While Singapore was not my first solo traveling trip, I was surprisingly nervous to go. That being said, I also googled a few things and learned that it is a very safe country to travel in. I didn’t have a ton of money to spend here – as I am only working part time at the moment and my student loans show no mercy towards me. So, I stuck to a budget with a goal of spending around $100 USD once in the country (flights not included).
This goal was a little more difficult in Singapore (as compared to my 2 days in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), and I did end up going a little over. But I now also see places where I could have not splurged as much – or even places I could have a little more.
My flight from Tokyo was, of course, the cheapest and most direct one I could find. I really didn’t want any layovers for this trip since I knew the two major cities I would be going to are also huge airports that host a lot of layovers. I flew Delta on the way there (will update my flight blog soon!) and it was great. They actually let you have free messaging on longer flights now!? So I could keep in touch with people on the ground via Facebook Messenger, iMessage, or WhatsApp. It was a nice surprise, for sure.
I landed in Changi Airport (named the best airport for many years – apparently it has a slide, which I sadly didn’t get to see) around 12:30 AM, just after midnight. When I booked this flight, I decided to forego a hostel for that first night, especially knowing that there could have been a flight delay, essentially paying for a bed I wouldn’t be sleeping in. Not to mention, the train system (MRT) doesn’t run all night long – so I would have to take a taxi to my place. Still not super expensive, but it wasn’t something I wanted to do.
I had slept a little on the flight, but I knew I would need to find somewhere in the airport to nap for a few hours. I left the arrivals area, grabbed a SIM card (it was the StarHub Happy Prepaid card – worked great in Singapore, but it wouldn’t let me roam once I left the country – which I had bought it for that reason, AND customer service couldn’t help me out… just as a heads up). I walked around a little and found a carpeted area where a lot of people were sleeping, so I joined in.
So – as I will later explain in my blog from Kuala Lumpur – I had only one carry-on bag and it had to weigh <7kg. Delta did not restrict me, but my flight back on AirAsia would. And the time of my return back to Tokyo will make it difficult for me to check a bag, as I likely would not make the train home in time. So, again, I have one book bag filled with a few outfits, some granola bars, my neck pillow, and some toiletries. I will go further into the packing specifics on another post. 😉
So I slept a few hours, probably like 2.5 before I got up and found a charger. I knew the MRT would start running around 5 AM or so, and I wanted to get out of the airport and start exploring! I started following the signs to the MRT, got a little lost, asked one security guard (who kind of gave me a snide “it’s not open yet”) -like yes, I know, but it will be in 20 minutes and I still need to get there so — duh. The other one was very kind and laughed and tried to explain it to me. As I headed back the way I came, a man in front of me stopped and – yes- took a picture of me. There was nobody behind me at this point in time, and if you didn’t know, cell phones produced in Asia for some reason cannot have their pictures muted. So yeah – I heard it. It was strange. BUT – this is my warning for any blondes traveling in Asian countries. It happens a lot more than you think. It’s usually friendly, but sometimes it just creeps ya out. Like in this instance, when I just walked incredibly fast past this man then.
I found the MRT finally – it wasn’t tough really, just had to follow the signs. I bought an MRT card from the main desk area – again, very simple and there are signs. You can buy a ticket if you think you’re not going to take the MRT often, but it’s definitely a cheaper option than a taxi, and very easy to navigate in my opinion (even easier than Japan for me, because it’s in English!!) If you buy the MRT card, you can also use this on the buses, which I did often.
So.. Current price total: SIM card $32, MRT card: $12 — $44.
With my fancy new card, I hopped on the MRT out of the airport towards Merlion Park – one destination I wanted to see. I ended up hopping out at the River Walk area (can’t remember the stop) and did that while walking to Merlion Park. The sun was just beginning to rise – it was such a beautiful time to see everything! Mostly everything was quiet besides the few runners and bikers that I saw.
The best thing about all of this beauty — it’s totally FREE 🙂
My little trip consisted of meeting with a Singapore physical therapist. Before I met with him, I had a late breakfast/brunch – “Singapore style” – of Kopi with Kaya toast and soft boiled eggs. It was definitely good – but phew – it was kind of sweet for me! They really like their butter. That being said, it also kept me full for awhile. Something I didn’t know is that many people put soy sauce in their soft-boiled eggs (I eventually tried this in Malaysia and it was really good!).
My breakfast? $4. That brings the total to $48 (Singapore dollars)
After my few hours visiting the local university, I finally headed back to check-in at my hostel – and walked quite a ways. My hostel total was about $15 x 3 nights — $45 (different websites give different deals – so be sure to check that out!). Another money saver to check when booking is – do they give free breakfast?? Mine did. Although it was only bread/toast with jelly or Nutella and coffee/tea – you better believe I ate SANDWICHES before I left each morning 😉
Running total: $93
Since I was pretty exhausted that night, I decided to just shower and relax and walk around the area a little bit. I ended up finding a 7-11 where I grabbed some water and a few snacks (about $7 for 2 bottles and chips) and a hawker center that looked decent?! People were staring, so I just acted confident, as always, and ordered a rice and steamed chicken meal – which I heard you should do. So, rice, steamed chicken, and miso soup. How much? $3.50 !! WINNING!
