A Budget Traveller's Guide to Singapore
- Sarah Jane Callender
- Aug 23, 2022
- 4 min read
I could say this about every country I’ve visited, but I needed more time here! So, here’s my whistle-stop tour of Singapore, with budgeting tips and travel hacks.
Despite the amazing reviews of Jewel Changi Airport, I headed straight to my hostel, MET A Space Pod, a futuristic space pod, which was so cool, and a place I’d 100% recommend. Unlike most hostels, yes, you share a room with others but the space pods give you more privacy than your normal hostel open room, bunk-bed set-up. With the best of both worlds, privacy and community, the Space Pods are a fantastic option and are much cheaper than hotels. Although if you’re placed on the top bunk (like me), the ladders are narrow, so you’ve got to be pretty agile to make it up.
Later I had a wonder around Arab Street. I was so hungry from my travels, so I ate Lebanese food nearby with a beautiful view of the Sultan Masjid, the oldest mosque in Singapore.
Around the area, walls are covered with street art and murals telling the story of Kampong Gelam, an area given to Malay, Arab and Bugis communities in Singapore’s colonial era.
Travelling like a local, and much cheaper than taxis, I used the MRT (Singapore’s main railway network), and headed to Chinatown. In Chinatown, I bought a beautiful souvenir for my parents, visited the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Thian Hock Keng Temple, admired more street art and being the foodie that I am, ate some delicious noodles from a Chinese restaurant.
I then took the MRT to Suntec City and went on a Duck Tour (GoCity Pass), a land and sea adventure that shows you some of the most famous sights of Singapore, including Marina Bay Sands, the ArtScience Museum, Merlion Park and Singapore’s financial district.
Before coming to Singapore, I’d researched how to travel the country on a bit of a budget. I was coming to the end of my summer travels and knew I’d need to curb my spending. I found information on the GoCity Pass online which lets you visit lots of different attractions. I saved me so much money and I only used it for 1 and a half days. From here on, I will highlight everything I did using the pass.
BUDGETING TIP: Buy Singapore’s GoCity Pass, it lets you into lots of different attractions and saves you money in the long run.
First, I went to Gardens by the Bay (GoCity Pass), the perfect place for nature lovers and straight from a scene of James Cameron’s movie, Avatar. I spent a lot of time here walking around and admiring the beauty of the gardens.
I then went to Cloud Forest (GoCity Pass), a vertical garden and waterfall with beautiful plants and flowers. I loved this place so much! As I stepped inside, the air felt fresh and breathable. I admired all the different flowers, taking in the positive climate messages throughout the walk around.
I then headed back to the Supertree Grove in the Gardens where I watched the Garden Rhapsody, a light and music show operating daily at 7:45pm and 8:45pm. A must-see in Singapore!
I’d earned my food at this point and walked to the nearest mall, Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands at opted for a pizza from Roberta's. With a full tummy, I walked across the Helix Sky Bridge, which is beautifully lit at night and then made my way to the hostel for the night.
RISE AND SHIIIIIIINE
With a spring in my step, I was ready to spend my final day going to as many attractions as possible using the GoCity Pass.
First, I had a very long walk next door to Café Arabica and got myself an iced spanish latte to fuel myself for the day ahead. (I tell myself this but in reality, it’s my favourite coffee shop and I can’t resist).
I’d decided breakfast was on the cards and struggled to find somewhere that would do breakfast coffee shop and café-style. I found Tolido’s Espresso Nook, an independent coffee and breakfast place with great food options. I got myself the Maple Pancakes and plodded on with my day.
On the MRT I went and decided to spend the day in Sentosa, an island that has lots of events, lush rainforests and tourist attractions.
I took the Cable Car (GoCity Pass) to the island. The GoCity Pass includes a return ticket to Sentosa so you can go to the island in style. On the car you get to see sky views of Singapore and the lush rainforest island of Sentosa. After this, I went up on the Sky Helix (GoCity Pass), a large rotating table with 360-degree views of Singapore’s skyline and Sentosa island. I'd recommend doing this first because you can see where all of your GoCity attractions are on Sentosa.
Not a second to spare, I headed to Madame Tussauds (GoCity Pass), 4D Adventureland (GoCity Pass allows two 4D adventures) and the S.E.A. Aquarium (GoCity Pass). Out of all three, my favorite has to be the aquarium. It had amazing conservation efforts, large tanks and the sea creatures there are among the best I have ever seen.
After a walk along the beach and much to my dismay, I was peer pressured to do the AJ Hackett Swing (GoCity Pass). For the adventurers out there, this one is for you. You are suspended in the air (with amazing views of the sea and beach, I must say) and you have to pull a rope, which immediately drops you into thin air and you’re left swining for a few minutes, superman style. The Swing allows you to go solo or with a friend and you can reach up to 120kmph.
My final destination was Singapore’s Night Safari (GoCity Pass). Although the animals here are amazing, it was hard to see them in the dark! What I loved about the Night Safari was that all animals had plenty of space to roam around and again, the place had amazing conservation projects.
Overall, I’d say I managed to see as much of Singapore as possible with the help in a mere 48 hours and loved every second. For anyone looking to travel here, I’d recommend 3-4 days minimum to fit in all the culture and attractions this beautiful country has to offer. Hostels, travelling like a local and the GoCity pass are musts for travellers on a budget in Singapore.
Comment if you’d like any more travel tips or information on Singapore and visit my Instagram for more pictures and ideas for your travels: sjonthemap.
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