Singapore is EXPENSIVE, no doubt. Ask any budget traveller and they will achingly recall their time in expensive Singapore. What if we told you, there was a way around it? And that you didn’t need to fork out £6 for a coffee, you could in fact get an entire meal for two people? All with an amount that is synonymously known to grab a large coffee at best at one of the many coffee houses within Singapore.

One way to really save and stretch your budget within expensive Singapore is to visit one of the many hawker centres dotted around downtown Singapore. A hawker centre is essentially a food court providing various types of cuisines all in one convenient location. Some are geared more towards certain cuisines such as Chinese, Halal and so on. Whilst others have a mix of multiple cuisines. The reason we suggest hawker centres as a way of combating expensive Singapore is they provide quality tasty food, cooked fresh at unbeatable prices. Did we mention that our budget hotel cost us £60 a night and we were on a budget of £80 a day for the two of us to see if such a thing was possible? With the help of hawker centres like the one we visited, it was very much possible to travel and visit Singapore for £40 per day per person.

Another positive, besides the cost-saving angle, is the vibe. Singaporeans often eat within the hawker centres dotted around downtown Singapore, join them and immerse yourself in the local culture. There really is no drawback, in fact, we may have found the cheapest hawker centre to eat food in Singapore and it was recommended by our lovely friend Danny who also told us about the best sunrise spot in Singapore.

I honestly don’t know where we would be without the friends we’ve made whilst travelling and that even after not seeing one another in years and even when we did meet, it was only for a couple of days, people are always happy to give recommendations. On your next trip, try to initiate a conversation with a random stranger, yes it is daunting but that could be the beginning of a meaningful friendship. We have countless examples which can be attributed to my big mouth and the asking of one very simple question,; ‘Where are you from?’. Try it, next time you’re on the road.

People are generally friendly and the new friendships you make may empower your lives like the countless friendship we have made, simply by just asking that question.

Back to expensive Singapore, apologies for the sidetrack there.

We ate for under £3 and had a meal which included two vegetable curries (Lentils and potatoes) as well as two of the best chapatis we have eaten. If we hadn’t spent 75% of our daily budget on the budget accommodation for that night, we may have even ordered seconds. Expensive Singapore is a true statement. but there are always exceptions to that rule in life, making friends by opening your world up and eating at hawker centres within Singapore are definitely two of them.

Toodles