Singapore Travel Guide: Places to See for First-timers

WELCOME TO MY SINGAPORE TRAVEL GUIDE! This guide includes the places to visit around Singapore, some tips to do when you are in the city, and some history about their culture.

Understanding Singapore

Singapore is a city-state in Southeast Asia. Singapore comes from its Malay name Singapura, which is derived from Sanskrit meaning “Lion City”. Definitely one of the world’s most prosperous countries and boasts the world’s busiest port. In spite of being a small country, it has been a multi-racial country; it has a diverse culture and has been one of the most favorite destinations in the world for travelers.

It is not really difficult to enter Singapore as long as you have complete documents such as visas; but for some countries like the Philippines, you don’t need to have a visa to enter the golden city of Asia because it’s a visa-free country  Filipino travelers. So I made my own Singapore travel guide for first-time travelers to this beautiful country!

Is it expensive to travel to Singapore?

Many people say that it’s really expensive to travel to Singapore. It is known for being one of the richest countries because of its booming economy. But I have proven myself that you really don’t need to have millions of bucks to see and explore the beauty of Singapore. There are tons of things that you can actually visit for free and find a lot of discounted tickets for some activities that you can purchase online. I believe that it’s just a matter of being way too practical.

I have planned to book a flight to Singapore for 3 days and 4 nights. It was actually a birthday trip for myself. As a matter of fact, it was my first time visiting Singapore! It has been my dream destination ever since I was a child.

I have traveled with a friend. We were really on a tight budget going to Singapore and luckily, my friend’s cousin works there so we asked him to be our host. Therefore, we did couch surfing which saved us a lot!! Big thanks to him!!!

I was in awestruck how beautiful Singapore is! It is indeed wonderful! I truly fell in love with this country. Wow, I am impressed by how people are being disciplined, how organized the place is, and how clean it is! It was really amazing! My trip was really short but I totally enjoyed everything about my trip! I seriously wanna go back here and stay for a long time!

Until then, Singapore!

So here is my travel guide to Singapore that includes the budget I spent on the entire trip!

Places to Visit in Singapore

Day 1

Singapore River Safari

The River Safari is a river-themed zoo and aquarium located in Singapore. You can get a chance to see the wildlife, different species of marine creatures, and even pandas.

Marina Bay Sands

One of the most luxurious hotels in Singapore. It’s a 5-star hotel with the best city-skyline view of Singapore.

Marina Bay

Make sure not to miss out on this place because I guarantee you that this is one of the most scenic parts of the city. It feels so romantic at night!

Gardens By the Bay

It is a nature park spanning 101 hectares of reclaimed land in central Singapore, adjacent to the Marina Reservoir. The park consists of three waterfront gardens: Bay South Garden, Bay East Garden, and Bay Central Garden.

Satay by the Bay

It’s a place where you can try some Singapore delight while enjoying the view of the waterfront bay.

Orchard Central

It is a shopping mall in Singapore located along the main shopping belt at Orchard Road.

Lucky Plaza

This is one of the best places where are you can go shopping without breaking the bank.

DAY 2

Singapore Car Skypass

A must-try activity in Singapore! This is one of the best things that you can do here because you will get a chance to enjoy the majestic view of Sentosa Island!

Imbiah Lookout

Bought some good quality souvenirs around the area. We tried the Skyline Luge & Skyride and it was really fun!

Sentosa Island

This is where you can see The Merlion as well as Universal Studios and many more!

Universal Studios Singapore

It is a theme park located within Resorts World Sentosa on Sentosa Island, Singapore. This is one of the most popular theme parks in Singapore!!

Siloso Beach

Located along the coast of Sentosa, Siloso Beach is just 30-minute away from the city. It is a long sandy beach where you can do a lot of activities during your stay.

We got here in the evening and I was quite impressed that the beach was not crowded. It seemed clean and tranquil at the same time. I wish we could have stayed more during our visit!

Mount Faber

It is possible to visit this hill via a Singapore cable car. This place offers the best view from atop. It has an overlooking view of the bustling city center of Singapore.

ION Orchard

If you want to splurge on buying something quite expensive, then this place is definitely what you are looking for!

Orchard Central

This is where you can find the best shopping malls in Singapore. As a matter of fact, this is a major shopping belt and tourist attraction in the city.

Lucky Plaza

Lucky Plaza is just across the ION Orchard and nearby the Orchard Central. This is the perfect place to buy cheap souvenirs for your loved ones most especially if you are on a budget.

DAY 3

Eat at D’ Rubinah Restaurant

There are a lot of food stalls in this area. This is near Sembawang Station. This is the closest restaurant in our apartment. Must try the local food of Singapore!!

Back to Manila

Expenses & Budget in Singapore

Singapore River Safari – PHP 829

Singapore Car Skypass – PHP 791

Gardens By the Bay – PHP 791

Universal Studios Singapore -PHP 2,192

Skyline Luge & Skyride – PHP 467

Airfare– PHP 3,744.41

Transportation– PHP 2,000 (this is too much already)

Travel Tax – PHP 1,620

Total Expenses: PHP 12,434.41 (Note: Prices may change depending on the date or its availability.)

Exclusion

Food

Accommodation. We actually went couch surfing!

Pasalubong (Gifts and Some Stuff)

Tips & Reminders

Make sure to book all the activities in KLOOK. If you have booked before, you can use your credits to get more discounts! KLOOK is super legit and it really helps you to save money and time!

When it comes to food, we usually eat at fast-food restaurants, bring some water and snacks. Despite that, we still got the chance to have Singaporean food during our last day.

We bought most of the stuff in Lucky Plaza which is located in Central. There are a lot of stores that sell cheap stuff! You can even ask for some discounts, too!

Book your flight early and wait for the promo! It’s okay to wait as long as you know what that something is worth waiting for! That’s gonna be for sure!

Take public transportation. MTRs and buses are very much accessible in Singapore! I’m telling you, when you’ve got a map and a card, you will never get lost and won’t cost that much! Seriously!

More walk, more fun and more chances of discovering a lot of things around the vicinity.

Do not hesitate to ask the locals or even from other people.

I’m telling you it isn’t really expensive to travel to Singapore as long as you know how to budget wisely. I hope this Singapore travel guide helps you a lot for your future trip to Singapore!

Have you ever been to Singapore? How was your experience visiting The Lion City?

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Ara Patria

Ara Patria, the owner of The Adventuress, is an educator by profession but a traveler at heart. Despite her busy schedules, she finds time to travel domestically or internationally. She loves discovering new places, embracing new cultures and meeting other people. In addition, she’s also interested in fashion, Korean music, and Korean dramas. She dreams to travel the world and inspire people by sharing her own experiences through writing.