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We have a strong pool of experienced tourist guides providing various tours across Singapore for schools, companies, new citizens and overseas visitors.

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STGS Tours Pte Ltd is the wholly own Travel Agent of the Society of Tourist Guides (Singapore), incorporated on 4 Mar 2015 under Singapore Tourism Board Travel Agent Licence 02701 to develop and provide tours in Singapore.

Hire a Tourist guide

Hiring a Professional Tourist Guide in Singapore can never be easier because we have the largest pool of Professional Licensed Tour Guides to help you explore every possible and lesser known corners of Singapore that even a local may not know.

PDC for Tourist guide

Society of Tourist Guides (Singapore) conceptualized and conducted numerous Professional Development Courses (PDC) to help Licensed Singapore Tourist Guides to refresh and update their knowledge and skills as a Professional.

British Hainan

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• Historical Singapore Bicycle Tour
• Marina Bay Night Tour
• Bike And Bites Tour
• Trails Of Tan Ah Huat
• Tales of Four Quays
• East Coast Bicycle Tour
• Beyond Michelin Chinatown Food Tour
• Hawker Fare: Little India Street Food Tour
• Market To Table Culinary Experience
• Flavours of Singapore
• Discover Hainan
• Discover Hokkien
• Discover Thailand
• Island Boat Tour & Kelong Visit

• A Voyage Of Time: Chinese Junk Tour
• Stories of the Sea: Theatrical Boat Tour
• City Highlights: Singapore River & Marina Bay
• City Highlights: Chinatown, Little India, Kampong Gelam
• Singapore For Dummies Tour: Beginner’s Guide to SG
• Chek Jawa Boardwalk
• Pulau Ubin Tour: The Wild Side
• Kampong Experience
• Story of Stamford Raffles
• Fish Farming & Sustainability
• Race & Religion Tour
• Singapore Spice Story
• Singapore Water Story
• SG: Building of A Nation
• Aminah in Kampong Glam
• Ah Huat in Chinatown
• The Red Oil Lamp: Chinatown Stories Alive!
• Team Building Activities
• Private Tour

• Echoes of 1959 Singapore River
• i Light Singapore 2023 Walking Tour
• Singapore Art Week 2023 Tours
• Singapore Travel Blog

Take Adventures Create Memories!

Let’s Go Tour Singapore is an award-winning tour operator offering a wide range of unique tours led by experienced local tour operators. Choose from Bike Tours , Food Tours , Boat Tours , Walking Tours , Cooking Classes , Private Car Tours and more.

Make the most of each travel moment and create some wonderful memories with us now!

Ready to experience the real Singapore?

Popular Singapore Tours

Explore Singapore on carefully-designed routes with friendly local guides. With the wind in your hair, get behind the handlebar to learn a little history and soak in the city’s breathtaking sights!

Go beyond just the Singapore River Cruise and discover Singapore from a different perspective. Sail out to explore the Southern Islands, reconnect with nature and get up close to Kelongs & Fish Farms!

Cooking Classes

Discover Singapore’s delicious food culture and learn how to cook popular local dishes with our friendly, experienced chefs through a variety of immersive Culinary Experiences!

Singapore Food Tours

Discover amazing local street food with our Singapore walking food tour options, complete with a side of historical insights by your tour guide for an memorable tour experience!

Learning Journeys

Learning should be fun and engaging! Our series of educational tours are specially created to enhance knowledge through fun and meaningful experiences outside of the classroom.

Walking Tours

Our guided walking tours are created to be the perfect introduction for those visiting Singapore for the first time, covering the Must-Sees, Best Things To Do and Hidden Gems.

Theatrical Tours

This is not your ordinary walking tour! History comes alive with our innovative Theatrical Tours: immersive storytelling journeys that combine role-play theatrics, visual props and heartfelt emotions.

Nature Tours

Head into the wilderness with our seasoned nature tour guides and explore an abundance of nature found off the beaten tourist track at Pulau Ubin.

Private Tours

Prefer the intimacy of your own group? From food adventures to vibrant street art and to quaint heartland communities, create a trip to remember when you opt for a fully-customisable private tour!

Customised Team Building & Learning Journeys

Whether corporate or school-based, our original team building events leverage on our tour expertise to create experiences that are both fun and meaningful!

Our team is also experienced in Virtual Tours, both livestreamed and recorded segments.

Let us help you transform your event objectives into unparalleled experiences!

Your Peace of Mind is Our Priority

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The STB has a rigorous approval process for travel and tour agencies, which means that only those who meet the highest standards for quality and service get endorsed.

We pride ourselves on being one of the best Singapore tour agencies for a wide variety of unique and enriching experiences.

Moreover, we are committed to providing quality customer service to ensure that you get a positive experience from booking tours to the end of your chosen tour.

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Discover Singapore

Discover Singapore through privately guided tours curated by locals.

• Award-Winning Boutique Singapore Tours Company

We tell you more than just the city's stories

Discover the local way of life through unique tours.

Explore the city through privately curated Singapore tours like a local & experience authentic connections.

Signature Tours

Sentosa Wheel-venture – Accessibility Tour

Calling all adventurers, thrill-seekers, and anyone who loves fun, regardless of mobility get ready to embark on a five-hour whirlwind adventure through the dazzling island of sentosa , designed especially for our amazing friends on wheels. this wheelchair friendly tour is all about inclusion, excitement, and creating memories that will last a lifetime..

Enabling Village Tour – Wheelchair friendly tours led by PWDs

Enabling Village Tour – Building an inclusive community and fostering interaction

Embark on a transformative journey through Enabling Village, where inclusivity thrives. Our 1.5-hour walking tour, led by a guide with disability, offers a unique experience. Prepare to be inspired by heart-warming stories, universal inclusive design principles, and impactful assistive technology. Interact with individuals of all abilities, and gain insights on inclusive employment through the various businesses around the village.

ZERO TO HERO FOOD SUSTAINABILITY TOUR

Zero to Hero Food Sustainability Tour – an experiential tour to transform ugly food

Foray into the heartlands to explore the sustainability efforts within our wet markets, forage for vegetable waste and ugly food and convert them into useful compost!

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STORIES AND TRAVEL TIPS

Discoveries, journeys & fun things to do in singapore.

SPEND THE DAY AT TIONG BAHRU

Tiong Bahru is the oldest housing estate in Singapore, and when you visit this quaint community, you’ll immediately notice an intriguing mix of old and new. While many older residents have lived in the shophouses and flats here for decades, the younger generation flocks here for the food, shops, and culture. The name Tiong Bahru actually… Continue reading SPEND THE DAY AT TIONG BAHRU

SPEND THE DAY AT KAMPONG GLAM

Discover Kampong Glam’s rich history, living traditions, excellent eateries and trendy shops in this vibrant neighbourhood. Historically one of  Singapore’s oldest urban quarters, Kampong Glam is a neighbourhood where age-old traditions and trendy lifestyles come together in a heady blend. The word ‘kampong’ means “compound in Malay, while “glam” refers to the long-leaved paperbark tree, commonly found… Continue reading SPEND THE DAY AT KAMPONG GLAM

SPEND A DAY AT LITTLE INDIA

Little India is a buzzing historic area that shows off the best of Singapore’s Indian community, from vibrant culture to incredible shopping. You may not know that this district once had a racecourse, cattle herders and brick kilns. But while these places and people are gone, time stands still in the pockets of this historic district. Olden-day trades… Continue reading SPEND A DAY AT LITTLE INDIA

SPEND A DAY AT KATONG

Wander around the colourful neighbourhoods of Joo Chiat and Katong, which are filled with hipster cafés, old shophouses, and a thriving culture. Explore the Peranakan culture as you pass through heritage shophouses, quaint shops, and eateries in this picturesque area of eastern Singapore. With this comprehensive things-to-do itinerary in Katong’s top attractions and hidden gems,… Continue reading SPEND A DAY AT KATONG

SPEND A DAY AT CHINATOWN

One of the must-see locations in the heart of Singapore is Chinatown. Because of its location, food street, shopping, and multi-cultural past, it draws both tourists and residents in large numbers. Despite being modernized today, this area has a long history, and as you investigate and untangle the memories of its past, you may begin… Continue reading SPEND A DAY AT CHINATOWN

CRAFTING THE MADE IN SINGAPORE STORY

The origin of coffee, the continent of Australia, pirates of Southeast Asian seas – what do all these have to do with Singapore’s economic success? Plenty, if you are Tribe, a travel start-up specializing in curating unique local experiences. In the hands of 2017’s Singapore Tourism Awards recipient for best tour experience, these info-bits are… Continue reading CRAFTING THE MADE IN SINGAPORE STORY

TRIBE’S CORPORATE EVENT PLANNERS

Tribe is not just a tour company. We offer event planning services for corporate clients as well. Many of our clients are corporations and educational institutions such as schools and universities who come to us for customized events and tours. Among our clients are Hermes, Ren Ci Hospital, Community Centers and IEEM. We are your… Continue reading TRIBE’S CORPORATE EVENT PLANNERS

MADE IN SINGAPORE JOURNEY

Like any celebrity who’s been regularly featured in the news, there are few things about Singapore you wouldn’t be able to discover just by causally surfing the Internet. Ah, but to know it like a friend, to unravel its secrets and listen in on its intimate narratives, that would require being ushered by the most… Continue reading MADE IN SINGAPORE JOURNEY

AFTER HOURS

Your day is far from over when the sun sets in Singapore, and no visit to our island would be complete without a foray into what we have to offer by night. Without meaning to sound like a stale cliché, this city truly does not sleep. There’s always some place to drink, something to do… Continue reading AFTER HOURS

BEST MONTHS TO VISIT

When’s the best time to visit Singapore? This totally depends on the type of traveller that you are. Here are Tribe’s very own favourite times of the year and why. January/February Not a typically hot holiday season, simply because the rest of the world is back to work. Come if you want to soak in… Continue reading BEST MONTHS TO VISIT

BEST PLACES FOR CHILLI CRAB IN SINGAPORE

Tomorrow is National Day. And what better way to pledge our allegiance than to savour our national dish – Chilli Crab! Whether you have recently called Singapore home, or are a regular visitor to Singapore, or even a local, when confronted with where to go to get your Chilli Crab fix, here’s a few top… Continue reading BEST PLACES FOR CHILLI CRAB IN SINGAPORE

NEIGHBOURHOODS

If you are keen to venture off the beaten tracks of Orchard Road and other tourist spots to check out some interesting neighbourhoods, we have circled out a few that have that bit of character about them. CHANGI VILLAGE Think Texas and the US, Catalonia and Spain. If Singapore had a breakaway region, it may… Continue reading NEIGHBOURHOODS

Is Singapore Child Friendly? If you are doing research and wondering if Singapore is child-friendly at all, worry not. Here’s the lowdown. Singapore is very child-friendly compared to the rest of Asia. Most restaurants (especially the newer establishments) are equipped with baby chairs and often provide plastic bowls and utensils. More importantly, service staff usually… Continue reading FOR KIDS

KOPIS & TEHS

Teh tarik – the quintessential local beverage. If there was such a thing as comfort beverage, this would be it for the people in South East Asia. Teh tarik is comprised of black tea, sugar, and condensed and evaporated milk mixed to frothy perfection. What’s so special you may wonder? Teh tarik literally means “pulled… Continue reading KOPIS & TEHS

MUSEUMS IN SINGAPORE

There are many categories of National Museums, other museums and heritage institutions in Singapore. Depending on who you ask, it is unclear which ones falls into which categories. But you don’t care do you. We thought so. Here again is Tribe’s very own musings and about the local museum scene. This one is ordered with… Continue reading MUSEUMS IN SINGAPORE

You probably heard it by now, that eating is one of the highlights of visiting Singapore. In a food obsessed nation, almost everyone swears by a few must-eats (“die die must try” – in local speak). Those of you with well meaning Singapore friends know exactly what I am talking about. Even with a very… Continue reading MUST EATS

Good on you if you chose to spend your honeymoon from traditional hotspots such as Maldives and Paris. Here are a few spots you may or may not already know that you can add to you trip with a special someone. Walks Looking for a magical spot for an early morning stroll, head to MacRitchie… Continue reading COUPLES

NATURE & PARKS

Singapore’s parks get short shrift when compared to the many things to do in Singapore. Unfairly we may add. Our parks are great for a stroll, running or cycling, or simply for those who want to escape the hustle and bustle of the trappings of a city. But what many people (locals included) often overlook… Continue reading NATURE & PARKS

“UNDER THE RADAR, EASY ON THE WALLET” ORCHARD ROAD EATS

The proof of the pudding is in the queuing! Most of the eateries listed here have snaking long queues (at least half hour wait, if you are lucky) and all will be put off, except those who live to eat. You may not publicly read too much about these places because those who already know… Continue reading “UNDER THE RADAR, EASY ON THE WALLET” ORCHARD ROAD EATS

SNACKS, LITTLE BITES & DESSERTS

Google “must eats in Singapore” and every lists will spit out a Top 10 or 50 Must Eats, which will include the usual suspects of chilli crab, Hainanese chicken rice and char kway teow. I don’t have an issue with that other than the fact that it crowds out unfairly, other must eats of the… Continue reading SNACKS, LITTLE BITES & DESSERTS

8 COMFORT FOODS IN SINGAPORE

When we are down and out, or craving a little taste of home, many of us reach for comfort foods. And let’s face it; everyone has a favorite. They are imbued with memories, celebratory identities and soothing associations that are more than just about food. One of my earliest memories as a child of comfort… Continue reading 8 COMFORT FOODS IN SINGAPORE

HAWKER CENTERS

It’s true. “If you have not visited or eaten at a hawker centre, you cannot claim to know Singapore. There is no place more quintessentially local than a hawker centre.” So even if you rattle off places like Little India, Raffles Hotel, Merlion, Sentosa, Mount Faber and Orchard Road, you have little street cred if… Continue reading HAWKER CENTERS

EXPERIENCES BY TRIBE

Tribe tours are privately guided tours curated by locals who know the city inside out. our experiences are carefully crafted out to be truly local and real - a slice of the local way of life..

