🇸🇬 Singapore Part 5 - Goodbye Singapore: What I Spent, What I Got Wrong & What Solo Travel Taught Me

🇸🇬 Singapore Part 5 - Goodbye Singapore: What I Spent, What I Got Wrong & What Solo Travel Taught Me

In Part 1 - How I Planned a Solo Singapore Trip Under ₹60,000, this entire journey started with one question:

Can I actually travel solo to Singapore for under ₹60,000?

At the time, Singapore wasn't a place I'd experienced.

It was numbers.

₹20,968 for flights.

₹8,520.76 for a hostel.

₹510 for a train to Chennai.

Visa fees.

Exchange rates.

MRT estimates.

Food budgets.

Attraction prices.

And a spreadsheet in my head constantly trying to make everything fit below ₹60,000.

Then I actually went.

And somewhere between leaving Mangalore, flying through a thunderstorm at 45,000 feet, arriving at Changi at 6:50 in the morning, walking through Chinatown, eating hawker food, spending S$58 on a lobster, staring at sharks, racing down Sentosa on a Luge and looking down at Singapore from the 57th floor of Marina Bay Sands...

I stopped thinking about Singapore as a spreadsheet.

But eventually, every trip has to end.

And mine brought me right back to where the Singapore part of the journey had started.

Changi Airport.

The Last Morning

The last morning of a trip always feels strange.

During the first few days, six days sounds like plenty of time.

Then suddenly you're looking at the same suitcase you arrived with and putting everything back inside.

Clothes.

Chargers.

Travel adapter.

Documents.

Whatever I'd picked up along the way.

And, somehow, six days of memories that obviously weren't going to fit inside it.

Royal Lodge @ Pagoda Street had been nothing more than a Booking page when I first found it.

Then it became my base.

For six nights, I'd walked out onto Pagoda Street from there.

I'd returned tired after spending entire days exploring Singapore.

I'd charged everything.

Slept.

Woke up.

And done it all again.

Now I was checking out.

Goodbye, Chinatown

Walking through Chinatown on the last day felt completely different from arriving there.

When I first came here, I was looking at everything.

Checking Google Maps.

Looking for the hostel.

Trying to understand where I was.

By the end of the trip, Pagoda Street didn't feel unfamiliar anymore.

I knew where the MRT was.

I knew the streets around the hostel.

I knew where I could find food.

I knew how to get around.

Singapore hadn't become home in six days.

But it had stopped feeling completely foreign.

And, naturally, that happened right when it was time to leave.

Back to Changi ✈️

There was something almost perfect about finishing the trip at the same place where it had properly begun.

Changi Airport.

When I'd arrived here at 6:50 AM on September 10, I was carrying a suitcase and months of planning.

I had never used Singapore's MRT.

I hadn't seen Chinatown.

I hadn't walked around Marina Bay.

I hadn't eaten Singapore hawker food.

I hadn't been to Sentosa.

I hadn't seen the Oceanarium.

I hadn't stood inside Cloud Forest.

I hadn't looked down from Marina Bay Sands.

Six days later, I came back carrying the same suitcase.

But now all of those things had happened.

One Last Singapore Experience — Jewel Changi 💧

There was still one major Singapore landmark left.

Jewel Changi Airport.

Technically, Changi was the first place I'd experienced in Singapore.

But arriving after an international flight with immigration, luggage and transport on your mind isn't exactly sightseeing.

This time, I could actually look around.

And of course, the centrepiece was:

The Rain Vortex.

Singapore somehow managed to put one of its most recognizable attractions...

inside an airport complex.

A gigantic indoor waterfall dropping through the middle of Jewel.

Greenery surrounding it.

People standing around multiple levels looking towards the centre.

It was such a Singapore way to end the trip.

I'd started with the Cloud Forest waterfall.

Walked around Gardens by the Bay.

Seen Supertrees.

Skyscrapers.

Artificial islands.

Indoor canals.

And now even the airport had a massive waterfall.

😂

Then Came the Question I'd Been Avoiding 💰

There was still some unfinished business.

Remember the challenge?

₹60,000.

That number had shaped almost every decision I made while planning this trip.

