We are going to Langkawi for xmas and New Year, and on the return leg have a 13 hour layover in Singapore on a Saturday, arriving at 12:15. We have never been before so would love tips from Singaporeans or people that have spent a lot of time there as to what we should do to maximise the time.

Many thanks

I'm pretty sure you can just take a tourist bus tour from the airport. The Changi war museum is very small and simple, and right near the airport. It's a fair distance from the airport into town...quite efficient by local train.

Or just go and have drinks with swissotter ?

Well I've not lived there but been there over Christmas. The main things you can do in Singapore are:

Shop - shopping malls every 500 meters lol
Botanical gardens - nice open park area and beautiful orchid garden if that's your thing
Casinos - there is a newish super Casino that looks like a ship. You can't miss it. Sands Casino!
Try the famous Raffels bar - peanuts on the floor and Singapore slings :-)
Other than that enjoy the warm wet weather :-)

Tiffin at Raffles.

EAT!

The gaffer has told me thats a must... and I'll have eaten eaten in Malaysia for 2 weeks and looking forward to camparing to my Fav Thai foods, is it Singaporean food so different.

Next stop is SO

I lived in Penang Malaysia for 3 years, so you would think a 9 week business trip to Singapore would be a walkover? I didn't enjoy it one minute. It is full of bustling people, they work very hard and for poor pay, and always seem to be going somewhere important, with no time to stop and stare. They appear to be ants, swarming about and going somewhere, but difficult to see exactly where.

Singapore taxis are relatively cheap for us, negotiate a 2 hour sight seeing drive with one at the airport. If you like shopping and are prepared to try funny food, (Beef with orange marmalade anyone?) it can be a great place. There is a small, about one square mile, of original buildings. Otherwise it is like any modern "air conditioned endless-shopping-mall city"

If you are only there for 12 hours, maybe stay at the airport, it really is a great place, with an open air public swimming pool as well! Don't take any chewing gum, it will be confiscated by customs. As for smoking, well it's best to just give it up.

eat! Hawker centres all over.
Go walk around in Little India and Chinatown, also Marina. And eat some more.

After Malaysia, the food in Singapore probably isn't different enough to warrant any great excitement. It depends how much of a foodie you are. I'm a big foodie so would still plan my stop-over around food.

If it were me, I'd go to a Japanese restaurant, then to Din Tai Fung (a chain of dumpling places) and order as much as I could afford for take-away. They'll survive the flight back (done it before). Then I'd chill out in the orchid garden for a while, before getting some more food - maybe crab on the East coast (which is also quite near the airport).

For most normal non-mad-foodie people, I'd recommend strolling up to the airside tourist counter, say you have a long stop-over, and get on the free tourist bus into the town centre. It runs regularly and you can get on and off. A visit to Raffles and maybe wander along the quays.

Singapore isn't cheap any more, so I'd skip any temptation to go shopping (unless you want a particular gadget and have haggled the price via email/phone at a particular shop before turning up).

You'll have a great time in Langkawi, if you haven't been before. Watch out for the monkeys -- they're cheeky!



If you have time, one of the best places we found to eat on the Island was the Shin Mi Seafood Village, a few hundred meters from the Sheraton hotel. You'll eat like a king for not much money, and I've never had fresher seafood.

In Singapore, there are loads of things to do, but I'd suggest starting with one of the free city tours offered from Changi airport. Head down to the Esplanade Mall for the famous Chilli Crab (or, my preferred, White Pepper Crab) at No Signboard Seafood. Stroll through the Fullerton hotel and maybe have a drink on the terrace, then walk through Chijmes and onto the Long Bar at Raffles Hotel for a Singapore Sling.

If you've still got time to kill and an empty space in your stomach, try one of the many hawker stalls for some great food.

People keep saying chewing gum will be confiscated and is illegal. Need someone currently living in Sg to confirm, but it's my understanding that neither is true.

It's illegal for shops to sell it (or else highly discouraged) but you can take chewing gum with you, and eat it as you walk around, no problem.

adrianlondon is correct. While you can't buy chewing gum in Singapore (except at a pharmacy or dentist), there is nothing to stop you chewing it as long as you dispose of it properly. Although technically 'importing' it is illegal.

Throw it on the ground, however, and you'll soon understand Singapore's reputation as a fine city.

Haw Par Villa is like no other place in the world, with over 1,000 statues and 150 dioramas that dramatise Chinese legends and folklore.

If you were there a few days would recommend the trip around the island, but you are not. Both China Town and Little India are very interesting, but doubt you would have time for more than 1 of them . You can bargain over the price at these places if you have the time, but not at the other many shopping malls that have fixed prices. Singapore Airport has to be one of the best in the world for shopping and other facilities

Singaporeans do 2 things apart from working, shopping and eating out. Eating out, can either be very low or very expensive – they have vast choice.

If you can manage it a trip on their MRT system, Massive Rapid Transport system. A bit like a tube or metro. No food, luggage etc allowed on them. The carriages are one continuous train, fascinating as the train snakes to try to see from one end to other from inside

Bring me back a Durian please - they are so Yummy - Totally true you are not allowed to take them into Hotels etc as so smelly

Unless you're a train spotter I'd skip that excitement It's just a metro, and it takes ages to get from the airport into town. You're not allowed to eat or drink on it (common across Asia) and there's a sign saying you're not allowed to carry durian fruit at all, but luggage is allowed.

Getting jealous now. Any spare tickets for this trip, Papa Goose?

Singapore is such a small island; you can go anywhere there during your 12-hour layover.

I suggest going to the famous orchid garden. But beware -- it is VERY hot and humid.

Or, if shopping is more your thing, then you can stroll along Orchard Road (the famous shopping district there). I preferred to stray away from there, though, and instead to visit the smaller ethnic shops (to buy Asian scrolls, sarongs, etc.).

If you're feeling particularly brave, you could try some of their famous fish-head curry.

But whatever you do, be sure to bring an umbrella because it can suddenly start raining, unexpectedly. Then 10 minutes later it will be sunny again.

Happy travels!

dont spit to the ground or youll love em more than the french!!!

stroll around the botanical gardens and do a easy hike around one of the reservoirs (flying lizards, monkeys, butterflies, warans and other critters).....

Andif you're used to swiss size cinemas, go watch a movie - the screens are gigantic

Oh and eat lots of yummy food