The Perfect Weekend City Trip: Singapore - Think Nightlife, Lifestyle and Shopping!
What’s a perfect weekend trip like for you? Where would you go if you had an upcoming long weekend? These questions seem like ones that would take a bit of thinking before you can give a valid answer. Luckily for us, the month of December has already prepared a vacation plan that will be hard for any of us to turn down.
On December 8 & 9 2017 at Siloso Beach, Singapore, Asia’s largest Electronic Dance beach festival, ZoukOut, will be underway. It is an epic two-day event, beginning when the sun sets and raging the entire night until the sun rises at 8 in the morning. You will meet with the likes of Axwell ^ Ingrosso, Marshmello, Flume, Robin Schulz, Yellow Claw, R3HAB, and DJ Snake on stage and a crowd of over 40,000 fans from over 60 countries in the event grounds. Undoubtedly, this marks a good chance, especially for party-goers, to finally take a weekend trip over to Singapore, and the holidays in Thailand make things even better.
With the holidays rolling around in the month of December, most offices in Thailand will observe long weekend early in the month due to the observation of Constitution Day on Monday the 11th. This is the perfect set up for a trip to Singapore. You can choose to start the journey early, beginning on Thursday the 7th and return later on Monday the 11th, to make it to both days of ZoukOut and explore what Singapore has to offer. Enjoy the culinary adventure around town and tour uniquely designed shopping malls, all while staying at the best accommodation that suits your style. Sounds like a plan? Then let us make that perfect plan together.
We’ll go step-by-step on the specifics of visiting and planning a perfect trip to Singapore from flight to finish. With ZoukOut being the main event, we’ll explore where you should eat, sleep, and explore during your downtime and make sure that you’ll make this trip a real perfect one.
How to get to Singapore?
Getting to Singapore of Bangkok is super easy nowadays. With a bunch of low-cost airlines waiting to be at your service, you can just book a direct flight a arrive in Singapore within less than 3 hours. Most flights will leave from Don Muang Airport (DMK) and will arrive at Changi Airport in Singapore so plan your travels with Bangkok traffic in mind. Assuming a roundtrip from 8th to 10th Decemeber 2017, here are the rates from the top 3 airlines we recommend at the time of writing in alphabetical order:
Air Asia
16:40 (DMK) → 20:10 (SIN) | 17:05 (SIN) → 18:35 (DMK)
Jetstar
13:30 (DMK) → 17:35 (SIN) | 19:10 (SIN) → 20:35 (DMK)
Thai Lion Air
16:05 (DMK) → 19:30 (SIN) | 20:30 (SIN) → 21:30 (DMK)
Tip: Keep in mind that there is a long weekend in Thailand (Constitution Day Observed on Monday, December 11). Make plans to travel on Thursday, December the 7th, and return on Monday the 11th, so there will be lower airfares.
Once you arrive, you will have the choices of train, bus, taxi, and bicycles to choose from. The most popular and most effective mode would be the train, or MRT because it is cheap, fast, and convenient. Be sure to grab yourself an EZ Link card that allows you to pay for almost all public transports, taxis, and even your purchases at stores all in one card. You can get one at all MRT train stations all around town, and it is S$12 (about 300 Baht) each. Check out the website www.ezlink.com.sg for more information.
Where to stay?
Singapore might not be a big country, but you can always count on the variety of accommodation they have to offer. Hotels are densely packed within the city, and you can find yourself entirely lost looking for the best one that suits your needs. Whether you like to be near shopping districts, the bay, or far away from the city, Singapore has it all. We prepared a list, in no particular order, of our favorite hotels in different price ranges for your choosing. All prices are per night assuming the duration of stay is from 8th - 10th of December 2017.
Budget Picks
Many of us travel with the intention to explore the destination and are very flexible concerning accommodation. These hotels will give you all that you need for a good night sleep as well as the luxury of staying in the middle of the city.
YOTEL Singapore
- Self-service check-in kiosks
- State-of-the-art gym
- 20-meter outdoor pool with trendy restaurant/bar
- Free Wi-Fi, smart TVs, rainfall showers
- Parking Available (fee)
- A 3-minute walk from Orchard Road
M Hotel
- In-room full workstation
- 1 cafe, 2 restaurants, and a modern bar featuring regular live music
- Outdoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi, gym, business center
- Free Wi-Fi
- Complimentary shuttle buses
- 5-minute walk from Tanjong Pagar metro station and Lau Pa Sat food center
Upscale Choice
If you're going to spend your long weekend raving at an epic party like ZoukOut at an awesome country like a Singapore, you might as well stay at an iconic hotel, and since ZoukOut will be taking place at Soliso beach on Sentosa island, some of you might value the convenience of staying within walking distance from the event.
Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa
- 4 restaurants and 2 bars
- Spa, gym, outdoor pool, kid’s club, water sports, trapeze swings, climbing wall
- Parking available
- Free Wi-Fi
- Near Universal Studios, S.E.A. Aquarium, KidZania, MOSH!, iFly, and Mega Adventure
- Complimentary Shuttle Service to Vivo City
Tip: Don’t forget to check various travel applications such as Traveloka, Expedia, and Agoda for available deals and flight-included packages. You might actually be able to save quite a lot on this trip.
Where to go Shopping?
Being one of the top tourist’s destination in Southeast Asia, Singapore is home to numerous lively shopping belts and a number of beautiful multi-story shopping centers. Here are the top 3 shopping malls where you should spend a good part of your trip exploring, listed in no particular order:
ION Orchard Mall
ION Orchard boasts a cutting-edge concept in its eight levels of intelligently designed shopping space. You will experience over 300 retail, eateries, and entertainment stores in this retail scene from international brands to an extensive food hall. The mall also features a unique art and exhibition gallery on the 4th floor called ION Art that showcases Asian and Singapore modern and contemporary art from established and emerging artists & designers.
VivoCity
Designed by an internationally acclaimed Japanese architect, Toyo Ito, VivocCity breaks away from the traditional box format of many existing retail developments in the region. The design imitates images of waves in the sea, guiding you smoothly from one space to the next, creating a unique and enjoyable shopping experience.
Clarke Quay
Located ideally near the mouth of the Singapore River, Clarke Quay plays host to a buzzing line-up of restaurants, wine bars, and entertainment venues, as well as rows of charming shops and pushcarts that add to the bustling atmosphere. It is the perfect concoction between modern and traditional, making it easy to see why it has become an attraction for both locals and tourists over the years.
Clarke Quay also happens to be home to the iconic Zouk Singapore nightclub, which is ranked on the #4 spot on the prestigious DJ Mag Top 100 Clubs list. With 26 years of heritage, three rooms (each with its distinct music style), a regular stream of international DJs, and last but not least a world-class sound system; it indeed is your perfect pre-party venue before heading to ZoukOut.
Where to Eat?
Singapore is home to a population with a variety of Asian cultures including Chinese, Indian, Malaysian, and more. With that comes a vast amount of cuisines that are represented in the countless notable eateries all over the country. Here are our top picks of where you should get your tummies filled up in Singapore, listed in no particular order:
Tian Tian Chicken Rice
Recommended: Hainanese Chicken Rice (S$5 - medium size)
Having said all this, don’t forget that ZoukOut this year will feature a fantastic food village experience that will be sure to include a boat-load of exquisite food brands. Doors to dinner at the festival will open as early as 18:30, so if you want to get to the event first to enjoy some early sunset beats, just skip the meal in town and head over for what ZoukOut has in store for you. You can choose to treat yourself to an aromatic bowl of premium ramen by Keisuke Ramen or indulge in many more delicacies that will be announced very soon.
Where to party?
ZoukOut of course! Now that you know your way around town, it is time to focus on the highlight of the trip, the ZoukOut beach music festival. Every December EDM enthusiasts from all over the globe flock to Singapore to take part in one of the biggest dance music festivals in all of Asia. This year’s event is guaranteed to be levels above the past. With stellar line-ups of world-class DJs and an astonishing spread of food options to curb your hunger, you and your friends will be glad you decided to make the trip to Singapore just to be part of this greatness.
Other than the big name DJs we listed at the beginning that will be imparting their prowess on the styles of Hip-hop, EDM, and Trap to us, we will also be treated with a troupe of local and regional artists, as well as special live acts from 88rising. Get ready to witness Asian born rappers like Rich Chigga, Higher Brothers and Joji setting the stage on fire all on one stage. You can't miss it.
The event will kick off at 8 pm till 5 am on December 8th and December 9th, so plan your travels to and from your hotels accordingly. If you haven’t bought tickets to this two-day epicness already, do it now before they're sold out. Currently, a full two-day pass costs 228 SGD (Singapore Dollars), equivalent to approximately 5,560 Baht at the time of writing. For more information and to keep up to date on the festival you can check out their website and follow them on Facebook.