20 things that will surprise first-time visitors to Singapore

Singapore can seem a bit "safe" if you have just jetted in from the commuter chaos of Hanoi or the temples-at-dawn wonder of Siem Reap, but the Lion City is a true slice of Asia if you know where to look. In amongst the abundance of signs telling you what to do and the forests of skyscrapers you also have plate-scrapingly-good meals for next to nothing, rich and varied history and pockets of lush jungle.

If you've never been, here are a few things that may surprise you.

Singapore can be more chill than Australia

Singapore's reputation can make it seem like a rule-loving, chewing-gum-hating autocracy but it is also home to 24-hour hawker markets where you can grab a plate of char kway teow and a cold Tiger beer right under your apartment block at all hours. This almost-laidback approach to the hours of markets and hawkers is something you miss back here in Australia, which is another place that loves a good rule if we're honest.

Do not remove, or sit at, a table with a packet of tissues on it

Singapore still loves a bit of order, and the practice of "choping" sees a packet of tissues stand in for a diner who is queuing to get a plate of food. If you see a packet of tissues, wet wipes or even a phone (Singapore is that safe) sitting alone on a table then that table has been choped, or reserved, and the owner of the tissues is off ordering their chicken rice. Ignore this modern-day planting of a territorial flag at your peril, but how much space one tissue pack can reserve is still a matter of national debate.

You can live very cheaply

Singapore has a reputation for fleecing foreigners but if you live like a local you can eat well at hawker stalls, shop at local designer stores and get out and into nature for next to nothing. There is even a Makan Index from the Institute of Policy Studies that keeps an eye on hawker food and can point to the cheapest neighbourhoods to eat out in. And taxis costs are minimal compared to the rest of the world so grab your Comfort DelGro taxi app and take them everywhere.

You can also spend an absolute fortune

Once a place has four walls and air-conditioning however prepare to pay big bucks. If it is an expat hang, expect the price to rise even higher. This is definitely a two-speed economy where you can pay $80 for a bottle of mid-shelf Jacob's Creek and fork out four or five times the price of the same Aussie beef you could be eating at home, but with more air miles to its name.

Parks and public places are packed on a Sunday

Things are changing slightly, but Sunday is still the main day when all the helpers and nannies get the day off and, with no homes to entertain people in, they all hit the streets, parks and shopping malls. It really brings some areas to life with mini-parties and boom boxes but if you are after a quiet picnic, go for Saturday.

There is a gruesome museum depicting Buddhist hell

Graphic violence, contorted monsters who are half-person, half crustacean and scenes of torture and despair, that is just the start of the fun at Haw Par Villa a sculpture park dedicated to the more obscure parts of Chinese folklore.

You can go bushwalking with crocodiles

They are not Dundee-sized or anything but you might well spot a crocodile sunning itself on a footpath if you are on a nature walk at Sungei Buloh Wetlands, at the far north of the island. The area is also full of tropical birdlife that you can observe from the hides and observation decks scattered around the park.

Things can get quite wild

Singapore is known as a sterile cityscape but there are pockets of the island that are so full of greenery you would need a machete to get through the dense foliage. At Thomson Nature Park located in the central catchment area you can walk through wilderness and a former Hainan village with a series of walking trails. And, with cleaner waterways and the COVID lockdowns, otters have returned to the Singapore River and Marina Bay area and they are still able to be seen playing on the banks post pandemic.

You can go out all day and never see the sun

A surprising amount of the Lion City is connected via tunnels that can keep you out of the steaming midday heat or stop you getting soaked in a tropical downpour. You can shop for hours, or even days, on Orchard Road and never have to breathe fresh air, or you can explore the network of tunnels around the Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) full of shops, train stations and plenty of buskers.

Visit a secret rooftop garden

Anyone who has travelled through Asia knows that Buddha was pretty careless with his belongings and body parts, with temples to his handprints, robes and even teeth. The fourth floor of the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum in Singapore's Chinatown is an oasis away from the shopping and eating down below. There is even a giant prayer wheel for you to spin.

Some touristy things are still awesome

Yes, you have to have a Singapore Sling at Raffles, the hotel that emerged recently from an 18-month mega-renovation. It has retained its 19th century charm but even the Singapore Sling has had a slight tweak, making it a bit less saccharine. It might be over $30 a glass but sitting in the Long Bar with a Sling in hand is still the closest thing we have to time travel. Also the Singapore Zoo, recenty rebadged with the new Singapore Bird Park and River Safari under the collective banner of Mandai Wildlife Reserve, is quite simply how all zoos should be, semi-free-range where you can almost bump noses with a sloth as it climbs overhead.

You can be a zookeeper for a day

One of the great experiences at the new Mandai Singapore Zoo is to go behind the scenes for almost a whole day and learn the husbandry techniques and staff duties of a real zookeeper with the Zookeeper for a Day program.

Street food comes with a safety rating

If you have a Western tummy you can use the ratings at the hawkers stalls to be extra safe. Stalls have a rating from A-C but most come towards the top of the scale and a C is hardly taking your life in your hands. Try the bak kuh teh (peppery pork soup) or roti prata (with a side of fish curry).

The pepper crab is better than the chilli crab

A pile of crustacean in a rich, red chilli sauce may be the poster child for Singapore dining but the black pepper crab is the go-to for those in the know. For a truly local experience head to No Signboard Seafood in Geylang.

Fish eyes are a delicacy

Just as you can immerse yourself in a Chinatown here, Little India in Singapore is packed full of great eating, spice markets and pop-up markets that make you feel like you are in that country. For the perfect mash-up of cultures, have a fish head curry at Banana Leaf Apolo restaurant, the eyes are said to be the best part.

There is an orchid named after Bindi Irwin

Singapore Botanic Gardens.Credit: Getty Images

Dendrobium Bindi Irwin can be found in the Singapore Botanic Gardens at the VIP Orchid Garden that has been an attraction since 1956. She is not alone, there is also a flower there named in honour of the late Princess Diana.

Cycling is an upcoming mode of transport

Unlike many Asian cities, cyclists used to risk their lives on the roads of Singapore where cars pay a premium to drive on the roads and behave like they own them. But a new SG Bike bike-share system, and an increase in locals taking to two wheels, means cycling is no longer the sole the domain of Lycra-loving expats.

Balestier Road is a secret foodie strip

When it comes to hawkers, Maxwell Road is more famous, La Pa Sat more ornate but the food along the non-descript Balestier Road is full of hidden foodie gems. Try the tau sar piah at Loong Fatt (bean paste in flaky pastry), have some rojak at Hoover Rojak (fresh fruit and veg tossed in shrimp-paste dressing) or grab a fresh and very smelly durian from the market.

You could stay for a long time and not get bored

Often thought of as a quick stopover to somewhere more "authentic" there is a reason that Singapore is full of expats. It is a great, safe and interesting place to explore so consider staying longer than a couple of days.

You'll want to go to spend time at the airport

The Rain Vortex at Jewel, Changi Airport.Credit: Bloomberg

Changi International Airport and the addition of the multi-million dollar Jewel Changi Airport next door means you will want to call that taxi a bit early. Locals actually head to the airport to spend time, it's that good. So nostalgic will you be for your time waiting for a plane that you might just want to bring home the airport's signature fragrance.