Is the New York Times (NYT) 36 Hours in Singapore Itinerary Worth It? (Part II)
Haji Lane Sultan Mosque Singapore
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Sunday - Visiting touristy Haji Lane
On Sunday morning, I set out to pick up where I left off on the New York Times 36 Hours in Singapore itinerary. The NYT had recommended checking out the Haji Lane neighborhood and the Sultan Mosque. I found this area underwhelming. It was largely reminiscent of many markets I had seen in the Middle East and South Asia. Namely, merchants hawking cheap, nearly identical tourist wares.
I even stopped at one of the many Indonesian restaurants for lunch but was disappointed with the food. The place was great for local people watching, though. I watched a group of women catch up. I loved seeing their warm interactions and animated conversations.
The only exciting part about this neighborhood were the colorful murals everywhere.
I also stopped at the trendy and delicious Coconut Club for a latte and a snack. The restaurant was beautifully decorated and the coconut cake was soft and yummy. I wish I had time to stop by for the local Singaporean food of Nasi Lemak.
The NYT recommended downloading the Singapore Heritage Trails app for more local history and insights, but I couldn’t find the app.
Next, the NYT recommended checking out Looksee Looksee, a modern reading room. Though I was looking forward to relaxing in this room, the reading room was permanently closed.
National Library of Singapore
National Library Singapore
Instead, upon the recommendation of a friend, I headed to the National Library, a stunning modern 15-story building with garden observation decks. The library is perfect if you’re into architecture, city views, books, and gardens. They also had a few exhibits on the history of Singapore, which I enjoyed watching. I also loved the exhibits related to Indian history, a topic always close to my heart because of my Indian heritage.
Across the street is St. Joseph’s Church, a beautiful and historic Catholic church.
I then walked from St. Joseph’s Church to Raffles Hotel. It was a beautiful walk that helped me get a feel for downtown Singapore. I passed the JW Marriott complex, which, unsurprisingly, seemed to have several upscale restaurants. Sushi Murasaki looked particularly delicious.
I took a brief break at the local cafe, YY Kafei Dian. It was bustling with locals who were having an afternoon snack of coffee with condensed milk (the Singaporean way to have coffee) and rolls with butter and coconut jam. A few were eating more substantial meals like stir frys and noodle soups. The cafe was large, and I enjoyed the local cafe experience of trying Singapore’s evening snack food.
Finally, I meandered over to the colonial Raffles Hotel. The hotel was stunning with its incredible architecture and lush landscaping. The lobby spaces were immaculately decorated in elegant formal styling. Colonial style hotels are common in India so I was used to this type of architecture and decor. For better or worse, I felt like I was back in British India.
Visiting the beautiful Gardens by the Bay
Finally, I took a bus to the Gardens by the Bay around 9 pm. The Gardens were lush and expansive, and the illuminated vertical gardens felt straight out of Avatar. I walked around admiring the gardens for about an hour and a half, getting lost a few times.
The NYT recommended getting to the Gardens in the evening around 11:30 pm to enjoy the lights and cooler weather. I wish I had arrived around 5 pm to appreciate the Gardens during the day and to tour the indoor conservatories, which close in the evening.
The garden also transforms into a lit garden at dusk, starting with a light show at 7 pm and 9 pm. It would have been cool to watch the transformation but I just missed it.
Checking out the trendy Marina Bay Sands hotel
After walking around the Gardens, I walked to the nearby Marina Bay Sands hotel. I intended to get a view of the city from the observation desk. Unfortunately, by the time I got there around 10:30 pm, the observation desk was long closed at 9:00 pm. I headed to the bar on the 57th floor to take a quick peek at the view. I saw the city and a sea of boats lit up like stars in the night sky.
The hotel was extraordinarily fashionable and reminded me of a nice Las Vegas hotel. The hotel had a mall and gourmet food court attached to it. The main attraction was the rooftop pool bar that overlooked the lit-up city. The crowd was cosmopolitan, and the pop music was loud.
