The appeal of Singapore isn’t just the modern skyline or Marina Bay Sands. This tiny city-state is home to three completely different cultures living side by side: Chinese, Indian, and Arab.
One trip lets you experience the atmosphere of three countries. That, to me, is Singapore’s greatest value. This time I want to write about Sentosa Island, the multicultural districts, and the incredible hawker food.
Sentosa Island Is One Giant Attraction
Sentosa Island feels like a massive theme park in its own right.
With a casino, an aquarium, and countless attractions, it offers something for everyone from children to adults. Families, couples, solo travelers — it has the depth to accommodate them all.
Main attractions on Sentosa
└ Universal Studios Singapore
(Minion Land now open)
└ Singapore Oceanarium
(the renewed former S.E.A. Aquarium)
└ Resort World Sentosa Casino
└ Sensoryscape
(digital light art at night)The casino on Sentosa is free to enter, but you must show your original passport and there’s a smart casual dress code. Having already taken a beating at the Marina Bay Sands casino, I kept my hands in my pockets this time.
Three Countries’ Worth of Culture in One Place
Like Malaysia, Singapore is a multi-ethnic nation. Simply walking through the city lets you experience three entirely different cultures.
As you move from district to district, the smell of spices, the food, and the whole atmosphere of the streets shift completely. It was vivid enough to remind me of my old backpacking days. That alone made Singapore feel like remarkable value.
Chinatown
└ Buddhist temple (Buddha Tooth Relic Temple)
and Hindu temple coexisting
└ Traditional goods hunting
└ Michelin-listed hawker foodLittle India
└ A lively street filled with the scent of spices
└ Mustafa Centre, a giant 24-hour
supermarket and souvenir treasure trove
Arab Street
└ The golden-domed Sultan Mosque
└ Adjacent Haji Lane is packed with
stylish street art and cafes
Walking through a single city, you feel as though you’ve toured China, India, and the Middle East. It’s an experience few other countries can offer.
Hawker Centers Are Clean and Multicultural
You can’t talk about food in Singapore without mentioning hawker centers — open-air complexes packed with food stalls.
What surprised me was the cleanliness. Despite the density of stalls, they’re covered and remarkably clean. It’s a completely different image from the typical Southeast Asian street stall. They’re even recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Hawker center etiquette
└ Chope (saving seats)
Locals reserve seats by placing
a packet of tissues or an umbrella
└ Return your tray after eating
(required by law, fines for violations)
└ Bringing wet wipes is handyChicken Rice, Satay, and Biryani Were Outstanding
Everything I ate at the hawker centers was delicious.
What I ate
└ Chicken Rice
Rice cooked in chicken broth
topped with poached chicken
eaten with chili sauce
(the national dish)
└ Satay
Southeast Asian-style grilled skewers
with sweet peanut sauce
└ Biryani
Fragrant Indian-style rice cooked
with spices, long-grain rice and meatThe joy of Singapore’s hawker centers is having multinational cuisine all in one place. Chinese, Indian, Malay — pick whatever you want, as much as you want. You can even treat yourself to luxurious seafood like chili crab.
Night Safari: Honestly, I Expected Too Much
I want to be honest here.
I visited the Night Safari, famous as the world’s first nocturnal zoo. I went with high hopes, but to be blunt, it wasn’t what I expected.
My honest take on the Night Safari
└ Long lines, lots of waiting
└ Animals hard to see from the tram
because it's so dark
└ Despite being night, the animals
weren't very active
└ The child with me looked
a little disappointed too
Of course, opinions vary from person to person. But for the amount of time spent waiting in line, I had to be honest about my impression.
If you go, keep your expectations in check, and if you want to see animals up close, combine the tram with the walking trails. Admission runs about S$58 for adults and S$41 for children.
Gum Is Banned, but You Can Drink the Tap Water
Singapore is known as a “Fine City” — a clever play on words meaning both a wonderful city and a city of fines.
It’s by far the cleanest country in Southeast Asia, and the secret lies in its strict rules.
Rules to know
└ Bringing in or chewing gum is banned
└ Littering and spitting can incur
fines up to S$1,000
└ Eating and drinking on the MRT is banned
(including water and candy, fines up to S$500)On the other hand, unusually for Southeast Asia, you can drink the tap water straight. There are plenty of water refill spots around the city, so bringing a reusable bottle saves money. This cleanliness and safety is one of Singapore’s biggest draws.
Getting Around with Grab and Contactless Payment
MRT (subway)
└ Covers nearly all major tourist spots
└ No tickets needed
└ Just tap a contactless credit card
at the gate
Grab
└ Grab's headquarters are in Singapore
└ Essential as a taxi replacement
└ Fares confirmed in advance
└ No worries about getting ripped offAs Grab’s home base, the app works exceptionally well in Singapore. If you’ve been traveling up from Thailand, you can use the same app seamlessly.
Prices Are High, but Balance Is Key
Cost guide
└ Hawker meal: S$5-8
└ Restaurant: from S$30
(plus 10% service charge and 9% tax)
└ Bottled water: S$1.5-2Singapore is by far the most expensive country in Southeast Asia. But if you use hawker centers wisely, you can keep food costs down. The trick is balancing high-end restaurants with hawker meals.
Tips for Traveling with Kids
Watch the temperature gap
└ It's tropical outside, but the
air conditioning in malls and the
MRT is extremely strong
└ Always carry a jacket for children
Prepare for squalls
└ Sudden heavy rain in the afternoons
└ Bring rain gear and build in time
to spend indoors
Barrier-free
└ The city is flat throughout
└ Easy to get around with a stroller
Final Thoughts
Singapore is a remarkable-value destination where a single trip lets you experience Chinese, Indian, and Arab cultures. Play on Sentosa Island, wander the multicultural districts, and feast on incredible hawker food.
The Night Safari was a personal letdown, but that’s part of an honest travel record. Clean, safe, drinkable tap water, and easy Grab access. It’s a place I can recommend to first-time travelers and Southeast Asia veterans alike.
Prices are high, but the country is worth it. Indulge at Marina Bay Sands, enjoy the local side at the hawker centers. That kind of balanced trip suits Singapore perfectly.