Our natives

Natives are the local experts at Tribe, the true stars of our tours! If you're looking for a more personal experience, the Natives are waiting to welcome you.

Meet our Chiefs. The super guides that show you things no one else can, the map to the Singapore's best kept secrets!

Featured tours

• STARTING $ 120.00
• DURATION 5 HOURS (3:30-8:30 pm)

Chicken Rice Diaries: The Hainan Story in Bugis

• STARTING $ 50.00
• DURATION 2 HOURS (1600-1800hrs)

Project Godown – Secrets of Clarke Quay

• DURATION 1.5 HOURS (1600-1730hrs)

From Military Might to Modern Marvel: Unveiling South Beach Singapore

• STARTING $ 18.00
• DURATION 1 HOURS (1700-1800hrs)

Lau Pa Sat Night Street Food Tour Singapore & Marina Bay Night Walk

• STARTING $ 98.00 – $ 128.00
• DURATION 3 HOURS (1800-2100hrs)

Gardens by the Bay Guided Tour – Supertrees, Flower Dome and Cloud Forest

• DURATION 2.5 HOURS (1430-1700hrs)

Genies of Kampong Glam – Experiential Heritage Tour

• STARTING $ 50.00 – $ 60.00
• DURATION 2 HOURS (1400-1600hrs)

SUSTENIR VERTICAL FARMING – Innovation Tour to Singapore’s superfood farm

• STARTING $ 60.00 – $ 80.00
• DURATION 1.5 HOURS
• DURATION 2 HOURS

SOUTHERN RIDGES HIKING TOUR – Explore the nature reserves in Singapore

• STARTING $ 80.00 – $ 90.00
• DURATION 3.5 HOURS (0900-1230hrs)
• STARTING $ 60.00 – $ 100.00
• DURATION 3 HOURS (1000-1300hrs)

EAT YOUR WAY THROUGH KATONG JOO CHIAT

• STARTING $ 70.00 – $ 99.00
• DURATION 03 HOURS (0930-1230hrs)

Reviews & Accolades

Singapore tourism board outstanding tour experience winner (2017, 2021) | customer service excellence for tourist guiding winner (2022) | tripadvisor travellers’ choice award winner (2020 - 2023).

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"I love introducing our guests to all the best food spots in Singapore, from the sizzling delicacies in Chinatown to the colourful markets of Little India."

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Stroll along the Singapore River

Take a walk along the Singapore River through the Colonial District with our Local Specialists, who will point out all the historic landmarks of the river. See the grand Victoria Theatre, the former Parliament House, the Old Supreme Court Building and bridges built more than a century ago.

Visit the UNESCO-listed Singapore Botanic Gardens

The Singapore Botanic Gardens are a haven of greenery, with more than 10,000 species of plants spread across 82-hectares, including rainforest, orchids and a ginger garden. These incredible gardens are over 160 years old and the only tropical gardens to be chosen as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Wander through the exquisite National Orchid Garden

Home to the world’s largest orchid collection, the National Orchid Garden is the most famous garden of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. It’s also one of the leading sites in orchid studies, and we’ll discover more than 1,000 orchid species and 2,000 hybrid species over three beautiful hectares.

Enjoy a Night Out at Marina Bay

We’ll take you on a night out to see the spectacular sights of Marina Bay, including Gardens by the Bay, with exotic plants in the Flower Dome and the 114-foot indoor waterfall in the extraordinary Cloud Forest. We’ll also rise 656 feet in the air to the Marina Sands Observation Deck, with a panoramic view of the city below.

Be amazed by the SuperTree Grove

One of the most iconic sights in Singapore, the SuperTree Grove is a vertical garden standing between 82 and 164 feet tall, wrapped in ferns, orchids and vines. The large canopies come alive at night in a thrilling display of light and music, known as the Garden Rhapsody.

Our top 5 things to do in Singapore

A Singapore tour package with Trafalgar takes you to the country’s most remarkable sights, from the historic Singapore River to the dazzling SuperTree Grove.

National Museum of Singapore

With a history dating back to 1849, the National Museum of Singapore is the oldest museum in Singapore. You’ll discover the national treasures of the country, including the Singapore Stone, the 14th century Gold Ornaments of the Sacred Hill, and the earliest photographs of Singapore.

ArtScience Museum

Housed in a striking building shaped like a blooming lotus flower, the ArtScience Museum houses an impressive collection of design and technology. You’ll find exhibits celebrating both art and science, such as Leonardo da Vinci’s Flying Machine, Tang Dynasty treasures and a high-tech robotic fish.

Asian Civilisations Museum

The Asian Civilisations Museum is dedicated to showcasing the artistic history of Asia, from Southeast Asia to West Asia. You can explore the ancestral cultures of Singaporeans, with extensive collections featuring ancient porcelain, ceramics, calligraphy, textiles, woodwork, bronze statues, Buddhist art, and tribal ornaments.

Best museums in Singapore

Our Singapore sightseeing tours take in the country’s top museums, from national treasures and ancient artwork, to a celebration of art and science.

One of the most iconic Singapore foods, laksa is a noodle dish with chicken, fish or prawns cooked in a spicy coconut milk curry or a sour assam broth. You’ll find laksa all over Singapore and our Local Specialists will show you the best stalls to sample these delicious noodles.

Bak Kut Teh

A tantalising dish of pork ribs cooked in a broth of herbs and spices, Bak Kut Teh is a beloved breakfast dish in Singapore. The name literally translates to ‘Meat Bone Tea’, although the ‘tea’ is a complex broth of cinnamon, cloves, pepper, garlic and fennel seeds, which simmers for hours before serving.

Orh Luak (Oyster omelette)

Orh Luak is Singapore’s delicious version of the classic omelette. It’s made with juicy oysters and potato starch whipped into the egg batter for a thicker consistency. You’ll find Orh Luak in street stalls around the country and it’s best topped with chilli sauce and lime juice for a fiery kick.

Best food in Singapore

Our Singapore escorted tours will take you to the best food halls to sample the country’s traditional delights, from oyster omelets to coconut-flavored laksa.

What to pack for Singapore

Adaptor plug

In Singapore the standard voltage is 230 V and the power plugs and sockets are of type G. The standard frequency is 50 Hz.

From the extraordinary waterfall in the Cloud Forest, to the glittering SuperTree Grove, you’ll want to capture all the iconic sights of Singapore.

Comfortable shoes

With bayside footpaths and shaded walking trails, Singapore is best explored on foot. Bring a reliable pair of walking shoes for your adventures around the island.

Formal wear

Singapore is home to some of the world’s finest bars and restaurants and many have a dress code, so pack appropriately if you’d like to enjoy a night out.

Reusable water bottle

As a growing leader in sustainability, Singapore is dotted with water refill stations, so it’s easy to top up your reusable water bottle and avoid adding to the plastic waste.

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Clean, cool and sophisticated Singapore is a hubbub of gleaming harboursides, skyscrapers and banks. Check out the famous zoo, bubbling Little India and more with help from a tourHQ guide.

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Singapore is a very unique country - come take a walk with me and I will share with you why. ...

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Bernard is a licensed tourist guide since 2007 as well as a true blue Singaporean who is born and ...

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Perched out on the very tip of the Malay Peninsula, the autonomous Republic of Singapore has long commanded the trade lines of the Malacca Straits, making it one of the world’s richest and most thriving post-colonial port towns. Today, that affluence pokes through at every turn, from the pristine pavements of the high-rise banking district, to the eye-watering architecture and nouveau riche bars of the harbour. But despite its wealth and comely appearance, there’s no question that Singapore has its visceral, wholly Asian side too. First off, there’s the districts of Little India and Chinatown, where the convergence of bubbling Balti dishes and steaming dim sum stands as testimony to the intense plethora of cultures and creeds that now call this city state home. Then there’s the bubbling mix of mosques, Buddhist temples and Christian churches to explore, not to mention the jungled outback of thickets and swamps that’s typically Southeast Asian in every respect. Ask any Singapore tourist guide and they’ll tell you that most first-timers kick off their visit with a tall Singapore Sling in Raffles, or a trip to the boutique eateries of the harbourside, none of them leaving town without at least a short jaunt through the magnificent exhibitions of the city’s world-class zoo!

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Find a local private tour guide for your sightseeing tour of Singapore using Private Guide World by filtering your preferred language in the field at the top of this page in the center

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Select a private local tour guide in Singapore

Thanks to the Private Guide World service with a few clicks you can choose a local personal tour guide to nearby attractions of Singapore. Just enter your destination and your search parameters, and your preferred language and see the results. You can use the filter ONLINE ONLY to see which local tour guide in Singapore is currently online!

Our local private tour guides know Singapore and the surrounding region very well, speak the local English, Malay, Tamil, Chinese language plus the other languages, too, and can help you to understand the local people of Singapore, culture, traditions, and history better while you are in Singapore. During the tour around Singapore, you will not have any problems with locals if a tour guide is by your side. Your personal local tour guide in Singapore will help you learn a lot about the region, and share with you only the most exciting knowledge and best experiences. Check out some of the local sights & attractions in Singapore, wildlife & nature, and ask your personal tour guide to show you the local gems of Singapore hidden from a regular tourist without a local professional tourist guide. Before you travel to Singapore, be sure you have enough local currency SGD with you in case you need to buy a souvenir or tip a tour guide!

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I am a tour guide specialize in Hindu and Chinese culture and religion tour I also specialize in Singapore's food tour Chinese, Hindu and Malay food tour. I am conducted Singaporen nights tour                                                                                                                                  

Hi! My surname is Chua, please call me "Alvin". I’m a certified Tourist Guide in Singapore. I’m physically active, love to travel, explore interesting places, eating, shopping and wellness exercise. I’m born and live here. I have witnessed Singapore developed from a “Kampong” (village) to a beautiful Garden City. I will show and share the Singapore “Then and Now” along the journey. Before being a tourist guide, I was a Sales Manager in FMCG industry for 20 years. Hence, I enjoy meeting people and I’m familiar with retail market and entertainment hot spots. You are our VIP, and your happiness is our top priority. Your safety will also be ensured throughout the journey.                                                                                                                                  

Hello I am Keith, a Singaporean born and bred. I am a part time engineer, full time traveller. As a traveller, I like to explore places where locals go to and watch people in their everyday activities. Through conversations with the locals, I get to know of their culture, customs and way of life. I believe travel should be about people, not just places. Looking for a local who can show you around Singapore like a friend would? Look no further. I enjoy meeting people and introducing Singapore to foreign friends, especially the non-touristy local places. I am sincere, flexible when it comes to the itinerary, and enjoys the exchange of culture with my guests. Singapore offers a fascinating blend of Western modernity and Asian culture. Through a series of thoughtfully designed tours on culture, nature, history, architecture and food, join me to explore some of the best (secret) non-touristy local experiences in Singapore. If you have other places of interest in mind, I can customise the tour to include them. I look forward to hearing from you soon!                                                                                                                                  

Muhammad hilmi A.

Hello there my name is hilmi, your friendly guide from singapore whose smile will always make u feel good and comfortable. i love bringing tourists around different parts of singapore, and sharing many interesting stories about singapore in the past as well as our aspirations for the future. i hope that through our time together, my guests would be able to see singapore from a whole different perspectives. feel free to contact me for any tours or recommendations on places to visit. you're just a click away from connecting with me. let's not waste time and let's get connected :)                                                                                                                                  , singapore tour reviews.

Foods Tasting

“ Excellent trip with Lim ”

I had a great time with Lim. Even though I asked for a customised trip, he still preplanned and visited a lot of places more than what I expected. Great knowledge of the history and the culture of the city. I would highly recommend having Lim with you if you visit Singapore.

Food and Attractions

“ Personalized food and culture-focused day tour ”

Fatimah was AMAZING! She easily understood the objectives of our team and helped us plan a productive and fun day. She displayed great knowledge of the Singapore culture, showed us some great sights, helped us arrange dinner reservations and basically made our day seamless, low-stress and easy. Fatimah went above my expectations and helped us arrange a car for the day and it was stocked with cold water too. If we ever come back to Singapore and hire another tour guide, I wouldn't hesitate to look up Fatimah again. 5-Star rating easily.