Unfortunately, the pool is only open to MBS guests. It might be fun to join the pool party the next time I visit Singapore, but I couldn’t see myself staying at the hotel. It felt too much like a loud W hotel, which usually drives me crazy!
I was so exhausted at this point that I didn’t stay long. I rode a bus a few short minutes back to my hotel.
Monday- Jewel Changi
I spent the next day packing up, resting, and heading to the airport. I was exhausted after a few days of sightseeing. But I knew there was one last stop, so I left an extra hour at the airport. Once I checked my bags at the airport, I headed to Terminal 1 to check out Jewel Changi, an indoor waterfall and garden and mall at the airport. The sound and view of the waterfall were mesmerizing and unlike anything else I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t believe this site existed, and I was surprised it was not on the NYT’s list of activities.
I was also pleasantly surprised to see very well-known restaurants like Din Tai Fung in this mall. Sadly, I arrived during the afternoon closing time, so I was unable to order my beloved soup dumplings from Din Tai Fung. Luckily, Tim Ho Wan was nearby, satisfying my craving for sweet egg custard buns.
Review of the New York Times 36 Hours in Singapore Itinerary:
I found the New York Times 36 hours in Singapore itinerary to be an essentially helpful template. I appreciated having a schedule that roughly covered my time in Singapore and provided taste and convenient food recommendations in each neighborhood. For someone who hates trip planning, this cut down on much work for me. Is it perfect? No. Is it close to the 80% solution? Probably.
The NYT itinerary packed in way more than was reasonable for me to do. For example, the itinerary suggested visiting the Gardens by the Bay at 11:30 pm, a no-go for an early bird like me whose bedtime is around 10 pm or 11 pm. Even attempting to keep pace with the itinerary left me entirely exhausted by Monday morning. And I skipped almost all the recommended Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning activities.
Tweaking the NYT’s 36 Hours in Singapore Itinerary:
Here’s how I would change the itinerary proposed by the New York Times:
Friday Evening - Explore Telok Ayer:
4 pm - Explore Telok Ayer Street and grab a light bite and/or a drink at a local bar in the area (NYT recommends Native, which has good reviews. There are many other good options)
8 pm - Check out Lau Pa Sat for satay and street food. I wish I had tried the Singaporean chili crab.
Saturday AM & Afternoon Explore the East Coast Neighborhood:
I'm surprised the NYT recommended only a short visit to the East Coast neighborhood. This area has an interesting historical perspective that’s well worth exploring. Not to mention the dozens of charming and hip coffee shops, bars, and restaurants in the area. I would skil Haji Land explore this area further.
Brunch in the East Coast Neighborhood (NYT recommends 328 Katong Laksa)
Explore East Coast Neighborhood - check out the historic Peranakan Houses. Follow this itinerary of the East Coast Neighborhood.
Saturday evening - eat at a local restaurant:
Dine at one of the East Coast Neighborhood restaurants. This BBQ place looked good, as did this local street food hall.
Or head back downtown, eat near the JW Marriott, and check out the views from the Esplanade at sunset.
Sunday morning:
Have brunch at the Raffles hotel for a luxury experience, or have coffee and bread at YY Kafei Dian for an authentic Singaporean experience.
YY Kafei Dian Singapore
Then check out the National Library. Or check out the Botanical Gardens and the National Orchard Garden.
National Library Singapore
Sunday evening - explore Gardens by the Bay:
Arrive by 4 pm or 5 pm at Gardens by the Bay to explore the Gardens during daylight and in the evening. Wear trendy clothes with shoes comfortable enough to walk around for a few hours.
Then, get dinner or a drink at the Marina Bay Sands bar or restaurant for incredible nighttime views of Singapore. Make reservations ahead of time at the restaurant at Marina Bay Sands.
Marina Bay Sands Singapore
Alternatively, if you’re not in the mood for drinks or dinner, you can also check out the observation deck at Marina Bay Sands.
