Singapore is in the buzz; you’re seeing it everywhere from the local screening of Crazy Rich Asians, to the connection in your flight itinerary. So what’s the deal? Is traveling to Singapore with kids a good idea?
For starters there’s Changi Airport. Rated by Skytrax as the best airport in the world for 6 years running, you’ll find plenty of reasons to wish your layover would last for days. From a free movie theater to a rooftop swimming pool, a butterfly garden to a koi pond; food, shopping, spas; and most astonishingly of all, the cleanest, most efficient terminals you’ve ever seen in your travels. And that’s just the airport!
Do tear yourselves away, and continue on to the City in a Garden, a name garnered from the extraordinary parks, nature reserves, wetlands and rainforest that flow through Singapore. All this green space coexists in tandem with remarkable architecture, bright lights, and technological wonders. For a tiny city-state-island-country, Singapore is bursting with wonders. With so much to discover together, visiting Singapore with kids is a “must see” opportunity!
Safety
Visiting Singapore with your kids is safe. Singapore is considered the safest country in the world according to a Gallup’s 2018 Global Law and Order report. With one of the lowest crime rates in the world this is a place to explore with your family without fear.
Feel history
After being controlled by Japan, Britain, and Malaysia, Singapore became an independent republic in 1965. By the 1990’s they’d left behind their third world status to become one of the world’s wealthiest and best educated countries in the world. You’ll find traditional fishing villages, temples and mosques still thriving next to towering skyscrapers. Be sure to explore the neighborhoods of Little India, Chinatown, and Kampong Glam; so much diversity in one city!
Learn a new language
This is your chance to pick up a little Singlish, the English-based slang that pervades the streets; even though it is considered unpolished it remains part of Singapore’s culture. From eh to get one’s attention, to lah to add emphasis, these little add-on words and phrases pepper the markets and food stalls. Don’t forget to chope (reserve) your seat!
Sit Under a Man-Made Tree
These Super Trees provide shade during the day and have solar-generated lighting at night. Towering as high as 50 meters above the city each of the 18 trees is also a vertical garden, with orchids, bromeliads, ferns, and tropical flowers from around the world adorning their trunks. Be sure to stroll the 22-meter high Skyway for a surreal experience — it is so shiok!
A Playground for All Ages
The man-made island of Sentosa was created as a relaxation and leisure destination; it is all that and more. You’ll find everything from golf to theme parks to white sand beaches and 24 hour spas — and of course shopping and food. It’s the perfect place to wear out the kids and to refresh your spirit while in Singapore.
Singapore Sling
The drinking age in Singapore is 18; if that’s you, you might want to try sipping this iconic cocktail on a visit to one of many glittering roof top bars; there is no shortage of places to lounge high above the city. Prefer no alcohol? Most local bars also create no-alcohol cocktails as carefully concocted as the real thing.
Eat Well
Oh the food in Singapore – such a wide range of delicious things for everyone, from the picky eater to the adventurous palate. Be sure to wander the hawker stands for all kinds of food, cheap. Kids love chicken rice, noodle dishes, dumplings, and the many small tastes of dim sum. Try the famous chili crab, the Laksa curry, the pork rib soup… and if you dare, you can find durian here too. The world’s smelliest fruit, you’ll love it — or be repulsed! Either way, it’s something to be experienced when visiting Singapore with kids!
