Why taking a family vacation or other trip to Singapore is worth the splurge
Singapore. The name alone evokes wonder, on par with New York, Tokyo, or Paris. Like these other destinations, Singapore is a world-class place to visit. Is Singapore worth visiting with kids? Oh yes.
But you want to go with a plan, open eyes about the costs, and an open mind, especially if Singapore’s mix of Malay, Chinese, and South Asian cultures brings you up close and personal with cultures that are outside of your own familiarity.
But for our mind, that diversity is only the beginning of what makes a trip to Singapore worthwhile, especially when traveling as a family.
Our experience visiting Singapore with kids and a mobility disability
Anthony, Jodie, Connor, and Aster St. Clair: We are the Learners and Makers, and we empower families and the mobility disability community to travel confidently, their way.
As a family of four, we travel with two kids (ages 8 and 11 at the time of our first trip, and 10 and 13 at the time of our second Singapore visit). Plus, Jodie is an above-knee amputee who uses a prosthetic leg for her walking mobility.
When we travel and make vacation plans, we consider not only what is a good mix of fun and safe for our kids. We take into account how well Jodie will be able to enjoy what we do, as she is an above-knee amputee who uses a prosthetic leg for her mobility. We also examine how a destination enables her to spend more time enjoying our family trip, and less time being concerned about the logistics of access.
Plan your trip to Singapore
We’ve visited Singapore twice so far (not counting a few layovers at the lovely Changi Airport, SIN). During both trips, Singapore impresses us… and intimidates us a little, mainly with the price tag.
Still. Singapore is an incredible and fascinating place. It brings together a confluence of culture, history, geography, and trade. And for a place that’s only been its own official nation since 1965, the amount of prosperity, sustainability, and safety that abounds here is unequaled.
Accessible travel: Mobility disability considerations in Singapore
For many individual attractions, we’ll note mobility tips from Jodie’s experience as an amputee using a prosthetic leg for her walking accessibility.
Singapore’s modern development offers an array of accessibility features that make it easier to visit when you have a disability or mobility impairment. In our experience, this ranges from even, broad sidewalks, to prevalent elevators throughout Singapore’s tourist attractions and public transportation infrastructure.
What is Singapore best known for?
Singapore is known best for a few things that can pique your interest as a traveler, especially with kids, such as:
Getting kicked out of Malaysia
Personally, I find this historical tidbit fascinating. When Malaysia took its independence in the 1960s, Singapore was originally part of it. However, the Malay-majority populace feared that the Pacific Chinese-majority Singapore population would become too powerful. In 1965, they cut Singapore loose as its own nation.
Being an incredible confluence of cultures
Being such a mix of cultures isn’t always smooth. Historically, Singapore has weathered its share of cultural tensions, and tensions remain throughout Singaporean society to this day. However, one of the incredible accomplishments of Singapore is generating, molding, and maintaining an overall cultural harmony throughout the country. It isn’t always easy, and it’s not perfect. But it’s impressive.
Those overall cultures include Malay, Pacific Chinese, and South Asian. You’ll find other cultures too, from throughout Southeast Asia, to the British, who held colonial power over Singapore until the 1960s.
Distinctive architecture
Whether the grove of human-made Supertrees, the otherworldly domed Cloud Forest, or the distinctive spaceship-on-three-columns Marina Bay Sands Singapore luxury hotel, Singapore knows how to go big with distinctive architecture.
Even more importantly? The cool structures here are about far more than just being a backdrop in a “yes we were here” photo.
The Supertrees are a joy to wander through. Every evening, a free sound and light show features these amazing structures.
Cloud Forest is one of Singapore’s best tourist attractions. And the temperature is always much cooler than outside.
Marina Bay Sands Singapore very much deserves to be a photo backdrop, but you can stay there, or make a reservation to dine at one of the hotel’s high-end restaurants.
Sustainability and green space
One of my favorite things about Singapore? It’s about the same geographical size as the Los Angeles metro area in California. Unlike the famous SoCal concrete jungle though, nearly half of Singapore is green space.
Sustainability programs abound too. The city has its highways and vehicle traffic, but public policy supports overall green technologies and public transportation, both to be environmentally sustainable and to create a more livable country that continues to have a thriving, growing, wealthy economy.
Safety
It’s hard to imagine a safer destination than Singapore. Other than having typical street smarts that work well anywhere, trouble in Singapore is something you have to seek. Low crime and a broad sense of safety contribute to Singapore being a place where people, especially families traveling with kids, can travel with high confidence in their personal safety.
