Singapore is a beautifully green, clean and one of the most livable countries in the world with an interesting mix of cultures. The easy navigation adds to the joy. I simply loved this country from the moment I set foot and have made some wonderful memories for life. Here is how you can make the most of 5 days in Singapore:
Day 1:
Singapore Zoo and Night Safari:
On reaching in the morning, check-in and rest. Post lunch visit Singapore zoo and Night safari.Singapore zoo, Night Safari and River Safari are in the same area and can be combined.We had skipped River safari and chosen Singapore Zoo and Night Safari.
Kids will enjoy the zoo and it is very vast, but you can take the trams and drive around hopping-on hopping-off at your desired stops. My kid loved this place and all the animals here. We had a splashing time (literally) at the “Splash Safari” show where the sea lion thrilled us with his acrobatic dives and flips. “Rainforest Kidzworld” is fun for the kids.
The night safari was not as exciting as it sounded. The show: “Creatures of the night” starring nocturnal animals was good fun. We again traveled by the tram watching animals in their dimly lit habitats. They were fed in specific spots so that they stayed in place while the tour was on. But it was a different experience for sure. The day turns out to be tiring but worth the time spent, specially for the kiddos.
TIP: Use the map and choose the areas of interest before hand, if short of time we can always skip the rest.
TIP: Carry swimming attire for kids if you want to enjoy Rainforest Kidzworld.
Day 2:
Singapore city tour
Wherever you travel around the city, you will have a glimpse of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel towering over in its majestic grandeur and glory. Not to miss, the Merlion statue which symbolizes the country and visit to the Chinatown and Little India areas for some shopping and food. For obvious reasons they are distinctly different from the rest of the well planned and well maintained city. 😀
Ride the Singapore Flyer for splendid view of the city from atop and a tête-à-tête with the clouds. You have to be lucky for the weather to favor you in this. But surely don’t miss it.
TIP: Don’t miss the Mustafa market – Its huge and a seek-everything place. We had stocked up loads of mineral water\ bottled water for our days in Singapore from here, and very cheap.
Sentosa:
We visited Sentosa the same day in the afternoon. We took the cable car ride from Faber point to Sentosa. It was a longer ride than expected and the views were superb. At one point you are dangling over the sea as you head towards the Sentosa island.
Use the map wisely and choose what you want to visit. There are free bus rides available to take you around on different routes of the island, as required. We visited the 4D adventure, luge rides, segways and the southernmost point of continental Asia – which has nice breezy viewpoints. The place which my son enjoyed the most was the Pirate ship, where the water is gushing from all parts of the pirate ship and kids can splash and play, and, its FREE. 🙂
The Fort Siloso Skywalk was also scenic and beautiful but we reached late and were not able to catch in time. We skipped other options like Madam Tussaud wax museum etc. The day ends with “Wings of Time” show on the beach, which isn’t very great but still fun due to the atmosphere it creates with all the colorful fireworks and laser – water show.
TIP: For the rest of the little time we had, we took different bus routes and visited all the spots in Sentosa without hopping off 😀 Just enjoying a jolly good ride around the place.
TIP: Carry swimming attire for kids if you want to enjoy the pirate ship.
Day 3:
Universal Studios
This takes up the entire day and is worth every penny. Check the map and show timings as soon as you enter. The park consists of 7 themed zones – Madagascar, Far Far Away (Shrek theme), The Lost World, Ancient Egypt (including The Mummy), Sci-Fi City (including Transformers) and New York (including Sesame Street). We took almost every ride that was open and it was so much fun. The scariest were the “Mummy’s Revenge” and “Galactica”. The favorites were the the Jurassic Park’s – River Rapids and TRANSFORMERS – Ultimate 3D Battle. The “Waterworld” show was a different experience of witnessing movie-like actions in person. The most silly ride was -Treasure Hunt, but my kid enjoyed it as he thought he himself was driving the car. 😀 [Which was not the case] . Unfortunately the hurricane show was closed due to technical difficulties and it was compensated with a beautiful Marilyn Monroe greeting and obliging with selfies 😉
TIP: Check the crowd density and decide if you want to purchase the Express Pass which is an add-on to the entry ticket. You can definitely skip queues and use your time better. We had bought the express pass at the entry.
Day 4:
Jurong Bird Park:
We visited Jurong bird park in the morning and it was not upto expectations. They had a wide variety of birds but many of them were inside large cages making them difficult to be spotted or photographed. The pelican bay and the greater-lesser flamingo bays were good. A couple of shows were fun, where the macaws were reciting poems and the hornbills and owls performed. We took the tram ride through the park and checked all the birds we could. Feeding the penguins session was thoroughly enjoyed by the kids and the kids made sure that the penguins had enough to last them for the rest of the day 😀
TIP: Spending 3-4 hours at this place is enough.
Cloud Forest – Flower Dome – Gardens by the Bay
The second half of the day we spent at Cloud Forest – Flower Dome – Gardens by the Bay. All these 3 attractions are in the same campus.We took the elevator from Marina Sands hotel and visited Skypark Observation deck[come with a price\ticket]. If you are in Singapore even for just a day, you just have to climb up one of its futuristic looking skyscrapers and enjoy the city’s skyline! Alternatively you can also view the skyline from the Marina Bay Sand rooftop bar: KuDeTa, which is right above Skypark Observation deck.
The Flower Dome was much hyped compared to reality. The Cloud Forest had a huge man-made waterfall and a cool misty atmosphere, but again just a fancy green house. The supertree groves were splendid both in daylight and dark.
Don’t miss the Garden Rhapsody Light & Sound Show [TIP: The show runs twice a day: at 7:45 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. and it takes around 15 minutes. Make sure to come a bit in advance, so that you take the coolest spot!] FREE . Also check the Marina Bay Sands Wander Full Light and Water Show. [Show times: Sunday – Thursday: 8:00pm, 9:30pm & Friday & Saturday: 8:00pm, 9:30pm, 11:00pm] FREE
TIP: You can easily plan it that way that you can see both shows in 1 day (if you need to). It is about 12-15 minutes to walk between Wonder Full and Supertree Grove. Just follow the signs!
One can also check the children’s garden with different kids activities.
Day 5:
Clarke Quay
Take river cruise from Clarke Quay around the Singapore river and en-route checkout the different architectural gems and city life. You can also visit Clarke Quay in the evening to enjoy the nightlife and food. The use of electric-operated cruises make these environment friendly rides noiseless and more fun.
You can visit the Bugis Village and shopping center for shopping some souvenirs and also checkout the Sim Lim Mall dedicated to electronic items of all kinds.
Evening you can walk down the Helix bridge modelled on the shape of DNA and visit the science center. Soak in the air and get started on packing to head back home.
Fact File
Duration : 6 Days – 5 Nights [at least]
Stay : Ibis Bencoolen, IBIS. [This option is centrally located and is close to the MRT stations. Also has good international breakfast]. Recommended!
Transport: You can travel on your own using MRT or taxi. [EZ-Link card or Singapore Tourist Pass (3 Days Pass)] Public transport in Singapore is extremely good. You can also book travel coach with the help of travel partners.
VISA: Please check the VISA requirement as per your country and apply at least 1 week in advance.
Best time to visit Singapore — Singapore gets little weather variations the whole year round. Any month is generally good to schedule your visit.
More TIPS:
- Pre-book all the activities you plan to do in advance, either online or through travel agent. Klook
- Make sure to buy Singapore 4G SIM Card with pre-booking from Klook
- Book you accommodation well in advance.
Visa and Travel bookings: Travel-o-world, Travel-O-World
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