SINGAPORE IN A WHEELCHAIR
Singapore, a magical city, where the scents of the kitchens mix with those of the city, where the old blends with the new and the new leaves room for the brand new!
It is a huge city to travel around, even though we have been several days, the more we went into its neighborhoods and the more we discovered.
You never tire of a city so lively, energetic and full of a thousand spirits and identities. It is crazy how each culture has maintained its characteristics, but at the same time it is crazy how these, mixing in a homogeneous way, have given rise to a completely new result, which only in Singapore can be found.
SINGAPORE OVERALL
Singapore is one of the most important economic centers in the world and it is known in every aspect.
It has about 5.6 million people, of whom about 74% are of Chinese origin, 13% Malaysian and almost 10% Indian.
42% of the population is foreigners and this makes the appointment one of the Countries with the most immigrants in the world.
We can divide Singapore into many neighborhoods, each of which would take full days to explore them well!
It is one of the few cities where the old and the new really blend in harmony. Its colorful houses have nothing to envy to the elegant skyscrapers that stand out in the background.
In this city you can find anything you can think of. Full of chic restaurants for the evening, stalls and street food all day long, museums and luxury hotels up to a budget motel of all kinds.
In short, there is something for all tastes and budgets. It will also be one of the most expensive cities in the world, but, like all Asian cities, it is also possible to get everything at a low price, without necessarily sacrificing quality.
DOCUMENTS AND GENERAL INFORMATION
For Italian tourists and tourist stays of up to 90 days in Singapore it is not necessary to obtain a visa in advance.
Just fill in the form that will be provided on the plane or that you will find just before the border and show your passport with at least 6 months of residual validity.
For every other Countries, please follow your local regulations for visa!
The currency in use is the Singapore dollar (SGD or S $) and is worth 0.65 euros (or 0.71 US $). So 1 euro is worth S $ 1.54 and 1 USD is 1.41 S $.
There are no mandatory vaccines (except for yellow fever in case coming from a country at risk of transmission).
However, I recommend that you always read up on vaccines and visas regulation before each trip.
WHEN TO GO TO SINGAPORE
Singapore’s equatorial climate is characterized by temperatures between 24 and 31 °C ( 75.2 °F – 87.8 °F) and rather intense rains all year round. There is no real dry or wet season, so the weather will have little influence on your choice.
Do not be frightened by the clouds, because the weather could remain threatening all day, but without rain and even if it rains, it lasts only a few hours, usually in the afternoon, and the activities to be done indoors are certainly not lacking.
A good strategy is not to stay in malls when it’s nice outside, but to wait for a rainy afternoon to explore their huge malls.
HOW TO MOVE IN SINGAPORE IN A WHEELCHAIR
By now you are wondering if Singapore is an accessible city, if it is easy to travel in Singapore in a wheelchair or how it is to move in Singapore with a disability and how Singapore’s public transport is for people in a wheelchair.
Here is my answer:
Singapore is a very accessible city for people in wheelchairs. Needless to say, all the new skyscrapers are super accessible, as are its countless shopping malls.
But even the old part and its narrow streets are almost all completely accessible. You will find a few steps here and there, but look for an alternative route, you will not struggle to find the viable route.
The least accessible area in a wheelchair is probably Little India, the sidewalks are narrower and the streets more crowded, just like the Motherland.
The Subway
The best way to get around is definitely the metro (in Singapore it’s called MRT). The ticket for the single ride costs on average between S $ 1.20 and S $ 1.70 (about € 1) and will allow you to quickly move between the main attractions and most important junctions.
All stations are accessible, as are trains. There are automatic machines in each station (which, however, give a maximum of S $ 4 change, so bring small coins or bills).
There are also daily tickets (up to 3 days), but do the math well because we have made an average of 3/5 journeys per day and therefore the daily wouldn’t be cheaper for us.
You can download the Singapore metro app to always have the stops, the map and all the metro fares with you!
Children under 7 travel for free (go to the ticket offices for information).
Lastly, inside the stations and inside the trains, there is always air conditioning, sometimes even too strong, but it is really a relief during the hot and humid summer of Singapore.
Ground transports
Surface transport is very widespread, but we have always preferred the metro and then walking to the final destination.
In any case, we recommend walking around the city to move from one point to another, because it is really lively and sparkling and is the only way to really appreciate its neighborhoods.
Grab
Another excellent solution is to use GRAB, an app very similar to Uber used throughout Southeast Asia. It is cheaper than taxis, very efficient and reliable. We have never had problems. You can download the app before leaving and use it comfortably on the spot, paying in cash.
INTERNET IN SINGAPORE
Having internet while traveling is very convenient (not only to publish Instagram Stories), but also to find timetables, places, itineraries and… read my blog while traveling!!
There is certainly no shortage of Wi-Fi connections and practically every place, shopping center or hotel has one.
You can also buy a local SIM (also convenient for making a few calls) for your mobile phone.
I advise you NOT to buy it at the airport because they are usually more expensive than the average.
We had a great time with those that are purchased at 7/11, scattered everywhere. It only costs S $ 12 and you will have 100GB available for one week. However, you need your passport to activate the SIM, so don’t leave it at the hotel!
WHAT TO SEE IN SINGAPORE
Are you going to visit Singapore or are you already there? Are you wondering which are Singapore’s best attractions or which are wheelchair accessible attractions in Singapore?
Here is my list of things to see in Singapore:
- Merlion
- Chinese and Japanese Garden (READ IMPORTANT)
- Botanic Garden
- Chinatown
- Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
- Sri Mariamman Temple
- Little India
- Orchard Road
- Emerald Hill Road
- Bugis Street
- Marina Bay
- Gardens by The Bay
- ArtScience Museum
- Alkaff Bridge
- Sentosa (funivia + monorotaia Vivocity)
- Haji Lane
- Changi Airport
MERLION
This is the symbol of Singapore. Our taxi driver told us where the name of the city comes from and therefore also its symbol.
An ancient Malaysian king, Sang Nila Utama, appears to have arrived in Singapore and ordered his soldiers to capture a lion. The lion, however, to escape capture, dived into the sea, leaving the king amazed.
The name Singapore in the Malay language means “Lion City” and the Merlion (Mermaid + Lion) is represented with the body of fish and lion’s head to unite these two creatures and traditions.
Having said all this, the sculpture / fountain is not that great, especially compared to all the rest that Singapore has to offer.
Go and see it only in case you don’t want to miss one of the symbols of Singapore, otherwise I recommend to spend your time doing something else.
CHINESE AND JAPANESE GARDEN
They say they are among the most beautiful Chinese and Japanese gardens in the world. Too bad they forgot to tell us that they are both closed for renovation UNTIL 2020!
BOTANIC GARDENS
We consoled ourselves with Singapore’s other magnificent gardens, the Botanic Gardens are easily accessible by metro, as are most points of interest.
We have slightly underestimated them and we have not foreseen the right time to devote to seeing them all. They are in fact huge and to see them all you have to expect at least 2 or 3 hours.
Entrance is free, while for some gardens / attractions inside you have to pay. We only saw the Orchid Garden and paid S $ 10 for both of them.
All routes are generally very accessible even if there are several ups and downs that can make the visit a little tiring.
It is definitely worth it, though!
CHINATOWN IN SINGAPORE
One of our favorite neighborhoods in every city and unwittingly most of the time we take the hotel right in Chinatown.
Always full of life, restaurants with an inviting aroma and a homey look, full of every souvenir to but for relatives and friends; it is the perfect place to spend a morning strolling.
Among other things here, for those who love Chinese cuisine, you can eat very well and we found a couple of points not to be missed. A very nice thing is that Chinatown is full of wonderful murals, scattered everywhere. You will have to find them as an oratory treasure hunt! Have fun!
BUDDHA TOOTH RELIC TEMPLE
Always in Chinatown, you will find one of the few fully accessible Buddhist temples we have encountered.
You must know, in fact, that Buddhists believe that demons cannot go over the steps, nor make a curved path and it is they build a step in front of the doors of the temples and zig-zag bridges.
Just like demons, however, we people in wheelchairs also cannot overcome these barriers because they are quite high and narrow, making temples almost always inaccessible.
This time, however, they sacrificed culture and customs in favor of accessibility, it is certainly worth going to see it. It is a place that is still able to give peace and tranquility
SRI MARIAMMAN TEMPLE
E LITTLE INDIA
This Hindu temple is still in Chinatown. You can admire its very colorful dome and its colorful entrance.
