Heres why…
Let’s break down how you can make this dream come true, and make the most of your trip wit the help of Eny, a local Singaporean resident since 2019.
First and foremost, we need to arrive. Doing so has become significantly easier in the past couple of months, here’s how:
How to get to Singapore safely, preparation, visas:
Starting April 1st travellers will no longer need to quarantine or test negative to enter Singapore as long as they are fully vaccinated (2 doses at least). Mask restrictions have lessened, where you are now able to walk around outside without a mask, concerts are back and restaurants open past 10:30pm. It’s a dream.
A couple months ago, Singapore looked completely different. Mask restrictions were strict, testing was imminent to one’s arrival in Singapore and a positive result meant immediate quarantine at a government mandated quarantine hotel.
In order to make it to Singapore today, it has become much easier. The VTL process has been relaxed, according to BTN: [https://www.businesstravelnewseurope.com/Management/Singapore-to-relax-Covid-entry-rules-from-1-April]
Visas will continue to operate as usual.
Must see spots in Singapore
Singapore is beautiful city that I believe every young person deserves to experience in their 20s especially, or else in their lifetime. Its vibrant, green, and earthy, hot and sweaty but also calm and cool. I believe Singapore has the capability to change you, offer you perspective and ground you in a way that your home town could never.
Singapore has a lot to offer anyone looking to find something. The parks, the history and the overall vibe that comes with the city is simply matchless. The rich history of Singapore can be learned though exploring the town by foot like many of the locals.
“If you’re a big spender, big shopper, this is the place to come and in B and it’s extremely beautiful. During holiday season, all the lights, all the decorations, they honestly make you feel like you’re in Disneyland. It’s Orchard, the main shopping district in Singapore.”
“There is the Marina areas, well, marina bay sands, which is a beautiful park. They have these trees, and they have these lights which go on at night. And it’s a beautiful thing to watch as well. And still in marina, you have the marina bay sands, those famous towers, that form a boat on top. You have other shopping malls inside of that building. You have restaurants, you have a lot of things. Again, if you’re a big shopper, that’s one of the places to go. The view is beautiful from all angles.”
You can never be bored in Singapore and if you are you’re either going to the wrong places or looking for the wrong things. Starting at Orchard for some obvious shopping, you will explore the city, inch by inch
“Nearby you have Clark Quay and you have Robertson Quay as well. You can actually walk and past all of them. It’s basically an area field that’s by river. It’s filled with bars and restaurants, and it’s beautiful both in the morning and in the evening. In the morning, you find a lot of activity, like a lot of joggers. I love seeing people cycling. People with pets. There’s a lot of exercising and walking. It’s a very healthy city, people having breakfast, brunch, all of that. In the evening, it’s nightlife. Basically, everybody that is out, is there. All the restaurants, all the lights. Yeah. It’s a very likely place to be during the week, during the week after work. It’s one of the good, good, good places to go.”
“Raffles Area as well, which is where you have all the big, um, all the, all the companies, offices, it’s basically downtown. It’s a nice area as well. Again, good food. One of the things that I’ll say, and I’ll never stop is that Singapore has great food, and it has all kinds of good food, all kinds of food from different types of cultures.”
“Harbourfront, there are a few parks. There’s a park there called Mount Faber and there’s a bridge called Henderson Park. There’s the botanical garden. I think it’s one of the famous parks. It’s huge. It’s beautiful, has a lot of beautiful orchids, which is the signature flower for Singapore, and they have a lot of, um, souvenir shops there where you can get very unique presents. If you want to give anything to anybody.”
“You have to visit Sentosa. It’s their artificial beach. It’s, it’s an island within an island, but it’s very beautiful. They have different beaches there. They have hotels, they have a lot of attractions. They have a lot of good restaurants as well. So, it’s a good place to get away from everything. If you miss the beach, if you miss the water, if you miss that vibe, that’s the place to go.
Walk, don’t cab
The city is built and centred around health and wellness so walking ends up becoming a thing of pleasure rather than obligation. Instead of paying exorbitant prices for cabs, walk it out or catch a MRT (tube) or a bus. You’ll learn more and more about the city, you’ll walk amongst the locals and learn more about them and their experience and I believe you’ll end up with a richer, more well-rounded understanding experience of the city.
“If you actually want to see the city though, don’t use, grab [the Uber of Singapore] or taxis, actually use the MIT, use the buses. They’re very comfortable. They’re very effective.”
Cook… AND eat out!
I know what you’re thinking. No one wants to go on holiday to cook and clean, however the quality of food in Singapore is something incomparable. The fruits and veg, the meats and snacks, its something like no other. For anyone who values and cherishes the art of cooking and putting a meal together, cooking in Singapore will change your life.
I will say however, eating out in Singapore is on another level. From fusion cuisine to traditional Singaporean dishes, you can never claim to have had a bad meal out on the town. You must try to eat like the locals and like the tourists cause both experiences are worth it.
“You can never go wrong with food in Singapore. No matter the price, no matter the place you eat. I would say be ready to be amazed.”
What has Singapore taught you about yourself, your life, your 20s/30s?
“Singapore has taught me how to be more independent. I say more independent because I basically do everything. I think it taught me how to take more. It gave me the space that I needed to take better care of my health because everything is fresh. Going out for a walk for a jog, going to the gym is just within my reach. Going to the store or going to a restaurant and finding the type of healthy food that you need. It’s just easy. It’s just there. Everything is available, everything is easy.”
“It helped me to be a little bit more grounded as well, because it’s a place where you find a lot of people that have a lot of, I would say money and things, but you barely notice who has what, because everybody basically looks the same, everybody. You can find somebody with a very expensive bag or very expensive pair of shoes sitting next to you in the subway. Yeah. It’s just, it makes you very grounded. You can walk around the city and pass by millionaires. It grounds you in a way it’s super safe.”
“Everybody minds their own business, which I personally liked. Yeah, and it’s super healthy. It’s super fresh. You go out, you see trees everywhere. The air you breathe is just, ah, it honestly reminds me of Mozambique, my country. It’s that vibe, you know, that vibe you get when you go to the provinces and stuff oh it’s the best. So, I would say that I’m still learning. I’m still learning, ask me this question again in a few years, I’m still learning.”
“If you’re coming to Singapore, well, be ready to sweat, especially if you really want to get to know the city, because if you come and you just spend your time in taxis, you won’t see anything. You will not be able to see anything. If you want to see Singapore, you have to be on. You have to be ready to walk, to go places too. Yeah. So for that, be ready to sweat, bring light and fresh clothes, you know, just, just be ready for that. Be ready to eat and explore food places. Be open-minded and just come to absorb. All the culture, and all that it has to give you?”