Sep 6, 2024
We highly recommend our guests to Bawah Reserve spend a few extra days in Singapore to explore this little red dot that presents a melting pot of architecture, culture, and food. There are so many activities and top-rated tourist attractions in Singapore and you will definitely not be bored!
From the visual treat that is Gardens by the Bay, the colourful neighbourhoods of Little India and Chinatown, Michelin starred hawker food Read More, to old temples juxtaposed against shiny new skyscrapers with rooftop bars. Here’s the lowdown of all the best things you should not miss and places to go in Singapore, most of which can be organised in the day or night.
What's so special about Marina Bay Sands? Well, for the best views and to get an overall impression of Singapore- start at the very top. Sands SkyPark Public Observation Deck is just the place, perched on top of Marina Bay Sands, open daily 11 am - 9 pm. The view is equally incredible by day when you can see across the sea or at night when the glittering skyline twinkles with city lights. The price to access the observation deck is S$25 (you can buy tickets online).
This lets you access the outer edge of the viewing deck, while if you visit the Ce La Vi bar (similarly priced but redeemable against a drink) you can still have magnificent views, and relax at a shaded table but you won’t be able to access the lower deck.
Note: Sadly only residents of the hotel can access the infamous 142m Marina Bay Sands Infinity pool.
Sands SkyPark Observation Deck
Ce La Vi L57-01, North Sky Park, Sands
Skypark Hotel Lobby
Tower 3, Singapore
Tel: (+65) 6688 8888,
Sideways Vintage Vespa Sidecar Heritage Tours offer a novel way to see Singapore from the sidecar of a vintage Vespa and allow you access to all the hard-to-access back streets. Click Here.
Or why not Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour to get a guided view of the city complete with multilingual onboard commentaries – it’s a great way to take in all the sights with minimum effort. Click Here.
If you are on a time budget note that Changi airport offers a free sightseeing bus tour #FreeSingaporeTour straight from the airport (book ahead) Click Here.
There’s also the award-winning amphibious DUCKtour on a vehicle that navigates both land and water which kids will enjoy. Click Here.
Trishaw Uncle Ride, the only licensed operator for trishaw tours in Singapore appointed by the Singapore Tourism Board, will pedal you all over central Singapore in a little three-wheeled trishaw of yesteryear – a fun experience for the family. Click Here.
Foodies can book a culinary tour at a food market for a mouth-watering culinary experience sampling local delicacies with Wok N Stroll Culinary Adventures in Singapore Click Here
While Jane's Tours offers black and white house tours, neighbourhood tours, colonial and culinary tours too. Click Here.
The “garden city” initiative by the late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew has resulted in an amazing abundance of greenery and parks in Singapore. Gardens by the Bay with its magnificent Supertree grove, flecked with purple is one of the most recognisable attractions in Singapore. There is direct access from MBS hotel into the Gardens by the Bay (free to enter). If you are travelling with kids, bring their swimmers as there is a fantastic free outdoor water play area with fountains and a playground. Then make your way through the gardens towards the OCBC Skyway atop the Supertree Grove. This raised walkway (S$8) affords excellent views of the gardens so get your camera ready! If it’s raining (or if the heat becomes too much) you can visit the indoor climate-controlled conservatory Cloud Forest and Flower Dome inside Gardens by the Bay (ticketed) where you’ll see rare flora and fauna plus the world's tallest indoor waterfall. Click Here
Another park worth a stroll in is the UNESCO world heritage site of the Singapore Botanic Gardens which is free to enter.
Check out the National Orchid Garden while you are there (fees apply) and if you have kids, search out the free Jacob Ballas children’s garden complete with a treehouse, slides, sandpit, water play (bring swimmers), and vegetable garden. Click Here
The Gallop Extension is an 8-hectare addition to the Singapore Botanic Gardens, bringing the total area of the Gardens to 82 hectares. It comprises two conserved buildings that have been refurbished into the Botanical Art Gallery and Forest Discovery Centre @ OCBC Arboretum, the COMO Adventure Grove, Mingxin Rambler's Ridge, and OCBC Arboretum. Click Here
Start at Temple Street or Pagoda Street where you can browse the trinket shops and purchase a memento teapot with matching cups, chopsticks with your name on them and other knick-knacks.
