 Singapore is the place to have fun at any time of the year. Bursting at the seams with vibrancy and brimming with excitement, Singapore is sure to keep you entertained with an exciting fusion of cultures and adventurous and artistic activities, plus an array of fun-filled family attractions.
The name Singapore came from the Sanskrit words singa and pura - singa meaning lion and pura meaning city. Formerly known as Temasek, Singapore was an outpost of the powerful Sri Vijayan empire in the 14th century. Legend has it that a Sri Vijayan prince encountered a lion upon setting foot on the island. Believing the sighting to be an auspicious omen, the prince immediately gave the island its new name.
For an experience of a lifetime there is no better place to be. This city of diverse cultures is known both as 'The Garden City' and as the 'Fun City'.
Visit popular attractions such as Jurong BirdPark and the Singapore Zoological Gardens. You will find more than 3,000 animals from over 250 species. The Night Safari here allows you to glimpse rare animals such as the one-horned rhinoceros.
Take a trip to Sentosa Island to enjoy fun for all the family. Meet the pink dolphins at Dolphin Lagoon or explore Singapore’s colonial history at Fort Siloso.
Festivals throughout the year showcase lively activities such as feisty dragon boat races and elaborate street processions. It's easy to live it up in Singapore with a host of attractions, beaches, facilities, excellent shopping and an air of excitement that pulses all day long.
The city of Singapore is one the wealthiest, most modern cities in all of Asia and one of the cleanest big cities in the world.
Singapore consists of one main island that is the cosmopolitan trendsetter and over 50 smaller islands, including Sentosa and Pulau Ubin where the pace of everyday life moves a little slower. It's perfect really, as you can enjoy two holidays in one.
Where is it and how do I get there?
Singapore is part of South-East Asia. It’s a small group of low-lying islands located at the southern tip of Peninsular Malaysia. Around 63 smaller islets, most of which are uninhabited, surround the main island of Singapore.
Located in the Pacific Ocean at the base of South-East Asia, Singapore is an important stop over for many flights to and from Australia and Asia. Many airlines fly from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth to Singapore, so you should be able to get a flight almost any day of the week.
| From |
Hours |
| Sydney |
7 |
| Melbourne |
7 |
| Brisbane |
7 |
| Perth |
5 |
When to go, Weather
Climate is not a major consideration when planning a holiday in Singapore as the temperature hovers around 29°C most of the time and the islands get fairly steady rainfall all year round. You might like to time your visit to coincide with one of Singapore's many exciting special events.
 Where to stay
Singapore offers a wide range of accommodation with hotels and apartments spread around the city. Most visitors choose to stay in the Colonial District because of its proximity to most of the main historic sites of the city, or in and around the famous shopping district of Orchard Road. If you want to stay outside of the city, there's the more laidback island of Sentosa, or the close-by island resort of Bintan.
Resorts with kids’ clubs/facilities offered
Club Med Ria Bintan
Club Med is located on nearby Bintan Island, a popular short break for Singaporeans. Club Med has a free supervised Kids’ Club for kids aged 2-13, and a Circus School where kids can learn to master the flying trapeze. It also has a golf course, beauty spa and nightly live entertainment for the whole family.
Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa
The Shangri-La is Singapore's only beach-front hotel, standing on the sandy shores of Sentosa Island and overlooking the lush hills of Fort Siloso. There's a club for kids aged 5-10, open 9am to 6pm daily, as well as a children's pool with waterslides.
We have also listed for you other accommodation to suit different budgets.
Accommodation for Families on a Budget:
(Prices range from S$90 – S$130 per night)
Garden Hotel, Singapore
Located not far from Orchard Road, the Garden Hotel offers quality accommodation for the family on a budget. The hotel has two swimming pools, and provides babysitting services for those mums and dads wanting to enjoy some private time shopping along Orchard Road.
River View Hotel, Singapore
The River View Hotel, Singapore is located on the historic Singapore River, with the promenade at its front door. The hotel is a short distance from Clarke Quay, Boat Quay and Empress Place, where families can enjoy a wide variety of eateries, nightspots and shopping centres (babysitting is available).
 Accommodation for families on a mid-range budget:
(Prices range from S$125 – S$285 per night)
York Hotel
The York Hotel is located only five minutes from the heart of the city’s shopping precinct on Orchard Road. Hotel facilities include a restaurant, café, lounge bar and a nightclub. Child-minding facilities are available upon request.
