The family visited Singapore last week! It was their first overseas travel since the pandemic began almost three years ago. I took leave on all the days of their visit. This was the family’s third visit to Singapore in ten years.

When we planned the trip, it was more of an easy checklist of which area we’d be in per day. The monsoon weather is crazy these days so I always had a backup. I feel we achieved 90% of what we set out to do anyway.

Here’s what we did over five days. Some of my footnotes after.

Day 1, Thursday Arrival Day	✈️ Pick-up the family at Changi Airport T3 (11am, SQ915) ⭐️ Activity: Jewel Changi Airport (HSBC Rain Vortex) 🍱 Lunch: Kho Kho Nara, Jewel Changi Airport ⭐️ Activity: Visit Pokémon Center 🍱 Snack: Birds of Paradise (recommend: Mint Choco) 🚕 Taxi to Carlton City Hotel Singapore (Grab 6-Seater) 🏨 Family checks into Carlton City Hotel Singapore ❤️ Free time to chill at the hotel 🍱 Dinner: Ma Maison, 100AM (recommend: Beef Stroganoff) ⭐️ Activity: Visit Don Don Donki and FairPrice Finest (showing my parents where I do my groceries, since I live nearby) ❤️ Return to hotel to rest
Day 2, Friday Sentosa	🍱 Breakfast: Plate, Carlton City Hotel Singapore ❤️ Easy morning at the hotel 🚕 Taxi to Madame Tussauds Singapore ⭐️ Activity: Madame Tussauds Singapore (SGD 35/adult) – includes Images of Singapore, and the only boat ride within a Madame Tussauds in the world 🚶🏻 Walk to Imbiah Station / Tram to Beach Station 🍱 Lunch: Coastes (recommend: Grilled Ham & Cheese, Shades of Summer mocktail) 🛍️ Mom shops at Sentosa Fun Shop 🚕 Taxi to Hotel ❤️ Free time to chill at the hotel 🚕 Taxi to The Three Peacocks 🍱 Dinner: The Three Peacocks, Seafood and BBQ Buffet (reservations made, but it was still a free-for-all at arrival, worth it if you enjoy seafood) 🚕 Taxi to Hotel ❤️ Hotel to rest
Day 3, Saturday City and Orchard	🍱 Breakfast: Plate, Carlton City Hotel Singapore ❤️ Easy morning at the hotel 🚶🏻 Walk around Tanjong Pagar (Show the family International Plaza, Guoco Tower, Maxwell Chambers) ⭐️ Activity: Singapore City Gallery (Free) 🚕 Taxi to The Centrepoint 🍱 Lunch: Song Fa Bak Kut Teh, The Centrepoint (chef’s kiss, the broth is perfect for the monsoon season) 🛍️ Family shops at The Paragon (Marks & Spencer), Ngee Ann City (Sephora, Takashimaya Department Store, Books Kinokuniya) 🚕 Taxi to Hotel 🍱 Snack: Yomie’s Rice X Yogurt (behind the hotel, recommend their signature Purple Rice yogurt drink) ❤️ Free time to chill at the hotel ⭐️ Activity: Family time at George’s apartment (we watched Downton Abbey: A New Era on the projector screen) 🍱 Dinner Delivery: Alt. Pizza + Housemates’ snack box 😍 🚶🏻 Walk back to the hotel
Day 4, Sunday Boat Quay and Suntec	🍱 Breakfast: Plate, Carlton City Hotel Singapore ❤️ Easy morning at the hotel 🚕 Taxi to Circular Road, Boat Quay 🍱 Lunch: Co Chung Vietnamese Restaurant (recommend: the Vermicelli with Grilled Pork and Crispy Spring Roll) 🚶🏻 Walk along Boat Quay towards Fullerton Hotel 🍱 Snack: Ice Cream Sandwich from Uncle / Auntie ⭐️ Activity: Asian Civilisations Museum (SGD 45/family of 5) 🍱 Snack: Privé ACM – DO NOT RECOMMEND 🚶🏻Walk to Merlion Park and Esplanade 📚 Dad and brother head to National Library Singapore (it’s closed, they ended up at Popeyes instead 🍗) 🛍️ PJ and I take mom to Suntec City for shopping at Cotton On, H&M (mom enjoyed herself visiting H&M again after 3 years) 🍱 Dinner: Paradise Dynasty (recommend: Xiao Long Bao, and the yang chao fried rice – perhaps the best in its category) 🚕 Taxi to Hotel ❤️ Hotel to rest
Day 5, Monday Marina Bay Sands and Chinatown	🍱 Breakfast: Plate, Carlton City Hotel Singapore ❤️ Easy morning at the hotel 🚕 Taxi to Marina Bay Sands, Tower 1 🍱 Lunch: LAVO Italian Restaurant (Reservations made, I’m reserving some comments on the service we experienced; recommend “The Meatball” and their pizzas) ⭐️ Activity: Enjoy a panoramic view of the city from LAVO 🛍️ Window shopping at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands (we’re not the kind to really shop at Coach or Burberry) ⭐️ Activity: ArtScience Museum: Future World Where Art Meets Science (SGD 12/adult, this exhibition is not complete at the moment due to renovations, Crystal Universe remains open) 🛍️ Mom and brother shop at the Apple Store Marina Bay 🚕 Taxi to Hotel ❤️ Free time to chill at the hotel 🚶🏻 Evening walk at Duxton Plain Park towards Chinatown (great cross-section of Singapore on a weekday early evening: HDBs, people walking their dogs, jogging, playing basketball, etc.) 🛍️ Family buys souvenirs at Chinatown’s bazaar area 🍱 Dinner: Noodle Man (recommend: almost everything) ⭐️ Activity: Visit a brand new MRT station (Maxwell MRT) 🚶🏻 Walk back to the hotel ❤️ Hotel to rest

Some footnotes:

• We never took the MRT during the five days. I told my parents it wouldn’t be too hard since our hotel was in the city centre and getting to our destinations would be 2-3 stops at most. But I was mindful of mom’s hearing sensitivity and the roar of the train when it’s in the tunnels. Crowdedness was less a concern since our commute times were off-peak.
• On transportation, we booked the Grab 6-Seaters which were a pleasant surprise. They’re only a few dollars more than the regular Grab taxis, but far more comfortable. It meant my parents didn’t have to lower themselves to get into a regular taxi. Most of the 6-seater taxis also have automatic doors. Highly-recommend these types of taxis when traveling with elderly loved ones.
• Our hotel was city centre and intentionally at Carlton City Hotel Singapore since it’s a 3-minute walk from my apartment in Tanjong Pagar. I stayed at my apartment in the evenings.
• I dedicated mornings for the family to get extra rest. But I hadn’t realised that this was probably their most active time of the day. My brother normally starts work early morning.
• Where the pandemic is concerned, as of my family’s visit in November 2022, most restrictions had already been lifted. Though the four of us masked up, masks are only required in hospitals, clinics, and public transport excluding cabs.
• We skipped Gardens by the Bay, Satay Street, National Gallery Singapore, Haji Lane, Little India, Bugis, Universal Studios, etc. since we did these before.
• Go cashless if you can.

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The family flew back to Manila on Tuesday from Changi Airport’s T2. ❤️

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Any tips for travelling with elderly loved ones? I think we did a good job lol – but I’d love to hear your thoughts too.

Are you flying to Singapore for holiday? Let me know what you’re looking for so I can make some recommendations for you.