to remember if I even told her about that trip because honestly my brain before 10 AM is just... not there. But yeah, turned out her sister's getting married and they want to do this whole family thing in Singapore and she had NO idea where to start.

I was like, okay, let me think about this properly when I'm actually awake.

So here's the thing – and I know everyone talks about how Singapore is this perfect organized city where everything's easy (which, fair, it kind of is?) but there's still a bunch of stuff I wish someone had told me before I went. Like, I did so much research, watched all these YouTube videos, and I STILL messed up some basic things.

Okay so the Marina Bay situation

Wait, let me back up. When people think about Singapore tour package options, they immediately picture that hotel with the boat on top, right? The Marina Bay Sands. And look... I'm gonna say something controversial here. I actually think staying there is kind of overrated? (Don't @ me, I know it's iconic.)

Here's what happened with us. We booked this Singapore tour package 3 days 2 nights thing through some website – I think it was like ₹45,000 per person? Maybe more? I'm terrible with remembering exact prices. But anyway, they put us in a hotel near Chinatown instead of Marina Bay and honestly... best decision ever. Because here's the thing nobody tells you – you don't need to STAY at Marina Bay Sands to enjoy it.

We just went there for sunset one evening (it was a Friday, super crowded) and went up to the SkyPark observation deck. Cost us like... $26 Singapore dollars each? Which is what, around ₹1,600 or something. And we got the same views everyone else gets without paying insane hotel prices. The people staying there get pool access sure, but like... is that really worth an extra ₹20,000 a night? I don't think so.

But okay, the GARDENS by the Bay next to it? Those are actually worth the hype. We did the Cloud Forest dome thing and I was genuinely blown away. It's this giant indoor waterfall and then you walk through literal clouds and there's all these plants from mountains around the world. My friend Priya (who came with us) is usually so unimpressed by touristy stuff but even she was taking like 50 photos.

The light show at night – the Garden Rhapsody thing with the Supertrees? Free. Completely free. We just sat on the grass (it was kinda humid, my shirt was sticking to me the whole time) and watched these giant tree structures light up with music. Does that even make sense describing it like this? You kinda have to see it.

The Sentosa mess (and why I almost skipped it)

Okay so hot take: I almost didn't go to Sentosa because everyone kept saying it's just a "family resort island" and I'm not really a beach person anyway. Like, if I wanted beaches I'd go to Thailand for way cheaper, you know?

But then our Singapore local tour packages thing included Sentosa in the itinerary and I was like fine, whatever, we're already going.

And honestly? I'm glad we went but not for the reasons people usually list. Like, Universal Studios was... fine. It's tiny compared to the one in Orlando (I went there as a kid), and it was PACKED. We waited 45 minutes for the Transformers ride. In that heat. Not fun.

But here's what I actually loved – there's this thing called the Cable Car that goes from the main city (Mount Faber) all the way to Sentosa. And we took it around sunset and oh my god. The views over the port and all the ships and the city skyline... literally nobody talks about this enough. It cost extra – wasn't included in our package – but it was maybe ₹800 per person and totally worth it.

Also the beach at Sentosa (Siloso Beach I think?) is actually pretty nice for just walking around at night. We got street food from the hawker stalls nearby (there's this whole area with food) and just sat on the sand. Very chill. Very not-touristy even though technically it's super touristy?

Actually wait, I'm remembering this wrong. The hawker stalls weren't AT the beach, we had to take the monorail thing back to... VivoCity maybe? My memory is terrible, sorry.

The stuff about pricing that confused me

So if you're looking at Singapore tour package price options online, you're gonna see HUGE variations and it's honestly confusing. Like we saw packages from ₹25,000 to ₹85,000 per person for similar itineraries and I still don't fully understand why.

I think it comes down to:

Flight timing (we got a red-eye flight, saved like ₹8,000 but I was dead the first day)

Hotel location (anything near Orchard Road is expensive)

What's actually included (some Singapore holiday packages include all meals, most don't)

We went with a mid-range thing and then just added stuff ourselves. Probably ended up spending around ₹55,000 total per person including shopping and food? But I'm bad at tracking expenses so could've been more.

Oh and here's something annoying – a lot of 3 days Singapore tour package deals look good but then you realize day 1 is just arrival and day 3 is just departure. So you really only get ONE full day. Make sure you check that. We almost booked one of those and caught it last minute.

Random things I wish I knew before

The MRT (their metro) is SO EASY to use but you need to get an EZ-Link card at the airport immediately. We didn't know this and wasted like 20 minutes in the city trying to figure out how to buy tickets from a machine. Also downloading the MyTransport.SG app before you go is smart (I only figured this out on day 2, felt dumb).

Singapore tours that include "local food experiences" usually take you to tourist-trap hawker centers. The real good food is at like... random HDB neighborhood centers that aren't on any list. We stumbled into one near our hotel (Chinatown Complex I think?) and got chicken rice for $3 Singapore dollars that was better than the $12 version at the fancy place in Marina Bay.

Oh and this is gonna sound stupid but I didn't realize how COLD the air conditioning is everywhere. Like I was sweating outside in 35°C heat and then I'd walk into a mall and literally need a jacket. I packed all summer clothes and ended up buying a cardigan there (which okay, was a good excuse to shop on Orchard Road).

Little India and Arab Street are more interesting than Orchard Road honestly. Orchard Road is just... malls? Like nice malls, sure, but it's still just shopping. We spent maybe an hour there. But Little India had all this color and food and chaos (in a good way) and we ended up staying way longer than planned. Got lost trying to find this specific temple someone recommended. My phone died. We had to ask for directions like three times. But it was fun?

My actual take on how to plan this

If Maya asks me (or if you're reading this trying to plan your own thing), here's what I'd actually do different:

Get a basic Singapore travel package that covers flights and hotel, but keep at least 1-2 days unscheduled. The rigid itinerary thing where every hour is planned? Exhausting. We ditched our "scheduled shopping time" on day 2 and just wandered around Kampong Glam instead and it was the best part of the trip.

Stay near an MRT station but NOT in the main tourist zones. We were near Chinatown and it was perfect – easy to get everywhere, but also felt more local. Plus way cheaper hotels.

Don't try to do everything. We tried to fit in Gardens by the Bay, Sentosa, zoo, Jurong Bird Park, and like five neighborhoods in three days and it was too much. I barely remember half of it because we were rushing constantly. Pick like 2-3 main things and actually enjoy them.

And honestly? The best memories I have are the random stuff – like we found this tiny coffee shop in Tiong Bahru that had THE BEST kaya toast (do you know what that is? It's like coconut jam on toast but better?). Wasn't in any guide. Just stumbled on it. Those are the moments you remember, not the stuff that's on every Singapore tour package itinerary.

Anyway I told Maya all this yesterday and I think I just overwhelmed her more lol. She was taking notes on her phone and then was like "wait so should I book something or just wing it" and honestly... bit of both? Book the flights and hotel obviously, but leave room for random stuff.

I gotta go pick up groceries but yeah, that's my whole take on the Marina Bay to Sentosa thing. Is this even helpful? I feel like I just rambled for 20 minutes.