Exploring Singapore: A Family Travel Guide

Singapore is a destination where you spend little time inside your hotel. Most of your day goes into exploring attractions, taking the MRT, visiting gardens, zoos, and islands. The city's world-class infrastructure enhances your experience. Therefore, I believe hotel selection is more about location and connectivity than luxury.

During our 9-night family trip, we stayed at:

• 4 Nights at IBIS Bencoolen

• 3 Nights on Disney Cruise

• 2 Nights at Pullman Hill Street

  
  

Looking back, one mistake I would avoid next time is changing hotels during the trip. Check-out, luggage transfers, and check-in procedures consume valuable sightseeing time. If I were planning the trip again, I would stay at IBIS Bencoolen for the entire stay. It offers excellent connectivity, is approximately 650 metres from Little India, and provides good value for money.

Singapore's MRT network became our primary mode of transport throughout the trip. It is clean, punctual, affordable, and connects almost every major attraction. However, I still recommend downloading the Grab app before arriving. While the MRT is ideal for daily sightseeing, Grab becomes extremely useful when travelling with luggage, children, or after long days of walking.

Day 1: Arrival and Gardens by the Bay

After arriving at Changi Airport, we booked a six-seater Grab to IBIS Bencoolen because we were carrying three large bags. The journey took about 23 minutes and cost 25.44 SGD. A useful tip is to subscribe to Grab's promotional plan and use a forex card with low currency conversion charges. We received welcome discounts and savings on multiple rides during the trip.

Being an Accor Plus Gold member, I received an early check-in and room upgrade, which was a great start to the trip. We also received welcome drink vouchers, minibar benefits, and food discounts throughout our stay.

Lunch

• IBIS Lunch: 27 SGD

  
  

We ordered Punjabi food and used our welcome drink vouchers. Accor Plus membership provided useful discounts on dining expenses.

In the afternoon, we headed to Gardens by the Bay.

Transport

• IBIS → Gardens by the Bay: 13 SGD

• Gardens by the Bay → IBIS: 15 SGD

  
  

We had pre-booked:

• Flower Dome

• Cloud Forest

• Supertree Observatory

  
  

The total cost for three of us was ₹8,051. We arrived around 4 PM and spent nearly five hours exploring the attractions.

Pro Tip

After the evening light show, Grab prices shoot up dramatically. At one point, fares increased from around 15 SGD to nearly 35 SGD because of demand. Leave a few minutes before the show ends and book your ride early to avoid surge pricing.

Day 2: Disney Cruise

We skipped the expensive hotel breakfast and simply ordered food through Grab.

Breakfast

• Dosa / Curd Rice via Grab: 15 SGD

  
  

Later, we travelled to Marina Bay Cruise Centre.

Transport

• IBIS → Marina Bay Cruise Centre: 14.84 SGD

  
  

The next three nights were spent aboard the Disney Cruise, which deserves a separate blog of its own.

Day 5: Back to Singapore and Mandai Wildlife Reserve

After disembarking from the cruise, we checked into Pullman Hill Street.

Transport

• Cruise Terminal → Pullman Hill Street: 15 SGD

  
  

Although Pullman was a good hotel with an excellent rooftop terrace and swimming pool, I would have happily skipped it if not for the attractive Accor Plus deal that reduced the total two-night stay cost to 237 SGD including taxes.

Pullman Pro Tip

Do not use your welcome drink vouchers immediately after check-in. Save them for the rooftop bar where you can enjoy excellent city views.

We then started exploring the spectacular Mandai Wildlife Reserve, which includes:

• Singapore Zoo

• River Wonders

• Bird Paradise

• Night Safari

• Rainforest Wild Asia

  
  

Activity Cost

• 5-Park Mandai Wildlife Package: 354 SGD (Approx. ₹26,000) booked directly through the official Mandai website because it was cheaper than Klook.

  
  

We spread the attractions across three days:

• Day 5: Night Safari

• Day 6: River Wonders and Rainforest Wild Asia

• Day 7: Singapore Zoo and Bird Paradise

  
  

Trying to cover everything in a single day would have been exhausting.

Breakfast Routine: Little India

One thing that worked brilliantly during our trip was avoiding hotel breakfasts. Hotel breakfast would have cost nearly 50 SGD per day for a family of three. Instead, every morning we walked to Little India and enjoyed authentic Indian food at a fraction of the cost.

Our favourites were:

• Anand Bhavan

• Kalam Restaurant

  
  

Total Breakfast Spend

• Anand Bhavan / Kalam Restaurant: 100 SGD for 5 days for 3 people

  
  

Apart from being significantly cheaper than hotel breakfasts, the food quality was excellent.

How We Used the MRT Daily

From Day 5 onwards, the MRT became our primary mode of transportation. Singapore's metro network is so efficient that we rarely felt the need to use taxis unless we were carrying luggage.

For visits to Mandai Wildlife Reserve, our route was:

• Little India MRT → Newton MRT (Downtown Line)

• Newton MRT → Khatib MRT (North-South Line)

• Khatib MRT → Mandai Shuttle Bus

  
  

The combination of MRT and the Mandai shuttle made reaching the wildlife parks easy, economical, and predictable. The shuttle cost approximately 5 SGD per person per day.

