Getting from Miami to Singapore takes about 24 hours of travel time. Most people will wait to travel such a distance until they have weeks of free time to justify the extended length of time flying. But time is fleeting, and there may never be a good opportunity.
I learned a valuable lesson a long time ago: four days somewhere is better than no days there. So, I’ve traveled to distant places for short periods of time: a weekend in London, three nights in Alaska, four nights in Tokyo, and three glorious nights in the Masai Mara. So, when the opportunity arose to visit Singapore for four nights, I jumped at it.
The flight (in United’s premium economy) was one of the best I’ve been on. I won’t lie — these long-haul flights can take a toll (and there was one last year that almost wrecked my soul). I will absolutely seek out United next time I’m traveling for its comfortable seats, decent meals, and great service. If you can live without the bed/pods of first class, this is a comfortable alternative.
Singapore’s Changi Airport is often lauded as the best airport in the world for good reason. Immigration is automated and took all of five seconds (so quick that I thought there simply had to be another line awaiting me). I picked up my luggage in another five minutes, and was out the door from the airplane to the car in less than ten minutes.
Where to Stay
This comfortable hotel is located across the street from Chinatown and just two blocks from La Pau Sat, a modern hawker market that’s open 24 hours a day. The hotel is centrally located, the rooms are lovely, and there’s an afternoon tea ceremony for guests. When I checked in, after having traveled about 27 hours at that point, Husaimi, the friendly person at the front desk, noted that it was my birthday on my passport. Not five minutes after I reached my room, there was a knock on the door with a delivery of a small pandan cake.
Where to Eat
I don’t think I’ve eaten as well as in Singapore. From soulful dishes at the hawker markets to a three-Michelin-starred lunch, this is a place where every meal (and every drink) was more memorable than the last.
During the short time I was in Singapore (for the Michelin award ceremony), I ate at one, two, and three-starred restaurants, worked my way through four or five hawker markets, and fell in love with the best coffee place ever. Here’s where I ate.
To call Culina Market the Erewhon of Singapore might be a fitting description. This market began as a purveyor of fine foods to restaurants and evolved into a combination market and café. Everything at this market — located at COMO Dempsey — is precision: a florist makes the most stunning arrangements you’ve ever seen, the wine market is impressive, the fishmonger offers oysters that taste like a mermaid’s kiss, and the produce looks as if a rainbow landed on earth. We didn’t eat there, but did have some fantastic oysters. It’s a lovely place to shop.
Candlenut (One Michelin Star)
Also located at COMO Dempsey, Candlenut is a gorgeous room with bamboo and rattan accents and greenery that gives it a warmth that some Michelin-starred restaurants lack. The food speaks to the chef’s Peranakan roots — descendants of early Chinese immigrants who settled in Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia), intermarried with locals, and developed a distinct hybrid identity. As such, the dishes are familiar yet unique, and extremely soulful: curries, wing bean salad, baby squid, and a hearty soup with tofu balls were some of the dishes we were served. The restaurant offers a tasting menu that rotates, so your dishes might vary, but rest assured, the experience will be as memorable.
Chef Nicolas Tam’s Willow is a lesson in precision. This intimate restaurant offers a pan-Asian tasting menu that combines Japanese restraint with French technique, and a great playlist. Chef Tam was on hand to supervise the chef’s counter, but really didn’t explain the dishes.
Chef Sun Kim explores Asian cuisine with French influences at the sleek Meta. The tasting menu is seafood-forward, with courses that include tuna, cuttlefish, and abalone.
Les Amis (Three Michelin Stars)
After multiple multi-course tasting menus — plus an entire day eating our way through various hawker markets, we almost cancelled our lunch at Les Amis. Thankfully, we thought better because this was clearly the best meal of the trip — and the best meal (for me) of 2025. The restaurant, located in one of Singapore’s bustling business centers, looks like any power-meal venue — sleek, pretty, and elegant in a nondescript way. In other words, you won’t remember the decor — but you certainly will remember both the service and the food. Chef Sebastien Lepinoy’s love letter for French fare is a lesson in “what to do” when you’re working in the high-stakes three-star galaxy. From the bread service to the amuse bouche to the wine pairings to your thank-you gift of chocolates in a perfect Les Amis tin (which I saved), this is an experience worth every dollar (and star).
Hawker Markets
Loud, boisterious, with tons of sensory overload, the hawker markets of Singapore are legendary. They’re also where local people eat. In many cases, Singaporeans frequent a hawker market daily — sometimes twice a day — for their meals. Here, you can find anything from fresh juices to fish soups with dumplings to bowls of noodles. I would suggest two different markets for their vast differences:
The Chinatown Complex
This massive, two-story market is where you can find just about anything from curry puffs to chili crab to Hainanese chicken rice. Some tips if you go: Bring Singapore Dollars (there is an ATM on the first floor, should you forget), and go at lunchtime at your own risk. We arrived at around 11:30 a.m., and the market quickly flooded with workers on their lunch breaks.
