Singaporeans love shopping as much as they love food, so it's no surprise to find that The Little Red Dot (as the locals like to call Singapore) is a shopaholic's heaven. It's full of great bargains, quirky presents and an excess of shopping centres – bring an extra suitcase with you and get ready to shop to your heart's content!
Denisa H's City Tips
- Singapore is super easy to get around by MRT (metro). Buy a Singapore Tourist Card or an EZ Link card, which you can top up with credit and use to tap in and out of stations.
- Do eat a lot. Do shop a lot. Don't litter anywhere – especially chewing gum (that's if you've managed to sneak it into the country) – as it's banned throughout the city.
- Always take the opportunity to see what's on offer while you're there – due to Singapore's high-speed development, there's a good chance it might not be around for much longer.
- For areas not covered by public transport, taxis are fairly cheap and easy to hail (green light on means available). The city is also dotted with taxi stands.
- It is always a good idea to carry an umbrella, as the showers come down thick and often. However, there are also many places you can shelter while the shower passes.
- Tipping is not customary, but always appreciated if offered. A service charge is usually included in your bill.
Denisa H's City Tips
- Singapore is super easy to get around by MRT (metro). Buy a Singapore Tourist Card or an EZ Link card, which you can top up with credit and use to tap in and out of stations.
- Do eat a lot. Do shop a lot. Don't litter anywhere – especially chewing gum (that's if you've managed to sneak it into the country) – as it's banned throughout the city.
- Always take the opportunity to see what's on offer while you're there – due to Singapore's high-speed development, there's a good chance it might not be around for much longer.
- For areas not covered by public transport, taxis are fairly cheap and easy to hail (green light on means available). The city is also dotted with taxi stands.
- It is always a good idea to carry an umbrella, as the showers come down thick and often. However, there are also many places you can shelter while the shower passes.
- Tipping is not customary, but always appreciated if offered. A service charge is usually included in your bill.
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
- You cannot get more glam than here, at Singapore's showboat Marina Bay Sands, the imposing building and centre that's been written about time and time again since it first opened in 2010. Home to the famous Skypark, a casino, flashy eateries run by world-renowned chefs and the ArtScience Museum, shopping may not be all that's on your agenda here. The Shoppes have been designed with serious feng shui in mind – just ponder the centrepiece 'Rain Oculus' for a while. You can also take a sampan (traditional boat) down the indoor river and browse hundreds of designer and highstreet shops on its banks.
Joo Chiat/Katong
- This neighbourhood is full of all things Peranakan – the unique south-east Asian fusion of several different cultures, mainly Chinese and Malay. You'll know you're in the right place when you see all the ornate and colourful houses. Locals come here for the Katong laksa, a special version of the popular local soup, where all you need is a spoon and a big appetite. You can find Peranakan souvenirs in Rumah Bebe, a shop that also sells freshly made Nyonya (a Peranakan lady) cakes and snacks. Also look out for beautiful fabrics, brooches, hand-embellished slippers ('kasut manik') and other souvenirs.
Tiong Bahru Estate
- Just a short ride on the MRT brings you to one of Singapore's oldest housing estates, which in the 1930s was referred to as the Den of Beauties, because all the rich men kept their mistresses here. An incredible collection of Art Deco style public housing awaits you, complete with its village-like atmosphere. Shoppers can enjoy browsing the perfectly sized Tiong Bahru market to a backdrop of birdsong. Fresh poultry, seafood, vegetables and fruit are all featured here, but you can also pick up local spices and spice pastes or grab some lunch upstairs from the sprawling food court, which features local delicacies like mee (noodles), herbal soups, local pastries and rejuvenating fresh fruit juices. However, the real draw of Tiong Bahru is the number of boutiques and cafes that have sprung up recently, including Books Actually, which sells a wealth of both foreign and homegrown fiction books and their own stationary, to boot, or Nana and Bird, a little boutique sourcing labels from all around the world.
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