I had just quit my job and had to choose between lazing around and exploring an exotic place. It was a tough call (no sarcasm intended) but I chose Singapore. My cousins accommodated me throughout my stay in Singapore.
Singapore is a cosmopolitan country which is absolutely safe and surprisingly green. From skyscrapers to jungles, the little red dot (on the map) has it all.
Cultural Attractions
The lion city is culturally diverse. The streets of 'Little India' are lined with temples, and shops selling flowers, spices, jewellery and groceries. The wet markets, the hanging lights and the food stalls of Chinatown bring China to life, in Singapore. Arab street and Kampong Glam are places where we get Arabian food, Malaysian food, turkish rugs, lovely clothes, great coffee and a lot more.
Sentosa
Sentosa is a resort island in Singapore that houses a variety of attractions. Luge skyride, Madame Tussauds museum, Wings of Time, Palawan beach and Universal Studios are a few of the popular attractions. My friend who studies in Singapore accompanied me to the Madame Tussauds wax museum. We clicked away for a good three hours with Obama, Shahrukh Khan and lots of other leaders and celebrities. I absolutely loved 'Wings of Time', a brilliant laser show set against the open sea.
Universal Studios(USS)
I was never a big fan of theme parks but given the popularity of USS, I decided to give it a try. I'm glad that I did. The park had seven movie-themed zones, out of which Sci-fi city was my favourite. The 3D transformers ride, the cyborg roller coaster ride and the indoor egyptian roller coaster ride were my favourite rides.
Singapore flyer, Clarke Quay, Singapore zoo, Singapore botanical garden and Merlion park are few of the other major attractions in Singapore.
The lion city is definitely a place for walkers. A lot of travellers explore the city on foot. I walked through the amazing trails of the Southern Ridges. It was a very nice experience.
Tips
Singapore is the most expensive city in the world, but there are a lot of hacks using which you can stick to your budget. I am listing a few here-
1. Always book tickets to attractions and travel activities online. Most of the local travel websites offer great discounts.
2. Get a travel pass. Paying for each bus ride or train ride in Singapore is really not a great idea. The travel pass allows unlimited rides on buses and trains for a set number of days.
3. Bugis street, Lucky plaza, Chinatown, Value Dollar outlets and Daiso Japan outlets are some of the places where you can buy cheap stuff.
4. Ditch the expensive restaurants. Eat at hawker centers. Grab a Kopi or Teh Tarik (coffee or tea) at the local food courts.
I returned back to India with a very heavy backpack (psst.. You can find awesome deals on chocolates at Orchard road) and very good memories.