5 Tips for First-Time Visitors to Singapore – Essential Factors for Any Tourist to Keep in Mind

Tourists cannot truly experience what Singapore has to offer, without paying a visit to a local hawker centre. These ever-busy food courts offer a wide variety of mouthwatering dishes that highlight the island state’s extensive multicultural heritage. Whether it’s Chinese, Malay, or Indian fare, the flavours are varied and promise a truly delightful culinary experience. 

Popular suggestions at hawker centres are aplenty. A first-time traveller can consider trying a traditional kaya toast set for breakfast – crispy toast with a generous spread of butter and slathered with kaya (coconut jam), accompanied by soft-boiled eggs and a cup of strong kopi (coffee). For lunch or dinner, travellers can tuck into Hainanese chicken rice, laksa, or char kway teow, accompanied by smaller sharing plates of carrot cake, or rojak. 

Hailed as one of the countries with the best public transportation systems around, Singapore’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) trains and buses operate at an incredible level of efficiency and convenience. They have been designed to take passengers to almost any corner of the island as fast and as affordably as possible. 

First-time visitors can consider purchasing a Singapore Tourist Pass travel card, which offers unlimited travel via bus or train for a set number of days, enabling easy travel from one location to another, without having to worry about transport costs. Tourists can also download the MyTransport.SG app, which provides real-time updates on bus and train arrivals, route planning, and even fare calculation. 

Singapore is renowned for its urban city landscape, but its diverse neighbourhoods are what really define the island state. Each neighbourhood tells a story and offers distinctly unique experiences that should be added to every first-time tourist’s itinerary. 

Notable neighbourhoods worth visiting are Chinatown for its fascinating street markets and beautiful temples, Little India for its delectable cuisine and shopping, and Kampong Glam for sophisticated boutiques and cosy coffee shops. 

First-time travellers who are in search of reliable travel agents in Sri Lanka can consider getting their flight and travel arrangements done by the likes of Mackinnons Travels, for a convenient and hassle-free holiday planning experience. 

First-time tourists should bear in mind that they need to respect local customs and etiquette. An example of this would be always standing on the left when using escalators, as it allows faster walkers to pass on the right. Another example is keeping noise levels at a minimum and avoiding eating and drinking while using public transport, as this is strictly prohibited. 

Additionally, when visiting religious sites such as churches, mosques, and temples, it is advisable for tourists to be dressed modestly and to remove their shoes before entering. Tourists should also keep in mind that chewing gum is strictly prohibited, and so is littering and jaywalking. 

Singapore is located just next to the equator and this means that the weather is warm and humid all year round, with frequent rain. This can be challenging, especially when travelling around the island state, so it is recommended that tourists plan their itinerary according to the weather. They can keep track of the next day’s weather via weather apps and plan easily. 

For example, tourists can visit the Singapore Zoo, Gardens by the Bay, or Sentosa early in the morning, before moving to an indoor location such as a shopping mall or the ArtScience Museum during the extreme heat of midday. They should also carry a raincoat or umbrella to be prepared for any sudden rain.