10 Actually Things to Do in Singapore
Its history goes back to millennia but the modern Singapore was founded in 1819 as a British trading colony for the British East India Company. It is a very crowded city with population size of over 5.5 million people. Singapore is a tourist attractor, prosperous, tax- friendly country with world’s busiest port. The country is constantly evolving, reinventing and reimagining itself, with citizens who are very passionate about creating new possibilities for the country. Singapore is influenced by Chinese, Medley and Indians along with a tropical climate, mouthwatering foods, vibrant night life and thrilling adventures.
This is where all the shopaholics, foodies, adventurers, action seekers, vacationers, collectors, socialisers and culture shapers meet and create memories together. New experiences are created everyday here as the country is filled with entertainment for all age groups. Singapore has become one of the most popular and liked travel destinations in the world for a lot of reasons such as less stringent entry requirements and lots of entertaining destinations.
Here are 10 Actually Things to Do in Singapore
1. Merlion Park
Singapore’s Merlion Park is a famous landmark and a major tourist attraction. Merlion is the figure of a mythical creature that has the head of a lion and body and tail of a fish. This mythical statue is a mascot and national personification when advertised in media about the country. There are two Merlions at the park; one is located in One Fullerton, Singapore near the Central Business District whereas another Merlion is located nearby it.
The Merlion represents the city’s humble start as a fishing village which has now been modernized. The statue looks over Marina Bay and makes a good starting point for exploring the surrounding areas. As the Merlion spouts water from its mouth, many flock near it to take trick eye photo op just like how visitors take a photo up the Leaning Tower when visiting Pisa. With the sightseeing and a walking quest around the park, visitors are always excited as Merlion Park is a great place for photo-ops and creating new memories.
2. Marina Bay Sands
It is located at 10 Bay front Avenue. It is the pride of the father of Singapore where one can experience heaven on earth. It is a notable tourist attraction which houses casinos, high-end luxury hotel, luxury restaurants, and a mall with a canal running through it, the Art science museum and Sky front to take in the entire city’s view. It is an excellent site for a number of fun and cost-free activities along the bay. One can experience laser light show at night at 08:00 pm and 09:30 pm for fifteen minutes Singapore time by the waterfront.
Just walking along the bay in the evening time can be a wonderful experience as the place is filled with clean and plenty of cafes and shops to enjoy when walking. On one side you have the incredible downtown skyline whereas on the other side you have the Marina Bay Sands and even the Merlion Statue can be seen from the bay. One can enjoy boat trips as well as a tour of the waterfront.
3. Sentosa Island
Sentosa Island is a sunny island located 15 minutes away from the city center where you can enjoy fun times in the sun. It is a beach destination as well as a huge playground filled with innumerable activities. The island has 3 golden sandy beaches: Siloso beach, Palawan beach and Tanjong beach where you can sunbathe go kayaking and skim boarding. It also has themed attractions, underwater aquarium, and award winning spas, Resort styled hotels, Fort Siloso and Tiger sky tower.
One can make an amazing experience when they see crane dance daily at 8:00pm Singapore time, where two mechanical birds meet, fall in love and transform into real birds amidst a beautiful spectacle of illusion and light-play. One fun fact to watch the crane dance is to secure a good vantage point by arriving 30 minutes before the show. Few names of the hotels where you can stay in Sentosa Island are: Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa, Beach Villas, Equarius Hotel and Festive Hotel.
4. Orchard Road
The Orchard Road spanning almost 2.2 kilometers, is located in the heart of Singapore which is tree-lined one-way boulevard flanked by opulent branded as well as high street fashion shopping malls. It is known as every shoppers and diners paradise. This place’s humble beginning dates back to the early 1830s, when the place was filled with fruit orchards, nutmeg plantations and pepper farms but now it has become the most beloved shopping district which is crowded by shopaholics and tourists.