Little India
It only takes a few blocks inside Little India to completely forget you are in Singapore and to be transported to India. The same smells, the same people and ways of doing. Unfortunately, it also seems that the infrastructures are more similar to India than to Singapore, in fact it is the area that we have found less accessible.
However, I recommend you take a walk here, especially if you have never been to India, so that you get an idea of the air you could breathe in India.
Small note: it is easier to walk on the street than on the sidewalks!
ORCHARD ROAD
Take the subway and come out directly on Orchard Road, a colorful street full of buildings, skyscrapers and shopping centers. Pleasant to walk abroad, as well as indoors, especially in case of rain.
Here you will find many niches to eat a quick lunch or an undemanding dinner.
Certainly the main pastime here are the huge shopping malls. They are whole cities where you can really find everything.
In general, most brands are repeated in every mall, so I advise you not to see them all, but rather put yourself in a nice big one when it starts to rain!
EMERALD HILL ROAD
It is a small road perpendicular to Orchard Road where you can find the most colorful houses in the city. I advise you to take a quick jump to take some photos and maybe even stop in one of the places along the way.
BUGIS STREET
Another street full of life and full of vibrations. It is curious how street markets can coexist so well with huge shopping malls within a few meters.
Get off the metro here and decide where to put your nose, whether in huge shopping malls or street markets.
By the way, in my opinion, Bugis Junction is one of the nicest shopping malls in Singapore.
MARINA BAY
The Marina Bay neighborhood is certainly one of the most elegant and fancy in the city. It is also full of attractions and things to see. I recommend you to spend at least one full day here, because there is so much to see!
GARDENS BY THE BAY
Perhaps Singapore’s most flashy and famous attraction.
It is a truly magnificent complex of parks and gardens. Entrance to the outside of the park is free, while greenhouses and gardens are subject to charges. You can buy tickets for one attraction or in one slightly discounted package to see them all.
I personally recommend getting a ticket to all three gardens because it is worth the effort.
The climb on the colorful “trees” (Supertree Grove) is always to be purchased separately and costs S $ 8 per head. In my opinion it is better to go up after sunset because the view from above at night really takes your breath away.
At 7.45pm and 8.45pm there is a very nice free light show in the SuperTree Grove area
ARTSCIENCE MUSEUM DI SINGAPORE
A beautiful interactive museum that combines technology with art. It is also perfect for families and children because it is completely interactive and you can “play” with the works on display.
In addition to the permanent exhibition, there are two other temporary exhibitions which change approximately every 6 months. We have seen an exhibition of “Alice in Wonderland” and a very curious exhibition on balloons and inflatables and their use in history.
Obviously everything perfectly accessible!
SPECTRA – A LIGHT AND WATER SHOW
At 8 and 9 in the evening (on Friday and Saturday also at 10pm), a fountain and light show is found right in front of the main entrance of The Shoppes, the shopping center of the Marina Bay Sands. It’s nice, but I admit that it didn’t make us super excited.
SINGAPORE NIGHT FESTIVAL
Only in August Singapore organizes light shows scattered throughout the city. We saw one of the most famous, projected on the National Museum and it was truly magnificent and exciting. Perhaps the most beautiful ever seen together with the one in Melbourne for Christmas in 2013.
If you visit the city in August I absolutely recommend you to look for the program and see these shows!
SINGAPORE FLYER
The classic Ferris wheel. It is one of the largest in the world and it takes thirty minutes to make a complete tour!
For all those in wheelchairs, don’t worry! Guaranteed accessibility without any problem!
You can also book an “exclusive” tour and you will be fewer in the cabin and you will also get champagne.
If you really want to exaggerate, you can also have dinner while you rotate over Singapore!! I would say it would be a perfect location for a wedding proposal…
However, I advise you to book a little in advance because places are limited and you need to book at least 24 hours in advance.
ALKAFF BRIDGE
A very colorful bridge near the Clarke Quay area. In the area around the Alkaff Bridge there are a lot of nice places for dinner and especially after dinner!
SENTOSA
If you have time, you can spend a day of leisure and relaxation on the island of Sentosa. It is very easy to reach: just get off the Metro at the Harbor Front stop, and then take the Sentosa Express monorail from the Vivocity station (there is an internal connection between the two stations).