Thank you very much for your supportive comment Joel, Sedef, Michael, Jason, Brian and Lori. Glad to see you guys again. All the best and take good care. Best Regards Fatimah

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Planning a trip to the inner-city playground of Singapore but not sure where to begin? At City Unscripted, we know exactly what you need. We have the best private tour guides in Singapore to take the stress out of your travel planning and create the perfect itinerary for you. Our private guides in Singapore all share a passion for their hometown, and we’ll pair you with the person who shares your interests. There’s nobody better to show you Singapore’s top sights than a local insider who’s intimately familiar with this mind-bending metropolis. Book a 100% personalized tour with one of our private tour guides in Singapore, and let us start planning your perfect day.

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Like the people who travel with us, they have different backgrounds and interests – but they’re all so passionate about the place they call home, they choose to spend their free time sharing it with the like-minded travelers matched to them.

Whether you have a full day, half a day, or just a few hours, our private tour guides in Singapore will make the most of every minute. Maybe you’re the type of traveler who likes to squeeze in as many of the must-sees as possible, or perhaps you enjoy uncovering the hidden gems and secret sights on your private tours in Singapore. You might book a food tour to sample street eats at an iconic hawker center or maybe you’ll opt for a three-hour crash course to help you get comfortable in the city. Whatever you decide, our private guides in Singapore will make your day unforgettable.

In a city as diverse as Singapore, every traveler’s bucket list looks a little different – that’s why our private tour guides in Singapore structure a personalized itinerary based around what you want to see. Our hosts get a feel for your personality and passions, then create the ideal private tours in Singapore especially for you! Whether you want to trawl the crisscrossing lanes of Chinatown for fantastic food, spend a night relaxing at a rooftop cocktail lounge, or explore charismatic neighborhoods like Tiong Bahru, trust our private tour guides in Singapore to plan your perfect day.

No two travelers are exactly the same, and our private guides in Singapore aren’t, either. Just like the people who travel with us, our local hosts come from many different ages, backgrounds, careers, and perspectives. The one thing they have in common is that they love Singapore deeply, and they’re eager to share the very best of their city with visitors like you. On City Unscripted private tours in Singapore, you’ll see the city with someone who knows it best. Our private tour guides in Singapore are handpicked for you, and we'll pair you with the host who shares your interests.

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Latest reviews from our guests

My husband and I had a day in Singapore so we decided to take a city upscripted day tour of Singapore. Our guide was Keven. Kevin spent eight hours and 20,000 plus steps with us exploring this beautiful City. Kevin was extremely informative and easy going. He designed the day so we got an overview of all the nationalities in Singapore and how they live, eat and work in harmony. We ate, drank and enjoyed the sights. We would highly recommend Kevin and City unscripted if you have a short layover in Singapore.

This is a must to understand how Singapore was shaped, and the people diversity in this city. Nicholas, our guide was great and showed us parts of Chinatown, Little India and Arab quarters. He took us to local eateries where we tasted local and ethnic food, and he even booked dinner for us, and helped us order before saying goodbye to us.

Incredible tour! We had only one day in Singapore and we couldn’t have found a better way to spend it than on this tour. Because it was private we could create our own agenda. We had a combination of a cultural tour, a food tour, a history tour, and an entertainment tour! It was amazing all the ground we covered, both actually and metaphorically. I highly recommend this tour and this tour guide.

This was one of the best tours we’ve ever taken. Nic is so knowledgeable and pleasant. He showed us the historic part of Singapore, and we tasted some of the local specialties at his suggestion. We’ve learned so much and we’ve seen so many things. Thanks, Daniel

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“The handiest and most marvellous city I ever saw”, wrote the natural historian William Hornaday of Singapore in 1885, “as well planned and carefully executed as though built entirely by one man. It is like a big desk, full of drawers and pigeonholes, where everything has its place, and can always be found in it.” This succinct appraisal seems apt even now, despite the tiny island’s transformation from an endearingly chaotic colonial port, one that embodied the exoticism of the East, into a pristine, futuristic shrine to consumerism. In the process, Singapore acquired a reputation, largely deserved, for soullessness, but these days the place has taken on a more relaxed and intriguing character, one that achieves a healthier balance between Westernized modernity and the city-state’s traditional cultures and street life.

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Sri mariamman temple, taking chinese tea, tanjong pagar, the baba house, drinking and nightlife, entertainment, street theatre, travel ideas for singapore, created by local experts.

6 days  / from 3950 USD

Indulgent Singapore

From the infamous Singapore Sling to fabulous shopping and nightlife, colourful neighbourhoods and mouth-watering cuisine, the small city-island of Singapore packs a punch. Come here for a relaxing break or a luxury respite before heading on to one of its more frantic neighbours.

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Uniquely Singapore

There’s plenty to enjoy in Singapore, from visiting ethnic neighbourhoods like Little India and Chinatown, to night safaris, authentic street food and sampling the eponymous cocktail, or two. Singapore is, in short, the ideal introduction to Asia in one fell swoop.

12 days  / from 1250 USD

Singapore & Bali - A Unique Exploration

Combine Southeast Asia's smallest country Singapore with its largest country: Indonesia. Spend a few days exploring the metropolis before flying to the magical island of Bali. Temples, volcanoes and ceremonies are part of your itinerary, as are the gorgeous beaches of Nusa Lembongan.

The foundation for Singapore’s prosperity was its designation as a tax-free port by Sir Stamford Raffles, who set up a British trading post here in 1819. The port plays a key role in the economy to this day, though the island now also thrives on high-tech industry, financial services and tourism, all bolstered by a super-efficient infrastructure. All these achievements were accompanied by a major dose of paternalism, with the populace accepting heavy-handed management by the state of most aspects of life in exchange for levels of affluence that would have seemed unimaginable a couple of generations ago. Thus it is that since independence much of the population has been resettled from downtown slums and outlying kampongs (villages) into new towns, and the city’s old quarters have seen historic buildings and streets bulldozed to make way for shopping malls.

Yet although Singapore lacks much of the personality of some Southeast Asian cities, it has more than enough captivating places to visit, from elegant temples to fragrant medicinal shops to grand colonial buildings. Much of Singapore’s fascination springs from its multicultural population, a mixture of Chinese, Malay and Indian, which can make a short walk across town feel like a hop from one country to another, and whose mouthwatering cuisines are a major highlight of any visit. The city also rejoices in a clutch of fine historical museums that offer a much-needed perspective on the many successes and sacrifices that made Singapore what it is today, plus a lively arts scene featuring no shortage of international talent and local creativity.

Top image © weerasak saeku/Shutterstock

Singapore has no national dish – but that’s because it has any number of dishes that could happily qualify for that title. As many travellers never graduate beyond extremely predictable fried rice and noodle plates, here’s our selection of five of the best things to try.

Satay A mainly Malay dish of mini-kebabs on twig-like sticks, barbecued over coals and eaten dipped in a peanut-based sauce, accompanied by glutinous rice cakes and cucumber and onion slices.

Fish-head curry Many Indian restaurants offer this fiery stew containing a large fish head – eyes and all; the cheeks are the best bits.

Chicken rice Widely available at hawker centres, this Hainanese speciality features steamed chicken served atop rice cooked in chicken stock, served up with chicken consommé – the simplest of concepts, but incredibly satisfying.

Chilli crab Whole crabs wok-fried and served in a gloopy gravy made with tomato, chilli, garlic and a little egg. It’s mainly served at seafood outlets, though some ordinary Chinese restaurants offer it too.

Laksa A Peranakan classic of rice noodles, prawns and other morsels steeped in a rich, spicy, curried coconut soup; not hard to find at hawker centres and food courts.

The two square kilometres of Chinatown , west and south of the Singapore River, were never a Chinese enclave in what is, after all, a Chinese-majority country, but they did once represent the focal point of the island’s Chinese life and culture. More so than the other old quarters, however, Chinatown has seen large-scale redevelopment and become a bit of a mishmash. Even so, a wander through the surviving nineteenth-century streets still unearths musty and atmospheric temples and clan associations, and you might hear the rattle of a game of mahjong being played.

The area was first earmarked for Chinese settlement by Raffles, who decided in 1819 that Singapore’s communities should be segregated. As immigrants poured in, the land southwest of the river took shape as a place where new arrivals from China, mostly from Fujian (Hokkien) and Guangdong (Canton) provinces and to a lesser extent Hainan Island, would have found temples, shops with familiar products and, most importantly, kongsi s – clan associations that helped them find lodgings and work as small traders and coolies.

This was one of the most colourful districts of old Singapore, but after independence the government chose to grapple with its tumbledown slums by embarking upon a redevelopment campaign that saw whole streets razed. Someone with an unimpeachable insight into those times, one Lee Kuan Yew, is quoted thus in the area’s Singapore City Gallery: “In our rush to rebuild Singapore, we knocked down many old and quaint buildings. Then we realized that we were destroying a valuable part of our cultural heritage, that we were demolishing what tourists found attractive.” Not until the 1980s did the remaining shophouses and other period buildings begin to be conserved, though restoration has often rendered them improbably perfect. Even so, as in Little India, the character of the area has had a bit of a shot in the arm courtesy of recent immigrants. As regards sights, the Thian Hock Keng, Buddha Tooth Relic and Sri Mariamman temples are especially worthwhile, as is the Chinatown Heritage Centre museum, and there’s plenty of shophouse architecture to justify a leisurely wander.

Though Singapore has no shortage of striking modern buildings, it’s the island’s rows of traditional shophouses that are its most distinctive architectural feature. Once often cramped and unsanitary, many were demolished in the years following independence, but since the 1980s whole streets of them have been declared conservation areas and handsomely restored.

As the name suggests, shophouses were originally a combination of shop and home, with the former occupying the ground floor of a two- or three-storey building; eventually many came to be built purely as townhouses, but the original name stuck. Unusually, the facade is always recessed at ground level, leaving a space here that, combined with adjoining spaces in a row of shophouses, would form a sheltered walkway at the front (the “five-foot way” , so named because of its minimum width) – hence the lack of pavements on Singapore’s older streets. Another notable feature is that shophouses were built narrow and surprisingly deep. Behind the ground-floor shop or reception hall there might be a small courtyard, open to the sky, then yet another room; this layout can be seen at the Baba House and the Katong Antiques House. Also, shophouses were usually built back to back, with tiny alleyways separating the rear sections of adjoining rows; it’s down one such alleyway that the brothels of Desker Road are tucked away.

Shophouses began to be built from the mid-nineteenth century. The oldest ones are no longer standing, but slightly later examples, which still exist on and around Telok Ayer and Arab streets, for example, feature the characteristic shuttered windows and tiled roofs that continued to be used for several decades. Otherwise, their decoration was limited, say, to simple stuccowork, but by the turn of the last century, the shophouse had blossomed into a dizzy melange of Western and Eastern styles, which both European and local architects enjoyed blending. So-called Neoclassical, Chinese Baroque and Rococo shophouses featured decorative Corinthian columns, mini-pediments, fanlights, a riot of multicoloured tilework and stucco, even curvy gables. Local ornamentations included wooden trelliswork and eaves overhung with a row of fretted fascia boards, both often seen in Malay palaces; Peranakan pintu pagar , half-height swing doors like those in Wild West bars; and Chinese touches such as floral and animal motifs. You can see fine wedding-cake-like rows of shophouses in these styles around Joo Chiat Road in Katong and on Sam Leong and Petain roads at the northern edge of Little India.

By the 1930s, global recession and prevailing artistic trends had caused a swing towards more sober Art Deco and modernist buildings, with simpler, geometrical facades often topped by a central flagpole. Shophouses with so-called Tropical Deco stylings continued to be built in Singapore after World War II, even though Art Deco had become old hat elsewhere, and there are quite a few examples in Chinatown, on South Bridge Road for example.

Boxy 1960s shophouses were the form’s last hurrah. By the 1980s, shophouses had pretty much fallen out of favour as they were just too small to make efficient use of scarce land, though a semblance of the five-foot way lived on in some concrete shopping developments of the time.

As with heritage buildings the world over, today’s surviving shophouses are often but a handsomely restored shell concealing insides that have been totally gutted and rejigged. Many no longer serve as shops, homes or clan houses, functioning instead as bars, beauty salons or offices.

Singapore’s oldest Hindu shrine, the Sri Mariamman Temple, boasts a superb entrance gopuram bristling with brightly coloured deities. A wood and atap hut was first erected here in 1827 on land belonging to Naraina Pillay, a government clerk who arrived on the same ship as Stamford Raffles when he first came ashore at Singapore; the present temple was completed around 1843. Inside, look up at the roof to see splendid friezes depicting a host of Hindu deities, including the three manifestations of the supreme being: Brahma the creator (with three of his four heads showing),

Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer (holding one of his sons). The main sanctum is devoted to Mariamman, a goddess worshipped for her healing powers.

Smaller sanctums dotted about the walkway circumnavigating the temple honour other deities. In the one dedicated to the goddess Periachi Amman, a sculpture portrays her with a queen lying on her lap, whose evil child she has ripped from her womb; it’s odd, then, that Periachi Amman is the protector of children, to whom babies are brought when one month old. Once a year, during the festival of Thimithi (Oct or Nov), an unassuming patch of sand to the left of the main sanctum is covered in red-hot coals that male Hindus run across to prove the strength of their faith. The participants, who line up all the way along South Bridge Road waiting for their turn, are supposedly protected from the heat of the coals by the power of prayer.

