5 Things That Surprised Me About Singapore

I thought I knew Singapore. I’d once passed through for 2 days – sampled my first Singapore Sling at the Raffles Long Bar and went on the Singapore Zoo Night Safari – and foolishly thought that meant I’d seen the best of this island city.

Luckily I was invited back despite my ignorance. From Peranakan culture to lush gardens, ‘Mod Sin’ cuisine and street art – I discovered so many different sides to Singapore on my second visit.

These are some of the best surprises from that trip.

The lion head symbol of Singapore
The lion head symbol of Singapore

5 Things You May Not Know About Singapore

  1. Singapore Has The Most Incredible Gardens

Singapore is not just about the skyscrapers. Sure it has some awesome skyrises and striking modern buildings (looking at you Marina Bay Sands) but it also has awesome Botanical Gardens and futuristic outdoor recreational spaces.

The most astounding of these has to be the avatar-like Gardens By The Bay. Built on reclaimed land, Gardens By The Bay opened in 2011 and consists of a collection of solar-powered ā€˜supertreesā€™, a Cloud Forest, Flower Dome and World Of Plants.

Perfect for visiting and local families alike, there is a free nightly light show which sees the supertrees dazzle and dance like fireworks. The most popular vantage point to watch the show, during my visit, seemed to be found from lying on the floor. Personally, I preferred my seat at the Observatory Cafe, perched at the top of the tallest tree.

View of the staggering Marina Bay Sands resort from IndoChine Cafe
View of the staggering Marina Bay Sands resort from the Supertree Observatory Cafe
The solar-powered supertrees at Gardens By The Bay light up by night
The solar-powered supertrees at Gardens By The Bay light up by night

All of Singaporeā€™s outdoor areas are incredibly efficient ā€“ making the most of the precious space. On the Southern Ridges Walk you can cross Henderson Waves, a magnificent sculptural bridge, far removed from the traffic and homes below, whilst at MacRitchie those who dare can take the treetop walk and cross a 250m long free-standing suspension bridge through the rainforest.

See: What to do in Singapore: 5 cool places you can’t miss

Crossing Henderson Waves - Singapore's highest pedestrian bridge
Crossing Henderson Waves – Singapore’s highest pedestrian bridge
Henderson Waves
Amongst the foliage on the Southern Ridges Walk
"I'm a blogger, get me out of here!" On the MacRitchie free-standing suspension bridge.
“I’m a blogger, get me out of here!” On the MacRitchie free-standing suspension bridge

On its own separate island is peaceful Pulau Ubin. A cycling/amblingĀ paradise, you can follow paths through palm trees, past lily ponds and wild boars, to the wooden boardwalk over the sea at Chek Jawa.

bloggers on bikes
Bloggers on bikes in Pulau Ubin
On the boardwalk at Chek Jawa, Pulau Ubin
On the boardwalk at Chek Jawa, Pulau Ubin

2. Singapore Has Beach Resorts

Yes, Singapore has beaches! (Surprised me too.) Sentosa Island is a self-declared state of fun. Made up of several resorts, including Universal Studios and luxury hotels like Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa and W Singapore, there are also sections of beach open to the general public.

Public beach at Sentosa Island
Public beach at Sentosa Island

We pulled up a lounger for the day at the Miami-inspired Mambo Beach Club. Thereā€™s no fee to use their pool and loungers, although you are of course expected to purchase food and drink from their bar and restaurant. Cocktails are expensive throughout Singapore but these seemed good value considering they came with a beach sun lounger and decent tunes.

The Miami-inspired Mambo beach club on Sentosa Island
The Miami-inspired Mambo beach club on Sentosa Island

3. You can explore the traditional Peranakan Culture

Excuse me for exposing my ignorance, once again, but my impression from my first visit to Singapore was that the culture here was very Western. I guess this is a hazard if you only visit the commercial/tourist hubs of Orchard Road and Clarke Quay. Whilst I love the amenities that these places offer it was great to scratch below the surface on this trip and discover the fusion of cultures that make Singapore so unique.

Nowhere was this more evident than in the Peranakan enclave of Joo Chiat. Peranakan is a Malay term that translates to ā€˜locally born of foreign descendentā€™ and is used to describe a culture of people found in Singapore. The Peranakan heritage is a rich mix of European, Chinese, Malay and Indian influences and everything from their homes, to food, language and clothing is a dynamic fusion of these cultures.

Traditional Peranakan shophouses in Joo Chiat
Traditional Peranakan shophouses in Joo Chiat
I'd like this one please
I’d like this one please

4. Singapore is a foodie paradise – indulge at hawker centres and discover Mod Sin cuisine

Singaporean cuisine is a bubbling pot of various influences and at the local hawker centres (food courts) you can get a relatively cheap taste of the various dishes loved by Singaporeans.

At the Changi Village FoodĀ Centre the most popular dish is Mizzyā€™s Nasi Lemak ā€“ a Malaysian dish of chicken, anchovy sambal, cucumber, fried egg, peanuts and rice. Averaging $3.50 (about Ā£1.75) per meal, you can afford to try a meal from every region during your Singaporean stay.