The monorail ticket costs S $ 4 and you can use it as many times as you want inside the island. There are in fact several stops, based on what you want to do and see.
You can lie on the beach, visit the aquarium, go to Universal Studios or many other entertainment.
It is perfect for families with children, but adults will certainly not be bored!
In Sentosa you can also reach the southernmost point of continental Asia… something to tell your friends about!
CABLE CAR
From Sentosa or near Vivocity station you can also take the cable car to go up to Mount Faber.
We didn’t have time to do it, but we were told that dining at sunset up here is truly romantic!
If you did, let me know absolutely!
HAJI LANE
One of the most colorful and characteristic streets of Singapore.
Its small shops and cafes manage to give a truly sparkling atmosphere.
I recommend it especially for after dinner, because they fill the street with tables and they cheer all night long!
Magnificent!
CHANGI AIRPORT
Yes, you got it right, Singapore airport is definitely worth a visit. As soon as you arrive, you will surely find that it is not just an airport… shopping malls, waterfalls from the ceiling, bouncing nets and much more.
If you have time on the last day, you can go a few hours before your flight and take a tour inside the shopping center, Jewel, and the airport.
There is a convenient office for early check-in at Level 1, so you can leave your luggage and walk lighter.
WHERE TO SLEEP IN SINGAPORE
- Marina Bay Sands
I think that no major introduction is needed for Singapore’s most famous and iconic hotel. The welcome we received here was magnificent and I must admit that it was the most beautiful experience in a hotel we have ever had.
It is not only a hotel, but you can also find a huge shopping center and casino in case you feel lucky.
What made this hotel famous, in addition to its architectural appearance of three buildings that support a “ship”, is certainly the infinity pool located on the 57th floor, at the beauty of 340 meters above the ground. This makes it the highest infinity pool in the world… truly a sight to behold. I recommend you to go early in the morning because it is usually quite crowded and you may find it difficult to find free deckchairs.
Unfortunately, access to the swimming pool is only allowed for hotel guests. If you do not have a room in the hotel, you will not be able to enter, not even by paying a ticket.
You can still watch the view from that height thanks to the SkyPark, whose ticket can be purchased for everyone.
If you have saved some money during your vacation, I would recommend you to spend at least the last night at Marina Bay Sands because it is truly a unique experience! You can get up at 6am and be the first in the pool to see the sun rise over the city… a great way to end your holiday in Singapore.
I leave you the LINK of their official website for reservations, SkyPark and all the information you need about the hotel
- Fragrance Hotel – Riverside
This hotel was our choice for the first three nights. It is on the border of Chinatown, a stone’s throw from Clarke Quay.
The selling points of this hotel are definitely the location (it is close to the stops of two metro lines) and the price is lower than the city average.
The staff is very nice and helpful and in addition… it has a swimming pool on the roof !!
Here is the direct LINK of the hotel.
- Hotel Mi
We also slept in this hotel: simple, not expensive, but above all it has a great location: right next to the National Museum, halfway between Orchard Road and Bugis Street and close to the Downtown Metro line.
Chosen it for its strategic position!
WHERE TO EAT IN SINGAPORE
Singapore really has everything to offer, from street food for a few euros to starred restaurants for a few thousand, from Chinese to Indian or Italian food… really for all tastes and budgets!
As soon as I started writing this part I realized that I would never stop, so I decided to write a whole separate article about where and what to eat in Singapore.
So set the table ready and read my article on WHERE TO EAT IN SINGAPORE!
CONCLUSIONS
I can say lightly that Singapore is one of the most beautiful cities we have visited!
Super accessible, clean, multi-ethnic and multicultural, it combines ancient and modern with elegance and style. It really has to offer emotions and activities for all tastes, pockets and interests.
We came back earlier to Singapore after our trip to Indonesia and Malaysia, just to spend a few more nights in this beautiful city.
Whether it’s just for a long stopover while you are heading to another destination or that it is your final destination, I really recommend you to visit this city and its kaleidoscopic soul.
As usual I want to know yours, so leave a comment below or write me directly HERE and read my latest articles, in case you missed them, HERE
See you soon and the next article…
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