Singapore is a ‘crazy rich’ city, but here’s how to do it affordably

One look at Singapore’s five-star hotels, designer malls and high-end restaurants and you might think the city is one of South-East Asia’s least affordable destinations. But there’s an abundance of free and low-cost attractions for those who don’t have the budget of a Crazy Rich Asians character. Whether you’re an art-lover, culture vulture, gourmand or outdoor enthusiast, here are some tips for enjoying Singapore on a shoestring.

The basics

Shopping and walking in Haji Lane. Credit: Getty Images

Singapore’s Muscat Street, with street art and architecture based on Omani culture.Credit: iStock

Whether it’s your first or fifth visit, some fundamentals are worth remembering. Singapore’s tap water is drinkable, most malls have free Wi-Fi and the public transport system is unrivalled. Although there are pre-paid transport cards such as EZ-Link and the Singapore Tourist Pass, for most people using a bank card to tap on and off is the easiest option.

If you’re transiting through Changi and have a layover longer than 5½ hours, jump on the free 2½-hour City Sights Tour for a whizz around the highlights. Don’t have time to leave the airport? Rest assured, boredom won’t be an issue – Changi’s many free diversions include the spectacular seven-storey Rain Vortex waterfall, a rooftop sunflower garden and dozens of art installations.

Budget digs

Room with a garden view at KeSa House.

In a city awash with wallet-ravaging hotels (suites at Marina Bay Sands start from $1700 a night), affordable abodes are thin on the ground. If you really want to eke out your holiday budget, check out a capsule hotel, such as Wink, Cube or Kinn, which offer pod-style beds in communal rooms with shared facilities.

If your dorm days are behind you, the next best thing is to find an apartment-style property so you can self-cater. There are numerous options, but a great start is Citadines Rochor, a high-rise in the heart of Little India that has studios with kitchenettes from about $250 a night plus an onsite laundrette and pool. For something more characterful, KeSa House occupies a row of converted shophouses in Chinatown and offers compact rooms (some with terraces and kitchenettes) for similar rates with a communal lounge and kitchen.

Culture vulture

“Spectra” at Marina Bay Sands.Credit: iStock

While many excellent museums offer insights into Singapore’s unique cultural cauldron of Chinese, Malay and Indian influences (standouts include the National Museum and the Peranaken Museum), it’s even more compelling to experience it firsthand. Monster Day Tours offers excellent free (aka tip-based) walking tours of Chinatown, Kampong Gelam and Little India that showcase these vibrant districts’ intriguing histories, sights and cuisines.

You’ll get a similar perspective by visiting a prominent place of worship, such as the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple – an imposing, Tang dynasty-style complex built in 2007 that claims to house the Buddha’s left canine tooth. Others are the atmospheric and deity-covered Sri Veeramakaliamman Hindu temple and the arresting gold-domed Sultan Mosque. Entry to all three is free.

For live entertainment, the durian-shaped Esplanade theatres next to Marina Bay Sands (MBS) have a year-round program of free performances, and the district’s nightly free sound and light shows – Spectra at MBS and Garden Rhapsody in Gardens by the Bay – are unmissable. If you watch the 8pm Spectra show, you’ll have time to walk to the 8.45pm performance of Garden Rhapsody.

Trail warrior

One of Singapore’s treetop walkways.Credit: iStock

Despite Singapore being the world’s third most densely populated country, it’s surprisingly easy to escape the urban embrace and discover restorative open spaces.

The Central Catchment Nature Reserve is a tranquil oasis with 20 kilometres of trails winding through more than 2000 hectares of native forest. A popular option is the seven-kilometre TreeTop loop, which includes an impressive 250-metre-long suspension bridge from which you may glimpse long-tailed macaques and flying lemurs.

Bukit Timah Nature Reserve is another gem, offering hiking and biking trails through one of the largest surviving remnants of primary rainforest. It’s home to both the city’s tallest tree, a 60-metre seraya, and its highest natural peak, the 163-metre-high Bukit Timah Hill.

If you do only one hike, make it the 10-kilometre trek from Mount Faber Park to Kent Ridge Park along the Southern Ridges, a network of parks and reserves with captivating city and coastal views. Easily accessible by public transport, the trek has highlights including the city’s tallest pedestrian bridge (the undulating Henderson Waves), a treetop boardwalk and several World War II sites.

If you’re more of a stroller than a hiker, Singapore has free gardens galore, from the stunning 82-hectare UNESCO World Heritage-listed Botanic Gardens, home to more than 300 plant species, a swan-dotted lake and a stunning orchid collection (well worth the $S15/$18 entrance), to Gardens by the Bay, a fusion of futuristic Supertrees with tranquil spaces such as the Kingfisher Wetlands and the Serene Garden. While there’s a charge to enter the climate-controlled Cloud Forest and Flower Dome, the rest of the complex is free.

Just be warned that any outdoor exertion in Singapore’s legendary humidity is going to induce Olympian levels of perspiration, so dress accordingly and carry plenty of water.

Art addict

Yip Yew Chong mural ‘Lion Dance Head Maker’, based on the actual shop at No. 3 Ann Siang Hill in the 1980s.Credit: Getty Images

While many of Singapore’s museums contain impressive art collections (the National Gallery boasts South-East Asia’s largest public collection of modern art), it can get expensive to visit them all.

Fortunately, the city’s streets and laneways are ablaze with murals and sculptures which can all be enjoyed at no cost. You’ll find prolific artist Yip Yew Chong’s works all over the city, but some of his most evocative murals depict traditional life in Chinatown.

Muscat Street is another hotspot, with two ornately carved eight-metre-high granite arches book-ending colourful Omani murals and mosaics, as is Haji Lane in Kampong Gelam, which is decorated with bold artworks by street artists from throughout the world.

To discover the city’s varied collection of public sculptures, download one of the National Arts Council’s self-guided art trails. For kid-friendly phone-based fun, check out the playful augmented reality experiences available at many notable sights via Google Maps (enter “Singapore” and they’ll be marked with a pin).

Frugal foodies

All fired up in Satay Street.Credit: iStock

While you could easily squander a week’s wages at any of Singapore’s 51 Michelin-starred restaurants, for those on a budget, we have two words for you: hawker centre.

You’ll find them all over the city – busy, noisy, cavernous food courts lined with compact stalls selling outrageously good food for refreshingly low prices. Feast on Singapore staples such as Hainanese chicken rice, char kway teow and spicy laksas, then return the next day for minced pork noodles, popiah spring rolls and chilli crab.

While there are dozens to choose from, you can’t go wrong at the Maxwell Food Centre, Chinatown Complex Food Centre or Lau Pa Sat, which has the added benefit of being next to “Satay Street”, a laneway that changes into a nightly food orgy with its sizzling satay stalls.

The customary Singapore breakfast of kaya toast with coconut jam and soft-boiled eggs isn’t for everyone, but it’s a budget-friendly option available from traditional kopitiam coffee shops and most food courts.

While cheap eats are easy to find, bargain booze is a bigger challenge. Look out for happy hours, beer specials in convenience stores or enjoy a complimentary Singapore detox and abstain completely.

The details

Fly
Numerous airlines fly direct to Singapore, including Scoot, Singapore Airlines, Qantas and Virgin Australia. See flyscoot.com; singaporeair.com; qantas.com; virginaustralia.com

The writer was a guest of Ascott Limited (discoverasr.com) and Singapore Tourism Board (visitsingapore.com).