Back in Singapore after 4 years—skyscrapers, hidden streets, hawker delights, and new adventures awaited. Curious how the city has changed (and what’s still the same)? Read my guide!

Disclaimer: All views expressed on this blog are my own based on my own experiences and do not represent of any entity with which I have been, are now or will be affiliated.

February 02, 2024
Batangas, Philippines

Date of Trip – January 20-29

I always thought that my plans to return to Singapore were never going to materialize. It was no longer on my must-visit list because I felt like I had seen everything Singapore had to offer. But, I realized that three years is more than enough time to see my once second home, I also miss my friends terribly so I booked my flight and Coldplay concert ticket. I’m incredibly pleased that I went on this trip. I loved every minute of it.

Visa Requirements

Philippine passport holders could stay up to 30 days “visa free” in Singapore. But before traveling to Singapore, make sure that your passport is valid for at least 6 months.

Flight Amount: PHP 12,616.50 inclusive of 20kg baggage to and from Singapore, Philippine Travel tax worth PHP1,620 + 50PHP convenience fee. I had planned to stay for two weeks and tour across Asia, but I have to work onsite the following week, so I had to rebook and shorten my trip. That’s why my ticket was so expensive..

Things to Note:
1. All visitors entering or leaving the Philippines must register at the eTravel website at least 72 hours before their arrival time. When it’s done, guests will get a QR code that they need to either scan or take a picture of and show when they get to the country.
2. For guests who have no travel history to any country/region classified by the Singapore Ministry of Health as the Restricted Category: Fill out the Singapore Arrival Card  up to three (3) days before arrival and save a printed and digital copy of the email acknowledgement

Currency – Bruneian Dollars or Singapore Dollars are allowed. The exchange rate at the time I visited there was 1 SGD = 43.99 PHP with 5SGD additional charge for every withdrawal transaction (intl debit cards). I withdrew money from their automated teller machines. Withdrawal without conversion was another method I utilized. If you’re taking your own ATM card or any debit card (PHL) on a trip abroad, you’ll be asked at the ATM whether you’d like to withdraw with or without conversion. In this case, selecting “without conversion” is your best bet. The local bank will convert the money for you if you don’t use conversion.

Power Socket – Plug G 220V. It is better to really bring travel adapters, they have been really useful to me in Singapore.

Language – Official languages are English, Mandarin, Tamil and Malay. English is widely spoken, I had no problem in communicating English in Singapore.

Religion – The five major religions practiced in Singapore are Christianity, Islam, Taoism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. The majority follows Buddhism.

Government – parliamentary democracy system. More in this link

Weather – tropical and has two distinct seasons: dry season usually last from March to August, while wet season lasts from September to February. It was raining in Singapore in January.

Time zone – +8GMT

Internet Connection – I purchased a data only E-sim 1G/day via Klook for only PHP760.8. I can also use it to other Asian countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, HK, etc). More info here. The internet connection in Singapore is perfectly fine; in fact, it is on level or even go beyond the speed with other countries I have visited.

Transportation – Singapore is home to some truly remarkable train line (SMRT). If I want to use the public transportation system in Singapore, including the trains and buses, I can just tap any debit or credit card instead of using the stored value card that I normally purchase while traveling anywhere in Asia. You can also use Comfort Del Gro Taxi or Grab app to hail a cab. Just a reminder, the train only runs from 5am to 12mn. The usual cab rate is 30SGD or PHP1,230 when you use it in peak hours and beyond 12mn.

Accommodation – During my whole stay in Singapore, I was graciously allowed to reside at the place of Toby’s sister and former boss, Ate Trudy so I did not pay anything haha

Things to Note –
1. In Singapore, it seems like it rains at any moment, so be sure to have an umbrella or apply sunscreen if it’s sunny.
2. Wear comfortable shoes because most tourist attractions in Singapore require a lot of walking.
3. Majority of stores accept cashless payments.

Day0 January 20, 2024 (Saturday)
Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3

I had to check out of my hotel before 11:00am, so I got there at 1:00pm, which was pretty early for my 7:55pm departure. I started by having lunch at Mary Grace and then went shopping for food souvenirs to bring home to my sister-in-law and Ate Tru’s family. I had no trouble checking in and clearing immigration because there were fewer people during this time. To kill time after lunch, I grabbed a coffee from Starbucks and watched the Korean drama series Gyeongsong on Netflix. If you want to avoid becoming bored at NAIA, which has a slow internet connection and few shops to explore, downloading movies to use offline is your best chance.

Day1 January 21, 2024
Singapore Changi Airport – Terminal 4

The next day, I reached Singapore. I collected my bags and headed to Aljunied, where I would be staying, after passing through immigration. The Singapore Airport is fantastic; it’s large, well-maintained, and very convenient. You can now get your immigration clearance via email instead of having to physically talk to an Immigrations officer and have your passport stamped; the process is fully automated.

Bacha Coffee
25-40SGD/3 people
Orchard

I met my sissy in law and her sister at Ion Orchard to have breakfast at Bacha Coffee. This coffee house is famous for its extensive selection of finely roasted, blended, and single-origin Arabica beans, which come from more than thirty-three of the world’s most reliable and illustrious coffee-growing nations. Their kaya croissant was delicious, and I also had a chocolate drink and coffee (the exact name of which slipped my mind, hehe). It was a relief to arrive early because there was already a huge line around 10:00 a.m., but I enjoyed sampling this brunch spot.

