Singapore
travel tips

Unfortunately, we only had one day in Singapore, as our flight from Sumatra was very late. And so we headed with a proper portion of rage in the belly and head full of expectations into this supposedly so dreamlike city. Unfortunately, on the way to the airport, it started to rain heavily, so we headed directly to Chinatown in the food courts. Read our Singapore travel tips and get the most out of Singapore for just a few hours.

Update 2019:
Now we gave ourselves a second chance with Singapore and spent three full days in the city. We really liked the Katong area. Of course we have one or two Singapore travel tips for you again.

Short Facts

Currency

Singapore Dollar (SGD)

Language

English, Tamil, Malay language, Northern Chinese dialects, Mandarin Chinese

Inhabitants

5,6 Millions

Price level

$$-$$$

ARRIVAL, VISA DEPARTURE - SINGAPORE TRAVEL TIPS

Germans, Austrians and Swiss do not need a visa for Singapore for a tourist stay of up to 90 days. A sufficiently valid passport, a completed immigration card, which you can get on the plane or at the airport, and an onward ticket are sufficient. Line up with the Immigration Officer and he will stamp a note on your passport.

For travelers who can only spend a few hours in this city, Singapore Changi Airport offers a special service: Early check-in for the checked baggage. We checked in our large backpacks free of charge many hours before departure. For this, a horrendous fee is charged at other airports. Cool thing and definitely a highlight of our Singapore travel tips.

We also wanted to temporarily store our hand luggage with a service provider for a fee. But be careful, not everything can be handed over. You shouldn't leave your notebook or camera in your pocket, or better, no valuables. You also pay extra for all attachments to the backpack, such as neck pillows or shoes. In our opinion, these storage stores are rather not recommended.

The exit from Singapore is relatively uncomplicated. Either purely electronically by pushing the passport into a reader or you queue at the immigration counter. The nice staff will guide you to the right place.

On the go

We drove from the airport to the city with GRAB for S $ 18. Absolutely easy! You enter your location and the destination. The app shows different drivers (even with ratings) and prices. If you select a driver, you have the option of paying without cash or in cash at the driver. Once the booking is complete, you can track where the driver is. Top!
We drove back to the airport very cheaply by metro. The trip from Marina Bay costs S $ 2.40.
In the entire metro area (i.e. also in the waiting areas), neither drinking nor eating is allowed. No groceries!
The Metro ticket machine only takes coins. There are usually no exchange offices next door.
The ticket cards can be used several times. You only have to put it back on the next ticket purchase and it will be recognized.

Update 2019:
Dieses Mal sind wir nur noch mit GRAB gefahren. Einfach, schnell, günstig und absolut zuverlässig.

Singapur Reisetipps
Singapur Reisetipps

SIM CARD - SINGAPORE TRAVEL TIPS

We bought a SIM card from Star Hub at 7Eleven. It is valid for seven days and gives you 100 gigabytes of data for 12 Singapore dollars. You need a passport for this. The network coverage was good when it worked. We were not so satisfied with this provider.

Singapur Reisetipps
Reiseziele in Asien

Food - Singapore Travel Tips

Hawker Centers are the traditional street food markets. However, the stands are permanently installed and are not always set up and taken down at a market. These feeding oases are the top recommendation of our Singapore travel tips. This time we tested two new Hawker Centers and noticed that when we visited Singapore for the first time, we weren't in any real Hawker Centers.

Check out the Hawker Center on Old Airport Road. There is a morning market and an evening market. From 9:00 p.m. there is not much going on here and the stands close slowly.

The Masala Tandoor is also recommended.

Singapur Reisetipps
Singapur Reisetipps

Gardens by the Bay

If you love nature and have traveled a lot, you will be rather disappointed with Flower and Cloud-Dome. In our opinion, this is really nothing special. Every botanical garden does more. The entry is also overpriced at $S 27 and we were annoyed to have wasted our few hours in Singapore. But you have to admit that the outdoor area is definitely impressive at night. The huge glowing trees with the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in the background are definitely fascinating. Gardens by the Bay is the flop of our Singapore travel tips.
Singapur Reisetipps

Katong

On our second stay in Singapore, we stayed in the Katong district. For those who want to see a more original Singapore, this is our next Singapore travel tip. The area really has charm and an impressive history that you cannot escape in Katong. There are no skyscrapers, but many traditional restaurants. The further you are from the main street, the cheaper the prices will be.

The location between the city center and the airport is great. A GRAB driver can take you anywhere for a few euros. The Koon Seng Road with its many colorful houses is also relatively close. That gives great pictures.

Singapur Reisetipps
Singapur Reisetipps

OUR CONCLUSION ABOUT SINGAPORE

On our first visit, we haven't been impressed by Singapore. However, we did not have the best conditions. Who likes a place when it pours out of buckets? We can only share our first impressions with you here. We definitely give the city another chance and will then add to our Singapore travel tips.

Update 2019:
Overall, we can only partially understand the hype surrounding Singapore. We just haven't gotten really warm yet. But that doesn't have to mean anything. We know enough well-traveled travelers who love the city. We hope you have a great time in Singapore and can use one or the other Singapore travel tip.

Other posts you may be interested in:

Bunt, Katong, Einzigartig

Tempel, Geschichte, Rummel

Dschungel, Vulkane, Strände

Erholung, Genuss, Sonne

Großstadt, Modern, Anders

Weihrauch, Strand, Bergdörfer

road trip, city trip, beach

time, costs, plan