The Orchard Road contains luxury retails, multi-storey and luxurious shopping centers, hotels, bars and restaurants. It can be considered the center of shopping and tourism. People can visit Singapore just for shopping and dining as the Orchid road is filled with style and designer chic clothes and shoes, high class restaurants. The shopping malls operate from 10:00-22:00. The popular shopping malls in Orchard road are: ION Orchard, Ngee Ann City, Far East Plaza and Lucky Plaza. It houses world famous branded boutiques like Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Hermes, Chanel and Loewe.
5. Jurong Bird Park
Jurong Bird Park is an aviary which is the first wildlife park in Singapore and the biggest park all over Asia. It is opened daily from 08:30 to 18:00. The admission costs is SG$29 (US$21) for adults, SG$19 (US$14) for children and SG$13 (US$10) for senior citizens. It offers the rare opportunity to interact with 400 species of birds when you visit Waterfall Aviary, Wings of Asia, Penguin Coast and Lory Loft.
When visiting Jurong Bird Park, people can experience Bird’s Eye Tour where one can interact with birds, High Flyers show where one can see the largest flock of birds, Kings of the skies show to meet the mighty predators of the sky, Lory feeding which has the world’s largest Lory Flight Aviary, Lunch with Parrots and eat at Lory Loft Café which has a great ambience.
6. Singapore Zoo
Singapore zoo, formerly know as Singapore Zoological Gardens or mandai Zoo is located at 80 Mandai Lake Road occupies 28 hectares of land. The opening hour of the zoo is 8:30 am to 6:30 pm. It has embraced the open exhibits concept with hidden barriers, moats and glass between the animals and visitors whereby animals are kept in enclosures separated from visitors rather than caging them like every other zoo does.
The facility is clean and inviting, the animals are well treated and fed with plenty of vegetation and has a good habitat space so that they don’t feel stressed. The zoo houses the largest captivity colony of Orangutans in the world. Popular tourist attractions in Singapore zoo are getting to know the animals of the sanctuary especially Orangutans, Family fun at Rainforest kidzworld, Wildlife tours to make the visit extra wild and Indulging oneself in Jungle breakfast. The zoo attracts 1.7 million visitors each year according to the study.
7. Downtown Exploring on Bumboat
Bumboat refers to a small boat or water taxi used for quick transport and river tours. The bumboats are often painted with eyes and faces supposedly to “see the danger ahead” when it is floating on night time. It is a must to ride on a bumboat when visiting Singapore. You can acquaint yourself with Singapore’s history and modernity in one classic bumboat experience.
There are two bumboat service companies which are: Singapore River Cruise and Singapore River Explorer. The boats follow a similar route with stops when giving rides such as Esplanade, Boat Quay, Clarke Quay, Clemenceau and Robertson Quay. The ticket rate for the River Cruise is S$25 for adults, S$15 for children whereas River taxis are S$5 per trip. Going in the afternoon time can give people a chance to see beautiful sunsets and the best view of day and night of the waterfront.
8. Chinatown
Singapore’s Chinatown is a gold mine of Chinese heritage and culture with its old temples, markets, tea houses, traditional wet markets. It is filled with small mom-and-pop stores, authentic Chinese food, bright red lanterns, historic shop houses giving visitors a glimpse of old Chinatown.
In contrast to this, its modernity is seen in boutique hotels, chic restaurants and hip bars. The place is filled with ornate Chinese, Hindu and Buddhist temples and museums. Some of the best places to visit in Chinatown are Buddhist Tooth Relic Temple, Thian Hock Keng Temple, Al-Abrar Mosque, Jamae Church, Chinese Methodist Church, Sri Mariamman Temple, NUS Baba House, Singapore City Gallery, Red Dot Design Museum and many more.
9. Smith Marine Floating Kelong restaurant
Smith Marine is Singapore’s first floating kelong restaurant, an amazing place to visit. It is located off the north-eastern coast of Singapore between Pualu Ubin and Changi point ferry terminal. It serves the best and freshest seafood and has the best view of the sea.
