So my neighbor Kavita got married three weeks ago and she's been bugging me about Singapore for her honeymoon. Like, she showed up at my door yesterday evening – I was literally in my pajamas watching Netflix – with her laptop open to like fifteen different tabs about Singapore. And she's all stressed because her husband wants the "romantic experience" but also they only have 5 days and she doesn't know where to even start. I made her chai and we spent two hours going through this, so here's everything I told her.
First thing I said – Singapore is SMALL. Like, really small. You can cover a lot in 5 days, which is good, but also every Singapore honeymoon package tries to cram in too much and you end up exhausted. Not romantic when you're fighting about whose fault it was that you missed the boat ride because someone (him) took too long at breakfast.
Gardens by the Bay but make it evening
Okay so everyone does Gardens by the Bay. It's in literally every Singapore honeymoon tours for couple situations. But here's what I told Kavita – don't go during the day. Just don't. It's hot, it's crowded, and honestly? The futuristic tree things (Supertrees? Is that what they're called?) look better at night anyway.
Go around 6:30 PM. Watch the sunset from the OCBC Skyway – that's the bridge thing between the Supertrees. Then stay for the light show at like 7:45 PM. The trees light up with music and it's actually pretty magical. Cheesy? Yeah. But you're on your honeymoon, cheesy is allowed.
The Cloud Forest inside is worth it though. Walking through that misty indoor waterfall thing... I don't know how to explain it but it feels otherworldly? My colleague Rahul did this last year (his anniversary, not honeymoon) and he said it was the one place his wife actually put her phone away. That's saying something.
But here's my hot take – skip the Flower Dome. It's just flowers. You can see flowers anywhere. Unless you're really into flowers, then I guess... but personally I found it boring when I went. (People might hate me for saying that, don't care.)
Sentosa but NOT the usual way
Everyone puts Sentosa in their Singapore honeymoon tours packages. Universal Studios, the beach, whatever. And yeah, it's fine. But if you want actual romance and not just theme park stuff, here's what you do.
Fort Siloso. Nobody goes there. It's this old military fort from like World War II era, and it's basically empty most times. You can walk around the old bunkers, climb up to these viewpoints that overlook the sea. Super quiet. I went there once by accident (was looking for the beach, got lost) and it was just me and like two other people. Perfect for couples who want to actually talk without screaming over crowd noise.
Palawan Beach is better than Siloso Beach for romance, fight me on this. It's less crowded, has this suspension bridge to a tiny island that's apparently the "southernmost point of continental Asia" (not sure if that's true but whatever). Cross the bridge together, take cringey photos, live your best life.
Also – and I might be wrong about this but I think it's true – there's a cable car that goes TO Sentosa but you can also take it from Sentosa to Mount Faber. Do that direction. Sunset time. The views over the harbor with all the ships... it's actually stunning. Way more romantic than the crowded cable car ride going the other way.
Clarke Quay at night is obvious but works
Okay so Clarke Quay. Super touristy. Every Singapore package for couple itineraries includes it. But you know what? It works. The riverside restaurants, the lights reflecting on the water, the whole vibe at night... yeah it's designed for tourists but sometimes designed-for-tourists places are designed that way because they WORK.
Don't eat at the first restaurant you see though. Walk around first. The ones further down the river are usually less crowded and honestly? Better food. I screwed this up when I visited – just sat at the first place because I was starving – and the food was mediocre and overpriced. Learn from my mistakes.
There's also this river cruise thing. The bumboat rides? Super short, like 30-40 minutes maybe. But it's nice. You see the city from the water, it's relaxing, and if you go around 8 PM you get the whole city lit up. Is it necessary? No. Is it a nice romantic thing to do? Yeah, actually.
Marina Bay Sands but not how you think
Everyone wants to go to Marina Bay Sands for the infinity pool. And yes, it's iconic, whatever. But here's the thing – you have to be a hotel guest to use the pool. So if you're not staying there (and honestly it's expensive, like maybe ₹25,000 per night? Could be more?), you can't do the pool.
BUT. The observation deck is open to everyone. CE La Vi SkyBar too. Go up there for sunset. Get a drink (they're overpriced but you're paying for the view). Watch the sun go down over the Marina Bay area. Then stay for when the city lights come on. That moment when it transitions from day to night? Beautiful.
Actually scratch that – I just remembered Kavita's on a budget. The observation deck tickets are like... ₹2000 per person I think? Maybe skip that and just walk around the Marina Bay area at night. The waterfront promenade is free and you get almost the same views. Plus there's the light and water show at the bay (happens like 2-3 times every night) which is completely free. Sit on the steps near the Merlion area and watch it from there.
Wait, should I have mentioned the Merlion? That's like THE Singapore thing. But honestly it's just a statue. Take your photo, check it off, move on. Five minutes max.