At two Tanjong Pagar teahouses, Tea Chapter and Yixing Yuan Teahouse, visitors can glean something of the intricacies of the deep Chinese connection with tea by taking part in a tea workshop lasting up to an hour. Participants are introduced to different varieties of tea and talked through the history of tea cultivation and the rituals of brewing and appreciating the drink. The water, for example, has to reach an optimum temperature that depends on which type of tea is being prepared; experts can tell its heat by the size of the rising bubbles, described variously as “sand eyes”, “prawn eyes”, “fish eyes”, etc. Both venues also stock an extensive range of tea-related accoutrements such as tall “sniffer” cups used to savour the aroma of the brew before it is poured into squat teacups for drinking.

The district of Tanjong Pagar , fanning out south of Chinatown between Neil and Maxwell roads, was once a veritable sewer of brothels and opium dens. Then it was earmarked for regeneration as a conservation area, following which dozens of shophouses were painstakingly restored and converted into bars, restaurants and shops, notably on Neil Road and Duxton Hill just south of it. A grander example of the area’s architecture can be found right where South Bridge Road flows into Neil and Tanjong Pagar roads: here you’ll easily spot the arches and bricked facade of the Jinrikisha Building , constructed at the turn of the last century as a terminus for rickshaws. They were superseded by trishaws after World War II, and today the building serves as office space – with a celebrity landlord, the Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan.

Tanjong Pagar’s main sight is the Baba House , though as an architectural attention-grabber it’s rivalled by the seven interlinked towers of the Pinnacle@Duxton , a showpiece public housing development that offers fine views over much of Singapore.

The Baba House is one of Singapore’s most impressive museums, because it is and isn’t a museum: what you see is a Peranakan house from the turn of the last century, meticulously restored to its appearance in the late 1920s, a particularly prosperous time in its history.

The house is easily spotted as it’s painted a vivid blue. Note the phoenixes and peonies on the eaves above the entrance, signifying longevity and wealth and, together, marital bliss. Even more eye-catching is the pintu pagar , the pair of swing doors with beautiful gilt and mother-of-pearl inlays.

With its affluence and large expat community, Singapore supports a huge range of drinking holes , from elegant colonial chambers through hip rooftop venues with skyline views to slightly tacky joints featuring karaoke or middling covers bands. There’s also a bunch of glitzy and vibrant clubs where people let their hair down to cutting-edge sounds minus – this being Singapore – any assistance from illicit substances. Some venues regularly manage to lure the world’s leading DJs to play, too.

Singapore offers an excellent range of cultural events in all genres, drawing on both Asian and Western traditions, and even on a brief visit it’s hard not to notice how much money has been invested in the arts. Prime downtown property has been turned over to arts organizations in areas like Waterloo Street and Little India, and prestige venues like Theatres on the Bay bring in world-class performers – at top-dollar prices. This isn’t to say that all is hunky-dory: questions remain over whether creativity is truly valued when censorship lingers, if not as overtly as in the 1970s and 1980s, then in terms of there being well-established red lines concerning party politics, ethnicity and religion which no one dare cross. More cynically, some say that support for the arts is a way to keep Singapore attractive to expats and its own sometimes restive middle class.

Walk around Singapore long enough and you’re likely to stumble upon some sort of streetside cultural event, most usually a wayang – a Malay word used in Singapore to denote Chinese opera. Played out on outdoor stages next to temples and markets, or in open spaces in the new towns, wayangs are highly dramatic and stylized affairs, in which garishly made-up characters enact popular Chinese legends to the accompaniment of the crashes of cymbals and gongs. They’re staged throughout the year, but the best time to catch one is during the Festival of the Hungry Ghosts, when they are held to entertain passing spooks. Another fascinating traditional performance, lion-dancing , takes to the streets during Chinese New Year, and puppet theatres may appear around then, too. Chinatown and the Bugis/Waterloo Street area are places where you might stumble upon performances.

With so many ethnic groups and religions present in Singapore, it would be unusual if your trip didn’t coincide with some sort of traditional festival, ranging from exuberant, family-oriented pageants to blood-curdlingly gory displays of devotion. Below is a chronological round-up of Singapore’s major festivals (excluding commercial events themed around shopping or the arts, for example, which are covered in the relevant chapters), with suggestions of where best to enjoy them. The dates of many of these change annually according to the lunar calendar; we’ve listed rough timings, but for specific dates it’s a good idea to check with the Singapore Tourism Board ( w yoursingapore.com ). Some festivals are also public holidays, when many shops and restaurants may close.

Singapore is the only country with an ethnic Chinese majority not to use Chinese as its main language of education and business. English enjoys that role – but here it’s often upstaged by the entertaining, though often baffling, Singlish , a mash-up of English together with the grammatical patterns and vocabulary of Chinese and Malay. Pronunciation is staccato, with final consonants often dropped, so “cheque book” would be rendered “che-boo”. In two-syllable words the second syllable is lengthened and stressed by a rise in pitch: ask a Singaporean what they’ve been doing, and you could be told “slee-PING”.

Conventional English syntax is twisted and wrung, and tenses and pronouns discarded. If you ask a Singaporean if they’ve ever seen a Harry Potter film, you might be answered “I ever see”, while enquiring whether they want to go out to buy something might yield “Go, come back already”. Responses are almost invariably reduced to their bare bones, with words often repeated for stress; request something in a shop and you’ll hear “have, have”, or “got, got”.

Exclamations drawn from Malay and Hokkien Chinese complete this pidgin, the most ubiquitous being the Malay suffix “lah”, used to add emphasis to replies, as in: “Do you think we’ll get in for free?” “Cannot lah!” If Singlish has you totally confused, try raising your eyes to the heavens and crying “ay yor” (with a drop of tone on “yor”) – an expression of annoyance or exasperation.

Although these linguistic quirks often amuse foreigners and locals alike, there is much official hand-wringing that poor English could compromise Singapore’s ability to do business globally, so much so that a government-backed Speak Good English movement has been set up to try to shore up standards.

Travel advice for Singapore

From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Singapore

• Eating and drinking in Singapore
• Travel Tips Singapore for planning and on the go
• How to get to Singapore
• Travelling with children in Singapore
• Shopping tips for Singapore
• Getting around Singapore: Transportation Tips
• Best time to visit Singapore

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Singapore Travel Guide 2024

Singapore has been in the top ten list of the most visited cities in the world for years. Our small yet beautiful island deserves it as the city has everything to satisfy any need of visitors: a green and safe environment, cultural diversity, delicious food, world-class shopping malls, the latest fashion and electronics, vibrant nightlife, cheap and convenient public transport, and many more.

You are reading the most comprehensive Singapore travel guide [2024 Guide], which covers everything you need to know to have a satisfying trip. Scroll down to discover them all.

How to Get from Changi Airport to City Centre?

You can ride a taxi, airport shuttle bus, mrt train or limousine. find out which one is the most suitable option for you..

What are recommended Airport Transfer Services?

We’ve gathered the top reliable transport services in the country to get you from the airport to your hotel with zero fuss..

Where to Exchange Money in Singapore?

Here are all the most reputable currency exchange centres and money changers for you to get the best exchange rates..

What to See and Do in Singapore?

Here are the top attractions for first-timers, families and culture fanatics to enjoy..

How to Eat Like a Local in Singapore?

Eat what locals eat. here are all the local all-time favorite dishes to enjoy in singapore..

Where to Eat Like a Local in Singapore?

Locals love to have their daily meals at food courts and zi char houses..

Where to Have Vegetarian Food in Singapore?

From upscale to affordable, from buffet to a la carte, from chinese style to indian style, here are all the vegetarian options singapore has to offer..

Where to Have Halal Food in Singapore?

From fancy international buffets in five-star hotels to budget-friendly a la carte meals at individual restaurants, there is plenty of halal food to enjoy..

Where to Shop in Singapore?

Whether you want to shop at an orchard luxury mall, a factory outlet mall or a street market, singapore has got you covered..

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Singapore has one of the hottest and most vibrant nightlife scenes in asia. discover it here..

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Massage and beauty sessions can make the brilliant extras for a more satisfying trip..

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Chinese cuisines in Singapore

Singapore is steeped in culinary heritage, brought to our island from all around the world, including various regions of China.

Best Chinatown restaurants in Singapore

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Singapore with Retail Therapy: Orchard Road

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Passion Made Possible

Singapore is more than its tourist attractions. It’s constantly evolving, reinventing, and reimagining itself, with people who are passionate about creating new possibilities. It’s not just about what you can do here, it’s about what you can be.

Singapore's "Cherry Blossoms": A Guide to Trumpet Trees

S ingapore may not have spring, summer, fall, and winter like other countries, but that doesn't mean we miss out on beautiful blooms! Throughout the year, the island bursts into color with different trees and flowers taking center stage. Flower shop Singapore services can help you enjoy this floral abundance even if you can't get out to see it yourself!

One such spectacular event is the blooming of the trumpet trees, fondly nicknamed Singapore's "cherry blossoms." These trees, with their scientific name Tabebuia rosea, put on a stunning show, showering the ground with a carpet of soft pink petals.

This blog is your one-stop guide to Singapore's "cherry blossoms," from when to see them to where to find the best spots.

When to See the Trumpet Trees Bloom

Unlike places with distinct seasons, Singapore's flowering times can vary a little from year to year. However, you can generally expect to see the trumpet trees bloom twice a year:

• March to April: This is the main blooming season, coinciding with what some might call springtime in Singapore.
• August to September: The trumpet trees may surprise you with a second blooming period during these hotter months.

Keep in mind that the exact timing depends on the weather. Look out for spells of hot, dry weather followed by heavy rain – these conditions seem to trigger the blooming process.

Where to Find the Trumpet Trees

The beauty of the trumpet trees is that they're scattered throughout Singapore, adding a touch of pink magic to various neighborhoods. Here are some popular spots to check out:

• East Coast Park: This massive park is a favorite among locals, and for good reason! During the blooming season, you can take a stroll or bike ride along the coast and be greeted by the sight of pink trumpet trees lining the path.
• Gardens by the Bay: While Gardens by the Bay might not have natural trumpet trees, they sometimes feature special displays with these beautiful blooms during the "sakura" season (sakura is the Japanese word for cherry blossom). It's worth checking their website or social media for updates on such events.
• Jurong Lake Gardens: This sprawling park offers a serene escape with its lakes and gardens. Keep an eye out for trumpet trees adding a pop of color to the landscape during their blooming season.
• Yishun Park: This neighborhood park is a hidden gem, and during the blooming season, the trumpet trees transform it into a picture-perfect spot.
• Public housing estates: Believe it or not, you might even find trumpet trees growing in your neighborhood! Take a walk around your estate and see if you spot any – you might be surprised by the pockets of beauty hidden around you.

Tips for Enjoying the Trumpet Trees

Now that you know when and where to find these beauties, here are some tips for making the most of your "cherry blossom" experience in Singapore, or if you’re planning an experience for a birthday gift :

• Go early in the morning: The best time to see the trumpet trees is early in the morning before the sun gets too hot. This way, you'll avoid the crowds and get the chance to see the flowers at their freshest.
• Bring a camera: The sight of the pink petals blanketing the ground is Instagram-worthy! Capture some beautiful photos to remember your visit.
• Bring a picnic blanket: Find a spot under a blooming trumpet tree and enjoy a picnic lunch or breakfast. The fallen petals will create a magical atmosphere for your meal.
• Be respectful: Remember, these are public spaces, so be mindful of others and avoid littering.

Trumpet Trees vs. Cherry Blossoms: What's the Difference?

While the trumpet trees are called Singapore's "cherry blossoms," there are some key differences between the two:

• Species: Trumpet trees are native to South America, while cherry blossoms are native to East Asia.
• Flowers: Trumpet trees have large, trumpet-shaped flowers with five petals, while cherry blossoms have smaller, delicate flowers with five petals.
• Color: Both can be pink, but trumpet trees can also be white, while cherry blossoms are typically a softer shade of pink.
• Fall: Trumpet tree flowers tend to fall in a shower, creating a blanket of pink petals on the ground. Cherry blossoms fall more gently, creating a "snowing" effect.

The Importance of Trees

The trumpet trees are a beautiful reminder of the importance of trees in our environment. They provide shade, clean the air, and offer a habitat for wildlife. So, next time you see a trumpet tree in bloom, take a moment to appreciate its beauty and the vital role it plays in our city.

We hope this comprehensive guide has helped you learn more about Singapore's "cherry blossoms" and how to enjoy them. So, get out there, explore, and capture the magic of the trumpet trees in bloom!

Nomadic Matt's Travel Site

Travel Better, Cheaper, Longer

Southeast Asia Travel Guide

Last Updated: November 27, 2023

Backpackers have been traveling through Southeast Asia since the late 1960s and early 1970s, leaving a well-worn trail around the region.

Starting in beautiful Thailand, the trail makes its way to up-and-coming Laos, through Vietnam, and to the temples of Angkor Wat. It then winds back into Thailand, where people head south to party in the Thai islands before moving down to Malaysia and Singapore.

There are a few variations to the trail, but this is what it mostly covers.

I’ve been visiting this region since 2004 and spent years living in Thailand . I love backpacking Southeast Asia and have written extensively about it as I know it like the back of my hand.

