We spent ten days in Singapore and across the border into Malaysia back in April 2023. I felt like it was worth giving the details of that trip a permanent space here on this blog, even though it’s a flashback! I’ll split this post into three fun sections: recommended activities, interesting food, and keeping the trip inexpensive. Enjoy! I hope this is helpful if you ever visit Singapore! We loved it!
FUN THINGS WE DID in Singapore and Johor Bahru
We decided to spend our first three nights in Malaysia [it’s cheaper]! Taking the train [East West line] downtown from the airport and then finding the border crossing bus [ST 74, Woodlands] was really simple. No sweat! The trick with taking a quick trip across the border into Malaysia is that many of the fun activities are less accessible by public transportation. And if you rent a car [which we did!], you’ll be driving on the left side of the road [exciting and fun for me]! Without a car, you’ll be pretty limited as far as what excursions you can enjoy. Singapore is much more walkable and has fantastic public transportation.
ATV Tour Seelong Trail [Johor Bahru]: We drove about 30 minutes out of town to find a little garage with ATVs parked in it. It felt a little creepy at first, but the guys running this tour were totally great. They don’t have a website, but I was able to connect via Facebook and Whatsapp to make the reservation and pay online. Bring local currency with you just in case because I needed to pay a small amount to tie things up when we got there. The tour itself takes you through a farm-type place, with lots of tall trees and mud [depending on the recent weather]. We zoomed up and down and around and even got to drive up a stream bed. We saw monkeys chilling by the trail and in the trees. I love driving ATVs, so this was a blast for me! 🙂
Tanjung Buloh/Buluh: The backstory to this is that we/I wanted to go over to the eastern coast to see if we could find some fun beaches. I set out for Desaru, which was supposedly a tourist center next to the beach. Well, I’m pretty sure Covid killed this spot because it was a ghost town. They even have a huge waterpark, abandoned. : ( We kept driving north, along the coastline. The best thing we could find was a little turnout with beach access, but it didn’t seem very popular and Ezra didn’t like the sand/crabs. My favorite part of this journey and what I’m recommending is the part of the drive [J173] that goes through refuge type land and there were signs for monkey/elephant/tapir crossings! We saw SO many monkeys crossing the road, some mamas with their babies hanging on below! They just kept coming from one side to the other, jumping up into the trees. I loved this!!
Night Markets in Johor Bahru [JB]: I’m adding this here because I think we really missed an opportunity. I wanted to visit a night market, but we just chickened out about going out at night [and we were seriously jet-lagged and only wanted to sleep]. Be sure to research the scheduling, because there are night markets almost every night, but in different spots. Please be brave and then tell me how it goes!
Sentosa Island: There are lots of things to do on the island, but I’ll just share our experience. Favorite of all was the Adventure Cove Waterpark!! It’s not a huge place, but has a lot of neat rides and experiences. We loved the Riptide Rocket which pulls you and your partner [in a tube] up and then you go around a corner, down, and up again! There is a saltwater snorkeling loop that is enjoyable [could have had more fish in my opinion], and a lazy river that is a journey through caves and tunnels and next to the sting-ray and dolphin pools. We loved this place! Our second favorite thing on the island was the Skyline Luge. You take a chairlift to the top and ride little carts down to the bottom on different paths! I think this would be fun to go back and do at night too. Our third favorite thing was a tie between the ice cream sandwiches and the cable car. Riding the cable car after dark and looking down on everything from up above was so beautiful, but eating a slab of durian ice cream between two pieces of sandwich bread [bakery located in The Forum, close to the waterpark] was pretty unforgettable! 😉 Honorable mentions include Fort Siloso [there’s a really neat little WWII museum and a skybridge], the Wings of Time show that we didn’t pay for but watched from afar, and the suspension bridge over to Palawan Island that claims to be the southernmost point of Central Asia. It was also nice to have access to the free shuttle running up and down Sentosa Island [hop on and off].
Nighttime Singapore River Bumboat Cruise: For the chance to see the lights of the city reflecting off the water, hear historical facts about the bridges and the surroundings, and gaze in awe at the Marina Bay Sands hotel, you MUST take this river cruise [especially after dark]!
Singapore Symphony Concert at the Esplanade: When I’m planning things to do in a city, I usually check for events like concerts [we enjoyed a spectacular big band/jazz concert in Virginia once]. Sometimes the timing works perfectly! We enjoyed Mozart’s 25th Symphony in G minor and Kozlovsky’s Requiem in E-flat minor [with soloists and a full choir]! Highly recommend.
Spectra Light and Water Show, outside the Marina Bay Sands Hotel: You can enjoy the walk across the very cool Helix Bridge and then enjoy a free display of shooting water, lights, and music right in front of the hotel [think Bellagio]! There are usually shows at 8pm and 9pm, but check the schedule.
Singapore Bike Share App/River Trails: Sometimes you can spend hours researching things to do in a city and never come upon one of the best things! I figured out [on our last day] that the bike share program is an easy-to-use app and there are really cheap passes [I paid just under $7 for a seven day pass]! There are SO many multi-use paved paths in Singapore. I rode along the river for quite a ways and love it so much. This is my number one thing to do when I get a chance to return to Singapore!!
