When my husband was staffing a booth at a conference in Singapore this year, we decided for me to bring our 2Y10M daughter toward the end of the event on Friday. From there, we spent 3 full days in Singapore with a very loose schedule as we had dinner plans with local friends and relatives. With just one kid-friendly sight per day, diverse food options, and some pool time, we enjoyed exploring the tropical country.
Lodging
Finding a hotel with decent space for our toddler (more than 300 sqft / 28 sqm) within our budget proved to be a challenge, possibly due to Singapore’s popularity as a business travel destination where the budget or the space wasn’t a top concern. After searching through various hotels and apartment hotels, I eventually found an affordable and spacious, albeit more dated, apartment hotel near Orchard Road – Orchard Point Serviced Apartments – for under 200 USD per night. Its excellent location within walking distance of Somerset and Dhoby Ghaut MRT stations and proximity to malls on Orchard Road made up for its slightly worn interior and facilities. The kids’ playroom and rooftop pool in the building were added perks for our daughter to enjoy.
Airport Transportation
As I flew in with our daughter myself, we opted for the popular ride-sharing app in Singapore, Grab. They have GrabFamily cars with car seats or booster seats for kids in different age groups, making it convenient to travel with a young child. We had no problem getting a car and reached our hotel within half an hour.
Taking the MRT
During rush hours or when we had plenty of time, we took the MRT as our hotel was conveniently close to two stations. Tapping our phones with Apple Wallet to get in and out of the stations (also supported contactless credit cards) made it very convenient. All of the stations we visited had elevators for easy stroller access, although sometimes there was a bit of a wait.
Day 1
Kaya toast breakfast at Toast Box
Kaya toast is one of the classic breakfast foods in Singapore, I’ve tried both chains, Ya Kun and Toast Box, and they were pretty similar. As Toast Box is located just next to our hotel at Centrepoint food court, we went there twice for breakfast. I ordered in Mandarin (what they spoke to me), their toast had a whole wheat option and they offered boiled eggs instead of raw eggs (local style) upon request which were nice for our daughter. It was fun seeing them make the food and drinks, the coffee/tea cups were quite large.
Playtime at Tayo Station
Our daughter is a fan of Tayo the Little Bus (also on Netflix), so when we saw this themed indoor playground, we knew we had to visit. Located in a mall about an hour away by MRT and a 15-minute walk past a large bus terminal, Tayo Station was spacious and filled with play areas like driving routes for little buses, a ball pen with fast slides, trampolines, and more. We got there shortly after they opened at 10:30 AM, and it was already crowded on a rainy weekend morning. Our daughter had such an intense fun time, always going up and down and around. We ended our time after meeting and marching with Tayo close to noon. They also have a space to host birthday parties, there was one party when we went and it looked very fun.
Hainan chicken rice lunch at Mr. Chicken Rice
As one of our favorite dishes in Singapore, we would have loved to try some hall-in-the-wall vendors in Hawker centers but we opted for one in the same building as the Tayo station for convenience. It wasn’t crowded right before noon on a rainy Saturday, and they had high chairs. We shared two Hainan chicken rice sets and a tofu side dish with our daughter and she was a fan of the rice cooked in chicken broth.
Strolling through Little India
After enjoying a coffee break while our daughter napped, we took the MRT to explore Little India, the district housing the third-largest ethnic community in the country. Upon arriving, we were immediately immersed in a different atmosphere as we encountered a multitude of Indian restaurants, jewelry shops, and various stores lining the streets. We made our way through the Tekka Centre, where groups of friends and family were relishing meals from a variety of vendors at the hawker center. On the second floor, I found myself mesmerized by the rows of vibrant and elegant dresses.
A flavorful experience at Mr. Biryani
Indian food is one of our favorite cuisines, and we couldn’t miss the chance to have a meal while visiting Little India and introducing our daughter to the flavors. We decided on a restaurant Mr. Biryani with a comfortable and clean interior that provided high chairs, kids’ plates, and utensils. We all enjoyed their complimentary appetizer, a bowl of crispy Papadam chips. Three of us shared a chicken biryani, butter chicken, and both plain and garlic naans. We got the lowest spice level for our daughter, though it proved to be a little too spicy for her young palate. She consumed copious amounts of water, along with plain naan and a few non-spicy bites of biryani. She got a bit traumatized by spicy food since then, it might take a few more tries.
Day 2
Western-style breakfast at Coffeesmith
On the second day, we felt like having some Western-style breakfast at a cozy coffee shop in the Orchardgateway across from the hotel. It was pretty calm at 8 AM on a Sunday, with small groups here and there in the mall. I shared a breakfast plate with our daughter, and she had a Kagome juice box from DON DON DONKI Japanese market in the same mall.
