Singapore is a good place to visit: 9 reasons why

I love Singapore. It’s a dazzling fusion of old-world charm and futuristic splendour. As one of the world’s most innovative cities, I love its unique blend of culture, heritage, history, cutting-edge technology and efficiency. It’s also home to world-class tourist attractions and engaging experiences. This is why I believe Singapore is a good place to visit and I want to share with you my reasoning in this article.

1. World-Class Attractions

Singapore is a great place to visit if you’re looking for world-class attractions with a uniquely Singaporean flavour. Some of my favourites include:

Marina Bay Sands is the iconic Singapore landmark consisting of three towers topped with an incredible observation deck and infinity pool. It’s home to restaurants, a casino, and the famous hotel (the three towers are rooms you can stay in).

The view from the observation deck is the draw for tourists here. Visiting the Marina Bay Sands observation deck costs S$32, however I recommend trying to get a booking at the restaurant Spago. For a similar amount of money you can at least get a drink while you enjoy the view.

Gardens by the Bay, this is a futuristic park with giant “supertrees” each home to thousands of plants. There are also lakes and green areas to explore around the gardens. The world-class flower dome and “cloud forest” also reside within the gardens.

Gardens by the Bay is mostly free to visit - anyone can explore the supertrees, green spaces, and lakes. Tickets can be purchased to access the flower dome and cloud forest, and these cost around S$30 (depending on the attractions available at the time).

Sentosa Island, home to arguably the best beaches and theme park in Singapore. It also has a cable-car, tasty restaurants, a casino, and green spaces to explore.

The easiest way to get to Sentosa is to take a taxi or the monorail. At the HarbourFront mall there is a monorail station that you can use to access Sentosa.

2. Cleanliness and safety

Singapore is clean and safe.

The Singapore government goes to great lengths to ensure the streets of the city are clean, free of litter and free of graffiti. The locals take pride in showing off this cleanliness to visitors, and I feel it demonstrates a clear pride in their city.

For a tourist visiting Singapore, it is very difficult to see any evidence of crime, and incredibly rare to be a victim of crime yourself. Singapore is a very safe city.

They do say low crime doesn’t mean no crime but I have never personally seen anyone be attacked, mugged, or robbed. When I bring visitors around though, I do recommend exercising a little caution for pick-pocketing in busy areas, however common sense precautions (such as zipping up bags) is usually sufficient deterrent.

3. Rich Culture

Singapore is proud of its diverse cultures and how well it integrates them into a modern society. I feel this diversity makes Singapore great for tourists coming from all over the world.

Each of the main cultures has grown out of its own district. I like bringing tourists to these districts to explore the history and heart of Singapore’s cultural diversity. The districts are:

• Chinatown, traditionally home to Chinese culture in Singapore and great for exploring the variety of cuisine that different regions of migrants brought to Singapore
• Kampong Glam, a great place to explore Malay culture, home to the famous Haji Lane, as well as the Malay heritage centre
• Little India, an eclectic mix of the various regions representing the Indian diaspora, I like to recommend checking out Mustafa centre for late night shopping, or the Indian heritage centre to understand more about Indian culture in Singapore

4. English as a common language

Despite being a mix of different cultures, Singapore has cemented its international attractiveness by adopting English as its common language.

Every Singaporean is taught English in school ensuring English is widely understood (even if it is not always spoken) amongst most people visitors will interact with in Singapore.

This gives Singapore an advantage over some of its neighbours for tourists looking for a holiday destination where they will be understood. If you speak English - even as a second language - you will have no trouble communicating in Singapore.

5. Ease of travel

Travelling to Singapore is easy. Singapore’s Changi airport is a major hub airport and home to the world-leading Singapore Airlines. Frequent flights from Changi connect North America, Europe, Australia, regionally around Asia, and more. Changi and Singapore Airlines also make it easy for anyone transiting through Changi to explore Singapore, with transit tours and tasty food right nearby.