Novotel Apollo, Singapore
The Novotel Apollo is located within walking distance to Chinatown, Clarke Quay, Boat Quay, and is a mere five minutes drive to the shopping and entertainment district along Orchard Road. The Novotel boasts an extensive range of food and beverage outlets offering international and local cuisines, in addition to a range of recreational facilities including a gymnasium, swimming pool and tennis court. Children (under the age of 12) are invited to stay free at the Novotel, which also offers child-minding facilities.
Swissotel Merchant Court, Singapore
The Swissotel Merchant Court is located within walking distance to Chinatown, Boat Quay and Clarke Quay.
The hotel offers visitors a central location in the heart of Singapore along with a resort style atmosphere, including facilities such as a jacuzzi, whirlpool and a lounge bar (child-minding facilities are available upon request).
Accommodation for families looking to indulge:
(Prices range from S$200 - S$350 per night)
Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort
Located on the western tip of the island of Sentosa, only 15 minutes from downtown Singapore, Shangri La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort is Singapore’s only beach-front hotel. The hotel boasts a variety of family-friendly facilities including a sea sports centre where you can enjoy windsurfing, canoeing and sailing, a playhouse for children, and a climbing wall for the more adventurous. Sentosa Island is also home to Underwater World, Volcano Land and Dolphin World, so the Shangri La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort provides a perfect base to enjoy Singapore’s theme parks.
Pan Pacific, Singapore
The Pan Pacific, boasting stunning views over Singapore River and the city skyline, provides families with a restful oasis in the heart of the Lion City. After a day of sight-seeing, families can return to this luxury hotel and enjoy a range of facilities including a child’s playground, swimming pools, tennis courts and spas.
Goodwood Park Hotel
The Goodwood Park Hotel was built in the 1900’s and boasts over 6 hectares of lush, manicured gardens. It is located within minutes of the Orchard Road shopping belt of Singapore. The hotel offers families a convenient location close to all major attractions and entertainment venues, and provides babysitting and child-minding services. The hotel also has a designated children’s pool and play area.
 Food and Drink
Undoubtedly one of the highlights of Singapore is it's fantastic cuisine. Good food is synonymous with Singapore, and to truly enjoy the local cuisine, venture out to one of the many traditional hawker markets such as Newton Circus, Chinatown Food Street or Maxwell Road Food Centre. All serve a variety of local cuisine, including Laska, Dosai and Rendang and a full meal can be enjoyed for less than $10! Spend just a single day in Singapore sampling its enormous variety of unique and exotic foods and you'll see why Singaporeans love eating so much. Singaporean food is a mixture of Chinese, Malay, Indian, Indonesian and Western foods so you're guaranteed to find some special dishes that everyone will love. Some local favourites include laksa (a rich and spicy noodle soup with coconut milk) and Hainanese Chicken Rice, a simple but tasty dish of boiled or roasted chicken over rice with a chilli, garlic and soy sauce dressing. Try the delicious local kebabs or satay with a rich, spicy peanut gravy.
Take a city tour in a trishaw and end up at Raffles Hotel to experience some taste sensations. Enjoy High Tea in the Bar & Billiard room, or titillate the tastebuds with some New Asia cuisine at Doc Chengs.
There are a handful of restaurants in Singapore city designed especially for families. Rainforest Café on River Valley Road serves big portions of International-style meals amid an indoor rainforest setting. You'll dine surrounded by waterfalls tumbling into steamy, mist-shrouded rivers, amazing animatronic gorillas and elephants, while thunder rolls and lightning flashes overhead. Snoopy Place is a family-friendly restaurant on Orchard Road featuring the much-loved Charles Schulz comic strip. There's an animated version of Peanuts played on a giant screen and comic books to keep you entertained while you enjoy dishes from the American-style menu.
Shopping
While Singapore enjoys a reputation for being a five star city, it can also be a bargain lover’s paradise - you just need to know where to look! And with today’s fantastic exchange rates there is no better time to head to the Lion City.
Shopping is one of Singapore's biggest attractions and it offers an excellent choice of electronics, jewellery, clothing, cosmetics, sporting goods and Asian artefacts. There are many good bargains to be found in Singapore if you're willing to shop around. Most stores and shopping centres are open from 10am to 10pm. Bargaining should be reserved only for smaller stores and market stalls. The Flea Market is located at Clarke Quay and is open weekends.