Discovering the kids’ art space at National Gallery Singapore
We spent the morning at National Gallery Singapore for their Children’s Biennale 2023 which concluded in March 2024 every 2 years. The museum happened to be free (on a Sunday) as well. Our daughter was curious to try different rooms, drawing on different medium, and exploring spaces with unique exhibitions. Beyond the Biennale exhibits, the gallery also hosts the Keppel Centre for kids that required signups when we went. For diaper changing room, it took us a few tries asking different staff members to locate one on a separate floor.
Fried food rice plate at Café Ponggol Nasi Lemak
We couldn’t miss the opportunity to try Nasi Lemak, a traditional Malay dish, while in Singapore. Our daughter loved the rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf, polishing off her portion quickly.
Swimming at the hotel pool
Many hotels in Singapore have a pool (usually outdoors), and we spent a relaxing afternoon at the pool of our apartment hotel. Even though the facilities were on the more outdated side, the pool was reasonably maintained. It was very refreshing cooling off on a hot Singaporean day.
Hot pot dinner at Beauty in The Pot
We met with my cousin and her family from Singapore and had a hot pot dinner together. The restaurant has high chairs and is family-friendly. There is a small play area with a slide and ball ben for kids, which was very helpful while we waited for the food. Each kid also got a small toy from the restaurant. The menu was all a la carte, and we all got all-you-can-drink options which meant unlimited plum juice for me. Our two families shared a yuan yang split pot with plain and numbing spicy side by side. The ingredients all felt very fresh, and we had a good meal overall.
Day 3
Breakfast at Tiong Bahru Bakery
My cousin in Singapore recommended this bakery chain for breakfast, and I had a memorable croissant sandwich to share with our daughter. They also had their jam in the self-serve area, and the ambiance was nice at the location near our hotel. There were a few people who were on their laptops or reading a book as well.
Cloud forest at Gardens by the Bay
We took a Grab ride to the Gardens by the Bay, and spent the day there. I’d recommend buying tickets beforehand, we waited a bit in line on a Monday. The cloud forest was truly impressive how the plants and flowers were maintained, arranged, and decorated vertically and horizontally in a breathtaking way. Our daughter walked the whole way through the path up high. The route was also stroller-friendly with an elevator to go between floors.
Scary lunch at Jurassic Nest Food Hall
After the cloud forest, we walked to a dinosaur themed food hall in Gardens by the Bay. We first picked a table that had a great view of the dinosaurs indoors as VIP seats since we went early, thinking our daughter would love it. Then we ordered our lunch in a machine. The options were somewhat limited, we got our daughter a chicken rice kids meal at the Hawker Chan restaurant. After our food arrived, the T. rex started their show, and our daughter broke into panic and tears, waving her arms wanting to leave. A kind mom walked over to offer her a sticker, and she associated Singapore with dinosaurs ever since. If the kid isn’t the biggest fan of dinosaurs, choosing a table farther away would probably be wise as the dinosaurs scene felt quite realistic.
Grand mall at Marina Bay Sands Shoppes
It was a hot day right after lunch, and it took our daughter a while to fall asleep in the stroller as we walked around the indoor flower exhibition with the Year of the Dragon theme. Afterwards, we left Gardens by the Bay and walked to the shopping area in the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. Everything felt grand at this hotel, it was one of the fanciest shopping malls I have been to with afternoon tea and restaurants over the water and various water arts. We had a coffee break at the Starbucks Reserve, walked along the canal, and window-shopped.
European-style family dinner at Marché Mövenpick
We met some friends from Singapore at the super family-friendly Mövenpick market restaurant, recommended by my friend from Singapore. For me, Mövenpick is more known for its ice cream of Swiss origin. Marche is their restaurant chain that features fresh European-style meals that are family-friendly. At the 313@somerset location, they had a huge space at the basement level with multiple stations for different types of food that are made to order. High chairs and utensils are without question, and they also have a play space with a slide that can keep kids busy for a while. I shared a Swiss rosti with smoked salmon and a crepe with veggies with our daughter. I loved that everything was cooked fresh, and the portion was pretty big we had a lot to share with others in the group with a bit left. The ordering system was interesting with a card that is tapped for each order at any station. The restaurant wasn’t very busy on a Monday evening at an earlier time, but I could foresee long lines on weekends or prime hours.
Wrap
Despite the small geographical size, it is modern and clean while keeping the diversity of cultures and cuisines. Its safety and cleanliness certainly make family travels easy, and there are many other sights I hope to take our daughter to when she’s bigger – Night Safari, Sentosa, Legoland in Malaysia (requires a car service), Universal Studio, S.E.A. aquarium, hikes, and more food experiences. Even the Jewel at Changyi airport is a place to spend a day, with interior design and stores that embody the iconic elements of Singapore with plants, water, and a variety of shops and food options. I look forward to coming back for a warm vacation seeing other parts of Singapore.
Here is the full itinerary and lists of places that we considered for the Singapore trip: