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Family fun in Singapore: a ‘Biyahe ni Drew’ itinerary
The first time Drew Arellano went to Singapore for ‘Biyahe ni Drew,’ we showed you the popular shopping areas and food spots on the main island. Last week, Drew went back to check out even more attractions—including animal encounters and theme parks that are especially great for families with kids.
After all, families need budget travel, too!
How to get there
Get yourself to Singapore. We booked a three-hour flight with our exclusive partner: Cebu Pacific Air! They’re a budget airline that offers great discounts all year round. Their regular rate for Manila-Singapore is about P8,000, round-trip and inclusive of taxes. During their seat sales, this can drop to around P4,000.
Here’s a tip: To avoid the usual airport crowd, we recommend you book a flight that departs from Diosdado Macapagal International Airport at Clark, Pampanga instead. It's only a one-hour trip by car from Manila!
From the Changi Airport, there are many ways to reach the city center: the airport shuttle, bus, MRT, or taxi.
What to do
Wildlife Reserve Singapore offers this sulit package deal. For SGD59 (P2,000) for each adult and SGD38 (P1,300) for each kid, you can enjoy three famous animal attractions in Singapore. This saves you the equivalent of P400 per person compared to buying tickets to the three zoos separately.
The Singapore Zoo
80 Mandai Lake Road
There are around 2,800 animals in this zoo! Giraffes, orangutans, white tigers—you name it. At the front desk, find out which animals have scheduled feeding during the time of your visit, then drop by those animals first.
The River Safari
80 Mandai Lake Road
Right beside the Singapore Zoo is the newest zoo in Singapore. If other zoos recreate the animals’ natural habitat, The River Safari takes it a step further and recreates the famous rivers of the world!
In their version of US’ Mississippi River, you’ll see the Alligator Gar Fish, a species that has been around for a million years. “Wow, matanda pa sila kaysa sa tao,” says Drew. “Siguradong ma-e-enjoy ito ng mga chikiting kaya mga mommies, take note.”
In the Congo River area, you can spot an African Dwarf Crocodile; in the Ganges River, you’ll see larger crocs like those in India. And if you want to see the Mekong Giant Catfish (Drew calls it “ang pinakamalaking hitong nakita ko sa buong buhay ko.”), head to the Mekong River area.
The Amazon Flooded Forest is one of the highlights of this park. After all, it’s the world’s largest freshwater aquarium.
For a dose of cuteness overload, visit the park’s two giant pandas named Jia Jia and Kai Kai. Pay a visit to the red pandas as well; these fluffy, playful creatures look more like foxes and are also known by the name ‘firefox.’
Drew has a lot of trivia to share about giant pandas: 99% of their diet consists of bamboo, and pandas poop 50 times a day. And because of the pandas’ high-fiber diet, some people recycle the panda poo into paper!
The Jurong Bird Park
2 Jurong Hill
If birds are your thing, get ready for what Drew calls “ibang level ng cuteness.” The Jurong Bird Park has been around for 42 years; there are now over 5,000 birds here! In their nine-storey high Lorry Loft, you can feed these adorable birds that come all the way from Australia.
The park also has a breeding and research center, and the only aviary hospital in Asia. Here, you can watch the baby birds rest and grow—look but no touch, biyaheros!
“Para mas sulit ang inyong biyahe, planuhin nang mabuti ang inyong lakad para mapuntahan ang mga magkakalapit na lugar,” says Drew. “Mas convenient pa, mas makakamura pa kayo.”
30 Raffles Avenue
Most Ferris wheels have cup-like metal cars, but this massive one in Singapore encases you in a glass orb with a 360-degree view of the island nation. The car is even large enough for you to walk around or lie down. Expect to pay SGD 33 or P1,130 per person.
Sentosa Island
Sentosa is an island off the northeastern side of Singapore. To get there, get an EZ Link ticket with SGD8 for a round trip to Sentosa via the Sentosa Express.
This island used to be a British military base, but was converted to a resort island in the 1970’s. The name ‘Sentosa’ means ‘peace and tranquility.’ Here, you can find the only Universal Studios theme park in Asia!