It’s an especially great region for new travelers because it’s easy to travel around, it’s safe, and there are lots of other travelers you can meet. But it’s also perfect for veteran travelers too as there are tons of off-the-beaten-path destinations that the standard backpacker trail doesn’t cover.

In short, Southeast Asia has something for every traveler — and every budget.

This Southeast Asia travel guide will help you travel the region like a pro, ensuring you save money and make the most of your time in this fun, gorgeous, and lively corner of the world.

Table of Contents

• Things to See and Do
• Typical Costs
• Suggested Budget
• Money-Saving Tips
• Where to Stay
• How to Get Around
• How to Stay Safe
• Best Places to Book Your Trip
• Related Blogs on Southeast Asia

Click Here for Country Guides

Top 5 things to see and do in southeast asia.

1. Admire Angkor Wat

One of the greatest human creations in history, the Angkor Wat temple complex is best explored over the course of a few days. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site created by the Khmer Empire and absolutely enormous. Temples to visit include Angkor Wat, Bayon Temple which has 216 gigantic stone face carvings, and Ta Prohm. I spent three days here and that simply wasn’t enough. A one-day pass is $37 USD, while a 1-week pass is $72 USD. If you’re here for multiple days, be sure to hire a driver and see some of the more out of the way ruins away from the main temple complex (and the crowds).

2. Explore Bangkok

Bangkok is the hub of travel activity in Southeast Asia. You can get anywhere you want from here. Though I hated it at first, the more I’ve spent time here the more I love it. Bangkok is like an onion whose many layers need to be peeled back. Some things not to miss include the spectacular Bangkok Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Chatuchak Market and Asiatique, and a canal trip on the Chao Phraya River. This is a city for foodies and wild nightlife.

3. Relax on some tropical islands

No visit to Southeast Asia would be complete without a visit to at least one of the thousands of tropical islands in the region. My top five include the Perhentian Islands (Malaysia), Rabbit Island (Cambodia), Ko Lanta (Thailand), and Boracay (Philippines). Lombok Island (Indonesia) has a chill vibe with unspoiled, perfect “desert island” beaches. There’s so many islands to visit. Be sure to add at least one to your trip. The country guides will have more information for you.

4. See Ha Long Bay

Sailing trips to this island-filled bay with stunning emerald waters, limestone formations, and marine life give you an appreciation for the natural beauty in Vietnam. Tours from Hanoi start at around $110 USD for two-day trips and increase from there. I love the colorful grottoes, hanging stalactites, and stalagmites of Surprise Cave (Sung Sot), Fairy Cave (Tien Ong), and Heaven Palace (Thien Cung). Make sure you go with a reputable company though as some of the cheaper boats are less than ideal. If you’d rather just visit for one day, day trips from Hanoi cost $55 USD.

5. Wander Kuala Lumpur

Other things to see and do in southeast asia, 1. go jungle trekking.

This region of the world is covered in amazing jungles with diverse wildlife, plentiful camping opportunities, and cool waterfalls. The best jungle treks are found in northern Thailand, Western Laos, and Malaysian Borneo (the latter are also the hardest and most intense). Some of my favorites include Danum Valley (Borneo) for its incredible wildlife; Ratanakiri (Cambodia) for its pristine wilderness and thousand-year-old trees; and Pu Luong Nature Reserve (Vietnam). Costs vary but jungle trekking generally costs $30-50 USD per day.

2. Attend the Full Moon Party

The biggest one-night party in the world welcomes up to 30,000 people with a party that stretches until dawn. Cover yourself in glow paint, grab a bucket of booze, and dance the night away with new friends on the island of Ko Phangan in Thailand. As the name would suggest, the party is on the night of the full moon. If you miss it, there’s always the half-moon party, quarter-moon party, and black-moon party. Really, every night is a party on Ko Phangan . Just avoid the flaming jump rope that occurs — I’ve seen people get burned badly!

3. Learn to dive

There are many great dive sites around the region for those interested in underwater exploration. You can learn to dive here at a fraction of what it would cost back home too. Some of the best places are Ko Tao (Thailand), Sipadan (Malaysia), as well as Gili Islands (Indonesia) and Coron, Palawan (The Philippines). A typical diving course is completed in three days. A PADI course typically runs $275 USD in Thailand, including three nights’ accommodation, though at smaller schools you can often negotiate down to $250 USD. Day trips for certified divers start at $165 USD. For information on Ko Tao, check out this blog post .

4. Eat street food in Singapore

Singapore is a foodie’s heaven. Try the hawker stalls of Singapore as well as Little India and Chinatown for some of the best and cheapest food in Asia. If you’re looking for a nice place to sit down and eat, eat at Singapore’s famed restaurants during lunch when restaurants offer discounts, making them a great deal. You’ll also find the most affordable Michelin-starred restaurants here (Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice and Hawker Chan), offering world-class meals for just a couple of bucks!

5. Overload on temples

You can’t turn a corner without seeing a Buddhist temple in this part of the world. You’ll get temple overload at some point but visit as many as you can as each is unique to the country and region of the temple. There are so many places with high concentrations of ornate and beautiful temples. Check out Chiang Mai’s Wat Doi Suthep Temple and hike up the 300 steps to the golden Chedi that’s 600 years old!; Bagan’s Shwesandaw Pagoda from the 11th century with its stunning golden dome; Angkor Wat’s Ta Prohm is covered in iconic vines and enveloped in ancient jungle roots; Hue’s colorful Thien Mu Pagoda is perched atop a lush green embankment; Hoi An’s Quan Cong Temple with incredible Chinese architecture with hand-carved beauty and skill, and Luang Prabang’s Vat Xieng Thong with its golden, canopied roof. Most are free to enter, however, dress codes are enforced (you need to have your shoulders and legs covered).

6. Dive Sipadan

Located off Malaysian Borneo, Sipadan is one of the best dive sites in the world. If you have your dive certificate, make sure you venture out here. I absolutely love this area because it’s teeming with live turtles, diverse cave systems, sharks, dolphins, colorful coral, bright fish, and everything in between. Not a lot of people make it to this part of Malaysia, but it’s worth it to go the extra mile and make your way off the tourist trail a bit. Don’t miss Barracuda Point and The Drop-Off. Keep in mind that only 176 permits to dive at the island are issued each day, costing 140 MYR per person. The resorts on the neighboring islands each get a specific number of permits per day and require divers to stay with them for a few days. So you’ll need to stay at those resorts and dive into the surrounding areas before they can get you a Sipadan permit.

7. Fall in love with Bali

Bali is the most popular destination in Indonesia, and its famous Kuta beach is known for its wild parties and surfing ( though I think it’s overrated ). However, there is much more to Bali than just wild nights and sun-soaked days. If you’re a thrill seeker, hike up to the top of Mount Batur, an active volcano, for a breathtaking sunrise. Paragliding and white water rafting are also super popular here, as is surfing (it’s an affordable place to learn if you’ve never done it). There are also lots of hot springs to enjoy, the Ubud Monkey Forest (a popular temple and nature reserve home to hundreds of monkeys), and numerous places to scuba dive, including the Liberty wreck and Manta Point.

8. Take in Ho Chi Minh City

Frantic, chaotic, and crazy, Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam is the embodiment of the controlled chaos that rules Southeast Asia. You can’t quite figure out how this teeming mass of people and cars work together, but it does. Highlights here include touring the tunnels used by the Viet Cong in the 1960s, taking in the view from the Saigon Skydeck, eating your way through the street food scene, and seeing the city’s numerous temples.

9. Admire the sunrise over an Indonesian Volcano

One of the most popular tourist attractions on Java is Mount Bromo and its National Park. Don’t miss out on getting a photo of the smoldering Bromo volcano as it lies surrounded by the almost lunar landscape of the Sea of Sand. Get up early to catch one of the most memorable sunrises of your life. If you’re there in mid-August, you’ll be just in time to see Upacara Kasada, the traditional Hindu ritual of the Tenggerese, a Javanese tribe of the region.

10. Hike in Khao Sok National Park

Located in southern Thailand, Khao Sok National Park is constantly rated as one of the best parks in Thailand, with incredible trekking, camping, limestone karsts, cooling rivers, and a glistening lake. Visit for semi-challenging hikes, tons of wildlife, walking paths, and breathtaking sunsets. Park entrance costs around $6 USD while full-day guided tours are $95 USD. I highly recommend spending at least one night here to get the full experience.

11. Visit Kampot

Most people come to Kampot to enjoy the scenic riverside views, as well as the rolling hills that surround the city. Since you can explore easily enough on foot or by bicycle, Kampot is a great place to slow down and relax. There’s not much to do here but have lazy days by the river, chill, and eat (don’t miss the famous Rusty Keyhole for BBQ!). Don’t miss the pepper farms, as this region of Cambodia is filled with pepper farms where you can learn about the history of the spice, see how it is grown, and pick up what is considered some of the finest pepper in the world. Tours are usually free.

12. Take a cooking class

Food from this region is as varied as the countries themselves and learning how to cook a few dishes is a great souvenir of your time here. Even if you don’t plan to cook back home, you can still spend a day making and eating scrumptious food. Most big cities have cooking schools offering classes of 2-6 hours, often including a trip to the local market beforehand to select ingredients. I absolutely love cooking classes and urge you to take one at least once. They are a fun experience!

13. Take a food tour

If you’d rather eat instead of cook, taking a food tour is a fun way to gain insight into the region’s amazing noodle dishes, fresh seafood, sweets, and street food while learning about the history and culture behind the cuisine. Most major cities in Southeast Asia offer food tours. These include tours around local markets, street stalls, and tours to locally-owned restaurants and cafes where you can sample the local cuisine and connect with a local chef. If you’re nervous about street food, this is a great way to try some in a controlled setting. Tours usually last 2-4 hours and include multiple stops and several different dishes, with prices costing $40-75 USD per person.

14. Visit an elephant sanctuary

While riding an elephant is on many a Southeast Asia bucket list, once you know how much the animals suffer from abuse in order to provide these rides, you might think twice about taking one. An even better way to interact with elephants is to volunteer at or visit the Elephant Nature Park near Chiang Mai in Thailand. It’s a phenomenal place, allowing you to give back to the community and these magnificent animals all at once. After coming here, you will understand why you should NEVER ride an elephant. A one-day visit costs $70 USD.

15. See The Killing Fields

A visit to Choeung Ek, also known as the Killing Fields, may not be the most cheerful way to spend an afternoon, but it makes for an educational and memorable experience. Over 3 million people were killed by Pol Pot’s regime, including countless women and children. I recommend getting a guide so you can really understand what you’re seeing as you explore the area. Also, this horrific tragedy took place less than 50 years ago and is still very present so please be respectful as a visitor.  The site is located 10 miles from Phnom Penh. Half-day guided tours start at $66 USD.

16. Swim with Whale Sharks in Donsol

If you’re in the Philippines, check out the Donsol Whale Shark Interactive Ecosystem Project because there are not many experiences quite as adrenaline-inducing as swimming with a whale shark for the first time in crystal waters. These incredible creatures are around 45 feet (14 meters) long and yet incredibly gentle and curious. I loved floating at the surface being able to look below and see them slowly swim below me. Get some people together and rent a boat for a half day, explore the area, and go ‘shark-seeing’ for a good cause.  

  For a ton more information, visit my country specific travel guides for more detailed information on each place:

• Cambodia Travel Guide
• Indonesia Travel Guide
• Laos Travel Guide
• Malaysia Travel Guide
• Singapore Travel Guide
• Thailand Travel Guide
• Vietnam Travel Guide

Southeast Asia Travel Costs

Accommodation – Accommodation in Southeast Asia is really cheap, making it the perfect place to travel if you are on a budget. Hostels are plentiful, as are budget guesthouses and hotels. It’s also very cheap to splash out here if you’re in need of some luxury.

Generally, you can find hostel dorm rooms for as little as $6-8 USD in Cambodia and $3-6 USD in Laos. In Thailand, 4-6-bed dorm rooms are $8-12 USD, while in Vietnam you can expect to pay $5-7 USD. In Indonesia, prices range between $5-10 USD for a 4-6-bed dorm room. Expect to pay at least $15-20 per night for a private room with air conditioning. Free Wi-Fi is standard in most hostels, free breakfast is common, and many hostels even have pools. In more remote areas, hot water isn’t common so make sure to check in advance if that’s an issue for you.

Simple guesthouses or bungalows throughout Southeast Asia generally cost $12-20 USD per night for a basic room with a fan (sometimes air conditioning) and hot water. If you want something nicer that includes a more comfortable bed and a TV, expect to pay $25-35 USD per night.

For backpackers, budgeting around $10 USD per night for accommodation is pretty safe no matter where you go in Southeast Asia. If you’re looking for a higher-end hotel room with more amenities, expect to pay $20-50 USD per night for a room. Anything over that is luxury territory.

Camping is available in certain areas, usually for just a few dollars per night for a basic tent plot without electricity. However, this is about the same price as hostels so it’s not really any cheaper.

Food – While each country’s cuisine varies, overall, Southeast Asian food is aromatic, spicy, and flavorful. Typical spices and herbs include garlic, basil, galangal, cilantro, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, chilies, and fish sauce. No matter what region you’re in, you can expect to find a variety of curries, salads, soups, noodle dishes, and stir-fries.