Could I stay in a hostel instead of a hotel?

Yes.

Could I take a ₹510 train to Chennai instead of adding another flight?

Yes.

Could I use the MRT instead of taxis?

Absolutely.

Could I eat at hawker centres?

Definitely.

Could I resist a S$58 Australian rock lobster?

Apparently not.

😂

Where the Money Went

Some of the largest expenses had been decided before I even left home.

That meant more than half of my original ₹60,000 target was already committed before Singapore even started.

And then came Singapore itself.

MRT rides.

Food.

Oceanarium.

Luge.

Cloud Forest and Flower Dome.

Other experiences.

Small purchases.

And all those transactions that don't look particularly dangerous individually.

S$2.

S$4.

S$7.

S$7.80.

Then suddenly:

S$39.

And...

S$58. 🦞

The Two Sides of My Singapore Food Budget

If there are two meals that summarize my approach to Singapore perfectly, they are probably these:

Mee rebus — S$4.

and

Australian rock lobster — S$58.

That is a 14.5× difference.

😂

And I don't regret either.

The S$4 meal helped keep Singapore affordable.

The S$58 lobster gave me a story I'm still talking about.

That's something I understood better during this trip.

Budget travel doesn't necessarily mean:

Choose the cheapest option every single time.

For me, it meant:

Spend less on things I don't care about so I can spend on things I do.

I didn't need a luxury hotel.

I needed somewhere to sleep.

I didn't need taxis everywhere.

Singapore had an excellent MRT.

I didn't need expensive restaurants for every meal.

Hawker centres existed.

But if I found an experience that genuinely interested me?

Oceanarium?

Yes.

Night Luge?

Yes.

Cloud Forest?

Yes.

And apparently...

giant Australian lobster?

Also yes.

The Little Expenses Are the Dangerous Ones

One thing Singapore taught me very quickly was not to underestimate small amounts in another currency.

S$5 doesn't look frightening.

It's five.

That's barely a number.

Then you remember the exchange rate.

At roughly ₹75 per Singapore dollar during my trip:

S$5 ≈ ₹375

S$10?

Around ₹750.

S$20?

Around ₹1,500.

Once I started mentally converting everything into rupees, Singapore prices suddenly became much more dramatic.

By the end of the trip, my brain had basically installed its own SGD → INR currency converter.

See price.

Multiply by roughly 75.

Experience immediate financial awareness.

😂

Things I Got Wrong

No amount of planning produces a perfect trip.

And honestly, I don't think I'd want one.

There were definitely things I misunderstood, underestimated or would handle differently next time.

Mistake 1 — Trying to Plan Too Much

Before Singapore, I wanted everything organized.

Which place.

Which day.

Which route.

What time.

What came next.

That planning helped enormously.

But once I arrived, I realized something:

An itinerary should guide a trip, not control it.

Weather changes.

You get tired.

Something interesting appears nearby.

You spend three hours inside an Oceanarium when you expected to spend less.

A thunderstorm arrives.

You end up charging your phone at Starbucks.

You find a giant discounted lobster.

Travel doesn't care about your beautifully optimized schedule.

And that's a good thing.

Mistake 2 — Underestimating Singapore Weather

Singapore is hot.

Singapore is humid.

And Singapore can suddenly decide:

Rain.

Walking around all day in that climate changes how much you can realistically do.

The rain around Sentosa was a good reminder.

There is no point getting frustrated because the weather interrupted an itinerary.

Find somewhere to sit.

Charge your phone.

Eat something.

Wait.

Then continue.

Next time, I'd deliberately leave even more flexibility for weather.

Mistake 3 — Underestimating How Much I Would Walk

My original plan involved a lot of walking.

Reality involved:

Even more walking.

Chinatown.

CBD.

Clarke Quay.

Boat Quay.

Marina Bay.

Sentosa.

Marang Trail.

Mount Faber.

Henderson Waves.

East Coast Park.

Gardens by the Bay.

MBS.

Sometimes the MRT got me to an area.

Then my legs did the rest.

Comfortable footwear isn't a small travel detail.

It becomes infrastructure.

Mistake 4 — Treating Every Dollar Like It Was “Just a Dollar”

This took a little adjustment.