INTERESTING FOOD We Enjoyed
Banana Cake [Hiap Joo Bakery in Johor Bahru]: This is a hot place for tourists, but for good reason. Say moist, slight crunch, sweet, and delicious. Ten years from now, when you ask Ezra about this trip, he will say “banana cake”.
Carrot Cake [find it at most hawker food stalls in Singapore]: There aren’t any carrots here and it isn’t cake. Atlas Obscura can help you understand what this is and why it’s called “carrot cake”! “The answer is simple: In China’s Hokkien dialect, chai tow means “radish” or “carrot,” while kway means “pastry” or “rice cake.” The dish likely originated in Southern China and was brought to Singapore by Teochew immigrants in the late 19th century.” It was too ethnic for Ezra’s 13-year-old tastebuds, but I thought it was delicious and worth trying again!
Egg Prata [found at a hawker food stall]: Different varieties of prata are probably not hard to make, but I think the owners of the hawker stalls work some magic. These pancake-type omelete things are packed with flavor and are a good way to get protein for breakfast! I want many more of these!!
Chendol/Cendol [found at a mall food court]: I don’t know who came up with this combination!! Shave ice, green worm-shaped starch jellies [the green color comes from pandan], coconut milk, red beans, palm sugar syrup, and sometimes other toppings too. We weren’t sure if it was good, but we kept eating it…
Popiah [mall food court]: This is another favorite that I would really, really like to try again. The best way I can describe it is a thin pancake wrapped around yummy things like egg, rice noodles, peanuts, bean sprouts, tofu, garlic, shredded turnip, green onions, and probably more. A++
Gokul — Raas [vegetarian restaurant in Little India]: If I had been with a travel companion who loves ethnic food, I would have been back at this restaurant the very next day. YUM. They make vegetarian “meat” for their dishes, so I was able to try “mutton” murtabak and “sardine” curry puffs. Their fried rice was SO well seasoned as well. I think you must visit this place, especially if you eat a vegetarian diet! Visiting Little India was such an interesting experience overall. I haven’t been to India yet, but I imagine the hustle and bustle here was pretty similar to what I would find in the real India. It was kinda hectic!
Honorable mentions: the fresh orange juice vending machines, the warm steamed buns filled with sweet bean paste [from a convenience store], the sugarcane juice with lemon, and the mango sticky rice!!
HOW TO KEEP YOUR VISIT TO SINGAPORE INEXPENSIVE
Transportation: Flights can be very pricey, but deals can be found! I knew Ezra wanted to go to Singapore, so I was using Google Flights to watch for any tickets under around $800. We booked almost a year in advance, because I found a good price. In Malaysia, renting a car with Sixt was actually pretty cheap and hassle free. But in Singapore, we found that using the bus/train system was a much better choice.
Food: We do splurge on fun foods to try while on trips, but usually we can find what we’re looking for at a food truck [or hawker stall], grocery/convenience stores, or [sometimes] sit-down restaurants. I usually get yogurt and fruit/bread at a grocery store in the evening, so we’re good to go for breakfast.
Accommodation: A place to stay can really break the bank, especially in Singapore! Most of the hotels weren’t within our budget, but fortunately we found a GEM of a hostel [Hipster City]!! We spent one night [closer to the airport] at Hotel 81 Premier Star and had no complaints at all. If you aren’t terribly picky about the comfort of your room or whether you have to share bathroom facilities, cheaper nights can be had! Hipster City had a shared shower room and curtains to keep the bed areas private. They serve a simple breakfast everyday — toast and jam, instant oatmeal, and hot drinks. Sometimes, AirBNB can be the cheapest option. We found a very nice apartment for our stay in Johor Bahru, but it was a little complicated to check in to. We figured it out! 🙂
Sometimes you can find discounted tickets at websites such as Klook or GetYourGuide. Be careful…I usually check the original business for their pricing in order to compare first, but sometimes the deal is real!
The funny thing is…we chose to come to Singapore mostly because of the airport hype!! While the airport is cool, I’m definitely going to recommend that travelers come to Singapore for more than just an airport tour! I believe you will really enjoy the food and variety of things to do. I’ve just scratched the surface in this quick telling of our trip…there’s much more. 🙂 You might like Fort Canning and the Funan Mall [we found Little Caesars pizza there]. I skipped over the Night Safari and Gardens by the Bay because, although some people might love them, they weren’t our favorite. I liked hiking in the area next to the Henderson Waves, but Ezra was miserable in the humidity/heat. Everyone will enjoy different things, but I hope you’ve gleaned something helpful from this post! Here are four reasons to go to Singapore: 1) 46% of their land is green space! 2) The majority of people who live there speak English 3) It has a reputation for being one of the safest cities in the world! 4) In 2021, Singapore was selected as the world’s cleanest and best city!! You should go. 🙂
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