If you are here on the weekend, know that free walking tours take place every Saturday at the Chinatown Visitors Centre at 10:00 am (reserve ahead).
Look out for the stunning Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum* which is worth a look around and the newly added array of Chinatown iconic street art
To eat, there are restaurants for lunch in Chinatown and nearby Ann Siang Hill with its colourful shophouses, or check out a hawker market in our ‘Where To Eat’ guide.
Chinatown Visitors Centre,
2 Banda Street,
Singapore 059962
For a spot of culture, there are over 50 museums in Singapore.
Adults and kids alike will love the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay offering a highly interactive digital-forward experience at Future World, where art meets science, amongst other temporary exhibitions.
For art lovers, check out the stunning National Art Gallery housed in the former Supreme Court and City Hall, and the National Museum of Singapore which showcases the country’s history and culture. Click Here
Consider a trip to the Singapore Zoo, one of the world’s best zoos which is home to over 2,800 animals including free-ranging orang-utans. Click Here
Or for marine lovers, the stunning S.E.A Aquarium where you can admire manta rays, sharks, and other marine animals through the world’s largest ocean viewing window. Click Here
Sentosa is home to Universal Studios Singapore featuring 24 rides, shows, and movie-themed attractions including Battlestar Galactica, Transformers The Ride, and Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase.
There are so many other thrill seekers’ activities on Sentosa island too from the Mega Zip Wire to bungee jumping, from IFly indoor skydiving to the Luge with its go-karts.
Plus there are beaches aplenty for some downtime - Palawan beach is also now home to Singapore's first floating aqua park - Hydrodash.
Tekka Centre is one of Singapore’s most vibrant wet markets where you’ll find stalls of spices and stunningly colourful fresh produce from exotic vegetables and herbs to coconuts (try some refreshing coconut water straight out of the shell at one of the drinks stalls), to counters of fresh seafood. A separate section of Tekka Centre sells made-to-order hawker food from Prata to Biryani, where you can fuel up before your next stop. Food stalls are rated “A” to C for hygiene (“A” being the cleanest). A few streets down, take a peek inside the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, one of Singapore’s oldest Hindu temples*. There’s plenty of opportunity to window shop at the various gold and sari shops along the way.
Tekka Centre,
665 Buffalo & Serangoon Roads,
Little India, Singapore
Tel: +65 6733 2225
Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple,
141 Serangoon Road, Little India,
Singapore 218042
If time allows, jump on the river taxi (5 pm - 7 pm and 8 am-10 am weekdays only, ticketed) at Esplanade for a scenic tour of Marina Bay. Your riverboat will take you past Boat Quay, colourful Clarke Quay and on to Robertson Quay where you can get off and have signature Singapore Chilli Crab at Red House (see other dining options here – link-) or complete the tour and end up back at Esplanade for views of the Merlion, Singapore Flyer, the Helix Bridge and the CBD skyline. Click Here
Sipping the infamous "Singapore Sling" cocktail in the newly refurbished Raffles Hotel, Singapore is a definite must-do.
Alternatively, if you fancy a sundowner with a view, take your pick from one of the many rooftop bars Ce La Vi and Level 33 are two great options. Click Here.
Time your rooftop visit well and you’ll also be able to catch the Marina Bay Sands ‘Spectra’, a free outdoor light and water show staged to the symphony of music, displayed over the water at the MBS promenade. Showtimes: Sun – Thu: 8pm, 9pm, Fri & Sat: 8pm, 9pm ,10pm
Have fun and enjoy, and if you fancy a private island getaway near Singapore then do enquire below...
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