Rice and noodles are central to Southeast Asian food, while the meat is usually pork, chicken, fish, or seafood, which is everywhere on the islands and coastal areas.

While traveling Southeast Asia, street food is the most popular food and cheapest option. On average, these meals cost $1-5 USD. You find these stalls throughout this region lining most streets and every market. They are ubiquitous in the region. In Singapore, street food (from “hawker stands” as they’re known there) costs around $4-5 USD for a meal. Even if you go into small local restaurants, the price doesn’t increase that much.

Food that costs $2 USD at a street stall generally only costs $4-6 USD at a local restaurant. If you went into a restaurant in Thailand, you’d pay around $3-4 USD for a pad Thai that would have cost $1-2 USD on the street.

In Cambodia, street food is around $1-2 USD, while restaurants charge around $3-5 USD for a dish like amok (a coconut milk dish) or luc lac (pepper gravy beef).

Western meals, including burgers, pizza, and sandwiches usually cost around $7-10 USD. But these generally aren’t that great. If you want something that actually tastes as it does back home, expect to spend at least $10-12 USD for your meal.

While cheap, alcohol can take a bite out of your budget if you’re not careful. Those $1-2 USD beers add up! Wine and cocktails are more expensive, generally around $3-5 USD. A cappuccino is typically around $2 USD. Bottled water is plentiful and costs less than $1 USD.

There’s a growing cutting-edge foodie scene in the region and, if you want to splurge, you can do so on some really good meals. Big cities like Bangkok, KL, and Singapore, all have world-class Michelin star restaurants as well some incredible fusion restaurants.

Since dining out is so cheap in the region, there’s no point in grocery shopping unless you’re looking to get some pre-made salads or fruits. Additionally, a general lack of kitchens in most hostels and hotels makes it difficult to cook even if you wanted to. If you do purchase your own groceries, expect to spend around $25 USD per week for basic groceries like local produce, rice, and some meat (while avoiding expensive imported items like cheese and wine).

Backpacking Southeast Asia Suggested Budgets

On a backpacker budget of $45 USD per day, you can stay in hostel dorms, eat out at local markets and street stalls, limit your drinking, do mostly free activities, minimize paid activities, and use public transportation to get around. You’re not going to be able to splash out but you’ll be able to live the typical backpacker experience without really stressing over expenses.

On a mid-range budget of $85 USD per day, you can stay in budget hotels or private hostel rooms, eat more restaurant meals, do more paid activities like cooking classes, take some taxis, and enjoy a few more drinks. You won’t live large, but you won’t be missing out either.

On an upscale budget of $150 USD or more per day, you can stay in nicer hotels with more amenities, eat out as much as you want, do more paid tours including private tours, hire a driver, fly between destinations, and basically do whatever you want. The sky is the limit with this kind of budget!

You can use the chart below to get some idea of how much you need to budget daily, depending on your travel style. Keep in mind these are daily averages — some days you’ll spend more, some days you’ll spend less (you might spend less every day). We just want to give you a general idea of how to make your budget. Prices are in USD.

Southeast Asia Travel Guide: Money-Saving Tips

Backpacking Southeast Asia is cheap. There’s little opportunity to spend a lot of money since everything is already so inexpensive unless you intentionally are trying to splash out on fancy meals and high end hotels. The two reasons why most travelers end up overspending is that they eat a lot of Western food and drink way too much. If you want to save money while traveling in this part of the world, cut down on your drinking and skip the Western food. While country guides have more specific ways to save money, here are some general ways to save money in Southeast Asia:

• Stay with a local – Accommodation is cheap in Southeast Asia but nothing’s cheaper than free! Use Couchsurfing to stay with locals who have extra beds and couches for free. You’ll also meet great people who can show you around and share their insider tips and advice.
• Book tours and day trips as a group – You have more negotiation power when you’re with a group of people buying multiple spots or tickets. Traveling alone? Meet a friend at a hostel and see if they want to join the same tour as you. I’ve met some great friends over the years doing this and highly recommend it.
• Don’t book in advance – Don’t book any tours or activities before you get to your destination. They’ll be much cheaper when you arrive as you’ll be able to negotiate a lower price as you’ll find companies are often offering the same tour and competing. Anything you see online is more expensive than you need to pay!
• Eat on the street – The street food is the best food. The food is the best and cheapest you’ll find. It’s a great way to try new foods and get to chat with locals as well. This is where locals eat so if you want insight into local culture, good food, and savings, eat the street food. Look for where locals are eating to ensure that it’s safe to eat.
• Bargain hard – Nothing is ever at face value here. Bargain with sellers as most of the time, the price they’ve quoted is way higher. There’s a haggling culture in the region so play the game and save some money. It’s important not to convert it in your head to your own currency because it will usually sound cheap even though you might still be getting ripped off. You’ll never get the local price, but you might come close!
• Minimize your drinking – Drinks really add up. Even with cheap drinks, if you’re not aware, you’ll end up spending more money on beer than on food and accommodation. If you want to drink, head to the supermarkets, drink at the hostel, or check out the local happy hours.
• Pack a water bottle – A water bottle with a purifier comes particularly in handy in Southeast Asia since you can’t usually drink the tap water. Save money and thousands of plastic bottles and get a bottle that can purify the tap water for you. My preferred bottle is LifeStraw as it has a built-in filter that ensures your water is always safe and clean.

Where to Stay in Southeast Asia

I’ve been traveling Southeast Asia since 2005 and have stayed in hundreds of places. Here are some of my favorite places to stay in Southeast Asia:

• The Siem Reap Pub Hostel (Siem Reap)
• Onederz Siem Reap (Siem Reap)
• Mad Monkey Siem Reap (Siem Reap)
• Onederz Sihanoukville (Sihanoukville)
• Monkey Republic (Sihanoukville)
• Onederz Phnom Penh (Phnom Penh)
• Sla Boutique Hostel (Phnom Penh)
• The Magic Sponge (Kampot)
• Indigo House Hotel (Luang Prabang)
• Sa Sa Lao (Luang Prabang)
• Sanga Hostel (Pakse)
• Nana Backpackers Hostel (Vang Vieng)
• Dream Home Hostel (Vientiane)
• Traveller Bunker Hostel (Cameron Highlands)
• De’Native Guest House (Cameron Highlands)
• Kitez Hotel & Bunks (Kuala Lumpur)
• Sunshine Bedz Kuala Lumpur (Kuala Lumpur)
• Ryokan Muntri Boutique Hostel (Penang)
• Mad Monkey Hostel (Bangkok)
• D&D Inn (Bangkok)
• Kodchasri B&B (Chiang Mai)
• The Royal Guest House (Chiang Mai)
• Green Leaf (Khao Yai)
• Lonely Beach Resort (Ko Chang)
• The Sanctuary (Koh Phangan)
• Na-Tub Hostel (Koh Phangan)
• Pineapple Guesthouse (Phuket)
• Dream Lodge
• The Pod Capsule Hostel
• The Scarlet
• Under the Coconut Tree Guesthouse (Hoi An)
• Fuse Beachside (Hoi An)
• Pretty Backpackers House (Da Lat)
• Hanoi Old Quarter Hostel (Hanoi)
• Luxury Backpackers Hostel (Hanoi)
• The Hideout (HCMC)
• City Backpackers Hostel (HCMC)

How to Get Around Southeast Asia

Public transportation – Public transportation costs from a few pennies to a few dollars, with Singapore and Malaysia offering the most comprehensive public transportation systems. In Thailand, local buses cost around $0.25 USD per trip, while the Metro and Skytrain in Bangkok cost $0.50-1.50 USD per trip. In Cambodia, a bus ticket in Phnom Penh costs just $0.40 USD per ride.

Major cities generally have subway systems but mostly you’ll be using the bus or shared taxis to get around.

Tuk-tuks (small, shared taxis with no meter) are available around much of the region and require a bit of haggling. They usually have 3-6 seats and generally cost more than public transportation but are faster. To find a reputable driver, ask your accommodation as they usually know someone. Tuk-tuk drivers can often be hired for the day for a discounted rate (this is what a lot of people do to visit the Killing Fields and Angkor Wat in Cambodia, for example).

Taxi – Taxis in the region are generally safe, though it’s not uncommon to have to haggle. Scams to rip you off aren’t uncommon either, so always ask your accommodation to call you a taxi whenever possible so you know you’ll get a reputable company.

In Singapore and Indonesia, taxi drivers do put on the meter. In Bangkok, you can get taxi drivers to use the meter, but if you’re hailing one in a tourist area, he might try to avoid using it. In Vietnam, the meter is sometimes rigged, but if you can get a reputable company like Mai Linh, you won’t have any problems.

Ridesharing – Grab, DiDi, and Gojek are Asia’s answer to Uber. They work the same way: you hire a driver to take you somewhere via the app, and you can pay via the app or in cash. It’s often more affordable than a regular taxi, though drivers are a bit unreliable as the practice is not as widespread here as in other parts of the world.

Just keep in mind that some drivers are driving motorcycles so be sure to double check what kind of vehicle is picking you up if you don’t want to ride on the back of one.

Bus – The easiest and cheapest way to travel around Southeast Asia is by bus. The backpacker trail is so worn that there is a very well-established tourist bus system to take you anywhere. Buses costs vary between $5-25 USD for a 5-6 hour journey. Overnight buses cost $20-35 USD depending on distance (they often have reclining seats so you can get a decent sleep).

You can check ticket prices and book tickets for all the different bus companies across Southeast Asia at 12go.asia.

Train – Train service is limited in the region and not something to really consider when you travel Southeast Asia. You can take a train up and down the coast of Vietnam and there’s some limited scenic rails in Malaysia. Thailand is the only country that has an extensive train system that lets you travel all its regions (and onward to Singapore) from Bangkok.

The train prices in Southeast Asia are determined by distance and class. Night trains with sleeper cars are more expensive than day trains. The night train to Chiang Mai from Bangkok takes twelve hours and costs $27 USD for a sleeper seat. However, that same train during the day is $8-9 USD. In Vietnam, trains run up and down the coast and cost $60 USD from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City.

Flying – The cost of flying around Southeast Asia has come down in recent years due to the rise of low-cost airlines. Scoot, Jetstar, and AirAsia are the biggest. Nok Air has a lot of flights within Thailand , and VietJet Air is popular in Vietnam . Lion Air serves Indonesia , but its safety record is really spotty and I personally would not fly them. If you book early, you can save on fares, as most of the airlines offer deeply discounted fare sales all the time, especially Air Asia.

Just make sure that the airport these budget airlines fly into isn’t too far out of your way (transportation from the secondary airport sometimes negates the savings from using the budget airline itself).

Also, keep in mind that you usually must pay to check your baggage on these cheap flights. If you wait to pay for your luggage at the gate, you end up paying almost double. Travel carry-on only to avoid this added cost.

All in all, I only recommend flying if you are pressed for time or find a super cheap deal. Otherwise, stick to the bus.

Hitchhiking – Hitchhiking in Southeast Asia is safe, though popularity of the practice varies by country (it’s more common in Malaysia, but not so much in Cambodia). Dress respectably, smile while making eye contact with drivers, and use a cardboard sign to tell people where you’re headed. Be prepared for long bouts of no pick-ups, especially if you’re traveling through more rural areas. Pack plenty of water and food. Also, make sure the people picking you up understand you’re hitchhiking and not flagging down a taxi.

Hitchwiki is a great resource for hitchhiking tips.

Car rental I don’t recommend renting a car in Southeast Asia. Rental cars are expensive ($40 USD per day or more) and the roads here are in poor shape. I would never drive around the region.

When to Go to Southeast Asia

The best time of year to visit Southeast Asia is from November to April when temperatures are milder (though temperatures vary drastically by region). It may be mild in Thailand in January and hot in Malaysia but in Northern Vietnam, it’s cold! Also, one of the biggest mistakes people make is not taking into account the rainy season. In some cases it won’t make a big difference but definitely does if it’s a beach trip.

In Indonesia, the best time to visit is April to October. Temperatures average 24-30ºC (75-86ºF), and the weather is mostly dry. July to September is the peak holiday season and when you can expect to pay the highest rates. December to February is the rainy season.

In Malaysia, January-March and June-September are the best time to visit, as these months have the lowest average rainfall. It is still hot and humid during this time though. The rainy season is from October to December. Singapore’s climate/weather is much like Malaysia’s.

In Vietnam, the weather varies by region. In Central Vietnam (including Hoi An and Nha Trang), January-May is the best time to visit because it is dry and the temperatures average 21-30°C (70-86°F). June to August is also a decent time to visit. If you want to stick around Hanoi, March to April is great, or October to December (for mildest temperatures). The rainy season is May-September.

Thailand has three seasons: hot, hotter, and hottest. It’s always warm, though the weather is nicest between November and February (which is also peak tourist season). Bangkok is “coolest” and driest during this time (but still averaging a hot 29°C/85°F each day). April and May are the hottest months, and the rainy season is June-October. The gulf islands get pretty rainy from August to December.

The dry season in Cambodia is from November-May and the cool season is from November-February (and when most people visit). Temperatures during this time are still high, but humidity is lower. Laos has the same cool season as Cambodia, with the dry season running from November-April.

