Since I have learned from my last trip to always have a “further travel ticket”, otherwise you may not be able to fly or not enter, this time I not only bought a one-way ticket, but immediately thought about where I want to go and I set a route like this and picked out the best flights via Momondo and Opodo. With a small additional fee I then chose flexible tickets, so that I may be able to can change the times.

Sightseeing tour

First destination Singapore – named after the animal that first met the explorer, as my guide has told me. – Singa is the lion and Pura the city (derived from the ancient Indian Sanskrit of Simha). So City of the Lion. At Singa, however, I had to think of Thai beer – Singha. Also this means lion, well like so many breweries, – Löwenbräu, Lion (Sri Lanka).

The Merelion, landmark of Singapore – A mixture of Lion (lion) symbolizing strength and Mermaid( Mermaid) which shows the connection to the sea

It’s December and rainy season here. That is, It rains properly at least once a day. Since it often rains in the afternoon, I took right on 2. Day morning a sightseeing tour by bike booked at “Lion City Bike Tour” – Jeff the owner and guide was really worth the money (43 euros). He travelled with me all over Singapore to the different neighborhoods to tell me the story of this city-state (besides the Vatican and Monako the only 3 city-states).

Starting from the Formula 1 circuit at Marina Bay via the Historic Port past the statue of Raffels, continue via Chinatown and Little India, the stadium and the Malaysian quarter and most recently the Arab Quarter. Doing the tour by bike was the best option for me, because you get there everywhere, don’t have to run and always have driving wind. Due to the high humidity of 80% and the heat at 30 degrees Celsius, it was nevertheless a hot and sweaty affair. I was lucky and was the only customer, so I could claim Jeff for myself. He was just super nice and helpful and responded to my special requests and questions. He is the only Local Bike City Guide and knows how to do it in his back pocket.

Singapore is a relatively expensive city in Asia. But if you know where to go and what you should avoid, it’s cheap again.

So I accepted Jeff’s advice and I am z. b. Going into the architectural marvel “Marina Bay Sands” (hotel) and instead of a ticket (23 Singapore dollars) to enjoy the platform above and enjoy the view not at the Ticket Center, but in the Celavie bar below a drink voucher for 20 Singapore dollars and enjoyed a cocktail next to the great view.

Where food

In addition, he advised me not to go to a tourist area restaurant to eat, but in one of the Food Hawkers, where there are cheap all kinds of food for 5 SGD.

Public transport

With the MRT train you can easily get to all points you like to visit and the system is very simple. There are various lines such as the Green Line, Red or City Cirkle and the Downtown Line, which are also connected to the airport. A 2 day ticket costs 16 SGD (approx. 10 Euro) There are also buses, which are included in the price.

Sim map in Singapore

since it is important to me to use the internet I decided at the airport to buy a mobile phone Sim card. You could choose the tariff by time of use and type of use (telephone and/or internet).
Since I prefer to get along with Google and Google Maps, I only chose the Internet for up to 5 days and have about 10 Euros paid.

Where to switch money

Of course, there are ATM machines everywhere to withdraw money, but since it is available in some countries (India e.g. B. ) it is difficult to get money because the machine or bank does not accept every card or a higher sum is not possible or Limitations, I always have cash with me. This has the advantage of saving on ATMs and bank charges, but it also always poses a security risk due to loss due to theft. In any case, this is the cheapest option. What is new for me in Singapore is that it is best to change in a currency exchange (Money Changer) and not at the bank, as these are worse prices or fees.

Is Singapore safe to travel to?

Singapore is an extremely safe city if you don’t get away with it, use drugs or harass women. Possession of certain quantities of drugs is even punishable by death today! Everything is monitored with cameras and people are told how to act in the event of harassment. Especially for me, as a woman travelling alone, this has been a pleasant feeling to move around the city at night carefree.
The cleanliness is also worth mentioning. Unlike in other Asian cities, you can drink tap water here. Everything is very clean, not least because of the heavy penalties for misdeeds such as throwing away cigarette butts (500 dollars).

How many days do you have to count?

Since big cities are not my thing, I am usually no longer than 2 to 3 days in a city. However, this was almost too little for Singapore. If you like cities, you can plan a good week. There is so much to see, to experience and you can make such beautiful excursions (Sentosa or Pulau Ubin Island) that my 2 days have been enough to get an overview (through the ingenious bike tour) to stay in a 2 or 3 chosen places respectively. to discover.

Where do I go next?

Anyone who knows me knows that I can’t stay in a big city for long, because nature and especially the sea calls. So my onward trip goes to Cebu – Philippines. With Cebu Airlines (unfortunately this airline is not recommended, there are expected to be long delays and the water is also greedy. Food is only available for additional payment). But I don’t complain. Everything has gone well so far and I was always allowed to fly with me.