Merlion Park
Free

We visited City Hall MRT to see Merlion Park after brunch. Seeing the Merlion again brought back a flood of happy memories; it had been my favorite Singaporean tourist attraction since my first visit in 2015.

I was very tired during this time because I walked too much already and went to see The Shoppes – Marina Bay Sands near Bayfront MRT. There were too many people because it’s Sunday and it was during lunch time when we reached. Seeing my sister-in-law and Mitch, her sister, in Singapore brought me much joy. We had lunch at City Hall again before I went to my next meeting.

O’Coffee Club
Near Raffles MRT

I met up with my previous colleague Shanice and Ate Tru here to catch up. I had fun seeing and the stories they had to share.

Wine Connection Cuppage
Orchard

It was here that my friends and I would often enjoy a glass of wine. I’ve missed it so much. This day was extra precious since I get to spend it with them again, exactly like the old days. The people I made friends with in Singapore are the BEST!

Although today’s schedule of gatherings was jam-packed, it was the most enjoyable yet!

Day2 January 22, 2024 (Monday)

Tai Seng BreadTalk IHQ Food Republic
7SGD chicken rice with egg and vegetables

Taking bus 80, I made my way to Tai Seng to visit my go-to place for chicken rice. I used to work here and my friends used to live here, so having a lovely lunch here brought back a lot of memories.

Khatib

Khatib, my former residence in Singapore, was my first stop on after lunch. Reminiscing about the good old days was made much better by taking the train back from Tai Seng to Bishan and then from Bishan to Khatib. I checked out the grocery store where my brother and I used to shop, the bakery where we used to get bread, the POSB ATMs, and the food shop where we used to dine. It was a relief to be back. Some things have changed; for example, the location where we used to eat Mookata or steamboat is no longer there, it’s known as Orto (I didn’t go here because Malen already told me it’s closed)

Sembawang White Restaurant
30-40SGD

I stopped by Sembawang to sample some white beehon, salted chicken, and water chestnut. Tryin’ this dish again was the most fun I’ve ever had. I enjoyed the salted chicken, even if it was on the large side; the white beehon was the most delicious. Since there were huge serving of salted chicken, I had it to go to give to Toby’s family.

Dal.komm Coffee (7-8 SGD) +
Yan Ji Gourmet Soup at Funan Mall (25-35SGD)

I returned home after Sembawang, showered, and then met up with Maro and her family. While waiting, I sampled the delicious Dal.komm coffee and enjoyed a fantastic meal at Yan Ji with Maro. It had been three years, and seeing her was a blast. She and Joy were people enjoyed seeing.

National Gallery Light to Night Festival 2024

The National Gallery and Civic District will host the Light to Night Festival 2024 once again from January 19th to February 8th, 2024. Light shows, performances, and more than 60 works of art displayed in the buildings.

I had a great time visiting the National Gallery’s Light to Night Festival after supper; it was my first time seeing it, and I’m grateful to Maro, who planned it.

Day3 January 23, 2024 (Tuesday)
Coldplay’s concert. Click here

Day 4 January 24, 2024 (Wednesday)

Huggs Coffee
PLQ
7-15SGD

I headed to Huggs, one of my favorite coffee places in Singapore, to grab a banana muffin and some coffee while I waited for Tin. It was quite acceptable to enjoy a cup of coffee while thinking back on the old times.haha!

East Coast Park and P.S Cafe
40-50SGD/2 pax

I met up with my friend Tin for brunch at ECP. It brought back a flood of memories as it was our go-to spot for brunch in Singapore. Reconnecting with her and reliving our past adventures was an absolute blast.Our meal was followed by a leisurely stroll around ECP.

Kontiki
10SGD

We headed over to Kontiki to see a better view of Marina Bay Sands and it’s also where we used to hangout when I was in Singapore. I had a blast sipping milk shake.

Clarke Quay
20-30SGD

Having a drink at Harry’s in Clarke Quay was the perfect way to end the day. It was great to be back; we used to frequent this spot on weekends, and I still vividly remember getting really tipsy there. Back when we were younger, we would wait for the MRT at five in the morning and, in the meanwhile, grab breakfast at McDonald’s. I felt like I was living life as my 25-year-old self during that time, even though I was 32 years old. I really missed it. It was so much fun!

January 25-28 – Trip to Thailand (soon in my blog)

Day 8 January 28
Singapore Changi Terminal 1

I arrived almost lunch time in Singapore via Thai Airways and rested upon coming back home. I was too tired from my Thailand trip but had a blast! I met up my friends in the evening in Arab Street at Biker’s Cafe and strolled along Haji lane. I will miss Singapore and it’s parts but most of all my friends.

Day9 January 29 (Monday)

Thankfully, there were no meetings scheduled during this period, so I was able to work from home until 12 noon, giving me plenty of time to get to the airport in the afternoon. At Terminal 4, I enjoyed some sotong Old Changkee while waiting for my flight, which was only delayed by 30 minutes.

It was nearly midnight when I touched down in the Philippines, so I checked into a hotel to get some rest before starting my workday early.

Singapore holds a special place in my heart. Here is where I met my best friends and felt like I was 25 again. I’ve met so many incredible people and it is where my life has just begun. I started to move away from home when I was 28 but SG sheltered me with hope for 5 years. I will always go back here and will always be forever grateful. It’s been 3 years since I left, I’ve missed you SG. Thank you for the wonderful 5 years, I finally found my way back home

Love,
Maria, sometimes, Niskie