Singapore in November

By <a href="#author-bio">Stuart Bak</a>
By Stuart Bak
Published: July 18, 2024
Singapore skyline showing the Marina Bay Sands Resort

It’s hot, it’s humid and it’s often wet. But in reality, Singapore’s climate is pretty uniform year-round, with very few weather extremes to worry about. November heralds the start of monsoon season so yeah, you can expect a few short, sharp downpours in the afternoons and evenings, but nothing a small umbrella or pocket poncho can’t handle. You’ll find it pleasantly warm the rest of the time, so be sure to pack light cottons and linens, floppy sun hats and sunscreen as you would for any vacation in the tropics. Oh, and don’t forget the mozzie repellent – those bitey little blighters just adore that sweet Singapore humidity!

As ever, booking well in advance is the best way to lock in cheap prices on flights and accommodation but, as this is low season, you can also expect late deals as hotels push to fill rooms. Either way, November is one of the best times of year to grab a Singapore bargain.

Things to do in Singapore in November

Mandai Wildlife Reserve

A pair of loved-up parrots

Nature lovers need look no further than Singapore’s premier wildlife reserve. This vast expanse of jungle, rainforest and wetland north of the city boasts not one but four distinct parks. Bird Paradise, the newest addition at time of writing, is a colorful cornucopia of pretty plumage and sweet birdsong; an enormous aviary where you can get up close to pink flamingos, turacos, toucans, rockhopper penguins and all manner of other feathery critters. The reserve is also where you’ll find Singapore Zoo and the famous Night Safari, as well as the awesome River Wonders attraction, where water-loving beasts of the world – manatees, piranhas, Indian gharials, giant pandas and more – live their best lives.

Sentosa Island

Siloso Beach on Sentosa Island, Singapore

A day trip to Sentosa is a quintessential part of any Singapore experience. Heck, you could spend at least a week on this fun-packed south coast resort island, and still not have enough time to see it all. Start with the quite excellent cable car ride from the main island, easily Singapore’s most scenic ride, before diving into everything else this tropical playground has to offer. We’re talking the epic Universal Studios Singapore, SEA Aquarium and Adventure Cove water park. And that’s just for starters! Hit up Siloso Beach for powdery white sands, balmy waters and, um, forest luge tracks, or take the scenic route to Fort Siloso – an elevated Skywalk that takes you high above the forest canopy.

Foodie Fantasia

Satay chicken and pork cooking at a traditional Singapore street stall

All that activity making you hungry? Singapore’s hundreds of world-class food courts and hawker centers have your back. Dodge the afternoon downpour to while away a few hours in old-school favorite Lau Pa Sat, a Singapore landmark with street food so exquisite it might just prove life-changing. The sheer variety of international cuisines here – Vietnamese, Filipino, Malaysian, Korean, Indonesian – is mind-boggling, so you’re sure to find something to tickle those tastebuds. Our advice? Look for the stalls with the longest lines and gorge on small plates from as many vendors as you can manage. Think umami chili crab (the Singaporean national dish), delicious sambal-laced laksa, red-hot rendang curry and – for the truly adventurous (and unsqueamish) only – fried pigs’ fallopian tubes in kung pao sauce. Yum!

Get Some Culture

National Museum of Singapore

Singapore’s galleries and museums are second to none. Start by immersing yourself in thousands of years of Asian history at the epic National Museum of Singapore where trying to decipher the enigmatic Singapore Stone is just one of the many fun activities available. The National Gallery houses more than 9,000 contemporary and modern artworks from Singapore and southeast Asia, with highlights including Georgette Chen’s evocative series of family portraits and Singaporean Choo Keng Kwang’s woodcuts and oil paintings. Hit up the futuristic ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands for immersive exhibitions and a gallery that’s packed with eye-popping VR artworks. The museum’s in-house cinema screens a curated selection of classic movies, documentaries and arthouse films for Singapore’s hip crowd.

What’s on in Singapore in November?

Woman taking a selfie next to a Christmas tree

Visitors to Singapore in November – especially late November – will find a city already gearing up for the festive season. Never anything short of spectacular, the gorgeous Gardens by the Bay ramp things up to the all-singing all-dancing max with their awesome Christmas Wonderland event. Get your snow fix at Blizzard Time, visit Frosty’s Fairground for all manner of prize-winning opportunities, and enjoy a romantic stroll beneath the 75,000 festive bulbs that illuminate the aptly named Walk of Lights.