Haji Lane is cute if you're into that
This is gonna be controversial maybe but... Haji Lane is overrated. There, I said it. It's this tiny street with colorful shopfronts and street art and yes it's Instagram-worthy but it's also absolutely packed with people trying to take Instagram photos. Not exactly intimate honeymoon vibes.
THAT SAID. If you go early morning – like 8 AM early – it's actually really nice. Empty streets, good light for photos, and the cafes are just opening. Get breakfast at one of the Arab Street cafes nearby. The whole area (Kampong Glam, I think it's called?) is interesting. The Sultan Mosque is gorgeous, the little shops selling textiles and perfumes, the whole vibe is different from the rest of Singapore.
But don't spend your whole day there. It's small. Two hours tops.
MacRitchie Reservoir if you want nature
Okay this one's random but hear me out. MacRitchie Reservoir. It's this nature reserve thing with a treetop walk. And I know what you're thinking – nature reserve doesn't sound romantic. But it kind of is?
The TreeTop Walk is this suspension bridge high up in the canopy. It's peaceful, it's green everywhere, you might see monkeys (from a distance, don't feed them). The whole trail takes like... 3-4 hours maybe? If you do the whole thing. But you don't have to. Just do the highlights.
It's nice because it's completely different from the rest of Singapore. No buildings, no crowds (relatively), just trees and birds and quiet. Sometimes on a honeymoon you need a break from the city stuff, you know? Walk hand in hand through a forest, very romantic in a non-traditional way.
My friend thought I was crazy when I suggested this for her Singapore honeymoon tour package (she wanted only fancy restaurants and shopping) but she actually ended up loving it. Said it was the most relaxed they felt the entire trip.
The Southern Ridges walk nobody talks about
This connects to the MacRitchie thing kind of. The Southern Ridges is this elevated walkway that connects several parks. Henderson Waves is the famous part – this beautiful wooden bridge that looks like a wave.
Go around late afternoon. The walk takes maybe 2 hours if you do the whole thing (you can skip parts, there are exits). End up at HortPark around sunset. Not crowded, really pretty, and there's this cafe there that's decent.
I'm terrible at explaining directions but basically you can start at Mount Faber (where the cable car is) and walk to HortPark. Or reverse it. Google it. The signage is good, you won't get lost.
This is one of those things that's not in every Singapore package for couple itineraries but it should be. It's free, it's beautiful, and it's actually romantic without trying too hard.
Chinatown + Tian Hock Keng Temple
Chinatown is... fine. It's worth walking through but don't expect something mind-blowing. The temple though – Thian Hock Keng Temple – is actually really beautiful. Oldest Chinese temple in Singapore (I might be remembering this wrong but I think that's true). The architecture is detailed, lots of gold and red, very photogenic.
Go in the morning when it's less crowded. The area around Chinatown has good breakfast spots too. Try the kaya toast and soft-boiled eggs thing at a local kopitiam (is that how you spell it?). It's a whole experience.
But honestly Chinatown is more about wandering than specific things. Little India nearby is similar – just walk around, see the shops, try some food. Don't over-plan it.
What I actually told Kavita to do
So after two hours and three cups of chai, here's the plan I made for her Singapore honeymoon package:
Day 1: Arrive, rest, evening at Gardens by the Bay Day 2: Morning at Kampong Glam/Haji Lane, afternoon Sentosa (Fort Siloso + Palawan Beach), evening Clarke Quay Day 3: Morning Southern Ridges walk, afternoon Marina Bay area, evening light show Day 4: MacRitchie morning, Chinatown afternoon, fancy dinner somewhere nice Day 5: Shopping/last minute stuff, fly out
Is this perfect? No. Will it cover the "romantic" requirement? Yeah, probably. She can tweak it based on what they actually enjoy.
The thing about Singapore honeymoon tours is they try to make everything super luxurious and fancy. But honestly? Some of the best romantic moments are the quiet ones. Walking through a forest. Sitting by the river. Watching the sunset from a random bridge. You don't need to spend lakhs on the fanciest restaurants and hotels to have a good honeymoon.
Does that make sense or am I just rambling at this point?
Anyway Kavita seemed happy with the plan. She's booking everything this week. I told her to leave at least one day loose – don't plan everything down to the minute because that's stressful and stress is not romantic.
Oh and one more thing – Singapore is HOT. Like, humid hot. The kind where you walk outside for 10 minutes and you're sweating through your clothes. Plan for that. Don't wear fancy outfits you'll ruin. Bring an extra shirt. Trust me on this.
Okay I really need to go now, I've been typing this for like an hour and I haven't had lunch yet. But yeah, Singapore for honeymoons. It works. Just don't overthink it.
