Top things to do and places to eat in Singapore

Singapore is such a great city. It is so diverse and has a eclectic mixture of cultures. My favourite part of the city is the mix of the old and new, bright lights, modern shopping malls juxtaposed with the old temples, grand mosques and traditional shops. For such a small country and relatively compact city, there is such a wide range of things to do. There are great hikes and wildlife within a few mins from the heart of the city.

Best time to visit Singapore

I went during the rainy season which wasn’t ideal as a lot of the sights are outdoors and when it rains, its pours. Although for the most part, Singapore is a year round destination, the best time to visit is during Singapore’s dry season, between February and April. Singapore’s monsoon season is December- January and is slightly cooler. Although the torrential downpours of rain weren’t ideal, the run up to Christmas is a wonderful time to experience the bright lights of Singapore. The Gardens by the Bay are extra special during the festive period.

Here are some of the highlights from my trip to Singapore and the must see sights.

• Enjoy the view from a rooftop bar of Singapore’s skyline. Find a premium roof top bar and watch sunset over Marina Bay. As night falls on Marina Bay, watch the city transform and come alive with vibrant lights and colourful hues and watch. LeVeL33, the World’s Highest Urban Microbrewery, provides amazing views of Marina Bay and the city skyline. How often can you say you visited the world’s highest microbrewery?

• Stroll around Gardens by the bay and watch the daily light show. This is one of the most popular attractions in Singapore and its easy to see why. This was my favourite thing in Singapore. The Gardens by Bay is a nature park spanning 250 acres by the Marina Reservoir. The highlight of the Gardens are the avatar like man made Supertrees that come alive at night and can be seen twinkling from a far. The best time to go to is at night to the free nightly show at 7.45pm and 8.45 pm. The trees come to life and illuminate against the midnight sky. If you’re looking for a birds eye view, for $8 you can walk along the suspended walkway connecting the Supertrees. One of the trees even has a restaurant and rooftop bar 16 storeys high.

• Explore Chinatown and soak up the culture. Once a district for the Chinese immigration population, it is now a popular tourist attraction drawing visitors in with its much loved blend of old and new. Here you will find an array of tradition Chinese cheap foods, historic temples, tradition Chinese medicine halls opposite souvenir shops and trendy bars. Don’t miss the Sri Mariamman Temple just as you before you enter the tourist epicentre of Chinatown. This colourful temple is Singapore’s oldest Hindu temple. The interior of the temple is a wealth of murals and shrines dedicated to gods.

• Wander around Little India enjoying traditional food, spice shops and Hindu temples. Out of all the old ethic districts of Singapore, this has got to be one of the most charming. The vibrant area is full of brightly coloured buildings, spice markets and flower vendors. It is home to some of the best vegetarian food and shopping. The Mustafa Centre is a 24-hour shopping mall that offers everything from electronics to groceries. In the Tekka Centre, you can brown the goldsmith shops and sari stores.

• Universal studios. For a thrill seeking day, head over to Sentosa and hop on a ride at Asia’s only Universal Studios theme park. Tickets start from SGD 81 for adults and SGD 61 for children (under 12).

• Admire the street art and quirky finds at Haji Lane. This narrow lane is the original hipster hangout in the city. It’s filled with indie shops, hip bars and cafes, colourful independent boutiques houses unique finds you won’t get your hands on anywhere else in Singapore. Graffiti art lines the walls and the streets come to life in the evenings with people coming out for a bite to eat and a few drinks.

• Explore Marina Bay Sands and take a dip in the world’s highest infinity pool. Ever since this massive hotel complex was built it has dominated Singapore’s skyline. A destination in itself, it is one of Singapores most popular tourist attractions with shops, restaurants, theatres and cutting edge contemporary exhibitions. They have a great restaurant near the pool and an Observation Deck which gives incredible views of the city. If you don’t splash out on staying a night in the MBS, make sure to check out the observational deck for a sunset rooftop drink. Swimming at 340m and gazing down at the Singapore skyline is a once in a lifetime opportunity for most travellers. There is a but, a big ‘but’: pool access is reserved for guests only so if you want to take a dip high in the sky, you’ll have to check in for at least one night.