And if it’s lights you want, you’ll find some of the very best along Orchard Road, which also just happens to be home to the finest (and largest) malls in town. This popular annual attraction, titled ‘Christmas on A Great Street’, more than lives up to its boastful name, with oodles of street food stalls, pop-up gift stores and more carnival rides and Christmas villages than you can shake a candy cane at.

Aerial view of cinema goers with popcorn

November is also when the Singapore International Film Festival rolls into town, giving fans of (mostly) Asian and world cinema a rare chance to catch exclusive screenings, as well as attending industry workshops, discussions, director Q&A\s, awards ceremonies and more at glittering venues across the city. It’s always worth going along, even if just for the celeb-spotting opportunities alone!

Save on attractions and activities in Singapore

Save on admission to Singapore attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram for the latest top tips and attraction info.

Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Freelance travel writer

Stu caught the travel bug at an early age, thanks to childhood road trips to the south of France squeezed into the back of a Ford Cortina with two brothers and a Sony Walkman. Now a freelance writer living on the Norfolk coast, Stu has produced content for travel giants including Frommer’s, British Airways, Expedia, Mr & Mrs Smith, and now Go City. His most memorable travel experiences include drinking kava with the locals in Fiji and pranging a taxi driver’s car in the Honduran capital.

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Traditional bowl of laksa.
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Best Places for Laksa in Singapore

Ah, laksa, that most versatile of Southeast Asian dishes. So versatile in fact that you’ll find more variants across the region than there are characters in the Pokémon universe. You’ll also discover disagreement from Indonesia to Malaysia over where and by whom this beloved noodle soup was invented. Almost certainly Peranakan in origin, it appears to have evolved along the spice route over several centuries, with the first known use of the term ‘laksa’ to mean ‘noodles’ dating to 1391. But what does it taste like? Well, again, that depends where you eat it. But in its most recognized form laksa is an aromatic noodle soup flavored with a fish or shrimp broth, creamy coconut milk, tamarind and herbs including coriander and mint. Usually topped with beansprouts and fish, shrimps or chicken, it’s rich, spicy and just begs to be slurped noisily, though its vibrant yellow color makes wearing a white shirt while dining an absolute no-no. Best of all it’s deliciously moreish and available in every Singapore restaurant, food court and hawker center worth its salt. It’s also eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner so no need to limit yourself to just one bowl a day! We took a deep dive to discover some of the best places for laksa in Singapore and you’ll find a small election of our faves below. Sungei Road Laksa This near legendary laksa kitchen is run by a tiny team of crack chefs from its unassuming location along the Sungei Road. But believe us when we say there’s nothing pedestrian about the laksa, with great steaming bowls of noodle broth being served up to long queues of hungry punters most days from morning until late afternoon. The laksa here is both delicate and rich at the same time. Cooked over charcoal, packed with thick bee hoon noodles and topped generously with cockles, crunchy beansprouts and fragrant herbs it’s a satisfying lunch and all for just a few dollars. Afterwards, head south over the Rochor Canal and into Kampong Glam, where alongside the landmark Sultan Mosque, you’ll find trendy boutiques and antique emporia galore, for all your souvenir-shopping needs. Find it: 27 Jalan Berseh, #01-100, Singapore 200027 Depot Road Zhen Shan Mei Claypot Laksa The clue’s in the (rather long) name of this Alexandra Village Food Center stalwart, which has been awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand every year since 2016 for its impossible-to-resist laksa. The gravy is cooked and served in a claypot, lending it an aromatic, smoky flavor and ensuring your meal retains its heat regardless of how long you spend chatting to friends between each delicious mouthful. This rich, creamy almost curry-like take on laksa is ideal fuel if you’re off for an afternoon’s hiking in the nearby Southern Ridges, where an elevated walkway weaves through the treetops south of the city, colorful native birdlife is in abundance and the Henderson Waves Bridge – a striking landmark with undulating steel ribs that snake over and under the walkway – has to be seen (and walked across) to be believed. Find it: 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, Alexandra Hawker Centre, #01-75, Singapore 151120 Janggut Laksa Janggut Laksa is one of at least two laksa joints at the Queenstown Shopping Center (and countless more around the city) to claim ownership of the ‘original and best’ Katong laksa in Singapore, Katong being an orange-hued take on the more commonly found yellow lemak variety, cooked with a little less coconut and a little more spice. Whether original or best is probably moot in a place with this much choice, but Janggut’s take on the dish is certainly up there. A refreshing and aromatic broth with notes of coriander, ginger and lemongrass, it comes packed with thick, chewy noodles, shrimp and a great big dollop of sambal sauce to add further heat and depth to your soup, should you be feeling bold enough to stir it through. Like most laksa eateries, the menu is short and to the point, but we’d also recommend trying the curried chicken here if you can find an appetite big enough. Find it: 1 Queensway, #01-59, Singapore 149053 328 Katong Laksa Another claimant to the title of ‘original and best’ is 328 Katong Laksa over the other side of town on the East Coast Road (why one of these joints didn’t just go for ‘Original and Best Katong Laksa’ as their shop name beats us). However, 328’s rivalry with fellow Singapore eateries is as nothing compared to their epic 2013 cook-off with Gordon Ramsay, a battle which saw the East Coast crew triumph, catapulting their already legendary laksa into the the stratosphere (no, not literally). Join the snaking queues to find out what all the fuss is about, but expect to pay a premium for the ‘number one laksa in Singapore’. The white sands and swaying coconut palms at nearby East Coast Park provide the perfect setting for sleeping it off in the afternoon sun. Find it: 51 East Coast Road, Singapore 428770 928 Yishun Laksa There are plenty of reasons to make a day trip out to the northeast region of Singapore. Singapore Zoo, for example, one of the biggest and best on the planet. Then there’s the natural hot spring at Sembawang, a pungent high-sulfide pool said to have healing properties. Woodlands Waterfront Park boasts the longest jetty on the island and a lovely promenade with views across the Straits of Johor to Malaysia. But perhaps the best reason to head north is to pay a visit to 928 Yishun Laksa, a stalwart of Singapore’s noodle soup scene with the long queues to prove it. Expect thick, creamy broth with a kick of spicy sambal at this family-run stall, where the laksa is prepared from scratch using fresh ingredients daily. Be sure to get there early: this ever-popular joint often closes mid-to-late afternoon when their addictive soups sell out. Find it: 928 Yishun Central 1, #01-155, Singapore 760928 Save on attractions and activities in Singapore Save on admission to Singapore attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Woman in a red hat smiling and pointing towards the distant Singapore Flyer
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5 Days in Singapore