Total: $103.50
I went back to the hostel that night and planned what I was going to do the next day. I decided to go to Little India and then see Gardens By the Bay – one of the highly rated attractions. Best part about it? You can go see most of the Gardens for FREEEEEE (such a great word, am I right?)
The morning started out rainy. Again, I had a lovely breakfast of Nutella and peanut butter sandwiches (hehe). I stocked up with my carbs before I hit the road. With the SIM card, it was super easy to navigate everywhere. One thing I did learn though – is to make sure you make it OBVIOUS that you want a bus. They will not stop. I had one pass me twice. I also don’t even think it was trying to come over, but hey, whatever. It happened to another guy too – so it wasn’t just me. They don’t wait for anyone here!
Anywho, so Little India was a cute little area. I just walked along and window shopped – knowing I had no room for expansion in my backpack. There are a lot of cheap things in this area – so if you want to spend a little, go for it.
I ate lunch at an Indian place. Azmati and chicken curry. It was really good! The other thing about Asia though, is that there are NEVER napkins out freely – I swear. Many people bring their own napkins. So here I am, napkin-less, being stared at, half-dying from the heat of the curry (I can’t handle a lot of spice), trying to make sure it’s not on my face or in my hair yet still feeling like it’s everywhere…yeah, you get the point. It was all very delicious and.. $5 ! woo woo!
Total: $108.50
I then headed out and went to the Gardens by the Bay. I wanted to time this right, because I knew there was a light show at night, but I still wanted to explore the Gardens during the day. To me, there is PLENTY to do in the free area that can entertain you for hours. It wasn’t hard, and I didn’t even get to see everything. I ended up buying the access to the others ($22 on a discount website for Cloud Forest and the Flower Dome) and splurged a little. But, truthfully, I regretted it. It was great, and if I had been there longer, I think I could’ve enjoyed it more. But for one day to do everything, it was a little overwhelming and kind of redundant. Stick to the free things if you only have a day, for sure.
Total: $130.50
After the light show, everyone booked it out to the MRT. I ended up staying back a little and just hung out. Oh, by the way, the port-a-potty they had also had a plant in it!? Crazy, right? Made me laugh.
I still hadn’t had dinner by this time, and I was hungry. Just because of time – I ended up stopping at the 7-11 on the way home. I grabbed a sandwich and, yes, some more snacks. Probably ended up totaling $7.
Total $137.50.
The next morning, I woke up and wasn’t too sure what to do – but I knew I wanted to enjoy the sun (and heat) a little bit. Of course, I ate my free breakfast 😉 and then decided to head to East Coast Park around 11 AM or so. I wasn’t in any rush, so it wasn’t a huge deal when I left. I used my google maps and took the bus to the park. It was definitely a hot day — I wish I had wore my bathing suit instead, haha.
I chilled out by the beach for a bit. This park is less of a swimming place and much more of an activities kind of place. Many people rented bicycles and there was even a fitness park! I ended up doing a little workout before I left. After about an hour, I decided to go for a little stroll to find some water or something cold.
Total $142.50
After I was done relaxing in the heat, it was already 2-3 PM, so I headed back to the hostel. I decided to shower once I got back and take a little nap (because I love naps, and that heat drained me!)
Now this is where I ended up splurging. I went to find Chili Crabs (which I knew would be a little expensive).. I ended up spending $30 on the crabs and $2 on my smoothie. Being from Maryland, I felt like I had to at least compare these Singapore crabs (they’re actually from Sri Lanka) to the crabs I’m used to. They were good, but they were sweeter than I am used to. And of course, they didn’t have any old bay seasoning. The way they are cooked, they ended up being extremely easy to break apart and eat.
This puts my total at $174.50 Singapore dollars. I ended up stopping at 7-11 again after to grab another bottle of water and a Milo drink for the morning (just to try it). Totaling $3. So, $177.50.
Of course, I had to be up early for check out in the morning to head to my bus. I snagged a few sandwiches and headed to the bus station (which I had chosen to be nearby). It was a little confusing to get there – but I gave myself extra time to find it, luckily.
My total cost of my Singapore trip was $177.50 Singapore dollars, which converts to about $130 USD. Things I would recommend to anyone for next time: Don’t book the extra things at Gardens By the Bay. That alone will save you $20 or so. Also, if you don’t want to splurge on the crabs – Don’t! Again, that will save you $30 right there. So maybe instead you would eat a $5 dinner. If I hadn’t spent money on those 2 things, I would have saved about $45 on my trip, which would mean I would have spent $132.50 Singapore dollars AKA $97 USD! You can also save money by not purchasing the SIM card (take another $30ish dollars away). Wifi isn’t always accessible, but everything is in English and you can usually ask someone or find a coffee shop with access!
And of course, you can DEFINITELY splurge if you have the money! I just chose not to 🙂 This is just a guide from what I recommend.
Another note, I ended up taking a bus to Kuala Lumpur. It cost me about $20 Singapore dollars when I booked in advance. If you book there, I believe it cost people $30. Many people fly as it is quicker, but it can cost $50 or more. Again, not a bad price – but I enjoyed seeing some of the countryside as I traveled between countries. I think I left around 9:30 AM and arrived in Kuala Lumpur around 4 PM.
Stay tuned for my Kuala Lumpur on a budget blog! I spent even less in Malaysia than I did in Singapore. So awesome!
Until next time,
Jen
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