Travelling and Living in Singapore: 3 Points to Keep in Mind

Whether you are a citizen, an expatriate, or a traveller, Singapore has a lot to offer. From the gorgeous Marina Bay to the lush green Bukit Batok Nature Park, the city-state is a beautiful place to both live in and travel. Just like with any other place, a trip through Singapore can also be made more enjoyable with some foresight. The facts shared next should help with both residing and travelling in the country. With this in mind, here are three important things to keep in mind when travelling or living in Singapore.

Book All Accommodations in Advance

Ideally, you should book everything from your flight tickets to amusement park entries in advance, but advanced hotel bookings are what matters most. It’s common knowledge that booking in advance saves money and Singapore is no exception, but hotel prices can soar above all expectations if you are not careful. The city-nation is simultaneously one of the world’s most expensive and popular travel destinations, so you may not even be able to find decent rooms during peak season.

Living in Singapore: Finding Long Term Solutions

If you are paying a long visit to Singapore on account of work, timing is a key element for that as well. Rental expenses and home loan interest rates rise and fall every year and throughout the year, but they are much harder to track without professional guidance.

You should look for experts that can help you find the best deals on all things related to local real estate, including short-term and long-term rental agreements. If you are looking for more permanent accommodations as an expat or a citizen, check PropertyGuru’s guide on how to maximize on housing loan offers. They have a range mortgage experts that work across Singapore to help you find home loans at the lowest possible rates.

Plan Out Your Itinerary

Plan your itinerary in accordance with:

• Your budget
• How much time you have on your hands
• Your preferences

If you are a resident or a citizen, you can always come back later to see something that you missed, but if you are traveling to Singapore from abroad, prioritize the destinations that appeal to you the most even if it exceeds your budget a bit. It would be a lot more expensive to come back and visit the places you missed, if you ever get the chance to come back at all. As for what there is to choose from, we have a short list for you next.

Universal Studios Singapore – The largest and the most popular collection of amusement parks and joyrides in Singapore is located on Santosa Island. All seven theme parks, namely Sci-Fi City, Hollywood, New York, Ancient Egypt, Madagascar, Far Far Away, and The Lost World are part of Universal Studios Singapore.

Merlion Park – Admittance into Merlion Park is free for everyone. The iconic Merlion and Merlion Cub statues are its main attractions, but it’s also a beautifully maintained, lush green park, surrounded by contrastingly colonial and modern architecture. It’s going to be a short visit as there isn’t much to do here except taking pictures. Consider it a side-attraction that you can visit at any time.

Bukit Batok Nature Park – Although the Bukit Batok Nature Park is an urban park, the 89 acres of plush greenery here are filled with ancient limestones, beautiful birds, rare orchids, and small, colorful amphibians around the quarry pool. It’s as close to nature as one can get in Singapore without living in the main city.

Fort Canning Park – Fort Canning Park is less park than it is a historical site, but the surroundings have been taken over by nature for the most part. If you are someone who loves a good adventure, trekking up to the fort’s ruins will be worth it. It’s a high point with a clear, brilliant view of its surroundings, which is why it was chosen strategically by the British to build Fort Canning. The area was and still is called the Forbidden Hill locally because it used to be the burial ground of ancient kings.

These are just a few examples and we have not even mentioned anything about the Singapore Food Trail, the National Museum of Singapore, or even the colorful temples of Haw Par Villa. As mentioned, you may not even be able to cover it all in one trip, so prioritize what you want to visit the most.

Respect the Local Laws and Customs

Irrespective of how long or short your visit might be, you should be careful to stay in compliance with the local laws and regulations. It’s not just very disrespectful if you ignore them, breaking some of the laws can land you in a lot of trouble with the authorities. This includes but is not just limited to jail time either!

The Bukit Batok Nature Park is a beautiful place to visit, and the quarry pool is one of its main attractions. However, you cannot fish in there, though you will see a lot of fish. Most of the pools, lakes, and streams near the multitudinous temples of Singapore will also be teeming with fish, but you cannot fish in any of those locations either.

You cannot chew gum or tobacco anywhere in Singapore.

Smoking is allowed but only in a select few places.

Although it should go without saying, keep in mind that Singapore has the world’s strictest anti-drug policies and punishments in the world.

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