Suave SINGAPORE

The tone was set upon jumping in the cab from the airport. “Is it your first time visiting Singapore?” the taxi driver enquired as we headed off towards our hotel.

“Yes it is”, I sheepishly confessed - as for an Australian I am way behind my compatriots in visiting this bustling international hub, but it was the perfect answer for that moment, as our driver launched straight into tourist guide mode, proudly sharing his tips to make the most of our stay.

It was a theme we encountered throughout our trip - warm hospitality, endless entertainment and a strong sense of national pride that locals are committed to sharing with visitors. It’s only fair that I continue in the same suit, and pass on these tips to you.

This trip was all about family, taken with our four kids in tow (aged 17, 15, 13 and 10), so the experiences are heavily skewed towards travelling with family.

Singapore won us all over - from the shopping, warm weather and seemingly endless entertainment, to the smooth transportation system and delicious food, its an easy destination for everyone to enjoy.

LAO PA SAT

This historical, open air hawker market is a must visit. Bursting with energy, its filled with the most delicious favourites, Everyone orders from their preferred stalls and then eats together - the kids loved exploring the food options. Make sure you don’t miss “Satay Street” for delicious flame grilled satays. It can be tricky to find, so keep in mind that it’s outside of the main building.

GARDENS BY THE BAY

This expansive garden is a lush green haven of escapism and is well worth the visit. The gardens themselves are free to enter, but there are a couple of areas that require a paid ticket to enter such as the Cloud Forest (with one of the world’s largest indoor waterfalls) and the Flower Dome.

We loved them both, and would recommend adding them to your visit. You can also purchase tickets to walk the OCBC Skyway (pictured here),

Timing is the element that’s critical here. Singapore is hot during the day, so a long stint outdoors in the middle of the day isn’t for everyone. Would recommend arriving about an hour or so before sunset (the sun sets fast here!) and then staying for the Garden Rhapsody lightshow (7.45pm and 8.45pm daily).

There is also an outpost of the Shake Shack located within in the Gardens which made for a very popular dinner choice for the kids.

SHOPPING

Singapore is a shoppers paradise. With over 150 shopping malls to choose from, there are many places to escape the heat and shop in air-conditioned comfort.

Orchard Road is famed for its 2.5km stretch of shopping malls, with the ION mall being a standout. We also loved The Shoppes at Marina Bay and Vivo City. It’s hard to imagine that there are enough shops to fill them all, but there are!

It’s worth keeping in mind that there are food courts in the malls (usually basement level), and restaurants within the centre that delivery standout food options (its a whole lot different to Australian shopping centre food courts!)

SENTOSA

It took me quite some time to get my head around Sentosa, as its a man made island, twenty minutes from the centre of Singapore but it’s a whole world away in terms of its offering.

The beach overlooks a platoon of container ships - which made for an unusual outlook, but an incredible reminder of the global hub that this country is.

It’s much more like Denaru Island in Fiji, where many of the resorts are located, plus its home to major entertainment drawcard such as Universal Studios, Hyper Drive (an indoor multi story go-kart track) and the Sentosa Luge.

We loved all three, though I’d say that the Luge was my favourite. Allow just over an hour for four trips down varying tracks and a whole lot of fun. It’s great for even the smallest of daredevils.

For those choosing to stay on Sentosa, it’s worth noting that the dining options are limited, but it’s easy to book cars via the Grab App to take you back to the city centre.

NIGHT SAFARI

This ‘zoo after dark’ experience is fabulous. There is an open air bus that takes visitors on a 30-40 minute ride across the zoo grounds to get your bearings and a quick moment with the animals.

From there, you will find many walking tracks around the zoo to continue to explore and interact with the animals. There is so much to see, I’d say allow 2-3 hours for the visit.

If you’re keen to go, please note that your ticket is for a timed entry and should be booked a few days in advance.

GENERAL TIPS

There are also a few little things that are worth sharing that may make life a little easier / more enjoyable on your next trip there:

• The MRT (underground train network) is a fabulously fast and effcient way to move around the city. We did find it tricky initially to purchase MRT cards / top them up, as the system doesn’t allow payments from international credit cards - so make sure you have cash on hand for MRT Tickets

• Grab App is the Uber equivalent for Singapore and was our go to - it made life very easy (you can order a 4 or 6 seater car).

• If you can escape without the kids, head to Atlas Bar for an alchemy cocktail moment in the grandest of settings

• Nothing opens early in Singapore (10am start usually) so take it slow in the mornings and save the energy for the nightlife!

• Raffles is worth a visit (the kids were mostly entertained by the fact that you could throw peanut shells straight onto the floor in the Long Room), and the high tea is highly recommended, but it’s the kind of place that you’re only going to find other tourists in. We had fun though!

• Visit Clarke Quay by the river for dinner. You’ll find lots of energy and activity there.