This is not an extensive guide for visiting Singapore but it will help you in planning your very own, personalized, private and one of its kind trip to Singapore!

I will straight-away come to the most important question on your mind! How much does the vacation cost? The straight answer is – not much. If you want the cost details, scroll to the end of this post.

Duration of the vacation

This is a personal choice, but if you ask me, Singapore deserves at least 5 days of your vacation time so stay away from the tourist packages which promise a Singapore vacation for 2 days/3 nights.

What to do in Singapore

Simple – eat,  see and experience. On a more serious note, there are so many places to see, things to do in Singapore that it’s not possible to list all of them over here, instead I’ll just mention what we did:

Day 1: Sightseeing near Marina bay; Singapore’s most important landmarks (like Merlion) are in this area. Visit the shopping mall beneath the Marina bay sands; you could

check out the Casino in the same mall – entry free for tourists. Later you could dine at Marina bay Sands building terrace by soaking in the magnificent views of Singapore beneath – this we didn’t do.There is a laser show at the beach front viewed from the side of the Mall which is quite good.

Day 2: Shopping expedition at Mustafa mall, Little India, which turned out to be un-fruitful as everything on sale seemed like a scam. Had lunch at Saravana Bhavan. Later, again some shopping near Bugis street – which resembles our very own Indian markets (quality wise too) . My advice to vacationers from India – don’t waste your precious vacation time shopping in Singapore, there’s not much you can get in Singapore which you can’t get in India (cheaper) in these days of global consumerism. Unless you have some specific (well researched) article which you know is available only in Singapore or available for a bargain, stay away from shopping. Dined at Swensen’s.

Day 3: The Sentosa island attractions excluding Universal studios can be managed in a half day, don’t try to do both in the same day, it’s not possible. The beauty of Singapore is that everything is jam-packed in a small area so its easy getting around from one place to the other. The activities not to be missed in Sentosa island – Underwater world with Dolphin lagoon, 4D Magix and fish foot massage. Don’t remember finding great food options in Sentosa, instead try the food court in Vivo city mall, Harbour Front station; can’t forget the excellent Chicken Bamboo rice we had there.

Day 4: Universal Studios Singapore is a theme park located within Sentosa Island. It’s a miniature version of the Universal studios in Los Angeles, USA, but don’t be fooled by the size of the park – it’s packed with so many worthwhile/one-of-its-kind/breath-taking rides that you will regret if you miss even one of them. The most sophisticated and enjoyable ride has to be the ‘Transformers: The Ride’, which is a 3D dark ride which carries you in the midst of fighting robots (Autobots and Decepticons) and makes you feel very much part of the fight. Enough said. Ride it! Oh yeah, and make time for the ‘Waterworld’ show too.

Day 5: Strolled through Orchard Road, Singapore’s upscale shopping street. Lightened purse and inflated credit card bill.  Gardens by the Bay needs more than half a day. More details on the huge Garden complex are in my earlier posts.
– Flower Dome & Cloud Forest – Singapore
– Gardens by the Bay – Singapore

What we Missed: Yes, we did miss quite a few, mostly because of lack of interest. The most notable few: Singapore Zoo and Night safari at the Zoo. Singapore Flyer. Singapore Science centre.

What to carry

If you have 3 trousers and 3 t-shirts, that makes 9 pairs of clothing. You get the idea I suppose, pack less! Even coaxed my wife to carry less clothing; but in her case, what she didn’t carry, she shopped! Another good reason to carry less is that you will have to shell out money for every checked-in baggage in low-cost airlines.

Cost of the vacation

All units in Indian rupees, for 2 adults and for 5 days
Return flight fares from Bangalore: 25k to 35k Re on Tiger airways. Earlier you book, the cheaper.
Singapore visa: approximately 3k. Visa validity = 1 year
Hotel stay and Food: 25k to 50k for the hotel, depending on the luxury quotient you are used to. 5k to 10k for food.
Entrance and train tickets: Keep aside 20k, depending on your eagerness to explore and experience .

Total expenditure comes to under 90k. Worth every rupee spent in my opinion.