24 Hours in Singapore

I have so many early memories of Singapore. 

I remember going to the Singapore Zoo in a Minnie Mouse dress and hating the humidity,  falling into a small pond after trying to climb across the deck on a wooden plank with two older kids, playing in the biggest ball pit ever, and lots and lots of good food. 

Going back to Singapore after all those great memories was a lot of fun. We revisited one of my childhood favorites, ate a ton, and made the most of our very short time!

Where to Stay

We stayed at the Mandarin Orchard in the downtown area. The hotel is nice and clean and the price was super reasonable. This hotel has been around for decades but the upkeep has been great and the room was modern and updated very nicely. The restaurant downstairs, Chatterbox, is one of the top places to get chicken rice and has been a family favorite for over 30 years. The hotel room service chicken rice comes from that restaurant and is delicious. The hotel bar also serves up a great Singapore Sling!

What to Do

Singapore Flyer- Time it just right and go around sunset. It's worth it! The view is amazing; you can see all the major points of interest from here! The price isn't high and the lines during the late afternoon really weren't very long; especially compared to the Vegas Highroller. 

Gardens by the Bay- If you see nothing else here, go to the Supertree Grove and the OCBC Skyway. And do it at night, trust me. The view alone is worth it. The OCBC Skyway does sway a little bit in the breeze though, so if you have an issue with heights, beware of that ahead of time! There is also a great foodcourt that's worth a visit!

Singapore Zoo- The Singapore Zoo isn't the biggest zoo or the most fancy but it's a favorite from my childhood. It's easy to get around with the tram and has one of the coolest experiences- breakfast with orangutans! This is a really fun breakfast experience with lots of local flavors and the chance to visit with the cutest orangutans. 

Changi Airport- It might sound weird that I put the airport down as a top attraction but considering it's the largest airport in the world (and growing by almost 100% soon), it's an attraction in itself. With gardens, a ton of shops, and so much food you can spend a day inside this airport alone. My favorites were the orchid garden and the butterfly garden. So gorgeous!

Merlion- When I was little, I thought this statue was huge. When I saw it as an adult, it was way smaller than I remembered. Still, it's iconic and should be seen, even just once.

What to Eat

Singapore may be a small country but there is literally so much to eat here. Today's 24 hour guide is going to be a bit different- I can't necessarily tell you where to eat but I can tell you what to eat. To be completely honest, most of the time it doesn't matter what food court or hawker you go to, the food is going to be good! In fact, when I last visited it was the 50th Anniversary of Singapore's independence and they had displays of all the beloved local dishes.

Laksa- A type of curry noodle soup. It's really good and often pretty spicy. There are often fish balls and (don't laugh, I get asked this a lot) they're not fish testicles, they're balls of fish meat. 

Durian- It smells disgusting but try something Durian flavored at least once. There is a Durian store inside Changi Airport and I walked in and then walked right out because the smell is so overwhelming. The taste is pretty good though and worth the suffering if you can stand it!

Chicken Rice- Before this trip, my last memories of chicken rice were from over 25 years old. You know how you can hype up something in your head and it doesn't live up to the memory? The chicken rice in Singapore was EVERYTHING I remembered. I made sure to eat it at least twice on our short trip. 

Roti Prata- Not really a flatbread, not really a pancake. So good with a curry dipping sauce! They had these at the Singapore Zoo breakfast and since a lot of the tourists were eating the Western foods, I loaded up on these. 

Singapore Sling- Why wouldn't you get one in Singapore? It's the signature cocktail and it's a creeper so be careful!

Kaya Toast- I can't describe this stuff but you should eat some. I made the mistake of ordering extra at breakfast without realizing how many pieces were in an order. Needless to say, we had toast for a couple of meals. 

Last- Go to Swensen's. Even if you have one in your hometown, go. They have some pretty awesome menu items you won't find outside Singapore!