One of my recent travels was to Singapore, one of the world's most expensive cities. So, here's how I managed to go on a trip there with money just enough to get by,
1. Get cheap air tickets.
Singapore's changi isn't one of the worl'd busiest airport if it would cater to low cost airlines. Airlines around the world use changi as one of their major hubs for connecting to southeast Asia. There are frequent flights to any place around the world in Changi International. Plus, its been voted as the world's best airport multiple times due to its very warm hospitality when it comes to traveler from any walks of life. In my situation, I got a flight out of Cebu, PH to Singapore for only about 1500PHP and thats the cheapest they could get. Getting Cheap seats would spare some change which you could spend experiencing the expensive citystate of Singapore.
2. Take the bus, then take your flight home from Malaysia. If you're really on a tight budget, consider getting your flight out of singapore elsewhere, like Kuala Lumpur for example. Flights out of Changi, can be hefty, even tripling the amount you paid for getting there. Moreso, not does it save you money on air tickets, it also gives you the opportunity to explore another city/country, getting you another stamp on you passport. (this serves well for Citizens of the ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] region). Malaysia, SG's nextdoor neighbor is just a bus ride away and the good thing about getting through the malaysian border, is that everything, becomes a lot more AFFORDABLE.
You may take the MRT in SG to Woodlands Checkpoint and take bus 170 to Johor Bahru, Malaysia, and from there you can take a bus to any point MY. I recommend you do not take a bus from SG direct to Kuala Lumpur, here's why:
If you take the direct bus from SG City Center to KL, it would definitely set you back around 50SGD. But, if you take the mrt and bus to Johor, you would have to spend about 3-4 SGD, then once you get to Johor, then you'll only have to pay 30MYR to KL that is about one-fifth the price if you take the direct bus.
3. Stay in Hostels NOT HOTELS.
HOTELs in SG are quite expensive. Alternatively, hostels in singa aren't shabby for large fraction of the cost when staying in hotels. An overnight stay in Marina Bay Sands, the hotel in SG with a canoe on top of it is about 400SGD that is trip's worth of money, and that also doesn't include breakfast, you're just paying for a place to sleep.
4. Get cheap eats at Hawker Centers.
Singapore's food scene is fixed in hawker centers. They are open air food courts, where you can sample the Singaporean palate and culture. althought some hawker centers are heavy on the pocket, pointing to those frequent by tourists, you can generally get a meal for 5-8 SGD and that is a filling meal if you ask me.
If you get the chance to sample hawker center cuisine, i recommend you try Laksa, Chicken rice, Satay, Hokkien Mee, Carrot Cake, Oyster Omelets, and Sambal Stingray.
5. Get around the City with the Tourist Pass Card of the MRT
Singapore, I should say is very inviting to tourists. They've packaged a service for tourists, especially those with short visits. This service allows you to ride the mrt and local buses unlimited times for approximately 6SGD per day. The tourist pass can be purchased for 20 SGD for 3days unlimited rides on the MRT, but take note that you have to dole out 10SGD as deposit for the card, which means you can get the 10 dollars back after your 3days.
Alternatively, you can opt for the EZ link card, which allows you to ride the MRT for cheaper fares compared to getting regular tickets.
Lastly, as a Filipino traveler, I've been privy to information regarding discounted tickets on attractions. There's this shop/travel agent in Lucky Plaza(shop #03-65) that sells tickets for popular singapore attractions with prices lesser than what they tell you at the booths. You may get tickets for the MBS skypark, Gardens by the Bay Domes and a river cruise for 55SGD but when you get it at the attraction booths would pay about 70SGD. You can also get a Universal Studios Singapore Pass for about 60SGD. Prices would be steals compared to getting them from attraction companies.
Although I only spent little, it didn't ruin my trip to have fun. This is it for now and I wish you an enjoyable travel.
#SINGAPORE #REDDOT