S$3.

S$5.

S$8.

Nothing sounds particularly expensive when you look at the number alone.

Then you convert it into INR.

The biggest lesson wasn't to avoid spending.

It was to remain aware of what I was actually spending.

There is a difference.

Mistake 5 — Assuming the Original Itinerary Would Survive Contact With Singapore

It didn't.

And that was probably for the best.

Some things took longer.

Some things changed.

Some things happened spontaneously.

Some moments weren't planned at all.

The itinerary I made in India was useful.

But the trip I remember isn't the itinerary.

Things I Worried About That Barely Mattered

This category is almost funnier.

Before travelling, I spent an unreasonable amount of time thinking about certain things.

The power adapter.

Airport Wi-Fi.

Charging.

SIM/connectivity.

Transport.

Whether I'd understand the MRT.

Whether my documents were sufficient.

How difficult everything would be alone.

Those were sensible things to prepare for.

But preparation made most of them non-events.

The MRT?

After a little while, normal.

Navigating?

Google Maps.

Payments?

Card and cash.

Charging?

Adapter.

Documents?

Already organized.

A lot of travel anxiety disappears the moment the thing you're worried about simply becomes another normal task.

Solo Travel Is Very Quiet Sometimes

There was another side to this trip I hadn't really understood before doing it.

When you travel alone, nobody else is making decisions.

That sounds obvious.

But experiencing it is different.

Hungry?

You decide where to eat.

Tired?

You decide whether to return.

See something interesting?

Go there.

Don't like somewhere?

Leave.

Want to spend three hours looking at marine life?

Nobody is waiting outside asking when you're coming out.

😂

There is a huge amount of freedom in that.

But there's also responsibility.

If you get lost, you solve it.

If the weather changes, you adapt.

If you spend too much, that's your problem.

If you miss something, there isn't another person to blame.

Everything is yours.

The good decisions.

And the stupid ones.

Eating Alone Wasn't Weird

This is something people sometimes worry about before solo travel.

Eating alone.

Honestly?

After a while, you don't think about it.

You're hungry.

You find food.

You eat.

That's it.

Whether it was hawker food or a giant lobster sitting in front of me, I didn't need another person at the table for the meal to become a memory.

Getting Lost Became Less Scary

At the beginning of the trip, every MRT station name mattered.

Every interchange required attention.

I kept checking where I was.

Towards the end?

It started feeling routine.

Not because Singapore changed.

Because I did.

I understood the system.

I knew how to read the lines.

I knew how to use Maps alongside it.

I stopped feeling like every wrong turn would become a disaster.

That's a small thing.

But it might be one of my favourite parts of travelling.

A place slowly changes from:

“I have no idea where I am.”

to:

“Yeah, I know how to get back.”

The Best Moments Weren't Always Expensive

Looking back at the trip, some of the things I remember most cost very little or nothing.

Walking through Chinatown.

Watching Singapore change from heritage streets to skyscrapers.

Walking along the Singapore River.

Marina Bay at night.

Henderson Waves.

East Coast Park.

Watching planes.

Looking at ships on the horizon.

Walking around Gardens by the Bay.

Exploring neighbourhoods.

Just standing somewhere and looking around.

That's something Singapore taught me about travel.

A destination doesn't need to constantly entertain you.

Sometimes you just need to be there.

And Sometimes Spending Was Worth It

On the other hand...

Some paid experiences absolutely earned their place.

Singapore Oceanarium.

Three hours disappeared.

I would do it again.

Skyline Luge.

Three rides.

Nighttime.

Way more fun than I expected.

Cloud Forest.

Already impressive.

Then add Jurassic World.

The lobster.

Completely unnecessary.

Completely memorable.

There needs to be room for both kinds of travel.

Free walks.

And ridiculous lobster decisions.

What Solo Travel Actually Gave Me

Before this trip, Singapore was the destination.

After the trip, I think travelling alone was just as important as where I travelled.

For six days, every decision was mine.

Every morning started with:

What am I doing today?

And then I figured it out.

I navigated another country.

Managed money in another currency.

Used public transport I'd never used before.