Singapore is packed full of great things to do, from spectacular gardens and high-octane adventures to shopping high-end boutiques and stuffing your face with zingy chili crab in huge open-air hawker centers. No surprise then that, alongside stalwarts of the world stage including Paris, London and New York, it’s one of the most-visited cities on the planet, welcoming just shy of 15 million tourists in 2022. Five days in Singapore is just about enough time to scratch the surface of this magnificent garden city, ticking off its bucket-list attractions and getting a flavor of its hip neighborhoods and world-class foodie culture, a glorious mish-mash of Malay, Indonesian, Indian and Chinese influences. The sheer number of things to see and do around the island can be a little daunting for newbies though, so check out our suggested 5-day Singapore itinerary below for inspiration. And remember: far better to spend time appreciating a little of the city rather than rushing around trying to see everything at once and ultimately experiencing very little. Day 1: Bucket List Adventure Start your 5-Day Singapore itinerary as you mean to go on: by immersing yourself in over 200 years of Singaporean art and culture at the National Gallery. The collection here is huge. So huge in fact that it requires two national monuments to house it, namely the former Supreme Court and City Hall. Step inside these stately buildings to admire pieces that range from 19th-century woodcuts and oil paintings to 21st-century sound and video installations. Feeling suitably cultured, exit the gallery and cross the bridge to where a stroll past the iconic Merlion statue (part mermaid, part lion) and around Marina Bay conjures up some of the city’s finest views of the Central Business District’s soaring skyscrapers and the three towers of the Marina Bay Sands Resort. Head up for a cocktail in its SkyPark, accompanied by 57th-floor views across the city and beyond, or stay on terra firma to experience all the delights of the resort’s cavernous Shoppes mall, an ultra-luxe shoppers’ paradise complete with sampan boat rides along Venetian-style canals. As night falls, get yourself down to the Gardens by the Bay, a vast acreage of parkland that incorporates towering futuristic supertree structures, tranquil gardens and two massive durian-shaped glass hothouses. It’s the Supertree Grove light show you’ve come here for though; a free event that runs twice every evening and sees the trees burst into spectacular life with a dazzling display of light and color accompanied by a rousing symphonic soundtrack. In a word, wow. Day 2: Sentosa Island Located just off the southern tip of Singapore, the island resort of Sentosa is a mini adventure playground that’s chock-full of cool attractions, sandy beaches and high-octane thrill rides for adrenaline junkies. Start your day two adventure with an exhilarating cable car ride across the bay, then take your pick from the myriad entertainments on offer here in this tropical paradise. Families with kids might fancy the epic Universal Studios SIngapore with its white-knuckle rollercoasters and larger than life Sesame Street characters; or perhaps the vast aquarium or waterpark. Bone-white sand, turquoise lagoons and swaying coconut palms await on the resort’s sandy Palawan, Tanjong and Siloso beaches, with a handy free shuttle serving all three. Siloso keeps things exciting with its fearsome Skybridge, which includes opportunities to bungee jump or test your nerve on a giant swing high above the sands. End your day with a sunset ascent on board the SkyHelix Sentosa at Imbaiah Lookout, where a gently rotating gondola takes you 80 meters above sea level for 360-degree views of Singapore’s skyline, the Southern Islands and beyond. Day 3: A Feast for the Senses One of the great things about Singapore is that many of its attractions are open more or less around the clock, making planning your sightseeing itineraries relatively straightforward. The sprawling 200-acre tropical oasis