Monday - check out Jewel Changi:
Leave 30-60 minutes before departure to check out Jewel Changi at Terminal 1 at the airport. 30-60 minutes factors walking time to and from Terminal 3 (international departures) to Terminal 1.
If you are at Singpore International Airport during a non-afternoon time, grab delicious soup dumplings at Din Tai Fung or the dim sum and egg custard buns at Tim Ho Wan.
SO Singapore (Hotel Telegraph)
A small note on my hotel choice. I find that how much I enjoy my trip overall correlates with how much I like where I’m staying. Thus, when trip planning, I usually extensively research and book my stay before anything else.
I booked the SO Singapore hotel (now known as the Hotel Telegraph) through American Express. I seemed to have gotten a reasonably good deal for the quality of the hotel and its central proximity to many local attractions. In addition, local buses ran every 5-10 minutes, and several MRT stations were nearby.
I found the rooms spacious, the shower and bathroom are incredibly luxurious, the staff pleasant and helpful, and the location convenient. The rooftop infinity pool reminded me of the rooftop infinity pool at the Marina Bay Sands hotel, albeit lacking the trendy crowd at MBS.
Even though the hotel was across the street from the street food market, Lau Pa Sat, I heard zero noise in my room on the second floor that overlooked the market. As someone sensitive to light and sound, especially when sleeping, I was incredibly impressed with how quiet and dark the room got at night with the black-out curtains.
The food was the only shortcoming. I found the daily complimentary breakfast fairly bland. I often grabbed passion fruit and coffee and skipped any other items. But American Express provided a $100 food and beverage credit, so I ordered the wagyu burger and tiramisu for lunch. Both were terrific.
If you’re looking for something more modern and luxurious than the SO hotel, I recommend checking out the Marina Bay Sands hotel.
If you’re looking for a more luxurious hotel but want something more subdued, I recommend the Raffles hotel.
Raffles Hotel
Review of Singapore:
Singapore clearly has a scorecard it uses to measure itself as a city compared to other global cities and exceeds expectations in every category. Before arrival, I anticipated the delicious food, convenient public transportation, and clean streets.
If you like cheap Asian food – you’ll be in heaven. Street food from all over Asia is so readily available. Lau Pa Sat offers everything from South Indian rice and curries to Thai noodle soups, Malaysian satays, flat parottas from the Muslim world, which I’ve never seen before, and Singaporean local fares like laksa soup and chili crab. Maxwell Food Centre is another food hall.
If you like gourmet food of any kind, you also won’t be disappointed. There are numerous steak houses as well as omakase and other upscale options.
If you love adorable cafes, there are many options, as well. I checked out Awfully Chocolate and MICRO red house bakery in the East Coast neighborhood but there are cute cafes all over Singapore.
What I didn’t anticipate were the colorful murals throughout the city, the unique mix of cultures and history from all over Asia, the lush and breathtaking gardens, the helpful people, and the innumerable trendy cafes, restaurants, and bars.
The shopping was also incredible. Perhaps because Singapore is a trade hub for all of Asia, I found so many beautiful and unique home goods, clothing, and beauty products. A few stores that I loved included Tiger and Arcadia for colorful home furnishings, theAC Boutique for various home goods, A Vintage Tale for cute clothes, and Cat Socrates, a cat themed gift shop.
I didn’t check out any of the beauty salons but I saw several interesting options.
As a solo female traveler accustomed to San Francisco, I undervalued how wonderful it felt to walk around at night without fear. That feeling is priceless and rare.
Of all the cities I have visited, I can’t think of any city I have enjoyed as much as I enjoyed Singapore. I’ll definitely be back to Singapore.
Google Maps link for all Singapore recommendations.
Here are all my Singapore recommendations in one Google map link.
What do you think? Leave a comment below!
Have you ever been to Singapore or followed a New York Times 36 Hours Itinerary? What did you think?
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