Singapore Travel Questions
 

I am planning to go to Singapore this September with my brother and my 2 1/2 month old son. I am worrying though that there might be problems in getting around with my baby. Any advise? Will there be any problem going to places like Sentosa or Botanic Gardens/Zoo if I take him with me? I am afraid they might not be admitting infants.

And how much do I bring with me if We stay there 3 days and 2 nights with accomodation and breakfast already paid?

Sentosa, Bontanic Gardens and the Zoo are family-oriented places, there won't be problems bringing infants into such places..

Thanks! That's a relief. How much do you think I must bring with me?

By how much do I bring with me do you mean money or clothes?

If money, you can eat very cheaply and very well in Singapore at one of the many hawker stall areas and food courts. They are all over Singapore. Nice filling meals for 3-6 Singapore dollars. Can't remember what the entry fee to the Zoo is. Sentosa is expensive but the time I went I managed to get a day pass which covered everything on the island. You can check these things out on the internet.

If clothes, remember it's very hot there so allow plenty of changes of clothing. If possible pack stuff that you can rinse out in your hotel room and drip dry overnight, or over the next day.

Hope you enjoy your trip to Singapore. I love it , it's one of the nicest places in Asia. Very clean and safe, and easy to get around on the MRT.

Yup, jjester is right, you can eat a good meal at food courts here for less than SG$10. If you want to visit a mid-range restaurant, you might pay about $30 per person.

The attractions are more expensive. Admission into the zoo for 1 adult is $14.00, Sentosa is even more expensive, and the Botanical Gardens is free.

Basically you can go it the budget way or the luxurious way, so bring whatever amount suits your budget :)

Also make sure you bring plenty of those little tissue packets with you. A number of the food courts do not give out napkins! Strange but true.

When I went to Singapore last year, I faced a dilemma with dining. Like sputnik says, food courts have the best food, and is cheap. However, having lived in the US for so long, I just cannot enjoy food in 30C/90F heat with no A/C anymore. So, I ended up eating at more expensive restaurants with worse food.

It might help if you go later at night for dinner after the temperature has dropped a bit.

As mentioned by other posters it will not be a problem to take your baby to the places that you mentioned and it will be easy to take him on both Orchard and Tanglin Road. However, outside of these areas (eg Holland Village, Chinatown, Hawker Centers) and in many malls it is a little bit more of a challenge. Sidewalks are narrow, crowded, and not designed for strollers while front pack carriers (eg Baby Bjorn) are too hot for the baby when you are outside (ironically however, don't forget to bring a light sweater for your baby as indoor spaces are often very cold!). As he is too small to sit in an umbrella stroller I would suggest that you bring an infant car seat (it is now illegal for a child to ride in a car without a car seat in Singapore) that can be latched into a taxi with the seatbelt over the top of the carseat instead of under it (if you have a Graco car seat they are designed to be installed both ways) and a light-weight stroller frame (the sort that collapses flat and looks similar to an umbrella stroller for tossing into the back of a taxi) that will allow you to place the carseat (without removing the baby) on or in it for ease of transportation. Singaporeans love babies and you will be stopped repeatedly for photos and admiring comments. So, if you are uncomfortable with strangers touching your baby you might think ahead of time of a nice polite way to discourage this sort of contact. Singapore is very welcoming to parents, families, and babies in all but the most exclusive of venues (probably not the sort of restaurant or venue you would choose to take a child anyway). If you are breastfeeding some malls (Forum Galleria and Raffles City are just two) have nursing/baby rooms for mothers and babies. I would also encourage you to follow the advice of the previous poster that suggested you bring tissue packets and not just for the hawker stalls but you may need them in restrooms as well. I would also suggest that you not forget to bring your baby's changing mat and antibacterial wash with you as most bathrooms are not designed to accomodate changing a baby's diaper. Having said that Singapore is really one of the easiest and safest places in Asia to bring a tiny baby and you are going to have a wonderful time! Enjoy!!

Food courts are those found in shopping malls, they are indoors and have air-conditioning.

Hawker centres are bigger open-air food centres that are usually located in residential areas.

Both don't provide napkins :P

Thanks everyone! You all given me a clear idea as to what to expect with my baby!

This forum is really nice and helpful!

You'll be fine in Singapore. I vacation there often and just got back from that part of the world less than 2 weeks ago. There are lots of places to eat. Most of the big malls have food courts. The one in Ngee Ann City mall on Orchard Road has a big food court and restaurants in the basement on the B2 level. So food is the least of your worries in Singapore. PLus in Ngee Ann City Mall there are several restaurants on other levels. If you go to the Raffles Mall... my favorite...across from the Raffles hotel area...there is a great supermarket...Jason's market in the basement...and also two bakeries...one selling prepackaged sandwiches...cheap... and restaurants like Subways and other western ones if your child can't eat the spicy Singaporean food.I get food there all the time. And then there is the City Link mall that is connected to the Raffles Mall. City Link is the underground mall version. As soon as you come out of the MRT you can either go up the escalator into the Raffles mall or not go up the escalator and make a right and enter directly into the City Link mall. There's a nice coffee shop in there and some places to eat. Happy Travels!