Singapore: what to know before you go
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We’re just back from our first HerCanberra Trip to Singapore, and we’ll be rolling out a series of articles sharing our adventures.
But first up, the essentials—here’s what you need to know before you go, what to do when you arrive, and the goss on getting home.
GETTING THERE
Checking in at Canberra Airport is a breeze.
Plan with your travel agent
You can absolutely DIY, but we found working with Flight Centre Manuka a great way to uncover experiences we may not have thought of, and unlock great value deals. It’s worth chatting to them, particularly if you’re time-poor and don’t want to think about the details!
Passports and Visas
You don’t need a Visa if you’re traveling from Australia but you need to have at least six months validity on your passport.
Departing from Canberra Airport
Canberra Airport has daily international flights with Singapore Airlines, departing at 11:15pm each night.
What time to get there
The Singapore Airlines international check-in process is super quick and efficient. The International Departures Lounge opens two hours before each flight departs (9:15pm), so we recommend getting there around 9pm.
Given the flight time (and Canberra traffic in general), it’s an easy journey to the airport, and the terminal is less crowded than its larger city counterparts, meaning less queues and more time spent relaxing before your flight. You’ll have plenty of time to clear security, relax in the spacious international lounge (free Wi-Fi!), enjoy pre-flight snacks and drinks at the bar and browse the selection at Lotte Duty Free.
Parking
Whether you are having a short weekend break or planning on staying a while, it’s cheaper than you think to park at the airport.
You can park from 3 pm Friday and exit before last flights on Sunday in one of the outdoor car parks for just $35—that’s cheaper than a couple of taxi fares or rideshare fares. If you need a little longer, take advantage of the long stay outdoor parking. Park for up to six weeks and you’ll only pay a capped amount of $175 (that’s only a little over $4 a day).
Or you can choose to park undercover with direct access to the terminal—any closer, you would be already on the plane! A very different story to other capital cities.
What you can take onboard
As with any international flight, each container of liquids, aerosols or gels in your carry-on baggage must be 100 millilitres or less. All the containers must be sealed in a transparent, one-litre plastic bag. You are only allowed one bag. Any resealable bag of one litre capacity or less is allowed.
You may still carry through the screening point prescription medicines. Baby products and non-prescription medicines that you need for the flight are also allowed. Proof of need may be required.
Prepare your plastic bag before you check-in. You will then have time to put any containers that are too big into your check-in baggage.
Get more information on restrictions on liquids, aerosols, gels and powders.
Power Plug
The standard electrical current used in Singapore is 220-240 volts AC (50 cycles) and you can use power plugs with three square prongs here. Make sure you take one with you!
On the plane
KrisWorld, Singapore Airlines inflight entertainment system
By the time you depart Canberra, it’s after 11 pm, so you’re probably ready for a wee kip. Once seated, flight attendants distribute hot towels so you can freshen up a little, and then they get ready for dinner service.
Chances are, once you’ve eaten, you’ll settle in for a nap. You’ll be woken around 4 am Singapore time (6 am Canberra time), be served breakfast, and disembark a little after 5 am.
If you sleep, the flight seems very quick, and the early arrival time means you have an entire day ahead to explore.
ON THE GROUND
Hotel Check-In
The pool area at Pan Pacific Singapore, where you can while away the day while waiting for your room to be ready.
If you’re lucky, you may get early access to your room—otherwise, check-in isn’t usually until 3 pm. This may fill you with dread if you’re feeling tired from your overnight flight, but hotels usually do their best to make sure you’re comfortable until you can flop into your assigned bed.
We stayed at Pan Pacific Singapore in the Marina District, and while we didn’t get into our room until 3 pm or so, we were given access to the Pool Lounge (like a small airport lounge with chairs, television and tea and coffee facilities) and pool area, where we could swim, lounge on cabanas, and enjoy food and drinks from the poolside bar. After a morning jaunt, we retired here for the afternoon, had some food and a power nap, and we were all good to go for the rest of the day!
Phones and WiFi
You can stick with your Australian phone and data plan, but roaming is expensive. You’re best to try to use data in your hotel wherever possible, but here are some options.
International Travel Packs
I’m with Telstra and they offer an International Day Pass for $10 a day, which includes unlimited talk and text and 200MB of data per day which expires daily. Be warned—that 200MB doesn’t last long if you’re using social media, maps, etc. while you’re out and about.
