Tips for Solo Backpacking to Singapore

Actually, this solo trip to Singapore was not planned at all. I was scheduled to take an exam at Singapore, but it got cancelled last minute. To make it worse, i already paid for the return flight tickets and book the accommodation there; if i cancel the booking, i'll be penalized. *sigh* So I figured, it's better for me to continue my trip to Singapore; this time, it's for FUN! :D

Nearby Esplanade Theater, Singapore

Since everything was done last minute, i don't have proper itinerary to begin with. I just feels like, maybe this time, i'll just go with the flow; stop wherever i want, since i don't have to justify or ask others, it's a solo trip anyway. It feels so awesome! As Singapore is pretty safe country for female solo traveler, you can go for a walk until night. It has amazing views and performances at certain spots at night. Yeeehhhoooo!

Night view in Singapore
So, below are some tips and experience on my solo trip for 3 days 2 nights. You can use this as your guidelines for your future trip to Singapore. If you're planning for your very own first time trip to oversea, you can refer to this entry; Common Tips before Backpack Travel.

PRE-TRAVEL
1. Flight ticket
Since i'm travelling to Singapore on tight budget, i just purchase return flight ticket from KL to Singapore and a travel insurance. That's it! What about luggage? I didn't buy one; i want to travel light, anyway, it's only 3 days guys. And i'm not planning for shopping also. Hohoho! :)

All of my clothes and toiletries (make sure, each bottles contain less than 100ml), i cramped it inside my backpack; not the usual backpack that you see the backpackers carrying, it's the school backpack. Yeah, i know. Might seems a little bit small for some of you, but it serve the purpose, at least for me.

2. Accommodation
I decided to stay at one place during my trip as Singapore is relatively small country. I can always go back to my hostel whenever i want. If you're planning to use public transport throughout your stay, try to find a place that is nearby the MRT or LRT station. There's plenty of affordable places to stay and nearby the stations.  Do take note that, it's better if you book early, as the price would be much more cheaper compared to if you walk-in. You might also have no place to stay if it is on peak season. :)

Blue Jazz Hostel @Booking.com
- SGD 34.40/2 nights; 1 bed in 16-bed female dorm (inclusive of 10% tax)
- The price above is inclusive of breakfast, which is serve at the receptionist counter.
- You can also refill your bottles with water dispenser nearby the receptionist counter.
- There is only 2 staffs for the entire hostel. Anyway, you can always reach the receptionist as she is very friendly and accommodating. But maybe a bit overworked also. Pity her.
- They provide a bed with mattress, pillow and also quilt. It's a bit out of shape; might be used a lot before. Each bed is equipped with a personal study light and 2 plugs.
- This hostel also provide free wifi for you to stay connected to your loved ones! <3
- If you're the kind of person who easily wakes up, you might want to look for other places as this hostel is nearby the KTV and it gets loud at night.
- They also provide locker with no padlock. You can store your belongings at the locker at your own risk. If you want a padlock, you can buy from the receptionist counter for SGD 4. My advise is either you bring your own padlock from home or buy it from other stores; as they sold it for less than SGD 2 only. You can save SGD 2!
- They didn't provide a towel, shampoo and soap; even a slipper. Haiya! So sad. You need to bring or buy it by yourself. Thank goodness i bring my towel together with me. As for the soap, I bought 2 bottles for SGD 1 at a shop nearby Bugis Street. Nasib baik murah. Hahahahahahaha.
- There's plenty of toilet and bathroom, so you don't have to queue up to take a bath. Even you're staying at a female dorm, there's chances where the guys come and use the toilet at the same level as yours; just giving you some head start though.
- As a Muslim traveler, the dorm itself has a very limited floor space, so, there is not enough space to perform prayer. If you're staying here, you can walk or take MRT/LRT to Rochor station to Masjid Abdul Gafoor. If you prefer walking, it's 800m to the mosque.
- Location wise, this hostel is around 650m from Jalan Besar Station. It's easy to find this hostel.
- As a conclusion, it was an okay stay for me as i just go back to sleep and take a bath.
- Anyway, it really depends on your preference. If you asked me, i'd look for another place to stay if i were coming back to Singapore. Even if it's a bit pricey compared to this hostel.

Updates:
If you'd like to have some discount while using Booking.com, you can use referral code "caab8990" to get 10% discount. But it applies to first time user only.

3. Bottles for toilet
Common toilets doesn't provide bidet, so, it's better for you to prepare a bottle to wash up. :)

4. Entrance Ticket
If you have a list of the places that you want to go which has entrance fee, you might want to check out the discounted tickets that available online. But please purchase from authorized or trusted websites only. :) You can save a lot of money if you know where to find it.

