Meeting in person for the first time after months of virtual dates is completely surreal. When Alyssa walked out of the arrival gate in Singapore, it was a mixture of absolute excitement and a tiny bit of screen-to-reality awkwardness. But within five minutes, it felt like we had never been apart.
Singapore was the perfect neutral ground to meet, but it is notoriously expensive. Here is how we survived the stopover on a budget:
The Accommodation Trick
Hotels in downtown Singapore can easily drain your travel savings. We booked a boutique hotel in Geylang, just a 5-minute walk from the Aljunied MRT station. It was clean, cozy, and cost a fraction of the Marina Bay prices, while letting us travel anywhere in the city within 20 minutes.
Eating Like a Local
Instead of dining at tourist-trap restaurants, we had almost all our meals at Singapore’s famous Hawker Centres.
- Lau Pa Sat: Excellent satay streets in the evening.
- Maxwell Food Centre: Incredible Hainanese chicken rice for just $4.50 SGD.
We spent very little on food and tasted some of the best Michelin-guide dishes in the world!
Free Sightseeing
You don’t need to spend $50 SGD on observation decks to get the best views. The outdoor light show at Gardens by the Bay (Supertrees) is 100% free and runs twice every evening. Walking around Marina Bay sands at night is free, stunning, and highly romantic.