Things to do in Singapore for tourists: A quick guide

PUBLISHED May 7th, 2013 01:42 am | UPDATED January 19th, 2016 04:20 pm

Everyone has their usual haunts and hang outs, but when we have friends in town and are required to morph into the all knowing tour guide, it’s often hard to remember all the things Singapore has to offer – all the ‘sights’ so to speak. So when the time comes to be the ultimate guru in tourist knowledge for friends and family, don’t sweat it – just secretly sneak a peek at our guide here…

Great Views

If you’re into cityscapes then Singapore has plenty of roof top bars which display the city in its full glory. In my opinion, the best view and the one visitors are usually most impressed with is 1-Altitude, the highest outdoor bar in the world. Grab a sunset drink 63 floors in the air and look down out to Marina Bay Sands. If you want to feel a little more amongst things then try Ku De Ta, Marina Bay Sands Skytower or Swissotel The Stamford – which has a rooftop Helipad, usually open the last Thursday of every month and offers a beautiful open view of the city. Or if it’s just a more chilled drink you’re looking for, then you can try Lantern at The Fullerton Bay or Kinki at Customs House.

Sight Seeing

Gardens by the Bay

Ever wondered what those Avatar looking trees by Marina Bay Sands are really all about? Well mosey on down to Gardens by the Bay and discover the wonders those man made trees do for their environment. The cloud walk is the closest thing to fresh air you’ll find in Singapore and is worth it for that alone. Bring along your picnic basket because once you’ve explored the domes you can relax in the grounds, or if you’re after a spot of air-conditioned lunch then try Pollen (see our review here).

The Botanic Gardens offer a different garden feel and is also worth seeing. Pitch up for a lazy Sunday afternoon with a wine picnic!

Although Singapore isn’t hugely concerned with its historical monuments, there are certainly some things worth viewing. You can find some at Fort Canning Park, particularly the Fort Gate or Bunker Box. More information about Fort Canning and other N Parks destinations can be found here.

Arts

Singapore’ art scene is massively up and coming, with lots of big Broadway titles making their way over to us to join the smaller local performances. Make sure you check out what good theatre and dance productions are coming up here.

In terms of non-theatrical art, why not explore Singapore Art Museum, Art Plural Gallery, 51 Waterloo Street and The Substation all at Bras Basah.

Getting Cultured

Peranakan Museum

For an insight into other cultures, there are a whole host of beautiful chapels, synagogues, temples and other religious buildings dotted around Singapore. If you only see a few of these, here are the ones to see: Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple at Waterloo Street, Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum at South Bridge Road, St Andrew’s Cathedral at City Hall and Sultan Mosque at Arab Street.

If temples aren’t your thing then you can always get your dose of traditional culture by heading to Geylang for some of its amazing local eateries, to Armenian Street to check out the Peranakan Museum or over to Chinatown to experience its market.

Areas

For eating, drinking and relaxing try Duxton or Tiong Bahru. Both are full with a variety of cool places to rock up for an afternoon or evening. Sentosa is worth a weekend day trip for its beach clubs or maybe even a spa.

Where To Eat

Magic Carpet Lounge in the Arab Quarters

There are some really tasty Hawker Centres in Singapore, some a lot better than others. We recommend Maxwell Road Hawker (Outram Park) and La Pau Sat (Raffles Place) for the true Hawker experience. For somewhere a little smaller try June’s at Tanjong Katong Road for some fresh seafood and a Tiger or two. Gluttons by the Bay is also worth visiting in the evening. It’s a small hawker with a great view of the river. Make a night of it and head for drinks at Orgo or soak up the sound of a free concert down by The Esplande before taking a river walk.

To take a break from hawkers, head to Arab Street for some shisha, food and even a bit of Jazz or over to East Coast Park for some super fresh seafood on the beachfront.

Brunch

Singapore is huge on brunch! If you’re not here on a budget then try out one of the Sunday bubbly brunches, consisting on either buffet style or al la carte food and usually free flow something or other. The best free flow bubbly ones are usually found in hotels and average at around $100-$150. Totally worth it if it’s a special occasion. Look out for our brunch article towards the end of May to find out which really are the best of the rest amongst brunch spots. For a cheaper, quirkier brunch option then check out our reviews here and here.

Something Different

River Safari

If you’re in Singapore for a while, you might want to explore the surrounding islands or take a day trip to Bintan – particularly if you’re big on golf – for a peaceful retreat. Or why not try out a cooking class for local cuisine? Here’s the ones we recommend. For a dose of Chinese culture, check out a Chinese tea ceremony at Tian Fu Tea Room.

If you fancy getting in touch with rural Singapore then why not visit the farms up at Kranji and lunch at Bollywood Veggies. There are also some cool activities dotted around, for example you can visit the Jungle Beer Brewery or get at one with nature at the River Safari.

Getting Active

Singapore isn’t all shopping and great cocktails. There are plenty of ways to get out and about and burn off some of that much loved chicken rice. For bike rides and roller blading in beautiful surroundings head to East Coast Park, where you can then treat yourself to some well deserved local Chili Crab at any of the seafront restaurants.

Pulau Ubin offers a similar experience, along with kayaking, cooking classes and much more. To get a sweat on trek on one of Singapore’s numerous trails and explore a wilder side of this city. You can even get involved with some rock climbing at Onsight Climbing. Or if you’re a waterbaby, try out stand up paddling at Sentosa!

Shopping

MAAD Pyjamas

Although there are plenty of places to shop, some areas might eat at your pockets a little more than others. For market buys, especially bags and jewellery, head to Bugis Street for its market style shopping centre. For quaint boutiques that are worth the spend, head to Haji Lane near Arab Street for one off finds.

For more of a spend up in a place you’ll be spoilt for choice, it’s Orchard Road you’re looking for. Full of highstreet and designer brands, you should find whatever your heart desires.

If you’re after something a little more quirky, keep an eye out for periodical markets like MAAD Market of Artists and Designers which happens at the red dot design museum on the first Friday of every month, as well as other markets here.

If you’ve come on the hunt for electricals then you might be interested in the four IT fairs that happen every year, usually either at Singapore Expo or Suntec Convention Centre. Keep a look out for these as they provide some decent discounts if you’re hunting for bargain electricals. Otherwise you can try Sim Lim Square for electronics.

There’s always plenty to do in Singapore, it’s just knowing where to find it. For more reasons to agree, see our A-Z of why Singapore isn’t boring.