Arrival at Airport:
To get easily, fast and cheap to the city center, use the singaporan subway that works great. You can buy a subway card that you can charge with money or buy a ticket for every ride. If you stay several days, the subway card pays off due to reduced prices, although the 5 S$ you will not get back anymore, but after your stay back at the airport you cash in the remaining money on the card. The prices for one ride start at 70 cents with a max of around 2.5 S$ depending on the distance you travel.
Accommodation:
Our personal recommendation: The InnCrowd – The Inn Crowd entry on Tripadvisor
Prices: Dorm Room: ~20 S$, you can rent a 5 bed room just for 2 persons as a couples room for 60 S$
Nice Backpacker place in the heart of little india, what we think is the best district in Singapore to live for little money. There are several alternatives in walking distance if The InnCrowd is full. The rooms are relatively clean – downside: some have no window and the “continental breakfast” with toast and weird tasting strawberry jam (99 % sugar) and two boiled eggs we skipped after the frist day. But they organize tours and the free scooter tour is supposed to be very nice.
Its always useful to read the recommendations for hostels (B&B) on Tripadvisor: Tripadvisor Singapore
To find other recommended hostels in the Little India or Chinatwon in Singapore, check out these links on Wikitravel:
Budget Hostels in Little India, Singapore (Wikitravel)
Budget Hostels in Chinatown, Singapore (Wikitravel)
Don’t Miss:
Gardens by the bay in the early evening – Enjoy the the musical lightshow from anywhere in the park and the silhouettes of the skyscrapers at night
Litlle India on a sunday – Since the seasonal indian workers got their day off and do their shopping, all you see is indian men, literarily everywhere
The big Foodcourt in Chinatown – it will be one of the most chaotic environment you have ever eaten in and shows the real chinatown
Botanic Garden – Stress relieve in this oasis of calm
Further Tips:
“Sneak” onto the Swiss Tower to have an amazing view over the city from the roof terasse.
Great (BEST) Shopping centre to buy electronics in Singapore, Sim Lim Centre at the Sim Lim Square, Rochor Road/Bencoolen Str. close to little India. Four levels filled until the roof with shops for electronics with decent, mostly fixed prices, although bargaining still workes.