Travelling around Singapore is also easy. Singapore has an extensive network of cheap and convenient public transport that connects every corner of the island a visitor would want to see. This includes:

• MRT - a network of underground (and occasionally above ground) rapid service train lines (trains come every 5 minutes)
• Buses - single and double-deck buses running on roads that are difficult for the train lines to reach (buses usually come every 10-15 minutes)
• Taxis - where fast travel is required, or to fill in the gaps between the main public transport network (typically cost S$10-S$40 depending on how far you travel)

Public transport in Singapore is cheap! A single fare starts from around S$1 and has a maximum cap of around S$2.50, though typically as a visitor you won’t spend more than S$2 on a single ride.

I’ve written complete guides on public transport in Singapore (costs included!), check them out here: MRT, buses, taxis.

6. Delightful food

I always recommend Singapore as a place to experience food. The flavours, preparation, variety, and convenience of tasty dishes make Singapore an excellent place to visit.

Singapore is home to:

• Hawker Centres - outdoor eateries offering a variety of local dishes for typically less than S$10, be prepared to queue though for the best stalls
• Fine Dining - after recently being added to the Michelin guide, Singapore’s restaurants have been recognised as world-renowned, and are worth travelling a significant distance to try
• Food Festivals - get to know the local dishes, what’s on offer, and how best you can try the variety of flavours that Singapore has to offer

I felt overwhelmed by the food choices when I first visited Singapore, so I put a list together of the must try dishes for visitors to Singapore, check it out here: reachingsingapore.com/top-singapore-food

7. Shopper’s paradise

Singapore is fantastic for tourists who want to shop. There are huge malls hosting all varieties of fashion, electronics, and homewares.

The main shopping malls of Singapore are conveniently clustered together around Orchard Road. If you’re visiting here as a tourist, check out:

• Takashimaya - a Japanese department store for the best imports from Japan
• ION Orchard - an upmarket mall home to top fashion
• Tangs - a fancy department store selling the best-of-the-best

Singapore has the best shopping to offer at the high end. I’ve found the currency exchange rate makes it tough to find discount bargains, but if you are looking for some, try the less fancy malls (such as Lucky Plaza or Sim Lim Square - upper levels only).

Tax refunds are also available for tourists when they leave the country. There are some rules and restrictions about when it applies, but you can check out the tax authority website here for more detail.

8. Nature and Wildlife

Singapore embraces itself as a mix of a modern metropolis nestled amongst tropical greenery. And tourists should visit to check this out.

Some of the best ways tourists can experience Singapore’s nature include:

• Singapore Zoo and Night Safari - get up-close-and-personal with a variety of tropical animals
• Botanic Gardens - acres of UNESCO world heritage gardens a stones throw from the city and free to explore
• Pulau Ubin - an island jungle that visitors are free to explore

I also like bringing visitors to the bird paradise as it is home to so many unique and interesting birds.

9. Events and Festivals

Singapore’s location at the cross-roads of so many different parts of the world, makes it an excellent place to host events and celebrate festivals. I highly recommend visitors check these out.

Singapore Grand Prix is probably the most famous event hosted in Singapore. It’s the annual night-time street circuit formula 1 race hosted using the Marina Bay Circuit. Singapore goes crazy for the F1, and the atmosphere around the city is one of party and celebration. Book early if you plan to come though as hotels can get really expensive.

Cultural festivals are also widely celebrated in Singapore, including Lunar New Year, Deepavali, and Hari Raya. I love bringing tourists to explore these festivals, with my personal favourite being the night market at Paya Lebar leading up to the Raya festival.

Bottom Line

Singapore is good for tourists to visit because it is easy to get to, easy to explore, and unique in its position in the world.

For further info, check out:

• A full guide I wrote on the top tourist attractions in Singapore: reachingsingapore.com/singapore-attractions-overview
• Marina Bay Sands observation deck ticket prices here
• Gardens by the bay ticket prices here