first time singapore visit
 

Hello

We are two families - total of 3 adults and 3 children. Kids aged 12, 12 and 10.

We are doing a 7 night Royal Carribbean cruise from Singapore and are planning on spending 4 or 5 days in singapore prior to the cruise (january 2017).

We have never been to Singapore so would like to see as much as possible in the short amount of time we have and especially want our holiday to be fun for the kids. We are interested in possibly doing the following:

City tour
Universal Studios
the zoo +/- night safari
shopping
Adventure cove waterpark
?legoland

We are open to any suggestions including where best to stay. I have only just started researching and am having trouble knowing where to start so any help/advice would be great. Not sure if we should split out stay between Sentosa and the city or not?

Thanks everyone!

Singapore is small, very small. As long as you stay near an MRT (subway) station then you should be fine. I just came through Singapore yesterday and will be back, for a week, at the end of this long journey. I've stayed in different areas and have been fine as long as the MRT was nearby.

Happy Travels!

I'm not sure it makes sense to divide your stay between the city and Sentosa. I'd settle in at one hotel. As Guenmai says, Singapore is quite small in terms of area, and the MRT (subway) covers the city well. You want to choose a hotel that is close to (or better yet, atop) an MRT station.

I don't find the shopping in Singapore very alluring, as it tends to be high-end Western goods at full retail prices. Gone are the days when you could find indigenous crafts from all over SE Asia.

Another place the children might enjoy is the Jurong Bird Park. The zoo and night safari get rave reviews.

When I'm in Singapore I shop on Arab Street a lot as I love fabric, sarongs, and textiles and the Aljunieds are great at that. Plus, I always have to drop into Shanghai Tang as the prices are lower than if ordered from the U.S. and they have some really good sales as I bought a jacket there in January 2015 and the price was way lower than the sale price on the U.S. website. So, shopping in Singapore depends on what one is shopping for, but I agree there are a lot of western products that can be expensive there.

Happy Travels!

I find the most interesting shopping is on Hajji lane and Dempsey Hill...
Other favourite places of mine on my 15 + visits to sp
Jurong bird park.
Singapore Zoo
Changi Chapel
Night safari
Pula Ubin - Hire bikes and then go for seafood you can catch a bum boatt from Changi pier
Gardens by the bay
Asian civilisation museum
Do a walking tour of China town
Botanical gardens is. A must visit each trip
Visit Lau pa sat hawker centre or east coast parkway hawker centre
I would NOT stay on Sentisa - go for a day trip...
Agree ref stay by an MRT but one in the city proper would be best
Orchard road is worth a wander down as is a trip to Raffles hotel.....

Thank you everybody for your input. I think we will probably not stay on Sentosa. Any tips for choosing hotel location or just choose one as suggested close to MRT station?

As long as you choose a place in the CBD (Central Business District) that is close to an MRT station, you will be fine. My favorite hotel for location is the Fairmont.

As for accommodations, I also like the Fairmont as it's directly above the MRT station called, City Hall. I'll have 3 nights there in February, along with 4 nights at the Four Seasons which I adore, but I'm a big Four Seasons fan. Also, for a much lower price, I love the YMCA International House Hotel which is at the Dhoby Gaut MRT stop at a prime location at 1, Orchard Road. I've watched the place really transform as I first started staying there in the 1990s. I'm sure that they have family rooms.

http://www.ymcaih.com.sg

Happy Travels!

When my son was young we always liked staying at the Shangri-La on Orange Grove Road. It has a really big pool and spacious grounds which give the kids a little space to roam in Singapore's otherwise confined environment. We always went for the garden wing with pool view because we made good use of the roomy balcony.

The downside is that it's about a 10 to 15 minute walk to an MTR station or Orchard Road. Taxis and hired cars are readily available at the hotel. Because of the size of your group it might make sense to hire a mini-van and driver.

If you're jet-lagged on arrival, go to the Botanic Gardens just before sunrise. It's magical to be there just at first light and a bit later to watch the locals doing their morning Tai Chi. This was my son's favorite along with the Night Safari and Bird Park.

"Smeagol on Dec 30, 15 at 5:23am
I find the most interesting shopping is on Hajji lane and Dempsey Hill…"

Shopping for what types of items? I've been in the Dempsey Hill area, many years ago. In Hajji Lane, would they be carrying Indonesian, tulis batik, silk sarongs? I'll be back in Singapore next month for more sarong shopping which I usually find on Arab Street.

Happy Travels!

Thanks everyone you have been most helpful. Has anyone used the Singapore Pass before? Is it worth getting? Are the hop on/off buses any good?

I have never bought the pass and I haven't used the Hop-On/Hop-Off bus as I either walk or take the MRT and a few times take a taxi.

Happy Travels!