Gem of Travel

In February 2023, I went to Singapore for a concert. I was traveling Asia for 2 months, and Singapore made the list because Jeff Satur had a concert, and if I was already in Asia, I was going to go to all of his concerts (I went to four). I originally set my itinerary for 2 weeks in Singapore, but after traveling elsewhere in Asia for several weeks, had decided to whittle the visit down to 5 days. After all, Singapore is basically just a large city, that happens to also be a country. My three favorite things in Singapore were the free walking tours, the food, and Bukit Timah. 

One of my biggest pieces of advice for solo travelers? Join some solo traveler groups. Each country I went to, I posted the dates and cities in a group for female solo travelers and asked if anyone wanted to meet up. Results were mixed, but Singapore was my favorite meet-up. I connected with a local woman I met in one of the traveler groups on Facebook, and after some back and forth we decided on visiting Bukit Timah National Park.

Bukit Timah hosts one of the largest patches of rainforest located within a city. The national park refers to the small tract of land that wasn’t harvested by colonizers. The area surrounding the rainforest has been re-forrested and there have been huge efforts to return the land to what it once was. 

I met Qing at a train station beneath a small shopping mall. We stopped for a pastry in the mall, and then went on our way. There was a path from the mall that led directly to the park. First, you pass over the quarry and can take pictures at the overlook. Then, you start the trek upwards. Qing lived within walking distance and came here often, so she took us on a scenic route that had less tourists and was theoretically faster as well. It was hot and humid (normal for Singapore and Florida, where I’m from) so we took our time. I had brought mini bananas as a snack, and Qing informed me to be careful because the monkeys in the area could be VICIOUS. We talked the entire way up, everything from pop culture to politics to our futures. My favorite part about traveling is connecting with women in my age group and seeing the similarities and differences. It’s the best way to actually learn about the culture, books and blogs can only tell you so much. Did you know government officials there are allowed to sue you for talking bad about them? I found that hilarious, in between me talking disdainfully about current American politics. 

We finally reached the top and rested before a mini photo shoot. We took the main path down, and oh my god, I was so grateful we had taken an alternative path up. It was a steep concrete path down and my calves were thoroughly murdered. Nothing like some spry 60+ year olds doing circles around you to make you aware of how out of shape you might be. We did see several monkeys, which I was beyond excited about and Qing was extremely not excited about. We went to eat afterwards, and I don’t remember the names of anything I ordered, but it was beyond delicious and a great end to the day. 

Singapore is made up of several neighborhoods, and there are free walking tours in most of them. I did walking tours in Little India and Kampong Glam. Of the two, Kampong Glam was my favorite, because I knew less about the culture. Our tour guide was from Singapore, and had lived there his entire life. He told us about housing, how the government and the school system worked, and significant historical facts. Did you know the main ingredient in Tiger Balm was invented and originally sourced from Singapore? Me either. 

The three main ethnicities in Singapore are Chinese, Malay, and Indian. The Kampong Glam tour focused on Malay culture and history. We saw where the palace used to be, went into a mosque (my first!), and explored architecture from several periods. Afterwards, the tour guide invited us to join him for lunch, and I took him up on the offer. We went to a Malay restaurant, Saber Menanti, and had some delicious food and talked about our respective cultures and lives. If there’s one thing I have learned while traveling, it is to take any opportunity to share a meal with the people you meet. There is no better time to really learn about a country and about people from different paths. 

Singapore had some of the best food of anywhere I went this trip. Maybe the best? Definitely the most varied. Other than Saber Menanti, I enjoyed all my meals at hawker centers. I had possibly the best Indian food of my life in Little India, palek paneer with garlic naan. I also tried the famous Hainanese chicken rice from Tian Tian and…..so boring! I’m sorry, okay! But it was! I had amazing Laksa, dumplings, fresh fruit smoothies, strawberry pandan….the list goes on. Honestly, Singapore might be worth coming to just for the food. 

Other than what I’ve already talked about, some highlights were Gardens by the Bay, which has an amazing light show at night and was also featured in the movie Crazy Rich Asians. There are several different sections, and I recommend planning for a whole day. The nocturnal zoo tour was an interesting new experience, I had never been to the zoo at night. Walking around in Chinatown and the Arab quarter was such a great time, there  were so many highly decorated houses of worship, in addition to fantastic shopping and architecture. 

While I probably wouldn’t do another extended trip to Singapore, I would definitely return for a few days. In addition to the food and scenery, it is a hub for events. Artists from all over the world play there, there are tons of exhibitions, and festivals. Since I went in February, everywhere was still highly decorated for Lunar New Year. I felt completely safe the entire time, even wandering around at night. Public transportation was extensive and easy to use – it was the only country where I could just use my credit card and not have to get a transportation card. All in all, I highly recommend. 

At the famous Singapore Flyer, where you can see the entire city/country. I realized Singapore isn’t just a major city, it boasts beautiful nature, as well.  

Gardens by the Bay is humongous and made up of several parts. These towers were featured in Crazy Rich Asians and also play a spectacular light show every night. 

The Cloud Forest in the Gardens by the Bay. They recreated several forest scenes and had a gigantic waterfall. I felt like I was in the middle of a rainforest.  

It was the year of the Rabbit! There were cute rabbit displays all over the city, and Gardens by the Bay was no exception. These are from the Flower Dome, which featured a special exhibit on dahlias. Both the dahlia exhibit and the permanent exhibits were lush and beautiful. The Dome was basically a giant greenhouse that smelled insanely good. 

The top of Bukit Timah. I was half dead by the time we reached the top, but I had the time of my life. Monkeys, incredible nature, and a meet up with a friend native to Singapore made the sore muscles worth it. 

Post Bukit Timah hike fuel. I don’t remember what I had, but I remember it was out of this world good. The food in Singapore was the best I’ve ever had. 

Lunch at Saber Menanti, a Malay restaurant. This was my first time eating Malay food, but it will not be my last time. Everything was imbued with so much flavor and was just the right spice level.