The most well known shopping area in Singapore is Orchard Road - make sure you allow time to shop here. Also, walk through Pagoda Street or Trengganu Street in Chinatown where you will find Chinese calligraphy, handicrafts, antiques and lacquerwear.
While Orchard Road is well known for its designer boutiques, many of the same designer shops can be found in the suburbs with much more appealing price tags. To take advantage of these great value buys head to Tampines Mall (4 Tampines Central 5), Century Square Shopping Centre (2 Tampines Central 5) or Causeway Point (1 Woodlands Square) – all within easy reach via the MRT.
For computer software and hardware, the place to shop is Funan Centre IT Mall. For souvenirs, visit Holland Village. For gemstones, visit the shops along Jalan Pisang and Arab Street. There is also a stunning array of fabrics to be found around Arab Street.
Airports
Changi International Airport is modern and hi-tech and has been voted the best airport in the world several times. It's an extremely busy airport and there's plenty to see and do if you get stuck there for any length of time. T here are restaurants, cafes, bars, delis and fast-food outlets offering Asian and Western food. There's plenty of excellent duty-free shopping available and you can get reasonably good deals on electronics, jewellery, perfume and alcohol. There's also a supermarket, pharmacy, countless public phones and ATMs, and currency exchange is available 24-hours a day.
Transfers from airport
All the major hotels can arrange airport transfers for you. This is the best option if you're arriving late at night. The airport is well connected to all major public transport systems including rail and bus routes.
Getting around for families
One of the great things about Singapore is it's extremely well organised and efficient transport system. The city has an excellent Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) subway system that is very convenient and inexpensive. Metered taxis are easy to find and can be flagged down anywhere. You can also hire trishaws in Chinatown and on backstreets. Make sure you negotiate a fare with the driver first. Ferries leave regularly from near the World Trade Centre to Sentosa and the other islands. You can also hire a car from one of the major car rental companies if you have an International Driving Permit.
What to wear
Singapore is hot and humid, so light, loose fitting clothing should be worn. Most Singaporeans dress fairly conservatively. Be sure to have hats and sunscreen on hand to protect your family from the hot, tropical sun.
Population
Singapore has a growing population of over 4.6 million. About 78% of the population are of Chinese origin, while Malays consist of 14% and Indians around 7%.
Culture/Religion
Singapore is a culturally diverse island and the different races interact harmoniously with one another. In the past, the city was separated into different areas for the different ethnic groups, and this can still be seen in the old streets of Chinatown, the Muslim characteristics of Arab Street and the colourful, distinctive district of Little India. The British Colonial influence is also evident in much of the architecture around the island. Each ethnic group practices it's own religion. The Chinese are predominantly followers of Buddhism, Taosim, Shenism and Christianity while Malays are Muslim and Indians may follow Hinduism, Islam or Sikhism.
Language
Being a country of immigrants, several languages are spoken in Singapore. The four official languages are Mandarin, English, Malay and Tamil. Almost everyone you come across in Singapore will speak English.
Time
Singapore is 2 hours behind Eastern Standard Time. For timezone information, click here.
Currency
Singapore Dollar. For up-to-date currency conversions, click here.
Traveller’s cheques and major credit cards are accepted at most hotels, shops and restaurants. Most banks are open 9:30am to 3pm weekdays and 9:30am to 11:30am on Saturdays.
Tipping
Tipping is not usual in Singapore. The more high-end hotels and restaurants may impose a 10% service charge.
Electricity
220 volts AC.
 Health precautions
No vaccinations are required to enter Singapore but ask your GP what precautions are recommended. Although Singapore is considered clean and healthy, it's still a good idea to get basic inoculations like tetanus and hepatitis if you haven't already had them. There's no malaria risk in Singapore but you should carry protection from insect bites as Dengue fever has been reported on the islands in the past.
Tap water
Water supplies in large cities and towns are safe but carry bottled water if you wander off the beaten path.
Passport and Visa Requirements
Australian passport holders don't require a visa to enter Singapore as long as the passport is valid for 6 months from the date of departure.
HWK Family Travel Tips
Best buys in Singapore: The price of electronic and electrical goods, cameras and designer fashion are still considerably lower than it is in Australia and there is an enormous choice available at department and speciality stores.
Click here for Things to See & Do in Singapore
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