Living 6 years in Singapore you wonder why TripsByKids have contributed so little to Asia's most underestimated travel destination. I guess we wanted to dedicate a story to each area, all while giving out the 'list' - our 50+ best spots in Singapore as a 'word' document to friends! So while you wait for the goodies - here it is - the best of - online! Good for both kids and adults:
Cultural:
- China Town
- Little India
- Arab quarter
Raffles Hotel (with the the infamous and pricey Singapore sling or afternoon tea) and surrounding colonial quarter with museums, Fullerton Hotel etc.
(for above - these guides are really good: http://www.journeys.com.sg/singaporewalks/index.asp)
Black and White houses - big party of Singa history - this lady does amazing tours - https://janestours.sg - but otherwise at least walk up to Goodwood Hill 10 min. walk from Orange Grove and do the loop and see the houses. Dempsey and Loewen Gardens also have many B/W.
Joo Chiat at East Coast for beautiful shopshoses (Emerald Hill in Orchard also good for that)
Tiong Bahru area, cool old military barracks converted into lovely area with hawker, wet market, but also lovely restaurants and amazing bakeries (esp. Plain Vanilla)
Gilmann Barracks - old military area converted into art galleries
Singapore National Museum (combine with history sights a Fort Canning park) SG history
National Gallery Singapore - SG and Asian Art + old courthouse rooms
Art Science Museum - Temporary exhibitions
Peranikan Museum - cultural history SG people (under renovation)
Last Kampung’s - (old houses in Singapore) Pulau Ubin and Lorong Buangkok
Good for kids (and adults):
Botanical Gardens - Jabalas gardens is the kids area - mostly for kids under 12, but still nice. Also now the Learning Forest has opened.
Gardens by the Bay (rainforest dome is a must and flower dome also good,esp. at seasons like Christmas, Tulips etc, fun to do the canopy walk and sit on the top of one of the supertrees and have an icrecream - they also have a good playground and ok water area if you have more time)
Singapore Zoo - normal zoo is good and they also have playground and water area, so remember swims for the kids, but with visitors do the Night Safari and perhaps also River Safari - you need separate tickets for those.
Singapore Flyer (London Eye of Singapore)
Science Centre and Kids Stop (for younger kids) in Jurong
Art Science Museum at Marina Bay Shoppes - super cool for kids!
Biking/scooting at East Coast
Sentosa: (get this if you plan to go often -http://www.sentosa.com.sg/Islander/Individual-Family)
Resort world, incl. Universal Studios, Aquarium, Adventure Cove Water Park and lots of other stuffOutisde Resort World: Luge, Skydiving, Zipline, Port of Lost Wonder water world etc etc. - a good idea is to get the cable car from Mount Faber to Sentosa, nice view, and take the luge, a kind of go-cart, from where the cable car ends down to the beach and have a coffee at Coastes beach bar after. Beach - Coastes by SIloso Beach, Tanjong Beach Club (have pool and daybeds), F.O.C beach club, Shangri-la’s Trapizza restaurantA million indoor playgrounds like Fidgets, Pollywogs, Go go Bambin, Amazonia, Buds at Shangri-laetc.
Outdoor playgrounds at Junrong Lake Gardens, East Coast Park, Tiong Bahru, West Coast Park, Pasir Ris + they always have some kind of playground in all the parks
Farm visits - Go to Kranji area - Bollywood, Citizen Farm and others - google.
Rivercruise - http://www.rivercruise.com.sg - more fun that the bus, which of course is also an optionCinema close by: Shaw Centre, Cineleisure Orchard and Great World City (GV)
Parks:
Again, Botanical gardens, visit the Orchid Garden in there as well, and go early in the morning when it’s alive with runners, yoga and tai chi crowd.