In the Philippines, it’s mostly warm all year long with an average daily high of 26°C (80°F). There are rainy and dry seasons and temperatures are hot and dry from March-May and cooler December-February. The best time to visit is between January-April when it’s less humid. Monsoon Season is July-October.

For more information on when to go to places, visit the specific country guides.

How to Stay Safe in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia is an incredibly safe place to backpack and travel — even if you’re traveling solo and even as a solo female traveler. Violent crime is super, duper rare. Petty theft (including bag snatching) is the most common type of crime in Southeast Asia, especially around popular tourist landmarks. Always keep your valuables out of reach on public transportation and in crowds just to be safe. Never leave your valuables unattended while at the beach and always keep a hold of your purse/bag when out and about as bag snatching is common.

That said, outside touristy areas, theft is really rare. Heck, it’s pretty rare in touristy areas too! But a little vigilance goes a long way and it’s better to be safe than sorry.

There are some common scams around that you’ll want to be aware of, such as the motorbike scam. This involves a bike rental company trying to charge you for damage to the bike that you didn’t cause. To avoid this, always take photos of your rental before you leave so you can protect yourself from baseless claims.

Another common scam involves a tuk-tuk driver taking you somewhere you didn’t want to go in hopes you’ll buy something from the shop/restaurant he dropped you off at (he gets a commission if you do). Simply refuse to buy anything and demand to go back to where you were — or find another driver.

For other common travel scams, read this post about major travel scams to avoid in the region .

Solo female travelers should feel safe here, though it’s generally a good idea to avoid walking around alone at night just to be safe. It’s always a good idea to carry some extra cash to get home in a taxi if you need to. Additionally, always keep an eye on your drink at the bar and never accept drinks from strangers. Be sensible when it comes to dating while traveling and meeting people in public places. As I’m not a woman, please check out some solo female travel blogs to get the best insight.

Overall, the people who get in trouble here tend to be involved with drugs or sex tourism. Avoid those two things and you should be fine. Keep in mind that it’s not always obvious how old someone is or if they’re a sex worker so be mindful when getting involved in romantic interactions. Also, penalties for drug use in this region are stiff so even if you’re here to party, skip the drugs.

Always trust your gut instinct. Make copies of your personal documents, including your passport and ID. Forward your itinerary along to loved ones so they’ll know where you are.

For more in-depth coverage of how to stay safe in Southeast Asia, check out this post that answers some frequently asked questions and concerns.

The most important piece of advice I can offer is to purchase good travel insurance. Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. You can use the widget below to find the policy right for you:

Southeast Asia Travel Guide: The Best Booking Resources

These are my favorite companies to use when I travel. They consistently have the best deals, offer world-class customer service and great value, and overall, are better than their competitors. They are the companies I use the most and are always the starting point in my search for travel deals.

• Skyscanner – Skyscanner is my favorite flight search engine. They search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites tend to miss. They are hands down the number one place to start.
• Hostelworld – This is the best hostel accommodation site out there with the largest inventory, best search interface, and widest availability.
• Agoda – Other than Hostelworld, Agoda is the best hotel accommodation site for Asia.
• Booking.com – The best all around booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation. In all my tests, they’ve always had the cheapest rates out of all the booking websites.
• Get Your Guide – Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions. They have tons of tour options available in cities all around the world, including everything from cooking classes, walking tours, street art lessons, and more!
• SafetyWing – Safety Wing offers convenient and affordable plans tailored to digital nomads and long-term travelers. They have cheap monthly plans, great customer service, and an easy-to-use claims process that makes it perfect for those on the road.
• LifeStraw – My go-to company for reusable water bottles with built-in filters so you can ensure your drinking water is always clean and safe.
• Unbound Merino – They make lightweight, durable, easy-to-clean travel clothing.

Get the In-Depth Budget Guide to Thailand!

My detailed 350+ page guidebook is made for budget travelers like you! It cuts out the fluff found in other guidebooks and gets straight to the practical information you need to travel around Thailand. You’ll find suggested itineraries, budgets, ways to save money, on and off-the-beaten-path things to see and do, non-touristy restaurants, markets, bars, safety tips, and much more! Click here to learn more and get your copy today.

Southeast Asia Travel Guide: Related Articles

Want more info? Check out all the articles I’ve written on Southeast Asia travel and continue planning your trip:

The 4 Best Hostels in Singapore

The 6 Best Hostels in Bali

The 22 Best Things to Do in Bangkok

5 LGBTQ Travel Tips for Asia

Is Southeast Asia Safe for Travelers?

Backpacking Cambodia: 3 Suggested Itineraries for Your Trip

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Travel Insurance Singapore Guide (2024): Must-Knows for Choosing the Best Travel Insurance

Travelling is a favourite Singaporean pastime. A national sport, if you will. But while we all love travel and wanderlust, most of us don’t give much thought to buying travel insurance .

Buying travel insurance in Singapore is something a lot of us take for granted. Few of us bother to buy travel insurance ahead of time, and even fewer compare policies to find the best travel insurance in Singapore .

Here is everything you should look out for before buying travel insurance in Singapore.

Key features to look out for in travel insurance

• What does travel insurance cover?
• How to choose travel insurance
• Travel insurance prices
• Best travel insurance in Singapore
• Common mistakes when buying travel insurance
• Travelling with pre-existing health conditions 
• When should I buy travel insurance?
• Single trip or annual travel insurance?
• Compare travel insurance before buying

1. What does travel insurance cover you for?

A good travel insurance policy covers you for a whole series of situations, from the small inconveniences to the most terrible.

Trust me, you never want to be in a situation that you’re not covered for.

It could be a minor inconvenience, like having your luggage delayed and being forced to spend  at least one night in the same clothes you wore on the entire flight. Or it could be a serious medical emergency, like getting stung badly by jellyfish in the middle of a remote island adventure and needing immediate medical attention.

These days, almost all travel insurance in Singapore automatically includes COVID-19 coverage. That means, you’ll be able to claim from your travel insurance if you get Covid-19 while travelling .

You should also have coverage for everything from lost and delayed luggage, flight delays and cancellations, all the way to medical treatment, medical evacuation and even repatriation in case of serious illness and death. All these different situations have different claim limits, of course.

Travel insurance also covers things like reimbursing deposits if your travel agent goes bust, if your credit card is used fraudulently overseas, or if you  damage your rental car . Some policies even pay you if you are kidnapped while overseas!  And the best part is that travel insurance is relatively cheap and convenient to buy.

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2. How to choose travel insurance

With so many different benefits in a travel insurance plan, it can be tough to decide if a particular travel insurance plan is worth your money. You should look out for how much you are reimbursed for common travel hiccups.

• Find a travel insurance that covers flight delays and cancellations:  Flight delays happen more often than you realise. They can be extremely inconvenient, especially if it ends up causing you to miss your connecting flight. Ensure that your policy covers you for a decent period of time. For example, if your flight is delayed, some policies pay you $100 for every 6 consecutive hours of delay. There’s usually a cap of around $200-$500, but if you want more coverage DirectAsia Voyager 150 pays out up to $1,000 for travel delay.

Total Premium

DirectAsia Voyager 150

[ Win a Rolex, Samsonite Luggage & More!   | FLASH DEAL]   • Enjoy 40% off your policy premium • Receive up to S$25  via PayNow and up to S$20 iShopChangi e-voucher with eligible premiums spent. T&Cs apply.   BONUS: For a limited time only, there are over   S$11,000 worth of prizes  to be given away in our Grand Draw . Stand a chance to score: • 1x   Rolex Oyster Perpetual - 124200 34mm Silver (worth S$9,000) • 1x   Samsonite Robez 68/25 EXP  (worth S$550) weekly   Increase your chances of winning when you refer friends  today. T&Cs apply

Key Features

Additional coverage for Travel Insurance - Sports equipment, Maid and COVID-19. Extreme Sports add-on only available for Annual Plans.

Kids go free – up to four kids travel for free with a Family policy only (2 adults)

Matching kids limits – children enjoy the same coverage limits as adults

Emergency Dental – Accidental Dental treatment can be costly, so it is covered under the main medical expenses coverage which is higher than a separate dental benefit

Optional COVID-19 coverage on trip cancellation, medical expense, and emergency evacuation. Only for Single Trip.

• Lost   or delayed baggage:  Make sure your policy covers you well for such situations. Many policies pay $100 for every 6 consecutive hours your baggage is delayed, including Bubblegum Travel Insurance  which pays up to $3,000 for lost or damaged baggage. Don’t forget to also pay attention to the maximum amount you’re covered for.

Bubblegum Travel Insurance

[Receive your cash as fast as 30 days*]   • Enjoy 10% off your policy premium • Get an Eskimo Global 1GB eSIM with every policy purchased. • Additionally, receive up to S$25  via PayNow and up to S$20 iShopChangi e-voucher with eligible premiums spent.  T&Cs apply.

Bubblegum offers just 1 affordable plan to suit all your travel needs to maximise your savings

Overseas medical expenses up to $150,000 SGD (Covid-19 sub-limit of $65,000 included)

24-Hour global Emergency Assistance services including Emergency Medical Evacuation and Repatriation

Covid-19 trip related cancellation/curtailment up to $600 SGD included

Adventurous activities like scuba diving and hot air ballooning are covered with no limit on depth or height.

• Medical coverage overseas: Since you can never predict what might happen on your trip, it literally pays to be safe than sorry. A good travel insurance policy covers you for at least $200,000 for overseas medical coverage and unlimited coverage for emergency medical evacuation and repatriation. One value-for-money insurance policy that fits the bill is  Starr TraveLead Comprehensive Bronze .

Starr TraveLead Comprehensive Bronze

[ Win a Rolex, Samsonite Luggage & More!   | FLASH DEAL]    • Enjoy 50% off your policy premium • Get an Eskimo Global 1GB eSIM with every policy purchased. • Additionally, receive up to S$50 via PayNow OR 1 x Apple AirTag (worth S$45.40) and up to S$20 iShopChangi e-voucher with eligible premiums spent.  T&Cs apply.    BONUS: For a limited time only, there are over   S$11,000 worth of prizes  to be given away in our Grand Draw . Stand a chance to score: • 1x   Rolex Oyster Perpetual - 124200 34mm Silver (worth S$9,000) • 1x   Samsonite Robez 68/25 EXP  (worth S$550) weekly    Increase your chances of winning when you refer friends  today. T&Cs apply

For Cruise to nowhere insurance: Find out more here

Personalise your travel insurance-Flexible coverage allows you to create a travel insurance plan with different types of coverage and addon that can adapt to your needs

Overseas Covid-19 related medical expenses of up to $15,000 SGD included (Excluding China).

No sublimit or restriction on outpatient expenses and number of visits

24 hours Global Emergency Assistance Services help you when you need it most, connecting you with medical treatment and transportation

Seamless and Cashless claims via PayNow

Covers travel expenses for sending back an unattended child during the hospitalisation of the insured person

Please note that travelling to Russia and Ukraine is not covered in Starr’s insurance with immediate effect.

• Travel insurance with COVID-19 coverage:  Ideally, your policy should offer coverage for a range of COVID-19 expenses you might encounter during your travels (and even before you fly!). Look out for the travel insurance policies’ coverage for trip cancellation and postponement and medical expenses due to Covid-19. Overseas quarantine cash allowance is an added bonus. For example,  AIG Travel Guard® Direct – Enhanced covers $100 per day for 14 days if you’re quarantined overseas due to COVID-19.

AIG Travel Guard® Direct - Enhanced

[Receive your cash as fast as 30 days*]   • Get up to S$220 worth of cash and rewards with eligible premiums spent. • Additionally, receive an Eskimo Global 1GB eSIM with every policy purchased.  T&Cs apply.

Voted TripZilla's Best Travel Insurance (Single Trip).

Up to S$250,000 in overseas COVID-19 related medical coverage if you are diagnosed with COVID-19 overseas.

Overseas quarantine allowance of up to S$100 per day per person for up to 14 days if you test positive for COVID-19 overseas and are unexpectedly placed into mandatory quarantine.

Up to S$1,500 if you are diagnosed with COVID-19 and have to postpone your trip.

Up to S$7,500 in curtailment costs if you are diagnosed with COVID-19 while travelling and need to return to Singapore earlier than planned.

This policy is protected under the Policy Owners’ Protection Scheme which is administered by the Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation (SDIC). Coverage for your policy is automatic and no further action is required from you. For more information on the types of benefits that are covered under the scheme as well as the limits of coverage, where applicable, please contact AIG Asia Pacific Insurance Pte. Ltd. or visit the AIG, GIA or SDIC websites (www.AIG.sg or www.gia.org.sg or www.sdic.org.sg).

Purchase your travel insurance with confidence and enjoy unlimited flexibility with AIG's Travel Guard® Direct

3. Travel insurance prices in Singapore

Travel insurance in Singapore is very price-sensitive, and sometimes insurers can compete to shave off even $1 from their premiums to make their policies more enticing (yay for us!).

One way to get a cheaper plan is to see which insurers offer regional travel insurance . If you are only travelling to Thailand, for example, it is usually cheaper to get a policy that covers only SEA or ASEAN countries, rather than a worldwide coverage policy .

