Singapore: Insanely Well Designed

Welcome to Singapore. This city nation is one of the smallest countries in Asia and is known for its diverse architecture interspersed with plenty of nature. In this travel guide we're going to show you the best of the city including top attractions and hidden gems. Today we're going to be exploring the Gardens by the Bay. Now this is a stunning area which is actually situated on reclaimed land. It's worth noting that up to 25 percent of Singapore is built on reclaimed land and this is a large part of it. Here you'll find a number of gardens both free and paid. The paid ones are pretty spectacular because they include two domes which in turn include the highest indoor waterfall in the world. Already the walk here from the MRT station was pretty beautiful and we saw lots of birds, flowering plants and enjoyed views of the bay. Nestled in the heart of one of the world's most ambitious garden projects the Cloud Forest was opened in 2012 and showcases plenty of rare plants some of which survive from prehistoric lineages meaning that they've been around for millions of years. During our visit a Jurassic World theme called The Experience was running and it features plenty of life-sized dinosaurs. The dinosaurs have actually been in situ since May 2025 so hopefully they're not going anywhere anytime soon. The idea is that this is a bit of an artificial mountain and so the higher up in the building you go the plants that you'll find will be ones that you'll find higher up a mountain. I'm really astonished by the number of flowers here especially the orchids. The real highlight of a visit to the Cloud Forest has got to be Cloud Walk which offers great views over the rest of the dome. It should be noted that misting of the dome takes place every two hours or so and so if you want the absolute best possible view you want to time your Cloud Walk to coincide with just before the next misting. Honestly this experience has been really fun we haven't been able to stop taking photos now we're going to head for some lunch before we check out the Flower Dome which is the other domed attraction in the park. Right at the end of the visit you'll get to explore what is probably my favourite part of all the miniature orchids and just as we were leaving a misting happened and we were able to experience exactly what a Cloud Forest is really like. The Supergrove is definitely home to the most impressive set of the Supertrees. I recommend coming here both during the daytime and at night. While in the day you can enjoy all of the nature see the birds and see the plants growing on the trees themselves obviously in the evening you can enjoy the Garden Rhapsody show. The Supergrove itself is completely free to visit but you will want to arrive a bit ahead of time for the light show as this too is free but gets very crowded as a result. You can also have some paid options here so there's a way to go to the bigger Supertree where there's a observation deck and you can also pay to do the walkway to get a bit of a different perspective on the trees. The Flower Dome is home to almost 30,000 plants set across nine different distinctive gardens. The plants come from five continents across the world and the very special thing here is that there's actually a changing display every six weeks or so meaning that no two visits to the Flower Dome is ever the same. We're currently at the beginning of the Lunar New Year and so there is a special exhibition for the Year of the Firehorse. Overall I've really enjoyed this botanical garden however if I had to choose between this dome and the one with the Cloud Forest I would probably opt for the Cloud Forest because it's way more futuristic and a bit more unusual. This one is definitely for flower lovers and people who love themed festivals. The nice thing about Gardens by the Bay is that there's lots of different green spaces to discover and so we've come to the Kingfisher Wetlands which are so cool because this is an area where you can spot lots of amazing wild birds. This area is definitely somewhat of a hidden gem compared to the domes. There are also really informative nature panels everywhere so you can listen to the bird calls, learn more about the birds of the local area and also the surrounding ecosystems. Stay long enough and quiet enough and you'll be treated to a whole array of local wildlife. We especially love seeing the cheeky otters. Once upon a time this population of sleek swimmers were struggling due to factors like pollution. Thankfully that's no longer the case and otters can be seen lounging in waterways across the city. We got caught in a tropical storm distracted by looking for kingfishers. We managed to get the camera away obviously which is why we're still filming this but we ourselves got very soaked. Anyway our next thing is going to the top of the Marina Bay Hotel. We've come up to the 56th floor. Once you get in then there is a small exhibit about how the building was actually built. The thing is the Marina Bay Sands Hotel you can only access that area and the infinity pool if you are a guest. However you can pay to come to the same floor where there's this observation deck where you get a 180 degree view of Singapore. The best thing to see here is of course the gardens by the bay but you can also see other areas of the city such as Little India and Kampong Glam. I wasn't really blown away by this observation deck as I have been by others in the past and so if I were to go again I would probably just pay to go for a drink at the nearby rooftop bar where you get equally as good views for almost the same price. Part of the Marina Bay Sands complex is actually a mall and you can go for a gondola ride here. This was actually an option when we booked our ticket but we opted not to but we have come to see it anyway. One of the things that Gardens by the Bay is best known for are the 18 super trees. These are tree-like structures which are lit up by night. We're going to go to the super tree grove which is where there is a nightly light show completely for free. It was then time to head