Singapore Tips & Travel Guide (Part 1)

     I've visited Singapore several times I already became very fond of it. I love seeing how busy the city is. And it might sounds cliche and childish but I love the lights, especially at night. I've posted some article about my visit to Singapore a few years back, the very first time I visited Singapore but come to look at it, I realize that it contains no information at all. Huh! What a blogger I was!

     Regardless of how many times I visit this country, the closest thing I do to live like locals is just cafe hopping. It's not even so special, duh! One thing that I realize, every time I go, I always bring at least one first timer with me. That means I have to act like a tour guide and visit the same place over and over I don't want to brag, but I actually get bored I might as well write a guidance post about it. My parents won't let me travel alone to Singapore and I also kinda think that having someone to accompany me is really helpful. You know... to take pictures of mine. 

     One thing that everyone needs to know before stepping their foot on this country is they have very strict regulations. Don't eat in public places (especially inside the MRT), don't spit, don't smoke, prioritize pedestrians, and so on. I'm sure there's more than that, but those are the basic thing you need to know. Follow the rules, and you'll be okay.  Oh! And always step to the left side whenever you use an escalator.

     Here in the first article, I'm going to tell you the basic things. All you need to do to survive especially if you're on a budget. In case this is your first time, this article is a (almost) complete guide for you to explore Singapore especially if you decide to go solo without a travel guide. Then the next article would be about places to go and how to get there. So make sure to stay tuned! Alright, let's get started.

1. Transportation

     The very first thing you need to do as soon as you're landed in Singapore is to buy Ez-link card. You can always use Grab from the airport to the city, but if you're on a budget, just use the train like most people do. It's called a mass rapid transit or MRT. Ez-link card itself is one of electronic money that you can use for almost everything in Singapore because they already use this cashless system for public transportation payment. So you can use it for MRT, Bus, Sentosa Express, you can even use it for buying things at 7/11. So, where to buy this card? There is this small counter in the airport, usually near the baggage claim area that sells Ez-link card and local sim card. It's easy to find don't worry. It's only $10 with $7 balance inside.
     Another option is you can buy Singapore tourist pass. It costs $20 for 3 days unlimited use. But I personally don't recommend that. If you only take 3 days trip to Singapore, no matter how many places you are going to visit, I doubt it will cost you more than $15 in total (if you use MRT and bus to go everywhere).

     The MRT station is located at Terminal 2. So if your arrival is at other terminals, you can use this Skytrain to T2 and it's free of charge. You can also buy a one-way ticket in a ticket machine, but I suggest you use Ez-link card instead because it's easier. On a further note, please download MRT map first from Google. Oh and dear, if you choose MRT as your main transportation during your visit to Singapore, then you probably need a serious amount of pain relief patch. Trust me on this.

ps: There's this super cute MRT station in Singapore which all the walls and stairs are painted pink. It's in Redhill MRT station. To be honest, I stopped by at that station just to take pictures lol.

2. Place to Stay.
     My favorite place to stay is at Orchard or Bugis Area. Why Orchard? Because it's like a shopping center in Singapore. You can literally find a different shopping mall every five steps. And why Bugis? I don't know. Because it's crowded there and somehow I feel safer in a crowded area I guess. Oh and also, halal food can easily be found in Bugis. I once stayed in Geylang area, the first time I visited Singapore because hotel/hostels there has a quite cheap rate. It's not as crowded as Bugis but it's safe too. Yet, some say Geylang is categorized as red area in Singapore. Correct me if I'm wrong.
     There are so many pretty hostels you can find in Singapore. Choose wisely and my advice is, please do read guest reviews because you book a room. Because sometimes, pictures can be manipulating. Oh and one more thing that I almost forgot to tell you is you need to bring travel adapter type G. You know, the ones with 3 pins and rectangular blade plugs. You can google the image yourself, right?

3. Place to Eat
     It's not that hard if you prefer halal food in Singapore. My favorite place to eat is at Indian restaurants. Well, that is obvious because I love Indian cuisine. There are so many Indian restaurants near Mustafa Center. And all of them are delicious. If you wish for junk food (because you can't go wrong with junk food, duh!) I suggest you choose Popeye's Lousiana Chicken instead of Mcdonalds or KFC. I love McD and KFC, but Popeye's fried chicken is... well... I could never resist that! Or you can always buy sandwich at 7/11.
     Anyway, you don't go to Singapore unless you eat Hawker Food. There are several Hawker Centers in Singapore that I alone haven't had the chance to try them all. It's basically a food court area with cheap but delicious food where you can eat like locals. One of my favorite hawker food is Laksa from 328 Katong Laksa. This is the Laksa that Gordon Ramsay lost his skill to Hawkers. If you wish to pay a visit to this place, I recommend you to take bus Instead of MRT. Because the distance from MRT station to the restaurant is quite far. Take a bus to Opp Roxy Sq and you just need to walk approximately 50 m after you hop off the bus.

4. Place to Shop
     It's like everybody knows that Bugis Village and Chinatown is the right place to shop for souvenirs. And it's so easy to get there because MRT station's exit gate will take you exactly there. If you wish to shop fancy things, then go to Orchard area as I said above.
     Mustafa Center is a 24 hours shopping mall that you can reach with MRT to Farrer Park. I personally love this place because you can literally find anything there. Once I had a backache and in need of pain relieving patch as early in the morning as you can imagine. And since I was staying in a hotel nearby, that shopping center feels like my lifesaver.
     Also, there is this new retail store located inside 313@Somerset at Orchard that I begin to love called Don Don Donki. It's originally from Japan and it sells all thing about Japan. From snacks, until household needs. And we all know you can't go wrong with Japanese snacks. You can also play Gacha in this store. Do you like Gacha?

     That's probably it. Basic tips & tricks you need to know for your first visit to Singapore. Apologize for grammar mistakes, I will update them in time. See you in part 2.