Lau Pa Sat
Open 24 hours a day (technically), Lau Pa Sat is home to Singapore’s famous Satay Street, which sees families grill and sell satay sticks. Most of the stalls are Halal-friendly, so you won’t find much pork — but you won’t miss it. Grab a beer at one of the stands selling beer (there’s one at the very front of the market), and a plate of satay (they’re sold at a minimum of ten), find a spot at a communal table, and enjoy under the stars. Yes — Singapore has some of the finest restaurants in the world — but this might be the most fun you’ll have.
There are a few Nanyang Old Coffee houses throughout Singapore, but the Chinatown location also houses a “museum” on the second floor. It’s more of a place to enjoy coffee surrounded by artifacts, and it’s pretty darn charming. A coffee and toast with kaya jam (a mix of coconut, egg, sugar, and pandan) is the perfect way to start the day.
Where to Drink
Singapore is home to some of the best bars in the world. Each is unique — from the classic to the innovative. Here’s where I drank:
I stumbled on Employees Only after trying to walk off one of my tasting menu dinners. Located on Amoy Street in Chinatown, you’ll pass by a Psychic sign to enter. I asked my bartender to make me something. After asking a few questions, I was handed an herbaceous martini that was exactly what I wanted. The place was bustling on a Tuesday at 11 p.m., and it was the perfect way to ring in the midnight hour.
Atlas is simply the most stunning lounge I’ve ever encountered. Its decor is part Rockefeller Center, part giant library in a tribute to Art Deco architecture in all its glory. To mark that point in time, the menu is gin and champagne focused, with interesting takes on classics. Once again, allow your bar professional to assist you. Both my martini and gin and tonic were outstanding. Don’t forget a walk through the sculpture garden just outside.
One of Singapore’s most interesting bars — each cocktail at Nutmeg & Clove is based on some aspect of Singaporean history, culture, or life. Your pink-jacketed bartender will hand you a book that tells the story of each cocktail and its flavor profiles. A take on an old-fashioned was perfection. If you'‘re into classic cocktails, visit Last Word just upstairs.
The Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel
Can you even say you were in Singapore if you didn’t get a Singapore Sling at the Long Bar, bro? It might be Singapore’s second most touristy place (behind the Merlion) — so what? It’s a must-do. Sure, with a tip, the cocktail is about $40 USD. Sure, you won’t even be able to walk into the lobby, attended to by its famed Sikh doormen (that’s for guests only). You can, however, walk the grounds, and the bar is gorgeous.
What to Do
Singapore might be one of the most fascinating places I’ve been to, and you absolutely need more than a few days to explore. But I did manage to see plenty, and for that I’m grateful. Here are a few musts.
Half lion, half fish, the Merlion is Singapore’s symbol of a small but mighty island country. The Merlion — located in Merlion Park — offers grand views of the bay and a fantastic photo opportunity.
This massive park offers a variety of experiences, ranging from cloud forests to a flower dome. The most impressive thing to do is the twice-nightly Supertree show, which is completely free. Arrive early to avoid the crowds, find a spot to sit, and watch these giant electronic trees pulse in time to the music. Shows vary — we watched a 70s disco-themed extravaganza, but there’s everything from classical to holiday to pop music. Be sure your phone is charged — mine died right before the show.
Many places have tall double-decker bus tours or boats that traverse the harbor, but if you want to get a different view, then take a ride in a vintage Vespa’s sidecar. On my tour, we sped through the city in an exhilarating trip from Chinatown to Arab Street, and back to the Raffles Hotel for a photo op with the doormen (a Singapore sidecar exclusive).
Singapore's oldest Hindu temple is worth a visit. Place your shoes in a locker and borrow a shawl if you’re wearing a tank top. Visitors are free to marvel at the intricate and colorful temple, and even observe a ceremony, though please observe a few places marked for worshippers only.
Airports are not exactly beloved. They’re filled with stress, usually. Except Changi. This airport is filled with walking paths, rope climbs, places to eat, a shopping mall (that includes a Popmart store for last-minute souvenirs), and gardens. Its masterpiece is the Vortex — the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. It’s a seven-story marvel with walkways at each level so you can discover it in different ways. Plan on getting to the airport HOURS earlier than your flight to explore.
Laine! You awakened my travel bug. Four days in Singapore. I cannot imagine.