So you're coming to Singapore?
Not put off by descriptions of Singapore as "Disneyland with the Death Penalty"?
Not fazed by our "totalitarian dictatorship" country?
Willing to quit chewing gum cold turkey?
Tourists!
Can't live without them.
Well, if you are coming to visit (or to stay for a while), here are some tips.
Climate
We'll start with the obvious. Singapore is a tropical hellhole. It's practically at the equator. That means HOT.
The daytime temperature is usually 32 Celsius to about 35 C.
And it is HUMID. About 70 - 80% relative humidity.
That means if you intend to walk about on a hot day in Singapore, YOU WILL SWEAT. And no, I don't mean "glisten", or "perspire", or "glow".
No.
You will sweat. Bullets and buckets. Or it will feel that way.
It is said that if Singapore has any seasons, it has 3 seasons - The Hot season, the Hotter season, and the Hot and Wet season.
That is why locals LOVE shopping malls. Or more specifically, AIR-CONDITIONED Shopping malls.
Shopping is said to be one of Singaporeans' favourite pastime. I suspect it is not. It's just that we seek sanctuary in the shopping malls, and the shop owners then use the opportunity to tempt the "captive audience" (i.e., us) with their wares, and many of us succumb to temptation or the guilt of exploiting the generosity of the malls to escape the heat and humidity, and buy something to keep the shops in business, and to reward the mall for providing these sanctuary from the heat.
A symbiotic relationship, you might say.
The other "survival" mechanism is, we are more nocturnal. During the hottest part of the day, we work. Usually in air-conditioned offices (let the bosses pay for the air-conditioning!) Then when the sun sets, we venture out for a good time.
As tourists, you should do as the locals do, if you can.
[Alternatively, you can take advantage of the sparse crowd and visit some attractions when it is less crowded. But choose wisely. The following are are-conditioned attractions that you can visit in the afternoons (before 5 pm when it is less crowded) -
- S.E.A. Aquarium (on Sentosa Island, near or part of Resorts World.
- Cloud Forest and Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay.
- Art Science Museum outside Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
- Jewel at Changi Airport
- Casinos! (If gambling is your thing or watching people gamble is your thing. As a local, I have never been into a casino cos locals have to pay an entry fee (S$100) per day. This is one "attraction" that is free for foreigners! Bring your foreign passport to prove your "foreignness".]
Optional Tip: You may notice that Singaporeans seem pretty casual in their dressing/attire. That's because of the heat and humidity. Our "dress code" is T-shirt and bermudas (for guys). I don't know what ladies wear. Yoga pants? You may choose to dress-down (unless you are going to a nice restaurant, but even then most restaurants in Singapore won't turn you away for your attire - at least not the ones I frequent... maybe my definition of "nice restaurant" is not up to standard?!?) But you're on holiday and would probably want to take some nice holiday photos, so this is an optional tip. But keep in mind that the option to dress down is always an option.
Weather
During the Hot and Wet season (i.e. the Monsoon season, usually during the end of the year, but who knows with climate change, now eh?), Singapore often experiences what one blogger (an expat lady who was based in Singapore for a while) calls, "storms of biblical proportions".
The important thing to know about the storms in Singapore is that, generally, if you do not like it, just wait about 30 minutes. It will change.
The second thing to know is that, the weather is quite fickle. So you should either have a bit of patience (waiting for the weather to change), or have rain gear with you at all times (I have a small tri-fold umbrella for when I absolutely cannot wait). You may be tempted to use a raincoat or one of those disposable ones - not very practical.
For one thing, the humidity will mean that the raincoat may keep you dry from the rain, but you will be sweating inside from the humidity. So you might still be wet. From your sweat. Secondly, a wet raincoat is difficult to pack away, and the weather might change again, and you might need to use it again, and using a wet and sweaty raincoat is... messy.
And because of the fickle weather, our nice, paternalistic government has provided sheltered walkways to shelter us from the unrelenting sun, and the storms of biblical proportions. And if you are familiar, it is sometimes quite possible to "go to ground". Underground, that is. Parts of the city is an underground city where you can travel from mall to mall to MRT stations. I believe you can travel mostly underground (and completely sheltered) from Funan Centre to the Esplanade and Marina Square/Millennium Walk/Suntec City.
It is said that eskimos, or Inuits as it is more politically correct to refer to them, have 40 names for snow of differing quality. Singaporeans are not as discerning or creative, and also English is not our native language, so we use the usual terms - "drizzle", "rain", and "storm". But I have a functional distinction for rain. "Umbrella Rain" is when the rain is moderate, and there is no strong wind, and it is possible to use the umbrella to reasonable effect. But if it is a storm with wind gusts that whips the rain so that it is visibly drifting sideways, such that an umbrella is useless, I call it "Fuck it, rain", or if there are children present, "Sideways Rain" or "Rain falling sideways". In such instances, your best bet is to find a coffee shop, and get yourself a kopi-o (or whatever is your poison of choice) and wait for the storm to pass.
Singapore weather - we'll teach you patience weather you like it or not!
Travel within Singapore
If you wish to use our Mass Rapid Transit (MRT, i.e. trains, or some of you might call it "metro" or "subway" - which is confusing when there is a sandwich chain by that name) and Buses, I believe you can now pay with Apple Pay or Google Pay. And also your credit card and even ATM cards? (I heard there is a surcharge -- 30cents? -- if you use a Credit Card. I cannot confirm this.) So you don't need to get an EZ-Link card which costs a $5 non-refundable deposit. Or you can get a tourist transit pass with unlimited travel for 1, 2, or 3 days (you choose), which could be what suits you best. Check it out. Note that it is one card per traveller. You cannot use your one credit card for your party of 5. The fares are calculated and deducted when you exit at the end of your journey, so every traveller needs his/her own distinct card, whether it is a credit card, ATM card, a Transit/EZLink card or a combination.
If you wanna get around in a taxi (cos you dun wanna travel with riff raff on common public transit, or because you haven't figured out how to use Apple Pay for your transit fare), you might want to get a ride hailing app. Uber doesn't work here anymore. CDG Zig lets you hail a metered Taxi. Other apps are Grab, Gojek, Tada, and probably a few more. Or maybe by the time you read this, some of those I mentioned might have closed down.
If you are using the MRT, you should get a map of the system. You can either take a picture of the system map at any MRT stations. Something like this:
Food
Singapore is famous for its hawker fare.
If you're here to eat at some fancy restaurant with some famous chef like Wolfgang Puck or Gordon Ramsay, you already know which fancy restaurant you want to eat at, and you do not need my tips or advice.
Also, you may have heard that Singapore is one of the most expensive cities in the world.
Understand that that study/survey was intended for foreigners intending to move to Singapore to live and work here for some time. And the costs include rent, transportation (usually a private vehicle), and other living costs associated with a lifestyle a foreigner might be accustomed to. For example, how many bottles of wine would he or she need in a month? And would a $20 bottle do, or do their tastes run into the $50 bottles? More?
The thing is, if you want to live like an expatriate, it's gonna cost you.
Live like a Singaporean, and you can eat cheap. I'll let a foreigner speak to you, so you'll know that I'm not "suaning" you (Singlish word, roughly translated as "playing you" or "throwing shade" or making fun of you.)
Or check out Youtube videos, and this blogpost on Singapore Food.
But... if you came to Singapore after places like Bali, KL, Bangkok, Singapore food is not as cheap as those places. Because rent and labour.
Tunnels
In the downtown area, there are a number of "tunnels" or underground links that are air-conditioned and sheltered from the heat and humidity of Singapore's weather and climate.
Some are clearly marked, like "City Link" from City Hall Station, to Marina Square, the Esplanade, and Suntec City.
If you head in the other direction from City Hall, you can find underground links to Capitol Kempinski, and Funan Mall.
The Orchard Station is within a mall, Ion Orchard. But it also has links underground to Wheelock Place, Shaw House, Wisma Atria, and Ngee Ann City.
Have fun exploring!
Here's a video on 6 common mistakes made by Tourists to Singapore. Video is by an Australian.
TL;DR - In summary, and in no particular order.
1) Bring an umbrella. And your patience. Weather in Singapore is not always predictable. But usually, nothing lasts forever. If the weather is bad, wait it out.
2) See Singapore at night. It's cooler. And there are lots of places that come alive only at night. For example, the Night Safari, the Light Shows at Marina Bay (Spectra) and Gardens by the Bay
3) Try the local hawker food. Or don't. More for me!
4) Include air-conditioned options in your itinerary - Shopping malls, Jewel, S.E.A. Aquarium, Flower Dome and Cloud Forest (in Gardens by the Bay). Or even a Casino visit if that's your thing.
5) Discover the underground City Link, Marina Bay Link Mall (linking Raffles City station and Downtown station), and the Ngee Ann City to Orchard Station underground link.
6) Take public transport (trains/MRT or buses) or walk - at night when it's cooler).
Enjoy!
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