Being expensive
There’s just no way around it: Singapore is an expensive destination. Costs are more on par with New York than Bangkok, and the floor for your expenses is much higher than in, say, Tokyo.
Visiting Singapore will require more budget than you might typically spend (or prefer to spend). However, just like New York, the “worth it” factor comes from making sure your time in Singapore focuses on the activities and attractions that you want to build memories and experiences around.
Accommodation tends to be the biggest cost in Singapore. Accepting a higher spend can help both your mindset and encourage you to get a decent place to stay. Even lower-cost places to stay are pretty pricey, only you get less quality for your money. We’ve attempted to have our stays be a lower spend, and both times our accommodation was okay, but the quality was middling at best.
Fortunately, you can usually decrease your costs in other areas. Public transportation is affordable, and many areas can be walkable. You can moderate food expenses with dining out less, too. We found that having lunch or dinner in a hawker center, or food stall center, helped us find great food at a reasonable price. We usually snagged simple breakfast items from convenience stores, such as 7-Eleven, and often made lunch our larger meal, with a smaller dinner.
What do you want to get out of your time in Singapore?
Intentionality is key to getting the most out of your time in Singapore, while preserving the ole family budget. Whether iconic architecture, immersing in the country’s mix of cultures, or simply enjoying such a modern, safe nation, the more you understand what you want out of your trip, the more satisfied you’ll be with your time here.
Where is Singapore located?
Singapore is at the southern tip of the Malay peninsula, at the edge of continental Asia. It’s part of Southeast Asia and is a hub for regional and international travel.
Is Singapore safe?
Singapore’s safety is legendary. Strict laws and a community culture centered on quality of life has led to clean streets, excellent infrastructure, and a place where you can feel assured of your personal safety.
Naturally, you still practice regular street smarts. But one thing we enjoy about Singapore, like Japan and Taiwan, is knowing that we can go about our day feeling quite safe in our surroundings.
3 reasons why we went to Singapore with kids
Singapore is a bustling, wealthy city, and it is not abashed about showing either. We wanted to visit Singapore with our kids so they could see another way a culture and a country might create a massive, densely populated, safe, thriving urban-centered nation. Here are 3 reasons in particular why we wanted to conclude our month in Vietnam with a few nights in Singapore:
Singapore is a global hub for commerce and travel
The buzz in the air here is on par with New York. Professionals from all over the world converge in Singapore every day for business and leisure. We wanted the kids to get a sense of this sort of environment, and know that they can belong here just as much as they can anywhere else.
The mix of cultures is different from our own
Singapore’s mix of Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultures gave us an opportunity to learn more about different histories, customs, and peoples, all while visiting one country. Whether sniffing durian during Lunar New Year in Chinatown or understanding the history of Indian migration on a walking tour in Little India, we are so thankful to learn more about the different cultures who call Singapore home.
Food
Singapore’s hawker centers, or food halls full of dozens of individual stalls and communal table seating, are an iconic part of everyday Singapore life. It’s where visitors like us can see and chat with regular Singaporeans.
Plus, the food is incredible and varied. Singapore takes food safety very seriously as well, so we knew we could try everything from dumplings to naan breads with confidence.
Hint: The next time we visit Singapore, we plan to figure out accommodation that is walking distance to a hawker center. We’ll focus most of our meals on going there, so we can sample more dishes and food styles.
Accommodation: Hotels, rentals, and where to stay in Singapore
Singapore is full of budget, mid-range, and luxury accommodation. We’d suggest looking at the overall area you want to be in, the activities or amenities you want to be near, then examining accommodation options accordingly.
Some destinations have a range of accommodation offerings for different budgets. Places to stay in Singapore cost a lot. And the price goes up from there.
During some times of year, Singapore accommodation can cost less. During our visits, a week of accommodation in Singapore has cost about what we might spend for a month pretty much anywhere else in Southeast Asia.
That said, Singapore is home to a range of stays, including hotels and rentals. World-renowned luxury hotels call Singapore home, as do many vacation rentals. Booking family accommodation can be tricky, though.
Booking family accommodation in Singapore can be tricky. Here’s why.
In this part of the world, it’s often figured that kids will share a bed with their parents, and that shows up in how bed amenities get listed on hotel sites.
For example, during our first stay in Singapore, our hotel room had a full-size bed and a twin-size bed. That was the listing for a family of four.
For our family of four at the time, we figured that Connor as the older child would take the smaller bed, and Aster could bunk with us adults. While at the time that worked fine, Aster is now too big to share that size of bed with us. Plus, she and Connor are too big to share a twin-size bed comfortably.
