Know before you go : Singapore Edition

In this article, I’ll make an overview of everything useful to know before going to Singapore, including some travel tips.

You’ll find : 

Singapore is located in Southeast Asia and is a small island city-state situated off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. It shares maritime borders with Malaysia to the north and Indonesia to the south.

Singapore’s capital is the city of Singapore itself, which is the entire country. The city is a major global financial hub known for its skyscrapers, green spaces, and vibrant culture.

The country covers 734 km², and Singapore’s population is around 5.6 million.

Singapore can be visited year-round because it’s a tropical rainforest climate with permanent high humidity and temperatures around 30 degrees, but :

• Singapore experiences rain year-round, but the heaviest rainfall is from November to January.
• The peak tourist season is in Julne and July, so it will be more crowded.

With that said, the best months to come would be in February, March and April.

I went in from February through April and I would totally recommend it because there only a few tourists and the weather was hot and humid, but rain very rarely.

Although, if you are coming to Singapore, booking a hotel with a pool is a great idea—after a day of exploring, a refreshing dip will be much appreciated in the tropical heat!

The currency in Singapore is the Singapore Dollar, and 1€ equals approximately 1.5 SGD (you ça get lunch for less than 5€ in food courts, and for at least 25-30€ in restaurants).

In Singapore, you can pay by card almost everywhere, but it’s still a good idea to carry some cash, especially for small purchases or in markets. The best ATMs are from DBS/POSB, UOB, and OCBC, which are widely available across the island.

Restaurant prices can vary widely. In hawker centers, you can get a meal for 5-10 SGD, while dining in mid-range restaurants can cost at least 20-50 SGD per person. We mostly ate in food courts, so we approximately spent 10-15€ for two people each time.

Regarding attractions, most of the major sights, like the Cloud Forest or Flower Dome, have quite expensive entrance fees (at least 20€ per person), but they are worth doing.

We also used the MRT (Singapore’s subway) to get around, it’s very convenient and prices are reasonable, around 2 SGD per trip.

For accommodations, the most affordable hotel we had was SpacePod@Lavender which was 20€ per person per night. I booked many times there and it’s well located, shower are clean and the capsules are honestly great. Good hotels start around 100-150€ per night for two people, but if you plan ahead, you can find deals.

Clothing : I would suggest packing light, breathable clothes because temperatures are around 30 degrees all year round.

Sun protection : Of course, a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen are essentials because the sun is really strong.

Insect repellent : Bring some insect repellent, especially for parks or nature reserves.

Basic medication : Pack a safety kit with disinfectant, bandaids, pills in case you do not tolerate the local food well, the basic survival tools !

Rain gear : A light rain jacket or umbrella might be useful in case of unexpected storm or rain.

Adapter : the power outlet are Type G so bring an adapter if you are coming from Europe, and maybe a power bank, because phones’ batteries tend to use up faster in warm and humid weather.

There’s a lot to bring back from Singapore!

Traditional Items: Traditional souvenirs include orchid jewelry, Peranakan ceramics and textiles, or Merlion statues (the iconic symbol of Singapore).

Food : Food-wise, you can bring back kaya (coconut jam), bak kwa (sweet barbecued meat), and local snacks like pineapple tarts and salted egg yolk chips.

Spices : Consider grabbing some laksa paste, chili crab sauce, rendang paste or Hainanese chicken rice mix to recreate Singaporean dishes at home.

English is the official language in Singapore, and most people speak it fluently. However, Singapore is a multilingual society, with Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil also being official languages.

Note : “Lah” is a common Singlish particle added to sentences for emphasis. For example, “Sorry, lah!” or “Thank you lah !”.

As we came from Europe, our mobile plan did not include internet and calls in Singapore, but there is WiFi almost everywhere in the city. Whether it is your hotel, cafés and restaurants, every shopping mall or even the Gardens By The Bay. Hence, we did not buy a SIM card and it isn’t something we missed. However if you plan on buying one on arrival, you can find Singtel SIM card at Changi Airport for around 15 SGD.

Public transportation is excellent in Singapore, with the MRT (subway) being the most convenient and affordable way to get around. Renting a car is honestly unnecessary unless you plan to explore the outskirts of the city. If you do rent a car, book it online in advance to compare the best options on websites such as Kayak or Skyscanner.

There’s a lot to see in Singapore! You can visit the famous Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, or the Cloud Forest. The city is full of vibrant neighborhoods like Chinatown, Little India, and Kampong Glam, each offering a unique cultural experience.

Here’s a list of the best things to do in Singapore:

That’s it for my Singapore travel tips! To get more detailed information and pictures about these places, be sure to check out my three days itinerary article.