The restaurant shows how flower crabs, lobsters, sea bass, grouper and other seafood are farmed. It is an ideal location for corporate and social gatherings such as dinners, cocktails, birthdays and social occasions and business luncheons. The restaurant lets you try fishing for your own dinner as well. As the sun sets people can enjoy beautiful sunsets, cool sea breeze and Singapore’s signature Chili crab along with varieties of sea foods.
10. Medical Tourism Hub
Singapore promotes itself as a medical tourism hub as an Economist Intelligence Unit report states that about 550,000 overseas patients visit the city- state every year to seek medical treatment. Due to increasing of diseases meshed with medical complexities, a large number of patients are now requiring highly complex surgeries and treatments in Singapore.
It has a robust public-private healthcare system that comprises a number of world-class hospitals. Many world- class medical facilities have been added in the recent past in Singapore. The country has reinforced its status as a cutting-edge healthcare tourism destination. Singapore provides health screenings as well as for high-end surgical procedures in specialties like cardiology, neurology, oncology, gynecology, pediatrics and organ transplants.
Moreover, Singapore has expertise in advanced cancer treatment and robotic operations. People not only visits Singapore for travelling at entertainment places but also visits for medical treatments.
What to do in Singapore at Night
Singapore is not just about daytime tours and shopping, its night life has a different fun to it. When the sun goes down all the buildings and skyscrapers shine like stars. Visitors can do lots of activities even in night time. It has the biggest park home to animals and birds which are nocturnal. It is home to the world’s first nocturnal zoo where visitors can take a tour to see nocturnal creatures spend their waking-hours.
Besides this Clarke Quay is quite popular for an evening of waterfront dining, live music bars, trendy dance clubs and beer pubs. Singapore’s parties are tamed compared to Bangkok and consumption of alcoholic drinks in public is prohibited from 10:30 pm to 7:00am. Singapore has the tallest all fresco rooftop bar in the world called Altitude Rooftop Gallery and Bar. It organizes night festival for one weekend only where one can experience artistic heritage buildings all bright and lit up.
What to do in Singapore with Kids
Singapore is a suitable and excellent travel destination for families. Many parents fear of travelling when kids are involved but Singapore is a clean, organized and safe place not just for kids but for every age group of travelers. The country embraces harmonious living and a haven for tourists. Many activities can be done in Singapore with kids such as visit Universal Studios Singapore, S.E.A Aquarium and Adventure Cove water Park of Sentosa Island, Night Safari, Jungle breakfast with the wildlife preserved Orangutans at Singapore Zoo, Strolls around sandy beaches and Marina Bay, Beautiful garden by the bay, Rhapsody light and sound show at night and Shopping at Orchard road.
You may think where we should eat as a family in Singapore. Well one can enjoy delicious and variety of cuisine from street food to high class foods from Hawker markets such as Satay under the Stars- Boon Tat Street Night Market and Maxwell Road Hawker Centre, Traditional Singapore breakfast, Chili crab and other types of seafood, Slappy cakes and so on.
What to do in Singapore on Weekend
Some tourists love travelling even on the weekends. As Singapore is surrounded by water, one can enjoy a leisurely cruise on weekends by boarding the Royal Albatross. The Royal Albatross is a traditionally-rigged ship which is the only one of its kind in Asia, having sailed for 15,000 kilometers from Chicago to Singapore. Another things can be done is an exciting Virtual Reality Experience at Sandbox VR where one can enjoy a team-based VR game for not just teens but the whole family. People can give Kayak Fishing a shot in Singapore.
As the name suggests, kayak fishing is a combination of paddling a kayak with the thrill and skill of trying to catch fish. This activity offers three itineraries, covering different distances: The Playground (2-4 km), Big Boat Small Boat (3-5 km) and Island Hopper (7-10km). If one wants to mingle with nature they can go hiking along the Southern Ridges or wander down a MacRitchie Reservoir Trail which is a great place for nature lovers. A tour around Changi Museum can also be a good idea.