Saturday, 6 July 2019

Taking the Road-less Travelled in Singapore: Tips for a Cheap Singapore Trip

Taking the Road-less Travelled in Singapore: Tips for a Cheap Singapore Trip

Let's admit it: Singapore is verrryyy expensive, and a holiday there with the kids means parents spending lots of money. At least that's what I USED to think.


A long holiday in Singapore this summer of 2019 proved me that it took a kuripot mommy to make the vacation there fun & memorable but wouldn't break our wallets.

We prefer the SG Zoo than the Night Safari and Jurong Bird Park
Wild Wild Wet is cheaper than Adventure Cove in Sentosa 

TIMING IS EVERYTHING
Many families would go to SG in November or December or during our school vacation like Mar-May, but I think going there with your kids during THEIR school vacation (June-July) is so much better.

First, airfares tend to be less expensive during those months. We booked a roundtrip flight through Singapore airlines for less than 10k.

not too happy to leave Singapore Airlines

Second (& I think this is the most important for kuripot moms like me), Singapore celebrates children's festival during these months so there are tons of fun (& mostly free) activities for kids! And I'm talking cool activities for kids almost everywhere!




KNOW WHERE YOU'RE STAYING AND DISCOVER WHAT'S GREAT ABOUT IT
Singapore loves kids, and you can see that recreational parks (for kids and adults) are everywhere. Pasir Ris for nature walk and Punggol Park for playground and nature walk are some of our favorites!

Playground at Vivo City
Haw Par villa

Most malls have libraries, but Vivo City in Harbourfront has an amazing playground, Sky Park, library, and an amazing view of Sentosa.

Lots of fun activities at the library @Harbourfront

Sky Park @ vivo city

There would be days that we would simply go to the parks or to the local libraries, which topped Charley's favorite times in Singapore.

GO WHERE THE (LOCAL) KIDS ARE GOING
I've noticed that when Pinoy families go to SG, they'd only go to the usual places ~ Sentosa (Universal Studios, SEA Aquarium, Adventure Cove, Trick Eye Museum, etc), Merlion Park, Snow City, Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, Ferris Wheel, and Bugis & Orchard Rd for shopping.

These places are amazing, no doubt about them, but theyre also very expensive and flocked by tourists. I remembered lining up for more than 2 hours just to have a picture with Shrek and to ride the Transformers in USS ~ which of course did not even reached Charley's most favorite times in SG.

Luckily, because we stayed there long enough and i think i knew better this summer, we were able to enjoy the children's festivals with Charley.

 That includes the Pokemon Festival at Beach Cove in Sentosa



the Toy Story 4 Carnival at Gardens by the Bay





Carnival @ Vivo City, Harbourfront 





Downtown East


Sadly, not many Pinoy families would go to these places because perhaps they didn't know about them, their schedules are loaded with visits to other attractions, or they thought these are for locals, PR holders, or expats only. Obviously they're not.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE EFFICIENT TRANSPORT SYSTEM
Another thing that I love about Singapore is their reliable transport system. All signs are either in English or have English translation so navigation is very easy.



Taking the Grab or taxi might be convenient especially for first-timers, but they're expensive and taking the train is fun and an adventure in itself. We would tell Charley where we would go and she would tell us how to get there. Obviously she can't read yet, but she loved figuring out how to get to places using the MRT - map.


SKIP THE FANCY RESTOS, AND EAT LIKE A LOCAL
It's hard to feed my toddler in Singapore because she wanted rice in every meal. This was not a problem when we would eat at home, but once we went out it'd be a hassle. KFC, Burger King, and McDonalds do not serve rice unlike Jollibee and Wing Stop, and since we were staying long in Singapore, we also wanted Charleybear to try out the local food which could either be spicy or extra spicy.


Thankfully, there were lots of hawkers near many MRT stations, but our favorite is in NEWTON (red line). It's cheap and is a cultural experience for Charley + she enjoyed the many choices of local food and drinks there.

I'm not saying to completely skip the usual attractions in SG, but you may want to try these  other attractions, too. I guarantee that your kids will LOVE their holiday there!


35 comments:

  1. I'll take note of your tips. Thanks for sharing

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    1. You're welcome! Will post more details about our trip soon. Thanks for dropping by! <3

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  2. I agree, SG is not cheap but there are many ways to save money and enjoy the tour. We visited the four zoos and our favorite are SG Zoo and River Safari.

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    1. Yay!! Since Charleybear sleeps early, visiting the night safari is not for her yet. Maybe in the future. Thanks for dropping by! <3

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  3. We'll keep these tips in mind when we go to Singapore next week. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Wow! Glad to be of help! Thanks for dropping by! <3

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  4. We used to live there for 5 years..Costly nga.. pero Kakamiss yung food! Mura food sa mga hawkers.. :)

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  5. Singapore is one of favorite countries to visit. It is kids friendly, with plenty of activities for the kids and kids at heart. It also a good jump off point, going to Legoland in Johor Malaysia.

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    1. True!! It's easy to visit Bintan and Bantam in Indonesia, too! Thanks for dropping by! <3

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  6. My son will definitely go gaga over the Pokemon Festival! Planning to take him to SG when the budget permits; the last time I went to SG wala pa ngang Universal Studios kaya it's high time na talaga to visit again hehe.

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    1. yes, Mommy. the Pokemon Festival was almost for the whole month. Sayang. Thanks for dropping by! <3

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  7. I love the tips. Lesson learned. I should have read Singapore tips posts before heading to the place so i would know some dos and donts. we went there November and went back May. We werent able to explore the city that much because of we have a toddler but nonetheless, it was still a nice experience.

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    1. Thank you! November is a fun time to visit too. Thanks for dropping by! <3

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  8. Yes to free activities! Sg has a lot nga!

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    1. Yup! And they're everywhere, too!

      Thanks for dropping by! <3

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  9. Next time I go to SG, I'll definitely read this list again. Thanks for the tips :)

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    1. thank you! Will post more details about the trip.

      Thanks for dropping by! <3

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  10. Great recommendation! Pag may budget na I know where to bring my family and will definitely follownuour suggestion.

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    1. Thank you!! Will post more updates soon.

      Thanks for dropping by! <3

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  11. Thanks for these tips. Will try to follow it when we visit Singapore. Free activities adds color to the trip.

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    1. You're welcome!

      Will post more updates soon. Thanks for dropping by! <3

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  12. Noted this helpful tips of yours! Thank you!😁

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    1. Glad to be of help!

      Thanks for dropping by! <3

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  13. Replies
    1. Glad to be of help!

      Thanks for dropping by! <3

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  14. Like you, I am also on the lookout for kiddie activities that will keep my child busy and entertained as well during travels.

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  15. These are great tips! Singapore is a nice country but expensive talaga because their rate is steep as the US dollars. But thanks to your great tips, pwede namang mabusog sa view and activities and food without breaking the wallet.

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    1. Tomoh!! will post more updates soon.

      Thanks for dropping by! <3

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  16. Just what we need because we are thinking of going to Singapore. We know how expensive it can be.

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    1. oh, it could be really expensive. our meal for 5 people at wing stop was almost 3k. Glad to be of help.

      Thanks for dropping by! <3

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  17. So inggit with the Pikachu Festival! Pero yes, I agree that SG is very expensive. But of course, if you stay sa area that is not really touristy, savings na agad yan.

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    1. tomoh!! and if you skip the expensive attractions. <3

      Thanks for dropping by! <3

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  18. Will take note of these tips! Thanks for sharing.

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I would love to hear your thoughts!