We split our second visit to Singapore into two stays. One was hostel style, only with no communal kitchen, but we had a private room with a full-size bed and two bunk beds. (It was a decent place, but no longer open.)
Our second stay was a hotel room with two full-size beds. A little cramped with a teen and tween, but workable, and only for one night before we flew from Singapore to Japan.
If you’re accustomed to lodging setups more like what you’d find in the USA or Canada, different sleep setups are available in Singapore, and you’ll want to pay extra attention to the listings for sleep arrangements.
How to decide what part of Singapore to stay in
Deciding what part of Singapore to stay in has more to do with your budget and overall proximity of accommodation to any particular areas where you want to spend most of your time.
For our own visits, budget has been a key driver. We’ve preferred staying in a part of Singapore where we can keep our accommodation spend in better balance, and rely on public transportation to get around.
Your budget may be the best guide. From there, buses and trains can quickly get you to pretty much anywhere in Singapore.
Find the right Singapore stay for you
We stayed at these 2 places
A Hotel Joo Chiat
60 Joo Chiat Rd, Singapore 427726
While we only had a one-night stay here before our flight out of Singapore the next day, we suggest this hotel for a few reasons. The property is lovely, well-kept, and clean. Two double beds made it easier to share as a family of four. More floor space gave us more breathing room. It’s about a 15-minute rideshare to the airport. And the surrounding neighborhood and businesses along Joon Chiat Road are such a joy. Vibrant spaces, excellent restaurants, and a fun place to stroll and people-watch.
Check availability
New Cape Inn
We stayed here and made good use of the included fridge and kettle. The room can feel cramped for a family. Aster was 7 and bed-shared with us adults in the double bed. Connor had a twin to himself. However, the location is excellent. You’re a short walk from a 7-11, various restaurants, Seng Poh Garden neighborhood park and playground, and the Tiong Bahru Market hawker center. Just down the street is Havelock MRT station.
Check availability
4 FREE things to do in Singapore with kids
Singapore loves having iconically designed attractions. From the park spaces on Sentosa Island to the otherworldly, domed Cloud Forest, you can tuck into so many cool activities here. Plus, many activities are free.
Like we said, Singapore can be spendy, but the variety of free activities make it easier to balance the family budget while enjoying an incredible trip. Whether you’re traveling with kids, these free attractions are especially worth it, not just for the price tag, but for the memories and experience:
Singapore Botanic Gardens
Free entry, and the main entrance is just a few meters away from the train station? That’s an easy yes.
Plus, the Botanic Gardens are a fun way to get outside and add some green space time in nature to your Singapore adventures. Different zones include healing plants, aromatic herbs, an educational area, and more. And it’s all free, except for the orchid garden, which has an admission fee.
Paths here are easy to navigate, and maps throughout the path network keep you oriented. The Red Brick Path to the herb garden is especially serene, when you want some quiet space for a walk among the greenery.
Mobility tip
Most of the garden paths are paved, and broad enough to work well for visitors who have mobility impairments. Many paths follow natural curves in the landscape, so some areas are sloped or uneven. For example, the Red Brick Path above is lovely, but it has more elevation change. Many of the main paths in the central areas are flatter and more level.
Sentosa SensoryScape
Depending on where in Singapore you’re coming from, getting to Sentosa Island can take at least 45 minutes, but it’s worth it.
For starters, the monorail that goes to and around the island is an attraction in and of itself, with excellent views from the windows.
While Sentosa is home to big-name attractions such as Universal Studios Singapore and luxury hotels and resorts, much of the island is home to free attractions too. Adults and kids alike come to Sentosa SensoryScape for a wander for the senses. Light shows, aromas, cultural exhibits, green space, and more come together in SensoryScape as both serenity and wonder. It’s no surprise to us that when we visited one evening, we saw plenty of families with kids, not to mention adults of various ages out for a date.
Mobility tip
This entire area is paved and wide, with exhibits in feature areas just off the main path. SensoryScape is mostly a straight shot, and you can enjoy it at your own pace.
Supertrees sound and light show
The 18 human-made trees of Singapore’s iconic Supertree Grove aren’t just fascinating structures. They’ve been designed to be sustainable, harvesting rainwater and generating solar power. They’re also really fun.
Twice a night, every night, the Supertrees are the epicenter of a sound and light show that’s free to the public. It’s an easy win for your Singapore trip, and an attraction you won’t find anywhere else.
