their favorite spots they have visited. They are on my list for my next visit.
Leave a comment about the place in Singapore you like. Or which one from the list you would like to visit the most. I am looking forward to your opinions.