Tiong Bahru Hawker Centre
Tiong Bahru Hawker Centre
Mizzy's famous Nasi Lemak from Changi Hawker Centre
Mizzy’s famous Nasi Lemak from Changi Village Hawker Centre

Outside of hawker centres you can find a new wave of chef-run restaurants with very modern tastes.Ā  Chef Willin LowĀ at Wild Rocket is just one of them. After studying in the UK and struggling to find much food he found palatable (ha!), Willin began creating dishes that merge Asian flavours with modern trends. Some of his creations I was lucky enough to sample included slow cooked beef short rib with smoked oyster rib and a pandan (South Asiaā€™s answer to vanilla) panna cotta. (Absolutely delicious.)

Slow cooked short beef rib at Wild Rocket
Slow cooked short beef rib at Wild Rocket

Meanwhile, Janice Wong serves delectable desserts that look like works of art at 2am:dessertbar (click here for more on that topic!) and hidden behind a pop-up shop front in Chinatown is an ultra-trendy speakeasy called the Library. (Update: This is now closed unfortunately!)

The creative cocktail menu at the Library (the original fake shop front was a library ā€“ hence the name) includes concoctions like From Russia With Love, which comes with a love note from James himself, or the Rye N Air, where the Rye Whiskey comes in a small ziplock plastic bag with a sticker across it proclaiming “UK Customs Paid”. (You have to pour it yourself just like on the low-cost airline!)

Say the magic word and staff at this pop up shop will show you what hides behind the garments
Say the magic word and staff at this pop up shop will show you what hides behind the garments

5. Super-clean Singapore has street art!

Singapore had one more surprise for me. As you know I am a little obsessed with street art, but as I was visiting a nation known for its cleanliness I did not have any expectations of finding it here. It took a trip to the Arab Quarter to show me that anything is possible in Singapore though, even street art.

Street art spotted off Haji Lane
Street art spotted off Haji Lane

Have you been to Singapore? Was there anything that surprised you?

This post was written in 2014 after I visited Singapore in association with Singapore Tourism Board and Singapore Airlines.

I visited again under my own steam in 2019 and you can find what were my favourites things about Singapore on that trip here.

About the author

Iā€™m Jayne, a travel blogger, content creator and mum to a 4-year-old son. Iā€™ve been blogging since 2010, travelled to 65 countries and share travel guides and tips to help you plan stylish, stress-free trips.

23 thoughts on “5 Things That Surprised Me About Singapore”

  1. Amazing pictures! I particularly like that ‘bloggers on bike’ photo! Whenever I think of Singapore, I instantly think of a stunning destination – a place full energy and vibe. I hope to make it there someday…thanks for inspiring!

    Reply
    • Aw thank you – so glad you enjoyed it! Singapore does have a great energy and vibe but also a peaceful side too – if you know where to find it. I think that one was one the most surprising discoveries for me.

      Reply
  2. I visited Singapore last month and was also blown away! In my mind it was just shiny and bland, but in the end I really loved it and wished I had more time there. Glad to see you also enjoyed it!

    Reply
    • Yes! I saw some of your photos and it made me realise I had misjudged/missed so much on my first visit. Glad I went back – you should too!

      Reply
  3. This was a wonderful post Jayne.
    Did you take the tour up to the pool at the Marina Bay Sands hotel?
    The view is magnificent and we had an animated guide who shared with us a little about his life in Singapore and you could see where the night race for formula one runs. Little India was one of my favourite areas and riding the buses around the city was fun.
    The first time I visited I didn’t enjoy it – the second time was so much better but the so was the space in the hotel!
    My son on Sentosa was able to swim and learn about the pink dolphins for his birthday surprise when he turned 14 and looking at your photographs from the public beach and pool I can see all those wonderful big boats making their way up the Malaka Straits. You brought back happy memories. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Sounds like you had a wonderful time. I didn’t have a chance to go to the top of Marina Bay Sands but some of the group did and their photos look awesome. Next time perhaps…

      Reply
  4. I love Singapore! I really wanted to visit the MacRitchie suspension bridge but it wasn’t open several years ago when I was there. I’m glad to see that it is open and amazing. I’ll have to head back there!

    Reply
    • You must – it was one of the Singapore surprises I really enjoyed. Just remember to take a towel as it can get quite sweaty on the hike!

      Reply
  5. I *love* Singapore so much! There’s so much to see and do – the Temples are always my favourite part. We’ve stayed at the Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa quite a few times over the years, the service there is second to none. It really is something very special!

    C x
    Lux Life Blog

    Reply
    • I never even knew you could stay on Sentosa Island until this visit. There really is so much to see and do on such a relatively small island. It’s amazing.

      Reply
    • I’m so glad I went back and had longer than 2 days. It definitely warrants a longer stay. Have added it to my ‘I could live there’ list!

      Reply
  6. I was never too keen to visit Singapore because I’ve heard many people say that it’s like Dubai, where I live. I’m curious to visit now though and I believe two cities are hardly ever exactly alike. The food looks delicious by the way!

    Reply
  7. Hello from Canada,

    Great reads on your site, I am one to travel as well. I am headed to Southeast Asia on December 26 for a couple of week. Particullary Thailand, Macau and Hong Kong. Do you have any recommendations on those places? I would love to hear any suggestions of “MUST DO” things. You can feel free to write on here or send to my personal email. Thank you for your time in advance!

    Regards,

    Shayne

    Reply

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