Gardens by The Bay
- This is the one of the major attraction in Singapore. It is very famous for it's garden, sculpture and many more; some of the sub-attraction, you need to pay for it, some of it, you can view it for free.
- If you decided to purchase a ticket to Flower Dome and Cloud Forest, you can buy it at Klook. It is much more cheaper if you buy online; it's SGD 23. The normal price for walk-in visitor is SGD 28. You can save SGD 5! You can buy a meal with that money and skip the queue.
- This is the link for the ticket at Klook; Gardens by The Bay Ticket Singapore.
- Take note that it might incur some additional charges for the currency conversion by the bank.
- You can also contact your hostel or hotel, if they can help to purchase a ticket for you. Blue Jazz Hostel offers the same price; SGD 23 for the ticket if you're staying with them. :) So, no extra charge if you buy with them; as there is no conversion charge like the bank have.

GET TO THE CITY FROM AIRPORT
1. If you arrived at Terminal 4 in Changi Airport, please take shuttle bus to Terminal 2 and MRT. Just follow the signboard, it is fairly easy. It's free. The bus will take 8 minutes to reach Terminal 2.
2. When you arrived at Terminal 2, please follow the signboard to go to the Changi Airport MRT Station.
3. From there, you can go to your desired destination. Don't worry, the maps is so easy to read and understand. :)


Shuttle bus from T4 to T2 & MRT


DURING TRAVEL
1. Singapore Tourist Pass
As i'd like to wander and explore the city, i decided to purchase Singapore Tourist Pass. It gives me unlimited rides for all LRT, MRT and buses, except some of the private trains such as Sentosa Express. I don't have to worry about needing to top-up and spending more money in case i want to stop at another station or even mistakenly take another train.

MRT Station at Changi Airport @Terminal 2
It only cost SGD 20 for 3 days with additional SGD 10 for deposit. The deposit is refundable when you return the card. If you ask me, i really think that it's worth to buy this as i use the public transport for most of the time, other than walking around. You can find more info here; The Singapore Tourist Pass.


Don't get confused with Singapore Tourist Pass Plus as it has different price and extra perks. :) To be safe, please buy from LRT/MRT stations only.

2. Public Wifi
Most of the major attractions and public transport LRT/MRT stations provide tourists with free wifi. So, don't worry if you didn't want to spend money renting pocket wifi. You can stay connected almost all the time in Singapore.

3. Tourist Attraction
Singapore has a lot of tourist attractions to visit. You can choose the places that you want to go based on your interest. :)

Bugis Junction
- Nearest MRT/LRT station: Bugis stn.
- This is actually a shopping complex.

Bugis+
- Nearest MRT/LRT station: Bugis stn.
- Have link-bridge from Bugis Junction.
- It's actually opposite to each other.
- Also a shopping complex.


Bugis Street from Albert Street
Bugis Street
- Nearest MRT/LRT station: Bugis stn.
- Is located opposite to Bugis Junction and next to Bugis+.
- There's plenty of shops selling various goods especially souvenirs.
- There's also shops selling some foods, fruits and also juices.
- You can find halal shawarma at the main entrance nearby the bus stop. It's on your left.


Pearl Street
Pearl Street
- Nearest MRT/LRT station: Bugis stn.
- At the end of Bugis Street, there's another street next to it which is called Pearl Street.
- It is actually connected to each other. :)
- Sells various goods also like Bugis Street.
- In between Bugis and Pearl Street, there's a convenience shop called ABC. Items sold there is very cheap; eg. i bought 2 body wash for just SGD 1. :O I suggest if you want to buy any snacks, toiletries, even chocolates, which you can find one with cheap price here.


ABC Cheapest Store in Singapore! <3
Albert Street
- Nearest MRT/LRT station: Bugis stn.
- It is opposite of end of Bugis Street. You just need to cross the road and you're there.
- There's also few shops selling things like bed linen, shoes, shirts, etc.


Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple
Waterloo Street
Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple
- Nearest MRT/LRT station: Bugis stn.
- Located at Waterloo Street. It's intersect with Albert Street; just turn left after you see a concourse area; the one with giant statue.
- Have market selling various items along the street; including the plants.


Masjid Sultan view from Muscat Street
Main prayer hall @Masjid Sultan
Masjid Sultan
- Nearest MRT/LRT station: Bugis stn.
- It's located 400m from Bugis stn.
- This mosque is one of the must go attractions for muslim in Singapore.
- Also provide public free wifi.


Malay Heritage Centre
Malay Heritage Centre
- Nearest MRT/LRT station: Bugis stn.
- It's situated next to Masjid Sultan.
- There's a small garden where you can chill and rest for a while.
- The admission to the centre is not free; so i decided not to go in. Haha! xD


Muscat Street view from Masjid Sultan
Muscat Street
- Nearest MRT/LRT station: Bugis stn.
- Located right in front of the main entrance of Masjid Sultan.
- Host a lots of places that serve halal foods.

