Got a long weekend and some leave credits to spare? Head on over to Singapura! I've gathered a handful of tips for you to enjoy a long weekend in the Garden City of Singapore. Allow me to experience some mishaps so that you don't have to lol.
Here’s a
quick guide to the incredible city-state of Singapura:
1. Exchange Currencies at the Airport for Competitive Rates
Traveling via Mactan
International Airport Terminal 2 in Cebu, we stuck with our standard practice
of changing our Philippine Pesos to American Dollars, then changing the US$ to
Singaporean Dollars. It turns out that at the exit of Changi Airport, there are
competitive money changers that accept Philippine Pesos as well. It’s quite a
relief that we added cushion to our traveling allowance, as well as discovered
that one does not need to panic if there’s no forex in sight if you’re carrying
pesos.
This can last you a week as the SIM Card is
widely used in Singapore and Malaysia, plus it has free 3GB data that can be
tethered and shared among family and friends if you’re staying a week or less.
With the free calls to all SingTel numbers, you can keep in touch with friends
and family who are also in SG and it
automatically turns on roaming when you leave SG, which is perfect if you have
planned itineraries to Malaysia or if you’re back in the Philippines. You can purchase your SIM cards right at the airport upon arrival.
You know you’re in Singapore when the bus is on time, it’s
clean and efficient. We were handed EZLink cards for access to bus and tram and
learned how to take the right bus from one destination to another. In SG, bus
rides cost only 60 cents, and if you have an established routine, a top up of
SG$10 can last for a week or more. Topping up EZLink Cards can be done in 7/11
outlets all over the city-state.
4. Don't Be Afraid of Food Hawker Stalls!
Food hawker stalls are all the rage in SG because they serve
good local dishes, are affordable and highly sanitized. A meal in a restaurant
can range anywhere from SG$15-20 with or without drinks. But hawker stalls can
offer SG$4-7. I’ve enjoyed tons of dishes in these places and tasted the local
flavor to boot. It’s also good for sharing with travel buddies.
Being in SG for the long weekend
also made me realize that we were not the only ones trying to explore Sentosa
Island and Universal Studios. There are still a handful of families with
children who have thought of bonding over the sights in Sentosa. In other
words, expect a crowd in a huge attraction such as this. Thus, the waiting time
for rides and shows can be very long. The regular pass will only fall short
compared to the express pass when it comes to top choice rides and attractions
especially in Universal Studios in Sentosa. Get the express pass, it will make
you wait only 15 minutes for rides compared to the 90 minutes for the regular
pass.
6. My Handy Dandy Travel Essentials
"Don’t forget your good walking shoes, water
bottle, cap, umbrella, foldable wind breaker, powerbank and stuff them all in a
lightweight bag."
Now this has got to be my mantra
if you will. I’ve learned that the weather in SG is not the same as it was the
day before, so extra caution is still to be taken. It rained when I
purposefully left my windbreaker at my aunt’s apartment, and we were forced to
purchase expensive drinking water from a convenience store because we thought
bringing water with us was just heavy. Some lessons still can’t be learned huh?
But despite all these experiences,
I’m really impressed with the city and who knows when I will get the chance to
go back. My time there is nothing short of incredible. Well at least with the
quick guides that I churn out for these destinations, perhaps you can learn a
thing or two which could come in handy when it’s your turn to visit these sites
someday. Watch out for my next posts! Ciao!