Changed plans.

Handled bad weather.

Found food.

Explored unfamiliar areas.

Walked ridiculous distances.

Returned safely every night.

And slowly stopped thinking about any of those things as difficult.

That confidence doesn't arrive dramatically.

There isn't some movie moment where you suddenly realize:

I HAVE TRANSFORMED.

😂

It happens quietly.

One solved problem at a time.

From Google Maps to Memories

Months before the trip, I knew Singapore through a screen.

I knew Pagoda Street because I'd opened Street View.

I knew Marina Bay because I'd seen photographs.

I knew Sentosa because I'd researched it.

I knew Changi because I'd watched videos.

I knew the MRT because I'd studied the map.

Then I went.

And now those places mean something completely different.

Pagoda Street isn't a Street View image anymore.

It's where I stayed.

Boat Quay isn't a pin on a map.

It's where I found that lobster.

Sentosa isn't an itinerary item.

It's sharks, jellyfish, rain and racing downhill on a Luge.

Cloud Forest isn't an attraction listing.

It's mist, a waterfall and dinosaurs appearing through plants.

Marina Bay isn't a wallpaper.

It's somewhere I walked.

That's what travelling changes.

Back Where It Started

Eventually, I was back at Changi.

Suitcase packed.

Passport ready.

Flight ahead.

Six days earlier, I'd arrived at 6:50 AM wondering what Singapore would actually be like.

Now I knew.

Not everything.

Obviously.

Six days isn't enough to understand an entire country.

But I had my version of Singapore now.

Chinatown.

Hawker centres.

MRT rides.

Long walks.

Rain.

Skyscrapers.

Ships.

Aircraft.

Sharks.

Jellyfish.

Dinosaurs.

Lobster.

Supertrees.

And a lot of memories stored somewhere between my camera roll and my head.

So, Was Singapore Worth It?

The trip began as a budget challenge.

But by the end, reducing it to whether I had optimized every rupee felt like missing the point.

I cared about the budget because the budget made the trip possible.

It forced me to think.

Take the train instead of another flight.

Stay in a hostel instead of an expensive hotel.

Use public transport.

Eat at hawker centres.

Walk.

Choose attractions carefully.

Those decisions didn't make the trip worse.

In many ways, they created the trip I ended up loving.

And when I did spend more?

I tried to make sure it was on something I'd remember.

The ₹60,000 Question

I started this series with:

Can I actually do a solo Singapore trip under ₹60,000?

I thought the answer would simply be a number.

It wasn't.

Somewhere between a ₹510 sleeper-class train, a newly commissioned Boeing 787 Dreamliner at 45,000 feet, Malaysian cities glowing below, lightning inside massive thunderstorms, my first Singapore MRT ride, S$4 mee rebus, a S$58 lobster, sharks at the Oceanarium, racing down Sentosa on a Luge, dinosaurs inside Cloud Forest and looking down at Singapore from Level 57...

I stopped thinking about Singapore as a budget experiment.

It became my trip.

Months of planning became six days of memories.

And then, just like that, I was standing at Changi with my suitcase again.

Only this time, I wasn't wondering what Singapore would be like.

I knew.

One Trip Ends. Another Idea Begins.

There was one more strange thing about flying home.

Singapore had originally felt like this enormous project.

International travel.

Visa.

Money.

Flights.

Hostel.

Immigration.

Foreign currency.

Solo travel.

So many things to figure out.

Then I did it.

And suddenly travelling somewhere else didn't seem quite as complicated anymore.

The world felt slightly smaller.

Not because it had changed.

Because I'd finally gone out and explored another little piece of it on my own.

There are still plenty of countries on my list.

Plenty of food I haven't tried.

Plenty of trains, flights, hostels, cities, beaches, mountains and probably more questionable financial decisions involving seafood waiting somewhere.

😂

But this one will always be special.

Because this was Singapore.

The trip I planned for months.

The trip I tried to fit inside ₹60,000.

The trip that started on a sleeper-class train from Mangalore.

And the trip that showed me that sometimes the hardest part of travelling somewhere new...

is simply deciding to go.

Goodbye, Singapore. 🇸🇬

Until next time.

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