*COVID19 Update* As of January 31, US State Department placed Singapore category Level 4 – Do Not Travel status. However, vaccinated travelers are not required to quarantine. Please check the US State Department and US Embassy in Singapore (or your country of origin’s official website) for the most up-to-date information.
Our first family trip of 2019 was to Singapore. Singapore is my favorite Asian City/Country! To be fair, I haven’t explored much of Asia yet, but it is on the list. It had been 12years since I had been to Singapore, and a lot has changed significantly in terms of the investment to attract more tourists. Surprisingly Singapore is a very family-friendly City/Country. There were many things to do with young ones for free or close to it. We spent 8 days in Singapore and did one thing a day. I know the trip was successful because of how often Lo talks about Singapore!
Contents:
Things To Know Before You Go To Singapore
- The currency in Singapore is the Singapore dollar (SGD). At the time of writing, the exchange rate was $1.38 SGD to $1USD. If I list any prices in this post, they will be in SGD.
- Most high-end hotels offer Babysitting services so you can go out on a date night.
- If you like alcoholic beverages, be prepared to pay more than your regular prices at high-end American bars/lounges.
- Food is super cheap, so eat a lot of street food. We probably spent an average of $20SGD for the 3 of us each meal.
- We didn’t get local sim cards; instead, we used WhatsApp, which you can use on WiFi. You can text and use data without additional costs if you have a T-Mobile plan.
- Abide by the clean city laws to avoid fines. Do not litter, smoke only in undesignated areas, and eat or drink on the metro.
- The metro is the cheapest mode of transportation, but you can also use a Taxi. Most taxis take credit cards; be sure to ask first to make sure. The most we paid to get anywhere in a Taxi within the city was around $7SGD.
- You can go on a date and leave your kids with a babysitter check out this post to learn more.
Now let’s get to the fun parts of our favorite things to do in Singapore.
Top Attractions in Singapore With Kids
#1 S.E.A Aquarium in Sentosa
Cost: (Adult $36 SGD, Children 4-12 $26SGD)
This is the 2nd largest aquarium in the world with over 100,000 different sea creatures and 45m liters of water. So vast! It is easy to spend all day at the aquarium, so make sure you have snacks for the kids. Lo was absolutely enthralled by this experience. As soon as she saw sharks, she started singing Baby Shark-do-do-do. Watching jellyfish swim so gracefully, seeing seahorses, and touching starfish for the first time, the whole experience was sensational, especially for Lo.
#2 Singapore Botanic Gardens
Cost: Free, $5SDG for Orchid Garden, kids under 12 free.
The Botanic Gardens (The Gardens) are absolutely stunning! The Gardens is 160 years old and the first UNESCO Heritage Site in Singapore. The National Orchid Garden within The Gardens houses some of the rarest orchids. Anyone who knows me knows that orchids are my favorite flowers; I was in Heaven on Earth in that garden. It was so relaxing to just sit at one of the benches and take it all in. We spent all day in the gardens, taking a leisurely walk along the paths and enjoying the sound of birds. There are a couple of cafes within The Gardens; we had lunch at the one near the National Orchid Garden. Stroller Recommended as you can easily walk 5kms in The Gardens.
#3 Gardens by the Bay
Cost: Free, $8SGD to walk on the OCBC Skyway
This is a charming garden with approximately 12 Supertrees. The tallest tree measures about 16 floors high. In the evenings, at 7:45 pm and 8:45 pm, they have the Rhapsody Light Show. It was fun for the family to watch. However, I recommend you do this light show first before doing the Spectra – A Light & Water Show | Marina Bay Sands. If you do this one after Spectra, you might find it underwhelming.
#4 Digital Light Canvas | Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
Cost: $5SGD per person, free for children under 2
We did this activity 3 out of the 8 days we were in Singapore. It is pretty scintillating! Lo could spend hours just running around, following schools of fish, and painting calligraphic drawings with her feet while flowers blossomed. It was just the right amount of sensory input. Even as an adult, I was fascinated by the Digital Light Canvas.
#5 Spectra – A Light & Water Show | Marina Bay Sands
Cost: Free
We watched this show 3 times. It. Was. That. GOOD! The visual art projections, dancing fountain jets, and the music was magical, captivating, and emotional all at once. The best 15 minutes you will ever spend. Sundays through Thursdays show starts at 8 pm and 9 pm; on Friday and Saturday show begins at 8 pm, 9 pm, and 10 pm; so definitely arrive 15 – 30 minutes early to get a good spot.
#6 Singapore Zoo
Cost: Adult $33SGD, Children $22SGD.
This zoo is about 30 minutes outside the City Center. A taxi ride was approximately $15SGD when we went. The zoo was spacious and housed over 2,800 animals from over 300 species of mammals, birds, and reptiles. It is probably the best zoo we have been to. Though the concept of a zoo is still animals in confined spaces, this zoo didn’t look/feel as confined as others we’ve visited. The highlight for me was seeing a Kangaroo for the first time!
Inside the zoo is a water park, so we took time out to cool down before enjoying the rest of the zoo. The zoo is vast, I walked most of the time with Lo in a Stroller, but there is a tram that runs in the zoo ($5SGD for adults and $3SGD for children). I did get on for free a couple of times; I guess they weren’t very strict about charging.
#7 Far East Organization Children’s Garden
Cost: Free
Singapore is hot, so what better way to cool off than for the kids and parents to splash in the water park in the shadow of the iconic Marina Bay Sands. It was great to see Lo step out of her comfort zone, make friends with other children that did not speak English, and make their playtime work.