• Explore Singapore’s lush rainforest in MacRitchie Reservoir. This is the oldest and most popular nature walk with plenty of walks and trials to run on ranging from an easy 3km to more ambitious 11km treks. The highlight of the reservoir is the HSBC Treetop Walk– a suspension bridge that connects the highest points of the nature reserve.

• Eat your way around Hawker Centre. For a true Singaporen dining experience, a visit on an empty stomach to a Hawker centre is a must. Singapore is an expensive city but eating some of the best traditional food Singapore has to offer can be cheaper than chips (literally). The Hawker centres are large food courts that bring together street food stalls serving everything from snacks to full meals. They can get fairly packed in the evening so be prepared to grab a seat wherever you can. One of the best and most popular is Lau Pa Sat (24 hours), serving dishes from around the world. There is an Indian there serving incredible food, made in front of you. This huge meal was €6/ SGD 9.

• Clarke quay night life. Bars, clubs, cafes and restaurants line both sides of the Singapore River and come to life in the evenings. This pretty colourful area is the perfect spot to wander around for a few drinks and a bite to eat from the late afternoon until the wee hours. It is a popular tourist spot but also near the central business district so a workers come to unwind for post work happy hour drinks.

• Hike to Mt faber park and around the southern ridges. Escape the Urban Jungle and get out for a hike in nature. The Southern Ridges is the most popular hiking trial in Singapore spanning 9 km from start to end. You can pick and chose to do just sections of it or do the whole thing. It’s a far cry hard core hiking as the whole route is paved and connects four parks. The highlight not to be missed on this walk is Singapore’s highest pedestrian bridge, Henderson Waves standing at 36 meters high.

• Day trip to Sentosa. The sunny island of Sentosa is home to the best beaches in Singapore and major tourist attractions like Universal Studios Singapore, the S.E.A. Aquarium, and the Tiger Sky Tower observatory. Locals and tourists flock to chill out at the beaches and enjoy the theme parks and gigantic shopping malls.

• Admire Jewel in Chagai airport. This majestic dome is home to the tallest indoor waterfall at 40m tall and over 280 dining and retail outlets, with some open around the clock.

Eating in Singapore

Singaporeans take their eating seriously and there is a big culture of eating out. Eating out is relatively inexpensive and you can get meals for just a few dollars in local places and Hawker centres. Chinatown Complex is a well know Hawker centre for cheap and tasty traditional favourites such as duck and claypot rice dishes, frog porridge, steamed buns and dim sum.

• Din Tai Fung. A must for the best bargain dumplings and most reasonable Michelin starred restaurants, DTF is a must visit. You tick on the menu want you want and the dishes come out one by one. 5-6 dishes is plenty between two people.

• Tiong Bahru bakery– Known as Singapore’s best French bakery, this is the place to go for the best traditional bakery specialising in all things pastry. Try their speciality- Green tea almond croissant. Don’t knock it ’til you try it.

• Merci marcel. A french cafe style restaurant with several outlets over Singapore. This French lifestyle cafe is for all day dining serving coffee, food, wine, desserts but they do brunch best. It is fast becoming a popular place amongst avid Instagrammers due to its beautiful interior and relaxed vibe.

• Limaa Cafe. A quaint little cafe in Haji Lane serving deliciously healthy food and insta-worthy açai bowls. It is run by two busy mothers and was set up with the main aim of cooking healthy, organic, and nutritious food for everyone. They hire mothers toward for them and often host lunch time talks and hearing sessions run by aspiring mother entrepreneurs. There is also a public breastfeeding room at the back and there’s a shelf near the front of the store that sells products made by stay-at-home mothers.

• Common man coffee rosters. Known far and wide for their speciality coffee, this place also does a banging all day brunch that will keep fulled for the day. Along side their all day breakfast and lunch, they do great cocktails to provide the cure from the night before.