Singapore Visitor Pro Tips - - Transit and Day Trips

April 9, 2023 5:23 AM

We will be in Singapore for 7 days and are interested in strategies to make the best use of the public transit system for sightseeing and day trips.

Is it worth getting a Singapore Tourist Pass card? I understand you can also use tap on Apple Pay or credit card on a per trip basis with an unspecified foreign bank service charge. We'll be staying in the Orchard Road neighbourhood and like to walk, but perhaps in the heat of the afternoon it may be nice to hop on and off the MRT on a long day of sightseeing. Also, how will getting from and to the airport fit into these transit logistics?

Additonally, we are considering day trips to Malaysia and/or Indonesia (passport stamp collectors - gotta catch 'em all).

Are there any interesting destinations in Malaysia close by that are reachable by Singapore MRT or bus? Is it worth booking a commercial day trip tour to Malacca or elsewhere?

Are the Indonesia islands of Bintan or Batam worth booking a commercial day trip to? Are there other interesting and safe nearby Indonesian destinations?

Finally, we'll be going to the popular tourist sites in Singapore, but any suggestions for hidden gems or offbeat destinations would be most appreciated.

posted by fairmettle to Travel & Transportation around Singapore (4 answers total)

Bintan and Batam are pretty boring unless you want to sit on a beach and be spa-ish. An overnight by plane to Georgetown in Penang or any decent resort in Malaysia will give you better value than Indonesia IMO for time. Malacca is IMO boring but I've been there a lot.

If you like proper jungle and birdwatching, then Johor and basically the rest of Malaysia has way better jungle hotels etc. Singapore's remaining jungle is v. small.

There are several off-shore islands to Singapore that have a ferry round-trip to them that make for a very pleasant chilled day out. You need to pack plenty of food & drinks for the St John's ferry ride as there's none available on the islands, but there are bathrooms and shelters (and lots of cats!) and quiet tranquil places to paddle in the sea or just relax by the beach. The other island, Pulau Ubin, is lots of fun to visit for bike rides and seafood - do NOT stay overnight, the overnight facilities are rubbish - and it's a glimpse of Singapore as it used to be. I recommend the mangrove canoe tours there if you like mangroves, which I very much do.

I do recommend Haw Par Villa, and any of the guided walking tours you can book for Little India or Chinatown are pretty worthwhile because there's a lot of history and culture packed into small spaces.

Try your card and see if it works first, Apple pay is pretty reliable on the trains and buses. Google maps will tell you what transit to take. Get the Grab app and the Zig app installed to book cabs.

You will likely spend 80% of your time indoors or underground, but bring hats and/or sunscreen if you are not used to fierce sun for any outdoor activities. If you are coming from a place with low humidity, you will want to be indoors all the time - it's not the heat, it's the instant sweating when you hit 90% humidity and starts in the morning. Also pack an umbrella because when it rains, it's torrential.

From the airport, if you have minimal luggage, the train is super easy and will go pretty much direct to Orchard. There's also a bus that drops people off at major hotels. If you have lots of luggage or are just wiped, a cab is very straightforward. Everything is metered.

A lot of this is really budget and interest dependent - if you have the funds, you can do a very lavish high-end trip, if you are on a budget, there are a fair amount of free things that are fun. Time Out Singapore is a decent look at current events including free.

I would make a list of foods to eat. Singapore is justifiably proud of our food heritage and you'll get the chance to try very good foods in many cuisines. Ask people and they'll give you a list and recommendations - at an absolute minimum, it's chicken rice, roti prata, fishhead curry, chili crab, fish porridge, nasi lemak, curry puffs, satay. I would also try a good peranakan restaurant. I am not a foodie, so I rely on bloggers like Lady Iron Chef to figure out where to go with visitors. Do not eat at your hotel, go out.

We have a lot of museums - the National History is pretty decent, the Singapore Art and National Gallery are very good, and I am very fond of Asian Civilizations.

Someone may recommend you go to Tiong Bahru or Holland Village, do not bother as they are both bland hipsterised neighbourhoods. Toa Payoh and Katong are way more fun to wander around as actual local neighbourhoods full of fun places and regular people.

Sentosa is ok, but unless you specifically want to go to one of the attractions like the luge or the war stuff, it's overpriced and crowded.

Get a tourist SIM card if you can add a SIM card to your phone, they usually come with data. Everything is online here. You should also add Whatsapp as that's a default for a lot of local places to call.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 8:51 AM on April 9, 2023 [6 favorites]

One of my favorites is to go to the Botanical Garden (walking distance from Orchard Rd) really, really early in the morning (it opens at 5 AM) and walk through the Rain Forest section. So peaceful, so alone. Cobwebs across the tiny paths. Free admission to the main park.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 10:57 AM on April 9, 2023 [2 favorites]

Are the Indonesia islands of Bintan or Batam worth booking a commercial day trip to?
IMO no, they’re mainly places that Singaporeans go to for spas/ seafood/ staycations over the weekend. Unless that’s what you want! You don’t have to book a tour really, just get a ferry ticket and go.

Are there any interesting destinations in Malaysia close by that are reachable by Singapore MRT or bus?
By our public transport? Only Johor Bahru is reachable, but interesting is debatable. Again similar to Batam it’s a place Singaporeans go for cheap massages, food and shopping. Malacca / KL are 3-5 hours away by road and I guess you could take a commercial coach. However by air Singapore is a great jumping off point for many other southeast Asian cities (Saigon/hcmc 1hr, Jakarta 1hr, KL 1hr, Bangkok 2.5hrs etc.) With 7 days you could easily hop to one of these cities for a couple of days.

any suggestions for hidden gems or offbeat destinations

Seconding Pulau Ubin as a day trip if you have the time - it’s a window into kampung (village) life that is almost entirely gone on the mainland. It’s also easy to rent a bicycle at the jetty and just go around.

Just walk around really - Singapore is one of the most walkable SEA-sian cities, despite the heat. We have great footpaths and clear signage, parks and connectivity with public transport. I would would walk around the historic neighborhoods of Chinatown/ Outram area, Arab street/Kampong Glam, Little India. If you’re feeling adventurous you could venture into Geylang which is a famous red light district but one that has many eating places along the stretch. This group does some walking tours: Citizen Adventures

In the Orchard area there’s also Emerald Hill with beautiful historic shophouses once owned by rich straits Chinese merchants - do check it out.

I do have a soft spot for Tiong Bahru despite its gentrification in recent decades - it’s where my paternal grandparents lived and we still have an old conservation flat there. The art deco architecture is pretty unique for Singapore and there is still an elderly population going about their daily lives despite the hipster crowd.

You should also check out our hawker centers for food - Smith street hawker centre in Chinatown is a massive one that locals actually go to, and would give you a good variety of local dishes. There’s another at Old Airport Road too. I would avoid Newton like the plague though (the one featured in Crazy Rich Asians) - it’s overpriced and full of touts
posted by pandanpanda at 6:03 PM on April 9, 2023 [1 favorite]

Contactless payment is accepted at all public trains and buses if you link it with a Visa or MasterCard (Amex doesn't work). The additional fee is SGD 60 cents *per day* if you're using a foreign-issued card, the rest is up to your bank whether you take a hit on currency exchange rates and foreign transaction surcharges. Remember to activate overseas usage of your card so that it'll work.
posted by hellopanda at 5:06 AM on April 11, 2023 [1 favorite]