that is Singapore’s urban Botanical Gardens is open from 5AM ‘til midnight almost every day, so you really have no excuse not to pop by. Visit in the morning to maximize your experience. There’s plenty to explore here after all, from tranquil Swan Lake to the aromatic Ginger Garden, iconic bandstand and miles of tree-lined walkways. Don’t miss its undisputed highlight, the National Orchid Garden, with thousands of eye-popping aromatic blooms. Mosey over to the nearby Adam Road hawker center where dozens of bustling street food stalls ply their trade, serving up authentic south Asian cuisine to hungry punters. Try rich, spicy laksa with prawns or gorge on chicken satay skewers drenched in sticky peanut sauce. Then there’s pungent fish head curry and the ubiquitous national dish of sweet-and-savory chili crab – all good enough to make a grown man weep. Your only difficulty will be deciding what to have for lunch. Wash it down with a traditional Singapore Sling at the iconic colonial-style Raffles Hotel back in the Civic District. The classic gin-infused tropical cocktail was actually invented here way back in 1915. Day 4: Back to Nature Singapore is one of the greenest cities on the planet, with an absolute multitude of outdoor activities on offer, from elevated walkways through jungle canopy along the island’s Southern Ridges to kayaking through the mangroves at Pulau Ubin. Pick of the bunch though is Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, a sprawling green space that’s slap-bang in the middle of the island and contains 400 (count ‘em) acres of untamed tropical rainforest. Don your hiking boots and pith helmet (optional) for a day in this absolute treasure trove of biodiversity, where you might be lucky enough to spot critters including reticulated pythons, flying lemurs and crab-eating macaques on a ramble through dense forests of trailing vines and towering trees that teem with colorful birdlife. If you’re feeling game, a hike to the top of the hill (the highest in the country at over 500 feet, fact fans) rewards the intrepid explorer with glorious 360-degree views across Singapore and – on clear days at least – far beyond. Day 5: Souvenir Shopping in Kampong Glam Singapore’s Muslim district is also one of its hippest neighborhoods; an Instagrammer’s dream-come-true crammed with heritage charm, colorful shophouses and super-snappable street art. It also happens to be an ultra-cool shopping hotspot where ultra-hip indie boutiques rub shoulders with ancient antique emporia, textile shops and modern ceramics specialists. A wide selection of cute cafés and some of the best restaurants in town make it a fine destination for a day’s sightseeing, snapping and souvenir-hunting. Impossibly narrow Haji Lane is your destination for chic boutiques hawking the latest batik fashions as well as one-off jewelry pieces handmade by local designers. Meanwhile, the cavernous antique stores on Bussorah and Arab Street are like something from a long bygone era, but there are great treasures waiting to be unearthed here by the keen-eyed browser. Think ornate Turkish lanterns, great ceramic pots, jugs and vases, old paintings and baroque carved wood furniture that could have come straight from a sultan’s palace. If ceramics are your vibe, hit up Supermama’s on Beach Road for something from their stylish Singapore Blue Range. Or pick up a perfume customized to your specifications from one of the multiple atmospheric perfumeries in Kampong Glam, where your intoxicating creations are decanted into fine little decorative bottles, ready for you to take home. Finally, grab a decadent cookie from Guilt or a life-changing almond croissant from Mother Dough to fortify you for the metro ride back to your hotel. Save on attractions and activities in Singapore Save on admission to Singapore attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Young couple taking a selfie on a date in Singapore
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Date Night Activities in Singapore