back into the city centre where we grabbed some noodles at a cute spot called Dumpling Darlings. Singapore is home to over 60 islands but the best known of them is probably Pulau Ubin which is a Already getting to the island is a bit of an adventure because you have to go to the Changi Ferry Point terminal before you get a bum boat to actually get here. Now the boats are really traditional they're all different and operated independently. Each fare is four dollars per person but you have to pay in cash which is really rare here in Singapore. Once you're on the island it's also cash only. Pulau Ubin is home to a few traditional wooden fishing villages. This is how Singapore would have looked like 60-70 years ago and is one of the only places remaining in the country where you can explore Singapore of the past. There are a few different ways to get around the island. Of course you can walk but that takes a long time. You can also hire a private taxi but of course the most popular way to get around is to hire a bicycle. We've opted to do that but it was a bit chaotic when we got there. There's lots of different vendors and all of them will try and rent your bike. It's around eight dollars and you can try a few different bikes so don't feel obliged to accept the first one that comes along. Anyway we're now on our way to see some wildlife. We had to leave our bikes behind and now we're going to embark on the Czech Jawa Nature Trail. Here we will go through mangroves, we will see a visitor centre and hopefully spot lots of unique birds. The visitor centre is nestled inside a traditional stone Singaporean home. This is a very good chance to see an older style of home as well as learn about the biodiversity of the area. It's hard to believe that we are so close to the city right now apart from the fact that we can hear and see planes flying overhead. The coastal boardwalk looks back onto the mainland and depending on the time of the day you come will depend on the tides and what is actually visible because there are rockfalls here. In any case this trail has some really good bird watching so on the way we saw lots of animals saying you can see the local kingfishers and Antoine said well it's never happened to us before I think we've seen one once in Topsham Exeter, England but we didn't manage to capture it. Anyway almost as soon as he said that we come around the corner of the boardwalk and there it is sitting on a bush. We actually saw two of them. One thing I definitely wasn't prepared for during our time in Czech Jawa was the number of monkeys and we even had to cycle through a troop of them. In times gone by the island was used for quarrying granite. When that dried up lots of quarries were left behind and they've since been transformed into havens for wildlife. For example this particular spot was established in 2007 with lots of perches for herons and this is a great spot to go bird watching especially of course for herons. After our luck seeing so many herons I wasn't expecting to see any other birds but we managed to spot a woodpecker. Overall I really enjoyed this island and definitely recommend it to anyone who's looking to get out of the hustle and bustle of Singapore. Now we just have to see how it compares to the MacRitchie trails tomorrow. The Central Catchment Nature Reserve along with Windsor Nature Park and the MacRitchie Reservoir Park form some of the most important green spaces here in Singapore. They are often referred to as the green lungs of the country and are popular among locals and visitors alike because here you can come and soak up nature, admire wildlife and escape the bustle of the city just for a little while. And so today we're going to be exploring some of the most important trails in these parks. The boardwalk is honestly in a very very nice condition. It's easy to walk along. I'm doing the whole walk in trainers. I've seen people in sandals. But the good thing about this walk is even though we're close to the road and obviously close to the airport we can still see lots of wildlife because of the way it's been designed. We're now going to do the treetop walk. This is one of the top attractions in the park because it's a very narrow bridge going over the tree canopies it's a one-way system only and this is the one thing in the park that you have to get to early enough because the last entry is at 4.45. Oh it's really moving and there's monkeys ahead. This park is so green and verdant. We can hear the cicadas, we can hear the bird calls. It's honestly amazing when you think about the fact that we're only a few kilometres from the city and yet we can't hear anything but nature. I'm really surprised by the variation of this trail. Even though we've only covered a few kilometres we've seen a stream which was full of fish, we can hear frogs, we've walked through marshland and of course we've been in the canopy of the trees surrounded by monkeys. Another spot in the park where you can get a really nice and unique view is at Jalutong Tower. You can climb all the way to the top and I think we'll get a lovely view of the canopy from up there. And it's worth noting that the Jalutong Tower actually gets its name from the nearby Jalutong trees. From here we have a view back onto Singapore and we can even see the nearby MacRitchie Reservoir. MacRitchie Reservoir is the oldest reservoir in Singapore. It was largely completed by 1867 and was Singapore's first water supply system. Now it's in the midst of a nature reserve. It feels a lot different from the landscapes that we just saw because we're in a flat area but the bird watching here is incredible and we've seen a few other flowers and insects as well. Although Singapore is pretty small the diversity of neighbourhoods is huge and so after our hike we headed down to Marina Parade, a more residential area right next to the sea. Nearby we headed to June, a quaint cafe serving up delicious pastries and even tastier drinks. We opted to stay an entire week in Singapore and based ourselves in Chinatown thanks to the ease of access to the rest of the city. Singapore is a pretty