The Singapore Layover

A long layover can be a drag if you don’t know how to fill your time, but in the right city a layover can be like a fun, relatively cheap day trip to another country. If you happen to find yourself in Singapore (which is likely if you’re flying somewhere in Southeast Asia), then you’re in luck! There are dozens of ways to fill your time that won’t drain your energy or your pocketbook. It’s an easy city to see in just a day, and there are numerous options for a small or large budget. Here’s what Kim and I did in Singapore in just around 8 hours in what to do on a Singapore layover:

Getting There

If your baggage is being transferred directly to your next flight, then head straight for immigration. If you have to pick up baggage to be checked at another airline, grab your bags and head for the “Left Baggage” area (there will be signs directing you). Kim and I got into Singapore at night, so instead of picking up our bags right away, we let them go to the lost and found area (a little risky, but worth a good night’s sleep), and brought them to the left baggage counter in the morning. It cost around 8 Singapore dollars (<7 USD) to check our large bags (over 10kg) for the day. Then grab a map of the city, exchange some money, and head through immigration.

Once you’re through immigration (which is a breeze), head for the metro station and buy a ticket for Raffles Place. The ticket cost us $2.10 each way, plus a 1 dollar deposit that is refundable later. At Raffles Place you’ll emerge from the metro right into the beautiful, bustling metropolis of downtown Singapore. At first sight it seems like everyone in Singapore is some sort of business executive—you’ll see more well-dressed people than you ever have in your life. But just a short walk will bring you into contact with some of the more diverse aspects of Singapore’s culture.

Cheap Eats: Lau Pa Sat Festival Market

Good food at Lau Pa Sat Market!

 Singapore has three famous food courts throughout the city, Lau Pa Sat being the most famous. This fabulous market is just a few minutes’ walk from the metro station and is marked on the map. Anyone passing by will be able to point you in the right direction. Upon entering Lau Pa Sat, you might be overwhelmed by the number of food vendors. Inside, it looks similar to Grand Central Market in Los Angeles. Kim got some delicious noodles from Lily’s Wok, and I had Fishball Noodle’s namesake dish (very good, and both $3-4). Another must in Lau Pa Sat is their juice bar, where you can get fresh fruit juice for $3 with ice, and there are a million choices. Kim and I stopped back in Lau Pa Sat later on for some starfruit and dragonfruit juice to drink on the way to Marina Bay. We also grabbed some delicious red bean buns for 80 cents.

Chinatown

There’s a lot to see within walking distance from Lau Pa Sat. If you’re craving caffeine there’s a Starbucks down the road, which I noticed had both a green tea frap with red beans and a hojicha and tea jelly frap. We didn’t stop, but continued on to Chinatown, where there is another large food court. Here I got some real Singapore coffee, made with sweetened condensed milk instead of cream and sugar. When Kim asked if the coffee was from Singapore, the owner of the little shop raised his voice above the radio and said, “The music is from the U.K., but the coffee is local!”

Right around the market there’s a fair bit of history to read about, so make sure to read any signs you see. A must-see is the Thian Hock Keng Temple, which is marked on the map. There’s some beautiful photo ops around the outside of the temple, but make sure not to take any pictures inside (we got scolded for doing just that!).

Marina Bay

From Chinatown you can walk fairly easily to Marina Bay, where you’ll see the famous Marina Bay Sands building (the one with the huge boat on top). It looks far on the map, but keep in mind that Singapore is actually very small—it’s not as far as it looks! Just make sure to bring water, as it will probably be hot and we had a difficult time finding water fountains near the Marina.

Marina Sands Hotel

On the way, take time to admire some of the art installations you’ll see along the marina, as well as the beautiful Singapore skyline. When you get to Marina Bay Sands there’s several ways to spend your time. Right in front of the Sands hotel is a huge mall as well as the ArtScience Museum, a beautiful piece of architecture with some interesting rotating exhibits (we didn’t pay the admission fee to enter, but when we were there they had an Andy Warhol exhibit and a Harry Potter exhibit). You can also catch the river cruise at the Marina for around $20.

The real attraction, however, is the Sands building itself. We attempted to get to the top of the hotel without paying, but no dice. Security guards are posted at every elevator and request to see a room key before they’ll let you go up. If you’re gutsy enough to try to pass as a part of a group, go for it! We had no such luck, however, and the only other way to see the view is to buy a ticket for the Sands Skypark for around $20. We ended up enjoying the view from the ground floor while we ate our red bean buns—still very much worth the walk!

Changi Airport

For those less inclined to walking or those with less time, there are truly worse places to be stuck than Changi Airport. With six different gardens (including a butterfly garden), a free movie theater, a swimming pool, and lots of rest areas to get some shuteye, keeping busy for a short or long layover should be not only easy, but fun! Happy traveling!

*For those in Singapore during the evening, check out the Night Safari, a popular tourist attraction.