Arab Street
- Nearest MRT/LRT station: Bugis stn.
- Located nearby to Masjid Sultan.
- It sells goods like clothes (like kain pasang and such), carpets, turkish lamps, etc.


One of the mural arts @Haji Lane
Haji Lane
- Nearest MRT/LRT station: Bugis stn.
- Located next to Arab street. It's in between the small lane between 2 shop lots.
- There's few of hipster cafes and murals/arts.



Singapore Botanic Garden
- Nearest MRT/LRT station: Botanic Garden stn.
- It is one of UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- If you like to immerse yourself in nature, this is one of the must go places in Singapore. It's really beautiful.
- It also have different types of gardens and also have a small rain forest trail in the middle of the garden. There's a jogging track also. :)

Orchard Road
Orchard Road
- Nearest MRT/LRT station: Orchard stn.
- It has a lot of shopping complexes nearby. There's nothing much to do here except for window shopping.
- If you want to bring back some souvenirs, you can buy at Lucky Plaza. There's plenty of choices; chocolates, bags, shirts, etc.


Masjid Abdul Gafoor
Masjid Abdul Gafoor
- Nearest MRT/LRT station: Rochor stn.
- Exit B, walk straight until you saw Shahi Kebab, then turn right.
- Also one of the mosque in Singapore; a little infamous compared to Masjid Sultan.


Little India Arcade
Little India Arcade
- Nearest MRT/LRT station: Little India stn.
- Have few shops selling flower wreaths, clothes and souvenirs.


Indian Heritage Centre
Indian Heritage Centre
- Nearest MRT/LRT station: Little India stn.
- Same lane with Little India Arcade.
- You need to pay for the entrance fee. I don't remember how much.


One of the vibrant colors buildings @Little India Art Belts
Little India Art Belts
- Nearest MRT/LRT station: Little India stn.
- There's few mural arts and vibrant colors buildings along the street.

Vivo City
- Nearest MRT/LRT station: Harbor Front stn.
- It's shopping complex with plenty of halal food choices.
- If you want to go to Sentosa Island, you can transfer to Sentosa Express here. Go to lobby L, and take the escalator to Level 3. Then purchase a ticket from the machine there. :)


Haw Par Villa signboard nearby Main Entrance
One of many attractions @HawParVilla
Haw Par Villa
- Nearest MRT/LRT station: Haw Par Villa stn.
- It's actually a villa where there's a lot of vibrant color statues based on Chinese Mythology.
- You can take a walk in the villa, it's free. And there's some stories describing the statues. :)

The Star Vista
The Star Vista
- Nearest MRT/LRT station: Buona Vista stn.
- Great architecture designed shopping mall.



Chinese Garden
- Nearest MRT/LRT station: Chinese Garden stn.
- Gardens that have all the chinese traditional elements inside.
- This place is so beautiful and serene. There's a pagoda and also statues of heroes in chinese legends.


Japanese Garden
- Nearest MRT/LRT station: Chinese Garden stn.
- This garden is just next to the Chinese Garden. It is inspired from Japanese culture.
- Also nice place to relax and chill. :D



Gardens by The Bay
- Nearest MRT/LRT station: Bayfront stn.
- Supertree Groove, Dragonfly Bridge, Malay Garden, Chinese Garden, Indian Garden, Colonial Garden, Floating Baby, etc.
- This place is huge and you might want to spend at least 1 hour here. The visit to all these attraction at Gardens by The Bay is all free of charge except Flower Dome, Cloud Forest and OCBC Skyway.
- Best time to go is at evening/night as there will be some performance at Supertree Groove.

Flower Dome @Gardens by The Bay
- Nearby MRT/LRT station: Bayfront stn.
- To enter this place, you need to purchase a ticket from the counter or you can book online. :)
- The normal price is SGD 28, but you can get it for SGD 25 if you book online at Klook.
- This place is amazingly beautiful. It has various species of flowers and tress inside one place. It's so instagramble. xD


Cloud Forest @Gardens by The Bay
- Nearby MRT/LRT station: Bayfront stn.
- It's actually located right next to the Flower Dome.
- This place is the one with the most famous waterfall inside the greenhouse. It's a bit cold inside, but you'll be fine.
- You can also walk on the bridge inside to see the beauty of this greenhouse. Please note that if you're afraid of height, it might scares you as you walk on level 7. Anyway, it's really beautiful and worth to take chances by crossing it. *party*

Marina Bay Sands
- Nearby MRT/LRT station: Bayfront stn.
- Posh/luxurious boutique shopping mall. The goods sold here is very very expensive. *faint* But you can always go for window shopping. Hoho!
- If you walk towards the bay, you will reach at Spectra Water Show. Over there, you can watch the water fountain performance by following the beats of the music.
- Best time to visit is at night.

