Travel Journal

This year we were offered the chance to spend our two week winter break in a family apartment in Singapore and whilst I initially thought maybe it would just be a handy base to explore Indonesia and Malaysia from; we ended spending most of our time there….because boy is Singapore a treasure trove of experiences!

We had 8 full days in Singapore and could easily have stayed another week. Who knew that this country has quite so much on offer for travellers of any age. The longer we stayed the more we got to know the cheapest (and best) places to eat, where to explore for free or very little and how many cultures are packed into one little spot.

Our base was located in River Valley, an easy walk to Orchard Road (where the shopping remains world class and at every price point). Leather shoes for $50 SGD anyone! and in the other direction, a short bike ride or 15 minute walk to Robertson Quay on the river. This is a beautiful area full of cafes and bars, and locals getting their exercise in. Our favourite spot for morning coffee and a distinctive French feel was Merci Marcel. A flat white here is just as good as in NZ. Bikes are widely available through two operators and you can just pay through the app as you pick them up for around $1 SGD per 30 mins. They operate just like e-scooters here.

We were right next to an MRT station and used the underground to get around most of Singapore. It was excellent, air conditioned and a cheap way to get around.

The highlight for us (two adults, two children aged 11 and 13) food wise were the food centres/hawker markets. Needless to say Singapore is probably the one place in the world where you dont have to think twice about eating street food. Meals are around $4-$7 SGD each and absolutely delicious. There are literally hundreds of different options, and our two favourite centres were Maxwell (in Chinatown) and Zion (close to where we were staying). I still can’t quite figure out how they can make such delicious meals for that price. We also ate one night at Lau Pa Sat which is one of the oldest markets but also the most popular and a little more touristy. It didn’t have quite the same authentic feel as the other two which we preferred.

Downtown Singapore also has three distinctive areas which are well worth exploring especially to discover a taste of a different culture. Chinatown was buzzing at night with bars and restaurants everywhere. During the day you notice how many shops and stalls fill any free space and there are some great shopping deals to be found. We vistited the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple whilst they were reciting a sutra, and it was quite a special experience. Not far away is Singapore’s oldest Hindu temple, Sri Mariamann which is also open to tourists. For both of these you must be dressed modestly or they provide shawls.

Kampong Glam is full of Arabic and Turkish restaurants, shops and the Sultan Mosque featuring massive golden domes. This area is becoming increasingly popular with large bright murals featuring on the sides of buildings and at night it comes alive with trendy bars. Again, I had one my best coffees ever at Arabica here! Little India is not far from this area too.

With a couple of kids, we had to visit Sentosa, the luge was huge fun for us all and we watched the fireworks from a free spot! We visited the Wild Wild Wet waterpark near Downtown East. This location is much closer to Changi than Sentosa if you’re just in Singaopre for a short stop with the kids and is much cheaper and with short queues compared to the waterpark on Sentosa too.

There are also more than 50 museums and galleries in Singapore, so this time we visited one that was new to all of us and had something we were all interested in. The Art and Science Museum is an impressive looking structure and sits on the river in front of the Marina Bay Sands. There were three exhibitions on that were fascinating and designed for the whole family to enjoy; including a teamLab pop up (the Japanese immersive digital art experience).

But the one thing Singapore itself doesnt have much of are beautiful beaches. Good thing it is incredibly close to Indonesia and Malaysia which do! We chose to spend 3 days on Bintan Island (a 1 hour ferry ride away) and another 3 on the Desaru Coast in Malaysia (a 1.5 hour ferry). Bintan was our favourite. It felt truly Indonesian with the friendliest locals and incredible service at the resort we stayed in. This was located right on the white sandy beach of Lagoi Bay. We could easily have stayed longer here. The Desaru Coast up on the eastern side of Peninsula Malaysia was equally beautiful but felt a little more designed for weekenders and golfers from Singapore. In addition to these spots, there are many private island options (not as pricey as you might assume) and the connections from Singapore are just so easy.

At the end of our trip, we still weren’t ready to leave knowing that Singapore still had more for us to uncover one day and hooked by the accessibility to discover more of South East Asia’s stunning islands from.