If you go over your 200MB, they add an additional 500MB for $10 for use within 31 days.
Optus have a similar product.
Singtel SIMs
Our travel buddy Sheree instead grabbed a Singtel prepaid SIM card—you can get them from any Changi Recommends store for $30 SGD—there is one directly at the Arrivals exit in Terminal 3, and it’s open 24 hrs.
The card gives you 100GB of data, unlimited local calls and SMS, and 90 minutes of international calls for 12 days—they even change the SIM cards over in your phone and give you your Aussie sim back in a little packet.
Other local telcos—like M1 and Starhub—also offer packages, so it’s worth researching what best suits your needs before you go.
WiFi & Connectivity
Wireless@SG is a free public WiFi service across Singapore, with hotspots available at many locations, from malls and museums, to MRT stations and public libraries. You can register for a free public Wi-Fi account with your foreign mobile number at any Wireless@SG hotspot.
Weather
Singapore is hot and humid all year-round, with temperatures usually reaching over 30°C. It can rain at any time (which can be torrential but usually brief) but we found the weather forecast apps to be generally pessimistic—it forecast rain every day of our trip yet there was just one shower on our last night.
You’re best to plan your outdoor activities for cooler mornings, and urban walks for night. Also make sure you wear lots of sunscreen and a hat.
Oh, and unless you have a sizeable thigh gap, buy some cotton bike shorts for under dresses to fend off the dreaded chafing! I got some super-cheap ones from Target and they did the job brilliantly. Others swear by anti-chafing cream.
GETTING AROUND
We walked. A lot.
We walked. A lot. But that was our choice—walking is my absolute favourite way to explore a new city, as it lets you really immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and scents of a place.
But Singapore is easy to get around whichever way you choose.
Train
Singapore’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) is incredibly fast and cheap. It’s organised via a series of coloured routes and will get you anywhere you want to go, quickly and easily.
If you plan to travel via MRT a lot, it’s worth investing in a Singapore Tourist Pass—a one-day pass is $10 SGD, a two-day pass is $16 SGD or you can get a three-day pass for $20 SGD.
Car
Taxis are great (and affordable), when you can find them, but during peak hour that can be a challenge. It’s also a little like survival of the fittest—queues are not really respected, so you have to get in there and be aggressive!
Always make sure you get a receipt if you’re travelling by taxi—this way if you leave something behind you can easily get in contact with the cab/driver.
Our tip is to download the Grab app before you go—it’s pretty much the same as Uber, and there’s almost always a car nearby.
Maps
Google Maps is a traveller’s saviour—but it chews data if you’re using your GPS over a mobile network. Better to download maps while you’re on WiFi and then use them later—just note that you can get driving directions offline, but not transit, bicycling, or walking directions (but looking at the map at least gives you a good indication of where to head).
GOING HOME
Changi Airport
The Rain Vortex, a 40m-tall indoor waterfall located inside the Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore. Seriously, this is in an airport.
You could easily while away an entire day in Singapore’s Changi Airport. Consistently ranked as one of the top airports in the world, it has a koi pond, butterfly garden, playgrounds, free movie screenings—even a swimming pool.
Make sure you check out Jewel—it’s something pretty extraordinary!
Check-in and security runs with typical Singaporean efficiency, leaving you plenty of time to check out the huge array of shops and dining.
The flight
As opposed to the overnight flight from Canberra to Singapore, the journey home will see you leave Singapore at around 9:30 am and get into Canberra around 10:30 pm (the flight goes via Sydney, and you’ll have to disembark clear security, stretch your legs and then reboard along with new passengers just starting their trip to Singapore).
It takes the best part of a day, but you’ll get two food services and it’s a good excuse to catch up on some of the movies you probably slept through on the way over!
Arriving at Canberra Airport
Perhaps the quickest Customs process you’ll ever experience—we were off the plane and collecting our baggage in about 15 mins.
And since your body clock is still on Singapore time, you’re not completely wrung out by the time you get home.
Add in the quiet night roads of Canberra and you’ll be tucked up in bed before midnight and ready to face the day tomorrow sans jetlag!
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This is a sponsored post presented in partnership with Canberra Airport. You can read our Sponsored Post Policy here.
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