How to Travel to Singapore 2022 - Singapore Travel Guide

"I think Singapore is one of the great cities of the world," said world-renowned celebrity chef Marco Pierre White. For a man of elite standards and records, he surely doesn’t throw his words around lightly, and of course we surely shouldn’t as well.

Although Marco Pierre White is essentially a chef, his saying perfectly encapsulates Singapore as a whole. A vibrant, sleepless, melting pot of cultures which day by day is proving itself to be one of the absolute best destinations in the world.

Singapore isn’t a large country by any means, but it doesn’t mean that this country doesn’t offer enough in terms of fascinating places to explore. In fact, we’d argue that it’s of perfect size for a leisure trip. Large enough to never bore you, while small enough for you to fully explore it in one trip.

Shopping, dining, pubbing, instagraming, or just chilling, etc, Singapore sure knows how to please all of those who come to see it. Here’s how to enjoy Singapore at its fullest in 2022!

How to Enter Singapore? Singapore Entry Requirements 2022!

Requirements Upon Entry

In order to enter the country, you must present yourself for immigration clearance, upon entering Singapore. These following requirements must be satisfied:

• A valid passport with at least 6 months left;
• Sufficient budget for your intended stay;
• A submitted SG Arrival Card;
• A valid Singapore visa;
•  A confirmed onward (if you’re transiting) or return ticket (if you’re staying);
• If you’re transiting, you’d need to present evidence that you can enter your next destination;
• You must adhere to the latest travel requirements and advisories.

SG Arrival Card

According to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, the SG Arrival Card is the electronic version of the paper disembarkation/embarkation (DE) card (or commonly known as the white card) that foreign visitors are required to submit upon arrival in Singapore for immigration clearance.

Essentially, it’s a virtual record of personal information, trip details, and health declaration.

Quarantine Requirements

For fully vaccinated passengers, you can enter the country, provided that:

• You provide digital of physical copies of your vaccination status;
• You take the required COVID-19 tests within two days prior to departure and can present the results in required format (this test is only required for those entering Singapore by air or by sea, not by land).

For passengers who are fully vaccinated, you cannot enter Singapore unless you are a Singapore Citizen or permanent resident.

• However, children under the age of 12 who are not fully vaccinated can still enter Singapore provided that they travel with their fully vaccinated parents.

Singapore Travel Guide 2022! Where to go?

Here comes the fun bit. After finally getting through all of the entry requirements to enter Singapore, you can finally indulge in the frenetic pulse of the place.

Marina Bay Sands (MBS)

The epitome of modern Singapore for you, high tech, futuristic, and posh. This 57-storied behemoth towering above the Marina Bay and is the unequivocal numero uno on every Singapore travel list.

This lavish resort complex is a whole experience in and of itself. Characterised by three massive tower blocks interconnected by a skywalk, Marina Bay Sands is filled to the brim with luxurious hotels, restaurants, malls, and art galleries. Among the tons of places to explore within the MBS, the MBS Skypark Observation Deck is where everyone flocks to, as from here you can get a panoramic vista of the entire country. And while you’re on the skywalk, don’t forget to take a dip in Infinity Pool, the world’s largest elevated pool. Is there possibly any better way to enjoy a view from the sky while submerging yourself in breezing water and sipping some fine wine.

Garden by the Bay

Asia, with its rapid development as well as dense population, doesn’t really boast many exotic and bizarre scenery. Perhaps, that was what the engineers had in mind during the design process. The result is one of the most eerie-looking yet spectacular botanical sights of Asia, the Garden by the Bay.

The image of the Garden by the Bay is almost as iconic as it gets when one thinks of Singapore. Yet many don’t know the fact that those “supertrees” that are the hallmark of the place are actually nature-inspired 16-story-tall sculptures. Specifically, those seem to have taken some inspiration from the gigantic baobab trees in Madagascar.

Regardless, this place is still a garden at heart. Those “supertrees” are essentially pillars for other types of plants to latch onto. On the ground, the gardens are divided into biospheres, each of which recreate the environment of different continents like Australia, South America, South Africa, etc., with their respective typical plants. What’s amazing about this garden is that there’s a hanging bridge from which you can enjoy the view of the entire garden.

Merlion Park

Marina Bay is undeniably the epicentre of Singapore. The next place to go In Singapore is the Merlion Park, which is perched right atop the Marina Bay.

It’s here that tourists get to witness one of the most salient features of Singapore, the lion-headed fish-bodied statue. The statue, as well as the name of the park, is an ode to the humble origin of this country, which was a traditional fishing village combined with its original Malaysian name “Singapura”, lion city.

Standing at over 8 metre tall, the statue with the photogenic background is a perfect spot to get a little taste of Singapore: modern, frantic, but calm.

Singapore guide 2022! Where to eat?

Singaporean street food is the apotheosis of what truly great food should be: affordable and exquisite. That is also what you’re going to find around Singapore, small kiosks that serve food of Michelin-star worthy quality. There’s in fact so many places that you’d have a hard time fitting them in your itinerary. Here are some of the best places we recommend you check out.

Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice

Hainanese chicken rice might just be Singapore’s national dish. It’s a disk of chopped cooked chicken served with fragrant rice and some sauce. While it’s served in any and every possible eatery in Singapore, Tian Tian’s might just be the best.

Before we even get into how good the chicken rice here is, just know that, in 2013, world-renowned chef and TV personality Gordon Ramsey came to Singapore for a cook-off. One of the three dishes in the competition was Hainanese chicken rice. The one place where he visited to learn more about the dish was Tian Tian Hainanese chicken rice. In the end, Tian Tian’s dish came out on top, edging the world class chef’s version. If that’s not enough to illustrate the quality of this place, we don’t know what is.

By the way, this food stall also received a Michelin Bib Gourmand award, which is pretty much an equivalent of a Michelin star.

Outram Park Fried Kway Teow

Kway Teow is the indigenous dialect equivalent of “fried noodles”. This street food is an absolute staple, so much so that you can find it in pretty much every hawker centre. But there’s something about Outram Park’s version that makes this so lip-smackingly good it won awards.

Kway Teow is an admittedly simple dish. There isn’t too much going on, or into it, the gist is in the wok technique. Perhaps that’s the secret, but who knows? What we do know is kway teow here is always perfectly cooked, scorching hot to the bite yet not overdone, still light and creamy.

Ya Kun Kaya Toast

A variation of the typical toast which people have come to love, Singaporean breakfast-cum-snack dish is a household name, and the Ya Kun coffee chain serves some of the best.

Kaya is a coconut jam made up of coconut milk, eggs, and sugar. It’s popular throughout Southeast Asia, most notably in Singapore. It’s often spread on toast, accompanied by one or two poached eggs with a touch of sweet soy sauce. 

This simple yet compelling dish has been mastered by the Ya Kun brand, which serves it with coffee or tea. Such is the popularity of Ya Kun, that they have 40 outlets in a country as small as Singapore.

Khoa Pham