Singapore

 

The Destination

Singapore, this place deserves a special mention as the first actual destination of my solo travels. Flying from New Zealand to almost anywhere in the world generally requires a stopover somewhere along the way. I decided to extend my stopover overnight to squeeze in what I could of the small country because why not tick off another country while you can.

From the days school Geography I had learnt that Singapore is a very safe country following political changes in the early 60s and as one of the world’s biggest business hubs.

So the tiny country lends itself as a great starting point to ease into solo travel. Safe, easy and clean.

The List

Marina Bay Sands

  • The dream hotel. Unfortunately I was too much of a pleb to actually stay at the place and too shy to test my luck sneaking in.
  • There is an infinity pool at the top that drops out to a spectacular view over the city
  • If you are like I was and feel like you’ll pike out there is the SkyPark which is a platform at the top of the hotel you can pay about $20 to go and see the views without the luxury of feeling like royalty for a few hours
  • Try get up to see over the city lights at night time

Gardens by the Bay

  • An unexpected highlight
  • If you expect to be walking around a few plants and pretending to admire the scenery you will be pleasantly surprised by the gardens. Inside hosts a Cloud Forest, Flowerdome and Skyway. With my limited time I chose to do the Cloud Forest ($15) and Skyway ($8) but I would recommend them all. (Cloud Forest and Flowerdome combo – $28)
  • The Cloud Forest is a man-made mountain where you can explore what a tropical montane region is like including all the wildlife, complete with a waterfall and walkway from top to bottom inside a giant glass dome
  • The Skyway is also a must do, it lets you walk through the impressive Super Trees high off the ground

Clarkes Quay

  • Singapores own lovers lane
  • Be aware of strolling through Clarkes Quay alone, couples line themselves along the banks of the river. No better way to remind yourself you are travelling alone
  • It is however a good hub for nightlife, restaurants and bars which is why I included it in The List. If you’re looking to park up for a drink there are plenty of places to choose from but as a warning it is not cheap. I paid about $12 for a beer!

Chinatown

  • Alot of citys have their own Chinatowns but this one really is legit
  • The crammed streets of Chinatown go in all directions and is a bit of a battlefield but thats the kind of Chinatown excitement we like.
  • The hustle and bustle is amplified around Chinese New Year which is when I was lucky enough to be there but it all adds to the excitement. All the stalls are bright red lined with the same Chinese New Year good luck charms
  • Good alternative for cheaper food and drink

Sentosa Island

  • An island filled with resorts, theme parks and zoos
  • Was out of my time and money budget but seems to be high on peoples Singapore hit list

Orchard Road

  • Famous shopping street with all the fancy, out of a backpackers budget kind of shops

THE STAY

  • The Ideal:  Marina Bay Sands
  • The Reality:  Beary Best Hostel
    • With only being there for a short time the hostel served its purpose.
    • Close to Chinatown and public transport
    • There didn’t seem to be a whole lot of atmosphere but for the one night I was there but it was clean and decent.

THE COST

  • Not cheap
  • The Singapore dollar is much stronger than other Asian destinations so overall it is not a cheap backpacker destination
  • Price of a beer: In Clarkes Quay I think I paid about $12+SGD

More Destinations…