Most first-time visitors will notice the state-of-the-art architecture. Iconic structures such as the Marina Bay Sands in Why Not, the Supertrees at Gardens by the Bay, the Durian, and the ArtScience Museum are designed to grab your attention. But the more you come and the more you get used to it, something strange happens. They start taking a backseat to show what I really think makes this small island nation so special: its diversity. It’s not without reason that Singapore is called the “melting pot of Asia”. MarinaShe may be too dazzled to understand the bay, but if you stay long enough, you’ll quickly discover that Singapore’s unique mix of ethnicities, cultures and food is what makes this country truly tremble.
Singapore travel restrictions
Due to the current global situation, Singapore’s travel policy is changing regularly. Our friends Booking.com and Makemytrip.com have created websites detailing travel restrictions around the world.
Check travel restrictions to Singapore on Booking.com or Makemytrip.com before making serious travel plans. If you decide to visit Singapore, you should seriously consider travel insurance that covers COVID.
Singapore visa
Depending on your passport, you may need a visa or other travel documents to visit Singapore. Visit VFS Global to check requirements and apply for a visa (if needed).
Overview of Singapore
Singapore, a small island nation in Southeast Asia, has grown into one of the most prosperous nations in the world. A day of walking around will reveal all the hallmarks of an ultra-modern society: an impressive skyline, contemporary architecture, exclusive shopping malls, and a highly efficient subway system.
But despite its steel-and-glass façade, Singapore retains much of its ethnic and cultural diversity, earning it the nickname ‘Asian’s melting pot’. Iconic structures such as Marina Bay Sands and Supertree Grove are impressive, but equally remarkable are the city’s ethnic corners, which preserve each culture’s unique heritage and traditions.
A City Tour Bus takes you to colorful neighborhoods such as Little India, Chinatown, Arab Street and Kampong Glam within 30 minutes. This balance of modernity and cultural preservation is what makes Singapore so appealing. Another thing that surprised me about Singapore is that it seems to be the second most densely populated country in the world, after Monaco. It may be thanks to efforts to make the city comfortable and livable and green.
Singapore is an urbanized city-state with 100% of the population, but more than 50% of Singapore’s land mass is green space. There are over 50 major parks and her four nature reserves, all covering an area of 720 km².
If there was a utopian city in the world today, it would be Singapore. Best time to visit Singapore
Singapore is hot and muggy all year round, so there is no perfect time to visit when it comes to weather. The average temperature is 26-27°C and the humidity is consistently above 80% in all seasons.
The only thing you need to know about Singapore’s weather is that the wettest months are from November to January. It’s monsoon season now, so avoid these months if you don’t want to increase the chances of rain.
November-January:
As explained, this is the monsoon season and he is the wettest time of the year in Singapore. But it’s also the coolest place for travelers unaccustomed to the extreme heat of Southeast Asia. I’ve read that in Singapore, even in the wettest months, it generally rains suddenly, so it may not matter much. Locals recommend going to the malls until the rain stops.
February to October:
June to August are the driest months in Singapore. We were there once in late June and it would be cloudy and drizzly for a couple of days but that was it. The rest of the time was hot and sunny, but still very humid. For those who like shopping and eating out, July is the best time to travel. At this time, both the Great Singapore Sale and the Singapore Food Festival are taking place.
Most travelers to Singapore arrive at Changi Airport by air.
By Subway (SMRT):
SMRT is the fastest and cheapest way to get from the airport to downtown Singapore. It took about 45 minutes to Little India MRT station. From mid-2022, ticket machines will be phased out in Singapore, requiring a prepaid card to use the metro system. For more information, please visit the Visit Singapore website. You can also use this SMRT Fare Calculator to calculate the fare to your destination.
By public bus:
This is another budget option and should get you into town in just over an hour. Unlike the subway, you can pay with cash, but the fare will be higher. Also, change will not be given, so please prepare the correct amount. You can reach the city by bus number 36 from the basement of Changi Airport Terminals 2 and 4. See this route guide for a list of the 36 bus stops and travel times. For more information on how to travel from the airport to the city center by public bus, see Changi Airport Guide.
Airport shuttle:
If you arrive at an odd time, an airport shuttle bus is available for S$10 for adults and S$7 for children (under 12). These shuttles run 24 hours a day and take you directly to your hotel. You can refer to this list to confirm that the hotel is one of the serviced hotels.
By Taxi:
This is the easiest but most expensive method. A taxi into the city costs 20-40 SGD. Larger groups can take advantage of these larger taxis, known as maxi cabs. A flat rate of SGD 60 sleeps up to 7 people. For more information, please visit the Changi website.
Private Send:
If you want to pre-book a private transfer, you can do it through Klook.
We flew into Singapore, but there are other ways to get there depending on where you are, I recommend checking out Bookaway to find out what route options are available.