The entrance fee for SGD74 or P2,500 is worth it if you’re into roller coasters and having your photos taken with iconic characters from movies. You’ll see Betty Boop, Beetlejuice and Transformers walking around the park, ready to take pictures with tourists. Fun Fact: the acrobatic street dancers at this park are Filipinos.
For non-theme park fun, get off at Sentosa’s Imbiah Station. We recommend getting the Day Play Pass. A fee of SGD65.90 or P2,260 gets you no-hassle entrance to 16 attractions, including the cable car, luge, Segway, 4D adventure rides, butterfly park, and Wave House.
The Wave House is a fun place to get your surf on without actually heading into deep waters, which makes it good for beginners and casual surfers. The Double Flow Rider has man-made waves with speeds of 32 kilometers per hour, while the more advanced surfer can try the Flow Barrel. A whopping 100,000 gallons of water a minute come at you at speeds of 48 kilometers an hour. Just don’t be afraid to fall, and let the fun begin.
Related tour packages
See Singapore Pass
For a hassle-free trip in Singapore, you can opt for the following all-in tour package from See Singapore:
Option 1: Pick any three attractions
Price: SGD69 (P2,400) for adults, SGD49 (P1,700) for kids
There are also options for five attractions (SGD109 or P3,700 for adults; SGD69 or P2,400 for kids), but we recommend Option 1 so that you still have freedom over the other days on your trip.
Some of the attractions you can choose from: Singapore Zoo, Singapore Flyer, Singapore River Cruise, Jurong Bird Park and the Singapore walking tour.
Where to eat
Hawkers and street food
You don’t need to splurge to eat well in Singapore. At hawker stalls, each dish costs between SGD3 to SGD6, or 100 to 200 pesos!
Head to Chinatown’s Maxwell Food Centre at 1 Kadayanallur Street for the best Hainanese chicken in Singapore; just look for the sign for Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice.
Hakwers can be found almost anywhere in Singapore. If you’re near the Singapore Flyer or the Marina Bay, head to the Singapore Food Trail. Located at Singapore Flyer PTE Ltd., Raffles Avenue. You can also try Makansutra at 8 Raffles Avenue, nicknamed “Glutton’s Bay!”
But how do you pick which stall to order from? Drew has some practical advice: “I’m not a local, so hindi ko alam kung saan masarap. Pero usually…kung saan ang stall na may mahabang pila, tiyak nandoon ang masarap na pagkain. Then, ask what the house specialty is.”
Just a sampling of what Drew tried on our trip: stir-fried pechay, deep-fried chicken wings with sweet and sour sauce, and cereal-coated crispy prawns that you eat whole. “Even though this is hawker-type food, the quality in Singapore—mura man o mahal—they’re all good,” Drew says.
Ice cream at Orchard Road
During the afternoon, ice cream vendors arrive to help beat the heat. For SGD1 or just P34, you can try a fat, rectangular block of creamy ice cream sandwiched in between slices of bread or sweet wafers. It’s Singapore’s version of Filipino dirty ice cream.
Where to stay
Splurge: Rendezvous Grand Hotel
9 Bras Basah Road
We chose this hotel through booking site Agoda.com and saved 50% off the regular price. From P8,000 a night, we got this four-star double room for just P4,000 a night, inclusive of a hotel breakfast.
Mid-range: Santa Grand Hotel Lai Chun Yuen
20 Trengganu Street
This hotel used to be an opera house. The lobby feels grand in an old-timey way, with the high wooden ceiling and bright red decorations in the lobby. Even the rooms make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time—imagine waking up each morning and opening your windows to a view of Chinatown! Rooms here go for P2,600 a night.
Tipid: Beary Good! Hostel
66 Pagoda Street
This one’s also in Chinatown. If you’re traveling alone or as a young barkada, you’ll enjoy this simple, affordable hostel; bunk beds in a shared room go for P960 a night, per person, inclusive of Wi-Fi access. Extra cuteness factor: the interiors are decorated with lots of teddy bears. Possible turn-off if you’re picky: shared bathrooms.
[For more Singapore adventures, check out Drew’s itinerary from our first trip there.]
Drew’s Budget
For a 48-hour trip, not including airfare
Accommodation P960
Transportation P1,147.50
Food P824
Activities P5,390
Total: P8,321.50