MRT Pass vs Pay-As-You-Go

Many tourists automatically purchase MRT tourist passes, but they did not make financial sense for our itinerary. A weekly MRT pass would have cost:

• 45 SGD per person

• 135 SGD for a family of three

  
  

Instead, we simply used our credit cards and paid per trip. Over five days of sightseeing, including Mandai, Sentosa, Chinatown, Orchard Road, and Universal Studios, our MRT expense worked out to roughly 33 SGD per person, making it significantly cheaper than buying weekly passes.

MRT Pro Tip

Carry one contactless credit card per traveller. This eliminates the need to purchase separate transit cards and makes entry and exit through MRT gates seamless.

Favourite Indian Meals in Singapore

Shahi Maharaj, Chinatown

One of our most memorable lunches.

• Lunch: 34 SGD

  
  

Kailash Parbat, Little India

Excellent North Indian food and great atmosphere.

• Dinner: 50 SGD

  
  

Khansama, Little India

Another excellent Indian dining option.

• Dinner: 56 SGD

  
  

Mandai Wildlife Area

After long days of sightseeing, we had:

• Copper Chimney Dinner: 59 SGD

• McDonald's Dinner: 20 SGD

  
  

Universal Studios Singapore

We travelled to Universal Studios using the MRT.

Our route was:

• Little India MRT → HarbourFront MRT

• Walk through VivoCity Mall

• Sentosa Express to Universal Studios

  
  

The Sentosa Express cost approximately 4 SGD per person for a return journey. The park was one of the highlights of our trip. Many visitors purchase the expensive Express Pass, but honestly, we managed all major rides without it, even after reaching at around 11:30 AM on a Sunday. The final hour is the best time to experience popular attractions because queue lengths reduce substantially.

Cost

• Universal Studios (3 Persons): ₹14,559

  
  

Pro Tip

Have a heavy breakfast before entering the park. Food inside Universal Studios is extremely expensive.

Sentosa Island

Sentosa deserves an entire day on its own. After breakfast in Little India, we travelled by MRT to HarbourFront and chose the Cable Car instead of the train. The cable car experience doubled as both transportation and a sightseeing attraction.

Cost

• Sentosa Cable Car: ₹5,655

  
  

The ticket included access to both Mount Faber and Sentosa Island lines. The views of Singapore Harbour were spectacular, and we even used the cable car to reach the Siloso Beach area.

Pro Tip

Carry swimming costumes if you plan to visit Siloso Beach. Free changing facilities are available there.

Lunch

• Kailash Parbat Sentosa Lunch: 30 SGD

  
  

Later in the day, we visited Orchard Road for shopping and found several brands to be significantly cheaper than their Indian counterparts.

Final Day

Before leaving Singapore, we explored Bugis Market, picked up chocolates and souvenirs, and then headed to the airport.

Transport

• Hotel → Changi Airport: 27 SGD

  
  

Complete Expense Breakdown

Food & Restaurants

Item	SGD
IBIS Lunch	27
Shahi Maharaj Lunch	34
Grab Breakfast	15
Anand Bhavan / Kalam Restaurant Breakfasts	100
Kailash Parbat Dinner	50
Khansama Dinner	56
Copper Chimney Dinner	59
McDonald's Dinner	20
Kailash Parbat Sentosa Lunch	30
Total Food Spend	391 SGD

Cab / Grab

Route	SGD
Airport → IBIS	25.44
IBIS → Gardens by the Bay	13.00
Gardens by the Bay → Hotel	15.00
IBIS → Cruise Centre	14.84
Cruise → Pullman	15.00
Hotel → Airport	27.00
Total Cab Spend	110.28 SGD

MRT & Public Transport

Description	SGD
MRT & Sightseeing Transport	99
Sentosa Express	12
Total MRT Spend	111 SGD

Attractions

Activity	Cost
Gardens by the Bay	₹8,051
Universal Studios Singapore	₹14,559
Sentosa Cable Car	₹5,655
Mandai Wildlife Reserve	354 SGD

Final Cost Summary

Category	Cost
Food & Restaurants	391 SGD
Cab / Grab	110.28 SGD
MRT & Local Transport	111 SGD
Activities	354 SGD + ₹28,265

Using the exchange rate implied by the trip expenses, the overall trip spending works out to approximately ₹99,381, excluding airfare, hotel stays, shopping, and Disney Cruise costs.

Final Thoughts

If you're visiting Singapore with family, my biggest recommendations would be:

• Stay in one centrally located hotel throughout the trip.

• Choose accommodation based on MRT connectivity rather than luxury.

• IBIS Bencoolen is an excellent base because of its proximity to Little India and MRT stations.

• Use MRT as your primary mode of transport.

• Pay-as-you-go MRT fares can be significantly cheaper than tourist passes.

• Keep Grab installed for convenience, especially when travelling with luggage.

• Have breakfast in Little India instead of paying hotel breakfast prices.

• Allocate at least three days for Mandai Wildlife Reserve.

• Use the MRT + Khatib Shuttle combination to reach Mandai.

• Do not rush Sentosa Island. It deserves a full day.

• Skip the Universal Studios Express Pass.

• Accor Plus Explorer membership offers excellent value if staying in Accor hotels.

  
  

Singapore is not a cheap destination, but with smart hotel choices, extensive MRT usage, strategic meal planning, and a well-paced itinerary, it can be explored comfortably without overspending.