However, price is not the only factor—especially since cheap insurance policies often mean significantly less coverage. Buying travel insurance is not like buying a “warehouse sale” LV bag in Chatuchak Market. You don’t just shop around, look for the stall owner with the weakest bargaining skills, and haggle the price down as low as can get.

Look at other aspects of the policy when buying travel insurance . There are many other factors to consider—for example, how much coverage you’re eligible for, and how quickly your claims can be processed. Make sure that you don’t have to wait till the next blue moon before you can see the results of your claims.

4. Which travel insurance to buy in Singapore?

Like anything else you purchase, the best travel insurance is what gives you the most value for money. Say you are only travelling to Thailand for a weekend shopping trip, for example. You’re probably travelling light and don’t need more than $3,000 coverage for loss of baggage, even if you can pay just $3 more for significantly more coverage. Save that $3 and treat yourself to all the Thai milk tea you can drink!

As we said earlier, you shouldn’t be so stingy  and only buy the cheapest. The cheapest may have lots of terms and conditions when it comes to claims . For example, an insurer might not cover delayed luggage if it is only delayed returning to Singapore. If this is the only inconvenience you face in your entire trip, you might be understandably upset that it’s not claimable.

The important thing is to read the terms and conditions of your preferred policy carefully and make sure you’re not caught unawares. This is especially important when it comes to medical pre-existing conditions.

5. Common mistakes when buying travel insurance

How many of us actually know how to go about buying a good travel insurance that is suitable for our needs? Here are five common mistakes to avoid when buying travel insurance:

• Buying the most “convenient” travel insurance : Do you just buy the first travel insurance you see on Google? It is important to read the details of the coverage provided to see if they are adequate for your needs or to cover the risks of the destination you’re travelling to, eg. medical coverage and loss of personal belongings.
• Buying travel insurance at the last minute : Do you often buy your travel insurance when waiting to board your flight or while making your way to the airport? Yes, better late than never. However, you should be aware that some of the benefits of the travel insurance are applicable (eg. natural disasters , airline strike, tour agency bankruptcy) if you buy travel insurance ahead of your trip.
• Not buying travel insurance for the entire length of your trip : Should you purchase travel insurance only for the days you are actually overseas? No. You should include flights to and from your holiday destination. In the event of baggage delays, loss or damage, or overbooking of flights, you’d then be able to make a claim. For long haul trips, do remember to cater for the +1 or +2 days that it takes for your flight to reach Singapore.
• Not reading your travel insurance policy : Not all travel insurances are created equal. In fact, the policy document and terms of coverage makes for rather interesting reading. Do go through the policy document for what’s included and excluded, claim limits, and what you gotta do in order to make a claim.
• Assuming travel insurance is “one size fits all” : If your holiday includes adventurous elements like skydiving or scuba diving, check to ensure that the travel insurance you are considering covers these activities. MSIG TravelEasy Elite covers a whole range of activities, including sky diving, hot air ballon rides, and bungee jumping. Alternatively, check to ensure that adventurous activities are not excluded from the claims.

MSIG TravelEasy Elite

[ Win a Rolex, Samsonite Luggage & More!   | MoneySmart Exclusive]   • Enjoy up to 45% off your policy premium • Get an Eskimo Global 1GB eSIM with every policy purchased. • Additionally, receive up to S$45 via PayNow OR 1 x Apple AirTag (worth S$45.40) and  up to S$20 iShopChangi e-voucher with eligible premiums spent.  T&Cs apply.   BONUS: For a limited time only, there are over   S$11,000 worth of prizes  to be given away in our Grand Draw . Stand a chance to score: • 1x   Rolex Oyster Perpetual - 124200 34mm Silver (worth S$9,000) • 1x   Samsonite Robez 68/25 EXP  (worth S$550) weekly   Increase your chances of winning when you refer friends  today. T&Cs apply

COVID-19 coverage of up to $300,000 medical cover and up to $5,000 travel inconvenience benefit for your trip protection.

Stay protected and enjoy a wide range of adventurous activities from sky diving, scuba diving, white-water rafting to winter sports like dog sledding, tobogganing, sledging and ice-skating.

Get covered across all TravelEasy Plan types with a high limit of S$1,000,000 for emergency medical evacuation & repatriation

MSIG provides cover for insolvency of licensed travel agencies registered with the Singapore Tourism Board (includes NATAS registered travel agencies)

6. Will pre-existing conditions affect my travel insurance?

One of the biggest travel insurance stories in 2017 was when a Singaporean man had a heart attack in Tokyo and fell into a coma. The medical costs alone cost $120,000 and bringing him back to Singapore via medical evacuation would cost another $120,000.

Because the man had been diagnosed with heart failure in 2012, his insurer considered it a pre-existing condition and therefore no claim was possible. Currently, one insurer that covers pre-existing conditions is MSIG TravelEasy Pre-Ex travel insurance.

MSIG TravelEasy Pre-Ex Standard

7. When should I buy travel insurance?

There are many, many things that can go wrong when you’re travelling. Half of these things could happen even before you leave the country!

Waiting to buy your travel insurance policy on the day you travel (or worse, after you’ve already crossed into international waters) puts you at risk for travel inconveniences big and small like delays or postponement.

A good travel insurance policy also covers you for your entire trip being cancelled unexpectedly.

You should buy a travel insurance online as soon as you’ve planned your trip. Getting your travel policy as early as possible does not make you “ kiasu ”. It makes you smart.

This is because you’ll want to maximise the coverage you can get from the policy. For example, if you haven’t bought a policy yet and the travel agency you’re booking with closes down a week before your travel, you won’t be able to claim anything. The same goes for flight delays and flight cancellations.

There is no penalty for buying travel insurance earlier, except maybe missing out on promotions that often happen around the travel season. But what’s the point of saving a few dollars and risk losing hundreds due to cancelled flights and hotel deposits?

8. Buy single trip or annual travel insurance?

In the past, it made more sense to buy single trip travel insurance plans when you leave Singapore. That’s because in the past, most people only travel once or twice a year. With the greater nomad and remote working culture … and travels over long weekend, though? It might actually be more convenient to buy an annual plan for your travel insurance.

A good gauge to determine whether to choose between a single trip plan and an annual plan is to ask yourself if you’re going to be travelling more than 3 times a year . And we’re not just talking about weekend getaways either!

Whether you’re just going across the Causeway or travelling further overseas for work, an annual plan definitely makes more sense to your wallet.

Depending on how often you travel and how far you travel, it might be worthwhile to consider buying annual travel insurance .

If you are a frequent traveller, you not only save money by buying an annual policy, but you’ll never have to spend time buying insurance every time you fly overseas. Of course, just like single trip travel insurance, you should still compare the various policies online before you commit.

Annual travel insurance has a flat premium and covers you for an entire year of travel. It usually costs about $200-$300 a year, so only buy it it you are a frequent traveller. That is, it only makes sense if you are going to travel overseas more than 7-8 times a year, at least.

9. Why should I compare travel insurance before buying it?

Comparing allows you to choose the best travel insurance policy for your needs. You’ll be able to see at a glance what coverage policies have for various situations, such as medical costs, and compensation levels for lost, delayed and damaged baggage.

But of course, comparing travel insurance in Singapore allows you to see that the cheapest travel insurance policy may not be the best. This is because the cheaper policies usually have significantly less coverage, naturally. While that may be a good thing for some travellers – there’s no need to get a $1,000 coverage for lost luggage if you’re only bringing the bare minimum to a staycation in Bangkok, for example.

ALSO READ: Best Travel Insurance in Singapore: AIG vs AXA vs FWD vs NTUC

Are you headed overseas? Compare the cheapest travel insurance here .

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Melanie Oliveiro finds out more about a Singapore HeritageFest 2024 tour called ‘Chicken Rice Diaries: The Hainan Story in Bugis’. Key personnel from CQ @ Clarke Quay & Bugis, as well as Tribe Tours will talk about this two-hour adventure through Singapore's vibrant Bugis district with a Hainanese guide. Highlights include a bingo game with hidden clues,  origins of the Hainanese community in the Bugis precinct,  stories of the Hainanese bartender who invented the world-famous Singapore Sling and more.

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Vogue Singapore

Vogue Singapore is the undisputed fashion authority that empowers and inspires through elevated imagery and intelligent stories to drive change for good

A slow travel guide to Galle, Sri Lanka

By Chandreyee Ray

15 May 2024

This postcard-worthy city on Sri Lanka’s southern coast is a cauldron of grand colonial architecture, stunning views, delicious food and warm local culture—with a growing artist community to watch

The new face of travel is slow and considered. Through five comprehensive city guides that promote living like a local, Vogue Singapore’s May ‘Escape’ issue takes you into the heart of the underrated creative capitals around the world that are ripe for exploration. Don’t expect any of the usual haunts or Instagram-famous tourist spots. Here, you’ll find insider recommendations driven by authenticity and connection.

Galle is a city on Sri Lanka’s southern coast with the spirit of a small town. 129 kilometres from Colombo, the historical trading port may best be known for its grand colonial architecture (and Unesco-listed fort), but also happens to be a cauldron of delicious food and warm local culture—with a growing artist community to watch.

The beating heart of this city lies at Galle Fort , a storied landmark of Sri Lanka’s colonial past. Between the chic boutiques, cafes and hotels that have popped up in recent years, you can still find vignettes of authentic Sri Lankan history, culture and hospitality. One good-looking storefront worth a stop is Stick No Bills , a well-loved poster and print shop on Pedlar Street, one of Galle’s most prolific shopping destinations. But don’t come to the Fort with a predetermined list of shops to visit—true magic lies in getting lost in its time-worn laneways, discovering their wonders on your own.

Sri Lanka’s southern coast is dotted with scenic beaches that are some of the most beautiful in Asia with their pristine turquoise waters fringed by lush palm trees. A stay in Galle is incomplete without visits to at least a few of these pradasical shores. Below, find a curated list of recommendations for where to stay, eat and shop in Galle—to serve as a jump off point for your exploration of the rest of this beautiful city.

One of the most luxurious stays in Galle (and arguably, the whole of Sri Lanka) sits inside Galle Fort. In true Aman fashion, much of this 300-year-old property’s original colonial architecture has been preserved, complemented by refined updates and touches of opulence. When you wander out of your high-ceilinged suites, make an appointment at the tranquil Aman Spa to experience its comprehensive ayurvedic programme or hydrotherapy suites. The afternoon tea, with fresh pastries and refreshing cups of local Ceylon brew best enjoyed on the scenic veranda or pool terrace, is a must-try.

Kahanda Kanda

If you’re looking to stay somewhere a little further from the action and daily footfall of Galle Fort, this boutique hotel is the right distance from both the excitement of the city and the palmfringed beaches of the southern coast. There are a total of only 10 gorgeous suites, each well-stocked with antique furnishings, framed prints and photographs, and little libraries of books that will keep you entertained in the moments when you’re not gazing off the secluded hilltop compound to a breathtaking view of its surrounding 4.9-hectare tea estate.

39 Bistro & Wine Bar

Beat the sweltering Sri Lankan heat at this chic bistro inside The Fort Printers, a boutique hotel restored from an 18th-century mansion. With a focus on organic and seasonal local produce, the kitchen whips up a variety of dishes—from tacos and mezze grill to piping hot Sri Lankan curries (we recommend the mahi mahi and prawn). If you’re there near the golden hour, grab an al fresco seat in the scenic courtyard filled with frangipani trees.

This family-run streetside diner is a cult favourite with locals and travellers alike. It serves some of the most delicious and well-priced food in Galle. Dig into traditional Sri Lankan fare such as egg hoppers or flavourful pots of curry served with rice, and wash it all down with fresh fruit juices and piping hot coffee made with home-ground beans bought from a local plantation.

Kottawa Conservation Forest

This small and secluded rainforest is the perfect place to get lost in—metaphorically, of course, since the visibly marked trails make it difficult to lose your way—on a balmy morning. Teeming with rich flora and fauna, it’s refreshing to walk through and will take up to two hours at most. If you’re lucky, you will encounter plenty of exotic bird species. We recommend wearing long pants and covered shoes to avoid the occasional leech.

Galle Literary Festival

One of the most exciting literary events in Asia, this festival has become an annual highlight in the city’s cultural calendar. From authors to architects, diverse voices in poetry and prose gather for an exchange of ideas and stories, with thought-provoking panel discussions and vibrant events on the programme. This year’s edition saw Singapore’s Balli Kaur Jaswal speaking on a riveting panel about building communities in fiction.

Beach hopping

Whether you’re looking to do heavy-duty water sports or just lounge on a golden patch of sand, these are the best beaches near Galle to shortlist.

Dewata Beach

With soft and slow waves and an absence of sharp reefs and rocks, this surfer’s haven boasts a renowned surfing school with qualified instructors.

Unawatuna Beach

This family-friendly beach 15 minutes away from Galle Fort is perfect for snorkelling and scuba diving, with a healthy smattering of popular restaurants and nightlife.

Dickwella Pehebiya Beach

It might take you slightly longer to get here, but this beach is well-worth the visit as it is home to Sri Lanka’s best artisanal cocktail bar nestled in a coconut grove—Smoke and Bitters.

The May ‘Escape’ issue of  Vogue  Singapore is available  online  and on newsstands now.

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