Where to Stay in Singapore
We stayed at Pan Pacific Orchard Hotel Singapore for three nights. We chose it because it was close to the venue where we attended a business conference. As we had our kids with us, we wanted a hotel we can quickly walk back to. We also made sure the hotel had a nanny service. Plus, of course, it’s a great hotel with very good reviews. The room was spacious, clean, and comfortable.
After the conference, we transferred to Dorsett Singapore, which was in the Chinatown area, making it a perfect base for our food adventures. The hotel is modern and slick.
On an earlier trip, we stayed at Travelodge Harbourfront (it was called Bay Hotel at that time), as it was across VivoCity, the gateway to Sentosa Island. The location obviously was perfect and the hotel room itself is clean and modern, if a bit small. But it sure beats paying for an expensive hotel inside Sentosa.
Our Singapore Itinerary With Kids
No doubt Singapore tries its darnedest to attract tourists, and it has done an amazing job with over 18 million international tourists a year! We wouldn’t say it’s the best travel destination in Asia (we’d go for the ancient civilizations of Japan and China or the beaches of Thailand and the Philippines), but Singapore offers a lot to families with small kids. And a lot more to foodies.
Below is an almost exact reconstruction of our actual itinerary (we added in Universal Studios from a previous trip in 2010 to replace the day we spent for a business conference).
Day 1: Orchard Road and Marina Bay
- Arrive in Singapore
- Lunch at Omakase Burger
- Check-in at Pan Pacific Orchard Hotel
- Explore Orchard Road
- Explore Marina Bay and Merlion Park
- Check out Gardens by the Bay
- Ride the Singapore Flyer
- Dinner at Singapore Food Treats
Day 2: Little India and Kampong Glam
- Breakfast in hotel
- Explore Little India
- Lunch at The Banana Leaf Apolo
- Explore Kampong Glam (Haji Lane and Arab Street)
- Check out Sultan Mosque
- Dinner at Derwish Turkish Restaurant
Day 3: Singapore Zoo and Chinatown
- Breakfast in hotel
- Check out
- Explore Singapore Zoo
- Lunch at Ah Meng Restaurant in Singapore Zoo
- Check in at Dorsett Singapore
- Explore Chinatown
- Get a foot massage in Chinatown
- Dinner at Maxwell Hawker Center
Day 4: Legoland Malaysia and Chinatown
- Breakfast in hotel
- Explore Legoland Malaysia
- Lunch at Legoland Malaysia
- Explore Chinatown
- Dinner at Chinatown Food Street
Day 5: Sentosa Island and Harbour Front
- Breakfast in hotel
- Explore Universal Studios
- Lunch at Universal Studios
- Explore Resorts World and VivoCity
- Dinner at Pasir Ris Laksa (Vivo City Food Republic)
Day 6: Sentosa Island
- Breakfast in hotel
- Visit Dolphin Island
- Lunch at
- Visit Adventure Cove Waterpark
- Explore Resorts World
- Dinner at at Hard Rock Café
Day 7: Changi
- Breakfast in hotel
- Check out
- Explore Changi International Airport
Despite several trips to vacation over the past few decades, we still haven’t exhausted everything there is to see and do in Singapore. For example, we haven’t been to the other wildpark zoos, we haven’t been inside any of the iconic Marina Bay buildings (except Esplanade), and obviously the new Jewel inside the airport.
Of course, it’s no longer in our priority. Most likely, it will be a short stopover whenever we fly with Singapore Airlines on long-haul flights. But definitely, we highly recommend Singapore to families with young children or those who want to experience the different cultures of Asia in one compact, clean, and safe environment.