multicultural society and this is actually enshrined in the constitution of the country. The predominant cultural groups are Chinese, Malaysian and Indian and today we are going to be exploring districts which represent all three. We're starting out the day in Little India which many people liken to the real India but in miniature. Here you can find beautiful street art, vendors selling all kinds of Indian products and lots and lots of restaurants. Blink and you might miss it. After all a simple granite slab on Campbell Lane hides quite the history. This is believed to be one of the original street name markers of the If you want to learn more about the cultural heritage of this area then you can visit the Indian Heritage Centre. As you're wandering around you'll see all kinds of activity and I particularly enjoyed seeing traditional garlands being created right on the street. This area feels distinctively different from anywhere else we've been in Singapore. The street art here is particularly beautiful and the vendors are definitely selling different goods from anywhere else we've seen. One of the most important temples in Little India is the Sri Viramakriyaman temple. Built in the 19th century by Indian immigrants, this temple is dedicated to Kali, the powerful goddess of protection and strength. Another example of a beautiful Hindu temple is actually located in Chinatown and is called Sri Mariamman. This is actually the oldest Hindu temple in all of Singapore and was established back in 1827. One of the most unique buildings in Little India is not Indian but instead Chinese. This is the last surviving Chinese villa in the area and it was the former home of Tan Teng Nia. Now he was a Chinese businessman who owned several sweet factories producing sweets out of sugar cane. Now the villa still stands just as it has been since 1900 when it was constructed. There are eight rooms inside but at the moment it seems that you can only admire the facade. Nevertheless it makes for a nice photo spot. Chinatown is a district known for its Chinese heritage, really colourful shopfront houses and bustling hawker centres. There are a few other historical sites of note here including several temples, some of which we'll visit now. One of the most impressive places of worship in Chinatown is the Buddha Tooth Relic temple, which is so called because it houses a sacred relic, a tooth of the Buddha, preserved in a golden stupa on the upper floors. This area can't be photographed and so we can't show you what it looks like. Nevertheless the temple was completed in 2007 and its design draws from Tang dynasty architecture, meaning it's rich with intricate carvings and deep red tones. Normally there's a roof garden which is currently closed for maintenance but what you can see are the museums which house lots of beautiful artworks. One of the most affordable ways to get food in Singapore is to head to a hawker centre. These areas are designed, usually undercover, to house numerous street food vendors. They're all in a centralised location. This has been the case for over 50 years so you can't really find street food stands on the street but you will find them all here which is very convenient because each of your group can get a different dish and then at the end of the meal you have to return your tray and cutlery otherwise you face a fine. One of the most popular dishes to get is the chicken and rice. There are numerous options but you'll find that some are more popular than others with some even being awarded the prestigious Bib Gorbon. Kampong Glam is a vibrant neighbourhood which is also known as the Malay Muslim District. Here you'll find an array of shops, cafes and several other sites including the Sultan Mosque just behind me. Standing proudly above the district skyline, the mosque was established in 1824 for Sultan Hussein Shah though the building you see today was built in the 1930s. This has been a spiritual centre for Singapore's Muslim community for nearly two centuries. Kampong Glam is named for the galam tree whose wood is traditionally used in order to make wooden boats. It was also historically used as a traditional form of medicine. When you're in this district one of the best things to do is simply wander around for a couple of hours however there are a few streets of note. The first of these is Haji Street which is known for its independent shops and boutiques. It's pedestrian only and there are arcades in the case of rain. When you're in Singapore you'll notice that downfalls are pretty frequent throughout the year. Luckily the city is designed in such a way that you're never too far away from shelter whether it be covered shopping arcades, the metro station or a shopping mall. For lunch we headed into Mother Dough Bakery, a cafe serving all sorts of delicious savoury and sweet treats in a cozy setting. Besora Street is completely pedestrianised and is filled with Turkish cafes, bars and restaurants. Arab Street is another popular street in the neighbourhood. This one is just as aesthetic only this time you have less souvenir shops and more homeware goods such as rugs, lamps and other things for the house. Just off of Arab Street you'll find a huge mural depicting the history of this district from the 1920s right up until the present day. There's one unlikely attraction of Singapore that you'll probably come to at the beginning or end of the trip and that is of course the airport. However this is not a normal airport because this has been voted one of the most amazing in the world and it's home to things like one of the tallest indoor waterfalls in the world, a butterfly garden and plenty of green space. It's hard to believe we're actually in the heart of an airport. Now the dual mall itself is completely free to access, anyone can just come here but obviously it's more convenient to do it before or after your flight. There are a few paid attractions here including the canopy walk just behind me where you get a better view of the falls. Thank you so much for watching and don't forget to like and subscribe for more travel content. See you next time!