When some people discuss taking a trip to Asia, countries like Japan or Korea seem to come to mind for most people. But I’ve been lucky enough to visit what I consider a hidden gem – the country of Singapore. West of the South China Sea, this island city-state is just bursting with amazing food, amazing tourist sites, some of the cleanest streets in the world, things that would make any new, or experienced traveler super thrilled and leave them wanting more. They have interesting laws such as no durians on buses, banned chewing gum, and instant littering fines, but that just adds uniqueness to the country. I managed to go to Singapore in 2014 – it’s my goal now to not only go back to Singapore, but to teach English there with my degree. Here are a few of the locations to visit should you choose to come to this amazing country, along with some of the top food locations, and a little bit of how the transportation works there!

Please, join me on my segway back from 2014 and we shall embark on our journey.

Merlion Park

Getting here: Merlion Park is located within the Marina Bay area, and while walking or taking the bus might be a good idea, especially if you’re taking a tour, Singapore has the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, an underground train network that connects throughout the whole city. Take the East West line or the North South line to Raffles Place, where Merlion park is only a seven minute walk away!

About the location: Merlion Park is considered one of the best tourist spots in Singapore. This is a 2500 sq ft. park, encapsulated by an 8.6 metre high, 70 ton statue of the Merlion, which has a lion’s head and a fish’s body. This location is also surrounded by shopping malls, with plenty to explore. This location is well lit up at night, so coming at this time would serve for a better view of the park.

During the day, boat rides are available around the river on the Singapore River Bumboat Cruise, which are available to book either online or at the Clark Quay jetty. The tour includes eight other jettys where you can disembark, but this journey itself provides a beautiful look from the water of Marina Bay. If you choose to go by the Raffles Landing Site, you’ll probably notice a white marble statue, which stands in honour of Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore. Another icon from Singapore’s past is just around the corner—the majestic Fullerton Hotel, which was first built in 1928, which makes an amazing Singapore Sling cocktail if you stop by. (Source: My mother!)

Orchard Road

Getting here: Four MRT stations surround Orchard Road – Orchard, Orchard Boulevard, Somerset and Dhoby Ghaut. These are all major stations in the area and provide quick and easy transport to get to Orchard Road. Be prepared to walk in general, though – Orchard Road is still 2.5 kilometres long!

About the location:  Orchard Road is a famous tourist spot. Named after the plantations and produce that used to be available in the orchards at the end of the road, this downtown strip is full of high class shops, over ten malls, and craving-satisfying eateries. I personally recommend the ION Mall, pictured above, as it is full of well made stores and delicious food. If shopping and high class purchases are for you, you will not regret visiting this location. If you’re trying to save some money, window shopping may be a better option, but it is a nice experience all around if you want to see the more commercial part of Singapore.

I unfortunately did not get to spend much time here personally, because shopping isn’t for everyone. However, this downtown strip helped give some contrast to the more island-esque parts of Singapore compared to the metropolitan areas – There is something for everyone on this island, you just have to look hard enough!

Gardens By The Bay

Getting here: Like Merlion Park, the gardens are located near Marina Bay – You can take the MRT to get to Raffles Place, or the Marina Bay station itself, both a short distance from the gardens. It should be no longer than a ten to fifteen minute walk, and it will be worth the walk.

About the location: Make no mistake – these wacky looking designs are very real! This beautiful garden spans about 101 hectares in total, with three distinct areas: Bay South, Bay East and Bay Central Gardens. This location has won awards for both design and nature and contains four labelled centres throughout the gardens.

Taking up 1.28 hectares alone, the Flower Dome is the first place that should be visited when visiting the Gardens. It is home to plants and flowers from five continents, from thousand-year old olive trees to magnolias and orchids. The colour bouquet does not stop here, though.

This is followed by the Floral Fantasy conservatory. What makes the architecture and design unique in this area is that the various zones inside the conservatory are designed after fairy tales, each one significantly different in nature. Along with this, this part of the gardens contains the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, as seen above.

As shown in the first photo, the Gardens by the Bay are also well known for their Supertree Grove, accessible via the Cloud Forest. These large structures can be walked on and around, giving you a view of the skyline of Singapore. These vertical gardens span 25 to 50 metres in height, with two of the towering structures connected by the dramatic arch of the OCBC Skyway. When dusk falls, the grove lights up with the Garden Rhapsody, a spectacle of light and sound.

Hawker Centres

Getting there: Hawker centres are everywhere! Consult your maps for the best results.

Hawker centres are the epitome of street food. Singaporeans take their cuisine very seriously, and have some amazing locations to try various dishes, along with other Asian food fare. The best part of these hawker centres? They’re cheap! They are easiest to find within the city centre of Singapore, but over thirty of these centres exist. One of the most popular centres is the Newtown Food Centre, but can be a bit pricier than others. I wholeheartedly recommend any centre that has assorted noodles, these stalls will give you amazing fried noodles with pretty much anything you want in them – my personal favourite was Singapore Fried Noodles with fried chicken and fried potatoes. Also, you cannot go wrong with satay. Grilled chicken skewers with peanut sauce is a staple in Singaporean cuisine and is possibly one of the best things you could ever get there. Singapore is a melting pot of South Asian culture, do not miss out on their food.

To summarize, Singapore is a place that some people may not think of visiting but should absolutely put it on their bucket or travel list. The people are lovely, the culture and history there is fascinating, and the sightseeing is worth travelling around all day. To get to Singapore, most flights will be about 15-20 hour trips depending on where you live, so prepare for some major jet lag. I was unable to get video when I went on this trip myself, but this drone shot video captures just how expansive the city and locations are, and I highly encourage anyone interested in Asia to go here first – you won’t regret it at all.