MacRiticie national park - the 10 km canopy walk or around the lake
Bukti Timah Nature Reserve, lovely trail or at least a little walk up to the artificial lake
Sourthern Ridges Trails - amazing, over bridges, throughh beautiful gardens and canopy’s in the trees - I should still have the map
Fort Canning Park
Bishan Ang Mo Kio Park
Sungei Wetland Reserve for crocodiles and mangroves. See OUR STORY HERE!
Pulau Ubin Island - 5 min. ferry from Changi Ferry Terminal - rent bikes and tour the island Chinese and japanese Gardens
For hiking, more here: https://www.timeout.com/singapore/things-to-do/best-hiking-trails-in-singapore
Shopping:
Orchard - best malls are Ion (although can be VERY confusing), Paragon and Ngee Ann. Forum is good for kids. Further down is Somerset 313, Orchard Central, Mandarin, but all more or less the same. Tangs basement good for kitchen stuff.
Marina Bay Shoppes, impressive and they have all the chains from cheap to up market. United Square Mall - a mall just for kids!
Cluny Court 1st floor - Rosalie Pom pom I like - French shop.
Tanglin Mall
Great World City (also have a cinema)
Vivocity
Raffles CityFood shopping: Cheap and big: Fair Price at Bukit Timah Plaza or Vivocity, Cold Storage in Claymore and Cluny Court (have a small one at Stevens too), Market Place at Tanglin Mall. Hubers butchery in Dempsey, Swiss Butcher opposite Tanglin Mall, Nassim Hill, bread , Baker & Cook in Dempsey, Holland or Bukit Timah - some think Swiss Bakery in Tanglin and other places is good too.
Eat and drinks:
Nearby (Orange Grove Road): F.O.C end of the road (but love the one in Hong Kong Street!), Merci Marcel and P.S Cafe in Palais (for lunch), Jamie Oliver in Forum (kids friendly), The Line at Shangri-la (buffet), Jewel in Claymore for coffee.
Dempsey: Open Farm Community (lunch, book early and sit outside), P.S. Cafe (lunch), Jones (brunch), Chop Suey (colocnial Asian, dinner), Jim Thompson (thai, dinner), Blu Kouzina (greek, dinner) , Green Door (nice cocktails) and lots of other restaurants… Cornerhouse and Botanico (fine dining), Bees Knees for breakfast, Halia (dinner), Cluny court: Plan Vanilla, da Paolo, etc. for coffee, Relish up stairs for burgers.
Holland Village: Baker & Cook and Tiong Bahru Bakery (breakfast and lunch, great bakeries) and surrounding restaurants, da Paolo good for pizza!
Bukit Timah - Horse City and Turf Club, have lunch at Parsabella and browse, good fun! Also nearby is Rubato, a fave italian restaurant of ours. (BEING RENOVATED)Downtown - Duxton Hill: The Tippling Club, fun drinks area is Duxton Hill with Luchas Loco mexican tapas and nice steak at Entrecote.
Keong Saik Rd : Neon Pigeon, Don Ho, Butcher Boy - all great eats and Potato Head for burger and drink.
Tras Street,
Ann Siang Hill - good eats - Gavroche good french food - lots of good placesdrinks
Club Street if you want something open until late but a bit young ;-)
Marina Bay - nice lunch at Ramsey’s Bread Kitchen in the Shoppes, lots of nice rooftop bars, e.g. Southbrige, 80 Boat Key and have a meal at the top of Marina Bay Sands hotel at Ce La Vi, make sure you get an outside table - view is amazing!
Others: Open Door Policy at Tiong Bahru, etc etc. lots of hotels have nice restaurants too, like Fullerton , Basilico at Regent, high tea at Raffles etc.
Hawker food - http://www.thebestsingapore.com/eat-and-drink/the-best-5-hawker-centres-in-singapore/- Maxwell recommendable - but also have less ‘rustic’ places in the malls, e.g. downstairs at Marina Bay Shoppes, Food Republic in e.g. Visa Atria mall etc.
Dancing - Lulus Lounge
ENJOY!