Mobility tip
The Supertrees areas can get crowded, especially around sound and light show time. However, getting around the paths has level paths and broad areas.
Gardens by the Bay
The Supertree Grove, along with the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome that we’ll discuss shortly, are all part of the free Gardens by the Bay public park area at the southern end of Singapore.
We especially suggest heading here during the evening, once the sun is on the wane. You’ll find plenty of Singaporeans here too, out with a stroller, having a jog, taking a walk, walking the dog, or riding a bike. The waterside paths offer both activity and calm.
We love coming here toward the end of the day, as the city shifts from the bustle of the workday to evening recreation. Plus, the skyline views are excellent for photos and family selfies.
The park is also home to an excellent hawker center, so you can snag a meal or snack while you’re in the Gardens by the Bay area.
Mobility tip
The waterside paths are wide, paved, and mostly level. You can also follow them to and from train stations, the hawker center, and attractions such as Cloud Forest and Flower Dome.
Attractions: What we did and what we skipped
Singapore has a range of attractions in town and just outside the city. Our favorite attraction was simply walking around our area and nipping into restaurants or cafes that looked tasty. When we weren’t eating, however, we still found plenty to do—and a few activities we skipped, at least this time around.
3 things we did in Singapore
Cloud Forest and Flower Dome
Very much a family splurge, and completely worth it.
Especially during the hottest times of day or if it’s raining, Cloud Forest and Flower Dome are indoor attractions that are much cooler than the typical Singapore day. Being inside each expansive glass dome adds an other-worldly feel as well.
Your ticket covers both attractions. We suggest starting with Cloud Forest, having a snack or meal, then enjoying a quiet wander through Flower Dome.
Mobility tip
While there’s some elevation gain on the accessible spiral path, it’s pretty gentle. Elevators are available, along with free wheelchairs to borrow.
Little India: Walking Tour and the Indian Heritage Center
Singapore’s Little India area is a favorite for us. Intriguing stalls often line the streets. The Tekka Centre features foods and beverages from throughout South Asia.
We got to learn more about Little India and Singapore’s South Asian community through a walking tour. A morning wander around various key landmarks brought history to life, and we ended the tour with a sample-style lunch from stalls throughout Tekka Centre.
The Indian Heritage Center further augments your understanding of Singapore and the immigrant journey so many people have undertaken to make their way in their island nation. Plus, the center is an excellent indoor attraction when it’s raining, or for the peak heat hours when you want to be out of the sun.
Check out our experience taking a Little India walking tour
Mobility tip
Elevators are available, and exhibits have wide floor space in between.
Ate at Hawker Centers
Singapore is home to over a hundred different hawker centers, or food markets. Each one is home to multiple food stalls, often dozens. Some centers even have multiple levels (and all have regular government inspections for hygiene and food safety).
Along with communal table seating, having meals at a hawker center is budget friendly not only for the food, but for the experience. This is where everyday Singaporeans come for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and maybe a snack or two in between.
Mobility tip
Especially during main meal times, centers get pretty packed. Aisles are narrow. Multi-level centers typically have escalators, stairs, and elevators available.
3 things we skipped (and why)
Bars
Singapore nightlife isn’t a huge draw for us personally. For starters, in our family, nighttime is One Piece time. Mainly, though, ordering alcohol in Singapore is pretty expensive, and we aren’t that fussed.
Universal Studios
Our theme park interest typically veers more Disney than Universal. That’s no shade on Universal, just a preference.
Given that attractions in Singapore are more expensive than counterparts elsewhere though, we’d compare Singapore to Universal Studios Osaka in Japan first. If your best option for a Universal Studios theme park is in Singapore though, getting to its location on Sentosa Island is easy, and many options for passes are available.
Hop On Hop Off Tours
Given the usual cost for one of these, combined with Singapore’s excellent public transportation, we’d be more inclined to pick the attractions we most want to visit, and DIY our own tour.
Conclusion: Visit Singapore with kids
Singapore as a destination on par with Tokyo, New York, Paris, or London. It is very much its own identity, a world-class place to visit at least once in your lifetime. Like these other iconic destinations, you’ll want to be ready not just with an open mind, but a solid budget and a willingness to get out there, especially if Singapore is different from the culture you’re familiar with.
Whether you’re making a long stopover or staying a few nights, you’ll also be in for some unique attractions you won’t find anywhere else in the world.
Singapore is very much worth visiting with kids. You can be tactical with your activity choices, dining, and budget, and have an amazing trip you’ll be glad you took.
