Singapore is a city of dreams to travel in. It has a modern vibe with all the latest accouterments which make up the Western cities. But along with this, they have also succeeded in preserving their unique culture and are proud to showcase it as well. Singapore is an easy to navigate city too, and even first-time travellers will find the city easy to travel in. But if you are travelling for the first time, then you might be nervous. Here are some tips which will help you out on your Singapore travels:
Dress according to the weather
Singapore's tropical climate is much like summer throughout the whole year. The temperatures here range from 26-34 degree Celsius or 78-93 degrees Fahrenheit on average. This high humidity also means that you are prone to perspiring a lot, especially when you go outdoors to see the various sights. So to bear the heat as much as you can, you should wear the right clothes when outdoors. The right clothes and some sensible makeup will prevent you from looking like a frazzled and sweaty mess.
Plan your trip well
As you read above, Singapore can get pretty hot, so it's better to change up you're itinerary and plan your outdoor activities when it gets cool outside. Check out which places are open at night and what sightseeing plans you can shift during that time. The nights are much cooler and when the beautiful lights are on it's way more enjoyable rather than during the hot mornings. But also keep your umbrella with you no matter the time of the day. This is because in this tropical climate the weather will swing from vicious sunshine to torrential downpour within minutes. Here are some more tips: Try to shift your food explorations plans tonight. This is because you will surely enjoy eating food when a light cool breeze is blowing rather than under the blistering sun.
Get ready to spend more
Keep in mind before coming here that Singapore is indeed one of the expensive cities in the world. So travelling here is bound to be more expensive than other cities of its South Asian neighbors. But it will be worth your time and money since Singapore is a small place and it is indeed possible to explore it within a little time. Moreover, the facilities you will find here are world class. You will also find that the modern infrastructure and conveniences found here are available right at your fingertips. While there are lots of cheap and free things which you can do here, but remember that if you are a budget conscious traveller then you will have to loosen your purse here.
Know the rules
Singapore is a city which is known and respected for its myriad laws. Most of the laws which are imposed are common sense laws. But know that you can indeed face harsh punishments which can include caning and incarcerations. These can be given to you when it comes to offenses like vandalism. For drug-related crimes, you are much more likely to face the death penalty. This hard stance on crime is one of the reasons why Singapore is one of the safest countries to travel in. Also here is a list of offenses for which you can get fined:
- Spitting on the street.
- Tossing in your cigarette butt into any drain.
- Sticking the gum you have been chewing on public property.
But hard laws don't mean that you won't be able to enjoy or have fun. There are plenty of free things to do in Singapore. Also, there are options to play in live casino Singapore too. This will get you extra money for your trip if you win as well.
Have food at the hawker centers
A great way to save up on money is to avoid the higher end fancy restaurants and hipster cafes and head over to the local hawker center to get a meal. Here you will also be able to find some of the more authentic Singapore cuisines. If you aren't sure which stall has the best food then trust in the locals and join the stall which has the biggest queue. Not only is the food cheap in such hawker centers but the food courts are also really air conditioned as well. If this hasn't sold you already then know that these kind of centers are also generally far away from the tourist areas so you will be able to eat in peace. But you should still get ready to sweat up till there. If it is hygiene what you are worried about then you should look out for the colored placards which range from A which marks the best to D which indicates a risk. These placards are placed at every stall.
Use public transport whenever possible
Avoid hiring any kind of vehicle as much as possible simply because it's going to cost you a lot. The best, easiest and cheapest way you can get to know Singapore is by using the extensive public transport system there. These public transportation vehicles are modernized and also really well maintained. To access the public transport as tourists, just pick up a store value EZ Link card which you will then be able to use on the subways and buses. To get the card to work, you should try tapping the reader right at the beginning and at the end of your journey. This will make the machine automatically deduct your fare and make use of apps to tell you how exactly you can get to your location.
In the case of taxis, they are all metered but as an alternative, you can also make use of the ride-sharing apps like Grab if you don't want to pay in local currency. But there's something called bike sharing which is becoming very popular in Singapore and it is really cheap as well. The city is also well connected through the MRT line which continues expanding till this day as well. Overall, know that Singapore is a very safe place to travel in.
Singapore overall is an amazing country to travel which is frankly unmatched in its safety, beauty, cuisine and more. It's definitely recommended that you check out the place for yourself.
