Singapore is a fast-paced city state where futuristic skyscrapers rise beside historic shophouses and hawker stalls serve some of the best food in Asia. Compact, ultra-efficient and surprisingly green, it blends cultures, cuisines and cutting-edge design.
Transport in Singapore is clean, efficient and incredibly easy to use, making it one of the best public transport systems in the world. In fact, taxes on cars here are set incredibly high, encouraging most people to use public transport instead. The MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) network connects all major areas and attractions, while buses fill in the gaps. Signs are obvious and generally in English, and most public transport is air-conditioned (a must in Singapore heat!). Taxis and ride-hailing services like Grab are widely available and reasonably priced compared to many Western cities. You can pay seamlessly using an EZ-Link card, NETS FlashPay or a contactless bank card, making getting around simple even for first-time visitors.
Singapore is a true year-round destination, with consistently warm temperatures between 25°C and 31°C and high humidity throughout the year. There isn’t a dramatic “best” season in terms of temperature, but rainfall patterns and major cultural events can influence your experience. The Northeast Monsoon from November to January tends to bring heavier, more frequent downpours, while February to October sees shorter, more scattered tropical showers, often in the afternoon. If you prefer slightly drier conditions, June to August is generally a good bet, though it can be busier due to school holidays and events. Visiting during Chinese New Year or National Day adds vibrant celebrations and atmosphere, but also higher prices and larger crowds.
I always book my accommodation through trusted providers like booking.com and Hostelworld, but always read the reviews carefully.
I always recommend checking the official government advice from your own country of citizenship. For example, I’m from the UK so I use the UK Government’s Foreign travel advice website, and navigate to the “Entry requirements” section of the country I wish to visit. That will show me the most up-to-date advice and the correct links to use to apply for a visa officially, without being scammed. E.g. “Singapore: Entry requirements”.
Be aware that if you just google “Singapore visa”, you’ll find lots of 3rd party websites offering to do the application for you, which at best will charge you quite a lot of money and at worst may scam you completely.
If you would rather someone else take care of the application for you to save you time and hassle, I can recommend iVisa. iVisa offer an end-to-end visa application service where they take care of the entire application for you. You just need to sign up via their website and fill out the information they need from you for the application. Note that they charge a fee for this service, so it will be more expensive than applying directly yourself.
Here are some of the resources I’ve found particularly useful for travelling in Singapore. Download the apps before you go to ensure a smooth and stress-free experience! Check out my Useful Travel Resources page for my complete go-to list of websites and apps.
Currency:
Singapore Dollar (SGD)
Languages:
English, Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil
