What to do in SG 🇸🇬 on a Budget
Introduction
Are you planning to visit Singapore, and wondering how to enjoy what is one of the most expensive global destinations on a budget? I'm here for you.
If you need accommodation, I stayed at and can recommend Met a Space Pod on Arab Street. This capsule hotel is clean and comfortable, in a great location (handy for MRT, buses and Queen Street Bus Station), and "cheap". It's all relative!
But, I'm guessing you're here to figure out what you can do in SG that doesn't cost a fortune. Here are some of my favorite free, cheap and great value things to do in the Garden City.
Free things to do in SG 🇸🇬
Singapore is extremely walkable, being relatively flat and compact. Marina Bay is a great area to wander around, and has plenty to see.
Gardens by the Bay are free to visit, and contain a multitude of flaura and fauna, lakes, formal and informal gardens, and a Zen garden as well as the iconic Supertrees. There is a paid canopy walk, and 2 paid climate controlled conservatories, but general admission to the gardens and the nightly music and light show, is free.
Set in the heart of the Civic and Cultural District, Fort Canning Park occupies much of Fort Canning Hill. The hill itself has a long history of military use due to its strategic position and elevation. Nowadays it contains an intriguing mix of historical relics, lush greenery and formal lawns.
Some of the gardens are replica of those originally laid out by Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore, who's name is synonymous with many SG public buildings and the eponymous Raffles Hotel.
MacRitchie Reservoir Park to the north of the downtown area, but easily accessible by public transport, is home to 20kms of waymarked trails, sections of boardwalk, and a 250m long treetop canopy suspension bridge. It also contains more than a square kilometer of Primary Forest, some of the oldest rainforest on the planet.
The nature park is home to much of Singapore's indigenous flora and fauna, and on my visit I saw macaques, squirrels, water monitor lizards and various skinks/gheckos. It was also interesting to see carnivorous jug plants and Venus fly traps in their natural environment.
If you plan carefully and get your timing right, you can make a free evening of music and light shows. After visiting Gardens by the Bay and watching their nightly Garden Rhapsody (7.45 and 8.45pm) you can make the short walk back to Marina Bay to watch the lights and water show set to music, Spectra (8 and 9pm). Both offer a 15 minutes long, beautifully choreographed display and are a great way to end busy day if exploring.
Would you believe me if I said there was a free rooftop viewing deck right in the heart of Downtown SG? Welcome to Sky Garden at CapitaSpring, a 51st floor roof garden offering panoramic views over Marina Bay and the whole of Singapore. Open at specific times during weekdays, not evenings, weekends, or holidays, timed entry is free but must be pre-booked online. Although you are restricted on entry time to 30 minutes slots, as far as I could tell you could stay as long as you liked. As well as the roof garden there is another 4 storey urban oasis further down the building which your entry ticket also allows access to.
Singapore is a marvelous and magical mixture of historical and modern, and the architecture is no exception. Take a walk around Chinatown, Little India, Marina Bay, Downtown, or venture out into the suburbs to see some of the many buildings, old and new, for which SG is famous. The Marina Bay Sands Hotel, The Arts House, Raffles Hotel, Sri Mariamman Temple, The National Gallery Singapore, Old Hill Street Police Station, Sultan Mosque and many more are worth a visit and can be enjoyed for free.
There was one more thing that I wanted to do but I ran out of time for, and that was hang out at Changi Airport, Singapore's main flight hub (I traveled in and out by train). Crazy as that sounds, tourists and locals do just that as there is such a vast amount of things to see and do thetey, including watch the famous indoor waterfall.
I know people who make sure to book flights with connections through SIN, and I'll be sure to do the same before I leave South East Asia!
Good Value Activities in SG 🇸🇬
In addition to these free activities, I also did a few things which weren't especially cheap, but did offer better value than similar activities.
If, like me, you're a fan of craft beer and rooftop bars, then LeVeL33 might be the place for you. Overlooking Marina Bay, it is the world's highest urban microbrewery and offers the chance to drink delicious beers that were brewed on site, while enjoying views of the bay. If you time your visit correctly you can even enjoy a unique view of the Spectra light show.
First of all you can book a yoga class. Several times per week, Virgin Active offers a 7am class at the MSB Skypark. It costs around US$30, which includes all the yoga equipment (mat, blocks, straps and towels). They also provide Bluetooth headphones as the class is taught "Silent Disco" style. It lasts for 45 minutes and is a Vinyasa flow class that is suitable for all abilities.
They escort you up to the roof around 6.50am giving a few minutes before the class to see the sun rise. And the deck doesn't have to be cleared until 8am when it opens to hotel guests, so there is time after the class to enjoy the breathtaking views over the city, the Gardens by the Bay, and over the Singapore Strait towards Sentosa Island and Indonesia.
On Tuesday evenings from 6 through 9pm, several of the MSB's bars offer Social Hours, where signature cocktails are available at half price. Which was the second way I enjoyed the MSB roof, as 2 of the 3 rooftop restaurants take part.
Spago Bar & Lounge occupies the back central portion of the roof, behind the iconic infinity swimming pool. It is run by James Beard Award winning, Michelin Starred celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck and offers spectacular views over Gardens by the Bay, including the nightly light show, and out to sea. However, be advised that city views are somewhat obstructed by the famous pool.
Lavo Italian Restaurant and Rooftop Bar occupies the south-western end of the roof, and gives 270° views of Singapore, with stunning views over the Straits as well as unrestricted vistas of the city, and amazing views of the sun setting over the Downtown district. You can see a completely different perspetof the nightly Spectra light show from the front of the deck.
The bill for my cocktail in each of these 2 rooftop bars was around US$15, so for a little more than the price of off-peak entry to the Skypark I enjoyed an evening of views, delicious cocktails and sunset from the roof of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel.
There you have several ways to enjoy activities in and around Singapore on a budget. That's obviously not everything there is to do, or everything I did, but a snapshot of some of the time I spent in the Garden City.
In fact, some of my best memories of Singapore were made by just wandering around the streets armed with my camera and no plans and no destination in mind, just excited to see what's around the next corner.
But that's just exactly how I like to travel!
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