Every year, I would always spend some of my annual time off to travel to Singapore. It started back in 2016. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do that this year though, since COVID-19 became a pandemic. I cancelled my flight to Singapore last March 2020. Sad? of course, but hopefully I can go back there next year. I’m sure some of you have had that same experience like me, had a travel plan that couldn’t happen this year due to the travel restrictions around the world. Jake and I also had a plan for a trip to Japan in October but we need to postpone it to next year. Let’s cross our fingers that we can go to wherever we want in 2021 🙂
I would like to share our last trip, which was short, and some tips for visiting Singapore in 3 days and 2 nights. Hope this will give you an idea on what you can do in a short period in Singapore.
Transportation
It’s easy to get around in Singapore. The public transportation such as the Bus and MRT are well maintained with easy access to everywhere. If you need more speed and don’t mind paying a bit more, you can also choose the Taxis, (Grab/Gojek are also available here) their drivers are really good when it comes to communication. I always have good conversations with them every time but if you are an introvert they’re usually not going to push you into conversation.
The cost of MRT will range from 60 cents to SG$1.50, depending on how far you want to travel of course. You can buy tickets for each individual journey in every station. Get your ez-Link to be used for MRT trip and you can purchase the ez-Link card for $12 in every station with a value of $7. For me, MRT is the best way to get around Singapore.
Public buses are cheap, easy to use and they cover virtually every corner of Singapore. They operate from 6am to midnight every day . Most fares depend on distance and range from SG$.80 for a non-air-conditioned bus, and SG$ 1.50 for air-conditioned routes. There are also buses that charge a flat rate to the destinations displayed on the front of the bus. For a comprehensive guide on bus time-tables, routes and fares, it’s a good idea to buy a copy of the TransitLink Guide, which is sold for SG$ 1.50 at most bookstores. Like travel on the MRT, you can buy tickets for each individual journey or get a stored value card, allowing you to make multiple trips.
There’s also Singapore Tourist Pass, which is a special ez-link card that offers tourists unlimited travel on Singapore’s basic bus services, MRT and LRT trains for the duration that it is valid for as low as SG$10 per day. Find out more about the different passes here!
Singapore has more than 15,000 air-conditioned taxis. All taxis run on the meter but there are surcharges applicable when using the expressways and also if travelling within the Central Business District from 7.30am-9.30am and 5.30pm-7pm on weekdays. The fares are SG$ 2.40 for the first 1.5km, and then 10 cents for each additional 240m. However, there are quite often extra charges – such as for entering the CBD area at peak hours, travelling from the airport or travelling after midnight – so your final charge can come to more than what’s indicated on the meter. Want another option? Get the Grab/Gojek Taxi apps that are available in the apps store. Although it’s a cheaper option, it’s cheapest to choose either MRT or buses. But with those two, sometimes in the peak hour you need to wait longer. Taxis are also available from the airport, with a levy surcharge of SG$3.
Accommodation
In my opinion, the accommodation cost in Singapore is quite expensive, but of course you still can have a good deal in some of Online Travel Agents such as Booking.com, Agoda or Hotels.com. And Airbnb could also be one of the options to get an affordable place to stay in Singapore. From cheap hostels to luxury 5 star hotels are available in Singapore. I usually choose a Hostel type of accommodation since I used to be a solo traveller and didn’t need a fancy place to stay as long as it was clean and comfy. Here I give you some recommendations of Hostels that I would suggest to you based on my experience. Two of my suggestions would be Adler Hostel and The Inn Crowd. If you need more privacy, a couple hotels I would suggest would be 81 Orchid and Hotel Classic by Venue. Just a tip, Singapore is a really safe place. Last time I went there with Jake and there’s no harm in getting something more comfortable right?. Our choice was Copthorne King’s Hotel, that was a nice hotel in a good location.
And then we begin to explore the city..
To be continue..
Wander and Explore 