ArtScience Museum and Marina Bay Sands
ArtScience Museum
- Nearby MRT/LRT station: Bayfront stn.
- It's nearby Marina Bay Sands, you just need to walk towards the Helix Bridge. :)


Chinatown Singapore
- Nearby MRT/LRT station: Chinatown stn.
- Exit to Pagoda Street.
- There's a lot of souvenir shops if you're looking for one. It's pretty cheap here. You can get up to 42 keychains for just SGD 10. The bags is 7 for SGD 10. How good is that?

Chinatown Heritage Centre
- Nearby MRT/LRT station: Chinatown stn.
- Is located at Pagoda Street.

Masjid Jamae (Chulia)
- Nearby MRT/LRT station: Chinatown stn.
- Is located at the other end of Pagoda Street.

Esplanade Theater
Esplanade
- Nearby MRT/LRT station: Esplanade stn.
- It has theater and also a shopping complex.
- It's also nearby the Singapore Flyer.

Iconic Singapore Attraction
Merlion's Park
- Nearby MRT/LRT station: Esplanade stn.
- Singapore national icon, the famous merlion (MERmaid+LION).
- This is a very famous spots, so, please note that it's gonna have a lot of people all day long.

4. Halal Foods
I can assure you, you're not gonna starve here. If you're looking for something to eat, i would say, you can find something to eat nearby. Just look for the halal logo. :) Most of the fast food chains have halal logo, but some of it doesn't have. So, please dine at your own discretion.

Shawarma Wrap
- Bugis Street; at the main entrance nearby the bus stop/zebra crossing.
- Nearby station: Bugis stn.
- Specialty: Chicken shawarma.
- Price: SGD 3.50 (Chicken shawarma)
- Normal arabic halal logo only.

Singapore Zam Zam Restaurant
- North Bridge Road; nearby Masjid Sultan.
- Nearby station: Bugis stn.
- Specialty: Murtabak.
- Normal arabic halal logo only.
- I didn't get the chance to eat here as i just have my lunch before i came here.


Smashed Chicken Rice @LuckyPlaza
Chicken Rice
- Level 4-25, Lucky Plaza
- Nearby station: Orchard stn.
- Specialy: Smashed chicken
- Price: SGD 7.90 (Smashed chicken)
- Singapore Halal Certified logo.
- The best smashed chicken that i ever eat in my entire life. It's sambal is so spicy but it's very tasty. You can't resist to eat more eventhough you're already wipe a tears while eating. Haha! I would definitely recommend you to come here. I know it didn't look like much, but trust me. It tastes really good! *drooling*


Encik Tan @VivoCity
Encik Tan
- Vivo City; in front of McDonald, at the exit of Harbor Front station.
- Nearby station: Harbor Front stn.
- Specialty: Noodles and rice.
- Price: SGD 3.50 (Mee rebus)
- Singapore Halal Certified logo.
- Their mee rebus also taste goods. It's gravy or kuah is very thick. You should try eat this at least once! :)


Halal Food Court @VivoCity
Food Court
- Vivo City; next to McDonald, at the exit of Harbor Front station. You will see the escalator in the middle, the left side serve non-halal, while the right side serve halal food.
- Nearby station: Harbor Front stn.
- Specialty: Various type of dishes.
- Price: Average of SGD 5 each meal.
- Singapore Halal Certified logo.
- I didn't eat here since i decided to eat at Encik Tan.



Chinatown Food Street
- Still within Chinatown, just walk. You'll get there, as it is close by.
- Nearby station: Chinatown stn.
- Specialty: Various type of dishes.
- There's halal food sold at the end of the street. Just walk straight.
- Normal arabic halal logo only.

PappaMia
- Marina Bay Link Mall, B2-04
- Nearby station: Downtown stn.
- Specialty: Singaporean food
- Singapore Halal Certified logo.
- I didn't eat here since i eat at Burger King which is next to it.

Burger King
- Marina Bay Link Mall, B2-03
- Nearby station: Downtown stn.
- Specialty: Fast food chains
- Singapore Halal Certified logo.
- Normal fast food burger meal.

5. Extra tips
- Don't forget to claim the deposit by returning the Singapore Tourist Pass and hostel's key. Tadaaa! More money for food! <3

FLIGHT FROM CHANGI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
1. Check back your flight itinerary whether your departure is from which terminal. As for me, my departure is at Terminal 4.
2. So, from Changi Airport MRT Station at Terminal 2, i take the same shuttle bus to Terminal 4. The duration from T2 to T4 is about 8 minutes.
3. At Terminal 4, you can do self check-in at self-service kiosk. And you're good to go!
4. Don't worry if you haven't eaten your meal, because there's few halal food inside the airport after you pass the immigration counter. *party*

Inside airport shuttle bus

 Anyway, happy planning & travelling! :)

Notes:
If you wonder how much i spent for this trip, check this entry; Total Cost for Solo Backpacker to Singapore.