How to Spend a Weekend in Singapore

I have to say, when I went about planning my Southeast Asia adventure, I went at it a little blindly. It started as a two-country, three-week trip that escalated into a nearly three-month long adventure through six countries. It was purely accident, I swear. Singapore got added on only because I threw Bali into the mix and found a cheap-ish flight there. It was sort of a stopover city on my itinerary so I ended up having only a weekend in Singapore.

And because of that, I kind of neglected it a bit in terms of planning. It was only 2-3 days after all. But I quickly found out that this was not the right way to go about it. Singapore is an impressive city for SO many reasons and deserves some pre-departure attention. Not only are there lots of things to see during the day, but there are quite a few things to do at night in Singapore.

Things To Know About Singapore

Is Singapore a country? A city? Well, technically both. It’s a city and also a sovereign island nation that’s located off the tip of Malaysia. There are four official languages, one of which is English, so there’s no real language barrier while traveling there. It’s also highly developed, modern and extraordinarily clean.

Another reason I opted for only staying a weekend? It’s very expensive. Like, Crazy Rich Asian expensive (there’s a reason that movie is about Singapore). So yeah, me and my backpack-hauling self, traveling for three months, could spare a weekend but not much more. Oh, and it’s the most expensive city to live in…in the WORLD. For the 6th straight year. So, there’s that.

There’s also a reason this city is so clean and organized–they have some pretty strict laws regarding upkeep. Jaywalking? Littering? Chewing GUM?? These all have a $1000 fine attached. And you can’t play annoying music in public. Or forget to flush a public toilet. And don’t even THINK about connecting to someone else’s WIFI unless you want to go to jail.

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Places to See in Singapore

If you can only afford a long weekend in Singapore like me, you’ll have to opt for the highlights, which there are some really cool places to see here. Let’s start with the airport since you’ll be flying in there. And I know what you’re thinking…’Let’s get the heck out of this airport!’

But not here.

Singapore Changi Airport

This airport is ranked #1 in the entire world and their catchphrase is “more than an airport”. Why? Because there’s a freaking jungle IN THE AIRPORT. With a WATERFALL that drops from the ceiling. Apparently it has a name and it’s called a rain vortex. There’s a hedge maze, a mirror maze, a CANOPY BRIDGE, and I cannot express to you the regret you’ll have if you don’t explore it (be right back…crying).

(This is why you do your research people. Still upset about it. Do not just get your bags and walk out. Just look at it.)

Marina Bay Sands

I have to start out with the Marina Bay Sands hotel (MBS) because it’s iconic and on the list of most expensive hotels ever built (#5 to be exact). It’s also a fantastic place to stay in Singapore if you want to splurge.

Those amazing infinity pool pictures? Those are probably from here. We’re breaking a lot of records here because the famous pool, which is 57 floors up, is the world’s largest rooftop infinity pool. Can anyone go? Well, no. You have to be a guest at the hotel to use it. So save up! Because, you guessed it, it’s expensive. (Remember the engagement party in Crazy Rich Asians with the synchronized swimmers? That was filmed here!)

Skypark Observation Deck

If you’re on a budget, but still want to see the view, there’s an observation deck on the rooftop and ticket prices are about $18. But it’s just an observation deck. You’ll just be able to walk around and I don’t think you can see the pool area from here. It also doesn’t give you the skyline view of buildings (seen a few photos down) but it is still neat to see and you get a glimpse of the Gardens by the Bay from above.

Ce La Vie

A more enjoyable experience (in my opinion) is opting for a drink at Ce La Vie–a restaurant, skybar and club at the Marina Bay Sands hotel. I’d rather spend $20 on a drink at the bar to have the ambiance and view than an observation ticket to a deck. But to each their own.

And you’ll also wind up paying a bit more here for a cover charge and bar tip, but still more my vibe. They also have a pretty awesome club at night that has an indoor/outdoor situation.

I could probably write a blogpost on the MBS alone, if I had endless money and could afford all the restaurants, but alas, I cannot. But I’ve heard the restaurants here are amazing as well. You could probably spend your entire weekend in Singapore at this hotel alone, to be honest.

The Hawker Stalls

On the complete opposite side of the money spectrum (thank goodness) are the hawker stalls. They are essentially food courts with various stalls set up serving different foods. But before you “eh…” at the food court suggestion, here’s another record. They have the world’s cheapest Michelin Star meal. That’s right, you can get a Michelin Star meal for about $2-$10. As of 2019, a handful of the stalls have earned the prestigious honor.

(Somehow my iPhone photos are missing from Singapore and I don’t have a mouth-watering food pic for you to see, but trust me, it’s good.)

Orchard Road

If you’d like to do some shopping while you’re here, head to Orchard Road, one of the main shopping roads in Singapore. There’s a little bit of everything, I think. Your department stores, your upscale boutiques, some outlet stores…

Gardens By the Bay

Gardens By the Bay was #1 on my list of places to see in Singapore and the main reason I was keen on adding another country to my itinerary. And it did not disappoint.

Gardens By the Bay is a huge nature park directly across from the MBS hotel. Again, don’t follow in my footsteps and opt out of buying additional attraction tickets just because you’ve already “spent too much money”. There are several different attractions throughout the gardens and many of them have an additional fee to enter. If I could do it over, I’d opt in for the two-conservatory pass.

A relatively new attraction is the Floral Fantasy which looks a bit like the Miracle Gardens in Dubai. There are hanging flowers everywhere and it looks like a beautiful place to walk around. The attraction I wish I would have added is the Cloud Forest. It’s a dome filled with mist and fog and a weird, plant mountain with water cascading down. That description is ridiculous but google it and then you’ll understand.

But the main attraction here? THE SUPER TREES! I am completely obsessed. They might have been the sole reason I booked a weekend in Singapore.

They are such a cool and unique attraction to see, day or night. They really are iconic and you can’t come to Singapore and not see these. You can buy a skyway ticket to walk among the trees and probably get a better view of the surrounding area.

At night the trees light up and you can watch a light display which is a popular thing to do in Singapore with kids. They are definitely one of my favorite things about Singapore.

Merlion Park

Merlion Park is a waterfront walkway with views of the city and the Marina Bay. It gives you a panoramic view of the city and is also where you can find the famous Merlion statue!

Singapore Flyer

Another way to get a great view of the city is to take a ride on the Singapore flyer. It’s open from 8:30am-10:15pm and tickets are about $24 US. I didn’t do this only because there are so many different options to get up in the air and see the views in Singapore.

1Altitude

Singapore is all about the views and all about breaking records. 1Altitude is the highest alfresco bar in the world. This open-air bar/lounge/club is pretty amazing. Head here for a fancy night out on your weekend in Singapore to party on top of the world.

(Again, phone photos are missing but I think the only photos I had were blurry club photos anyway. I’ll do better next time.)

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It really is a great place to explore and if I was not on a backpacker’s budget at the time, I would have considered staying longer.

Have I convinced you to book a weekend in Singapore yet? This city/country is truly unique and cutting edge when it comes to creativity and luxury. I can’t wait to go back and explore it further…preferably when I have more money.

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