My fourth visit to Singapore is the cheapest of all visits. The visit was part of a 10-day solo sojourn that traced back my backpacking adventure nine years ago with considerable twists in the itinerary.
AirAsia had a seat sale in late 2016 and I found myself a one-way ticket from Cebu to Singapore for Php 1,300 for a February 26 schedule. My original plan was to spend time in Penang (Malaysia) so for my return ticket I got a Kuala Lumpur-Cebu flight which was around Php 3,000.
But I decided to go to Thailand and visit my grad school classmate Kamilla so I bought a ticket from Singapore to Pattaya/Rayong (U-Tapao International Airport) for Php 1,300 and then another ticket from U-Tapao International Airport to Kuala Lumpur for Php 2,100.
I had big plans to take the train but I shelved the thought and decided to do that when I have a month to spare for travel as it consumes a lot of time.
Had I traveled with Jeff, the man I love with all my heart and soul, these cheap hacks would be unheard of. Jeff loves his butler and could never picture me inside a hostel, in a capsule hotel, in a sleeping pod.
I purchased all my tickets before flying to Singapore and booked my hostel (around Php 3,000 for five nights). With the travel tax (Php 1,620) and terminal fee paid (Php 750), I converted my Php 10,000 to Singaporean dollars — and that was to be my pocket money for the 10-day trip (Thailand and Malaysia included). I had a visa card with me in case things go south but let me tell you, I went home with extra cash to boast to my husband that I made it in Singapore without stealing from my children’s bank accounts.
Here are the reasons why…
1. Coziee Lodge
I read a loooot. And I put this addiction in reading travel blogs. The ones I read talked about picking hostels near the Chinatown line and getting dormitory rooms.
But 20 years of travel experience tells me that it is always best to do your own research. Agoda can very well pick me now as their brand ambassador because I book all my accommodation needs in their site. I have earned free nights stay because of this loyalty. I found Coziee Lodge in Agoda with a “very good” rating from its previous guests. I picked it because the directions said it is near the Kallang MRT stations of the green line, which is the same service line that brings everyone to the Changi International Airport.
It proved to be one of the best decisions I have ever made in this trip. I booked a sleeping pod (think dormitory room but with more privacy) for P3,000 for five nights (I’m not kidding!) with free breakfast (basic breakfast: coffee and bread with some jams and butter). The bathrooms and restrooms are shared but they are regularly cleaned by its staff. I would get out late morning or early afternoon so I would still be there when they vacuum the place.
Outside slippers and shoes are not allowed inside the hostel. You need to take off your outdoor footwear and wear indoor slippers. It’s that clean!
Each guest was issued an electronic beep circle. I call it such because it’s a small chip that you just place near the black console and voila, you can enter the main door of the hostel and your room. Without it, you won’t be able to enter the hostel so keep it close to you.
Coziee Lodge was clean, affordable and secure. I would definitely stay here the next time I visit Singapore (if I’m not with the husband).
2. Gardens by the Bay
It will cost you about SGD30 to enter the cooled conservatories — Cloud Forest and Flower Dome — and the OCBC Skyway. They are great attractions, the Cloud Forest being my personal favorite.
But… if you don’t want to spend the money, the Gardens is open for you at no cost. There are several areas in the past that you can enjoy for free. The Gardens cover 101 hectares; the Bay South alone is at 54 hectares. That’s a lot of area to cover! There are benches facing the harbor that gives you a relaxing view, enticing you to slow down and marvel at what this great nation created with limited natural resources.
It’s best to go there late in the afternoon because the weather can be oppressively hot and humid. At 7:45 and 8:45 p.m., there is a light and sound show by the Supertree Grove so you might want to stay on for that attraction. Again, it’s free.
There’s a couple of dining options within the Gardens offering different cuisines. For affordable finds, there’s Satay by the Bay. Your SGD6 (Php 198) will get you roasted chicken and rice.
3. Hawker Centres
The cheapest food finds are in hawker centres. Think street food neatly arranged in stalls and kiosks within a complex. They are everywhere in Singapore! My top two favorites are Lau Pa Sat and the Golden Mile Food Centre where buses going to Malaysia depart from. I also like the stalls located inside the Peoples Centre near the Chinatown station. I love sitting there to listen to people speak Chinese… music to my ears!
It’s pretty cheap. For SGD 3.70, you get a cup of rice, two meat dishes and a vegetable Viand. Eat away!
4. Tourist Pass or the EZ-LINK card
In Singapore for three days? Then get the Tourist Pass that will give you unlimited rides in buses and trains for SGD 30. Since I was there for five days, I decided to get an EZ-link card at the passenger service centre at the Tanjong Pagar station. It costs SGD12, of which SGD 7 is stored value that can use. I spent a total of SGD30 (same as the three-day tourist pass) and had the remaining value reimbursed at the Kallang MRT station passenger service centre amounting to SGD11. Then I bought a single ticket journey that took me to the Changi International Airport (one line change at Tarah Menah). I took the Skytrain from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1, where AirAsia flights departs from. The airport is a masterpiece of its own so if your schedule permits, take time to explore this world-renowned international transportation hub. There’s a wonderful butterfly garden at Terminal 3!
Singapore’s public transportation system is one of the best in the world. Food and drinks are not allowed inside the trains and buses or else you’ll be slapped with a five-hundred-dollar fine.
5. The Esplanade
Two words: free shows! Check out their website here for free musical shows, exhibits and plays. When you’re up by the theatre area, look for the exit that takes you to a garden, turn left and and there you will have access to Merlion Park and a great view of the Marina Bay Sands.
Jeff still won’t believe me that I only spent Php 6,000 in the six days that I was there. Do I feel deprived that I didn’t go to the fancy restos and hotels?
Definitely not!
I’ve been there and they were not the purpose of this trip.
Travel is a personal journey.
It is my personal choice to visit the places which fuel my soul and offer me utmost happiness. A person could dine in the most expensive restaurant, go on the most luxurious cruise or flaunt the most coveted hand bag. But if these material things do not make her truly, genuinely, ticklish-in-the-stomach kind of happy, then they don’t really matter. They are just overpriced made in China goodies.
So… what’s your Singapore story?
