Singapore has 3 times as many visitors annual than that of the whole population.
Singapore has 4 main languages with English being the most widely spoken.
Travelling to Singapore
After having a wonderful time in Vietnam we flew into Singapore’s Changi airport on 17th January 2018 – a super modern airport that is kept extremely clean. We quickly found our transfer driver and within 30 minutes or so we arrived outside the entrance to the Village Hotel Albert Court.
Accommodation
The Village Hotel Albert Court is in a pleasant hotel located in the Bras Basah Bugis precinct close to Rochor and Little India MRT stations. Consequently we found it to be a good location right in the heart of the city. Additionally we had chosen to stay in a club room which included breakfast and access to club lounge, with free drinks and snacks each evening which we enjoyed each day! The rooms are modern and very clean with fresh towels provided daily. Basically the club lounge is the lobby lounge which is a small bar serving cocktails and drinks. The access to the club lounge included snacks, chicken skewers, spring rolls, potato dishes and pastries. Drinks were provided free of charge in the club lounge from 6pm – 8pm. Breakfast had plenty of choice which was more than enough to see us through to lunch.
We were very fortunate that the weather was very good throughout our stay as January is one of the wettest months in Singapore. We did however experience one down pour which was short lived. Our hotel did not have its own swimming pool but had a sister hotel which was near by where you could use the swimming pool. As the temperature was quite warm around 30 degrees we went to the Golden Landmark Hotel to use the swimming pool. It was extremely quiet with only us in the pool most of the time we were there. The pool was lovely and water service was very quick and efficient.
Location
As we arrived fairly late in the day so we just walked to a local store to buy some drinks and food and took these back to the room. After a welcome sleep and a decent breakfast it was time to head off around the city and explore. Firstly we walked across to Rochor station and took a train 3 stops to Bayfront. Afterwards we had a wander around the Marina Bay Sands shopping centre and outside through to the Waterfront Promenade.
Also we decided to take a nosey at the rather swanky Marina Bay Sands Singapore Hotel. It’s an amazing structure comprising three main towers joined together by a single structure across the top. Inside you can purchase tickets to visit the observation deck and enjoy the view across the whole of the city.
Botanic Gardens
We walked through the Marina Bay Sands Singapore Hotel to the Botanic Gardens which are absolutely amazing. It was a beautiful day which made it more enjoyable.
So much to see and take in at the Gardens that you could spend a full day there. Lots of giant sculptures and viewing decks so you can see how stunning the gardens are.
The gardens are immaculately kept and very iconic for Singapore. We spent quite a lot of time here as not only is there so much to see and admire but lots of photo opportunities. If in Singapore the Botanic Gardens are a must see.
Nightlife
On an evening we either went to the bars at Clarke Quay or the bars at Ann Siang Club Street. The Clarke Quay bars are basically bars in a shopping center. Although they served nice drinks and was very busy at Clarke we felt that the atmosphere was not up to much. The drinks were also very expensive.
The bars at Ann Siang Club Street varied from bar to bar and also did the prices. There were so many bars to chose from and although not has busy as the bars at Clarke Quay we felt the atmosphere was better. There was live music in some of the bars which added to the atmosphere. We definitely preferred Ann Siang Club Street but may be younger people would prefer Clarke Quay.
Places to eat
There are so many places to eat in Singapore but we enjoyed the food in Little India and China Town especially during the day as the streets were buzzing with lots to choose from. The food was also very cheap compared to the hotels and larger restaurants but of course the surroundings were of a lower standard. The food was very authentic and of a good standard considering the price.
Summary
Singapore is a lovely place to visit with so much to see and do. Definitely need more time than the few days we were there. We will definately go back again to Singapore on a stop over to another destination.
Images
Things to do
- Visit Botanic Gardens
- Visit Marina Bay Sands Skypark.
- Visit China town
- Visit Raffles hotel
- Visit Little India
- Visit Clark Quay
- Visit Ann Siang Club Street
Top Tips
- Botanic Gradens is a must see if visiting Singapore
- Ensure your hotel is in a good location to see and do the things you want to.
- Clarke Quay has amazing bars and shopping centre.
- Ann Siang Club Street is definitely worth a visit with a variety of bars and live music.
- Visit Little India and China Town to experience the buzz of the places and the4 authentic food.
- Many people visit Singapore has a stop over to another destination if you plan your itinerary before you go you be able to se4e a lot in a short space of time.
- Check out government website before travelling to Singapore https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/singapore/safety-and-security.
- Check out the weather below for best time to visit Singapore.
Weather
| Temp – Celsius Rain – mm | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| High Temp | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 29 |
| Low Temp | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 |
| Rainfall | 238 | 155 | 174 | 166 | 171 | 163 | 150 | 171 | 163 | 191 | 250 | 269 |
| Number of days | 18 | 13 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 25 | 25 |