The sheer variety of activities in Singapore makes it an ideal choice for romantics in search of the perfect date night. This diminutive diamond-shaped island is full of heart – and that’s not all. Stunning gardens, world-class spas, hipper-than-thou indie cinemas, swoonsome sunsets and stunning street food are just some of our ideas for date night activities in Singapore (though admittedly you may want to avoid leaning in for a cheeky smooch too soon after that plateful of chili crab). Swipe right for our pick of the most romantic nights out in town, including: A Singapore sightseeing river cruise Cocktails at the iconic Raffles Hotel Couples’ massage at the Banyan Tree Spa Traditional tea for two The best steamboats and hotpots in town Sunsets to make you swoon! Go on a Singapore River Cruise Nothing says romance quite like bobbing gently along the river on a cute Singapore bumboat – stop sniggering at the back please! Take to the water with your boo on a sightseeing cruise that ticks off a number of the city’s bucket-list attractions, including Marina Bay Sands, the Old Parliament House and the legendary Raffles hotel. Cruises run well into the evening, so hopeless romantics can catch the golden hour as the sky turns flamingo pink and burnt orange at sunset and lights twinkle on across town. Sip a Singapore Sling at Raffles A Singapore institution of some 135 years standing, the colonial-style Raffles Hotel has hosted a who’s who of glamorous household names down the years: Elizabeth Taylor, Charlie Chaplin, Christian Louboutin, Rudyard Kipling and even Queen Elizabeth II, to name-drop a few. In other words, you’re in pretty good company. The hotel’s signature Singapore Sling, that punchy tropical cocktail of cherry brandy, gin, grenadine, pineapple lime and bitters, was invented right here in 1915. Toast your date with one (or two) on a romantic date in the hotel’s legendary Long Bar. Soothe your Soul at the Banyan Tree Spa Singapore date night activities don’t come much better than this: a pampering experience par excellence at the top of the Marina Bay Sands Resort. Here, 55 stories up in the Banyan Tree Spa, couples can surrender themselves to complete serenity thanks to an extensive menu of Balinese, Thai and Oriental massage complemented by fresh fruit, soothing pots of jasmine tea and sky-high views of the bay and Singapore skyline. Get Hot and Steamy over Dinner If you’ve been to Singapore and haven’t tried hotpot, have you really been to Singapore? Also known as steamboat, these boiling broths are served with a variety of thinly sliced meats, fish and vegetables for dipping and sharing at your table. You’ll find all sorts of broths out there, from spicy Sichuan to – for the bold gourmand only – stinky tofu. Dip ingredients including marinated wagyu beef, freshly caught shrimp, pickled cabbage and smoky shiitake mushrooms for the win. A steamy evening is guaranteed. Tea for Two That Queen Elizabeth sure got around, didn’t she? Not content with drinking the bar dry at Raffles, here she is again at Tea Chapter, a celebrated Singapore tea house she visited for a spot of Imperial Golden Cassia with hubby Phil back in 1989. Treat your queen (or king) to a date to remember in this lovingly converted three-storey pre-war shophouse, a zen haven of ornate Chinese architecture where you too can indulge in a tea appreciation ceremony. Rest assured that the blends you’ll sample will also be made using tea leaves that are – quite literally – fit for a queen. Date Night at the Movies Singapore isn’t short of great movie theaters, with options for catching all the latest Hollywood blockbusters or – if Scarlet Johansson and The Rock don’t float your boat – cool arthouse cinemas for the in-the-know in-crowd. The huge GVMax screen (once the biggest in Asia, fact fans) at the Golden Village VivoCity multiplex is a good bet for the hottest new releases. Head to Projector X: Riverside for under-the-radar indie flicks paired with cool cocktails or to the futuristic ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands where a curated selection of arthouse films, documentaries and Hollywood classics is screened in its state-of-the-art cinema. Now, pass the popcorn. Go Wild on a Night Safari You may find yourself playing third wheel when your boo falls for the Night Safari’s Sunda pangolin, a super-cute crepuscular critter that seems engineered to steal the heart of anyone who lays eyes on it. Operated by the same group that runs the wildly popular Singapore Zoo, this fun nighttime experience is the first of its kind to be 100% devoted to nocturnal animals. Step inside the 86-acre reserve and wander its zones (or hop on the complimentary tram) to spot Malaysian tapirs, Asian elephants, white African lions and more as they go about their nightly business. Make a Dinner Date with a Difference If dinner with a view doesn’t quite set your date’s heart aflutter, these sky-high dining experiences just might. Soaring to a dizzying 541 feet, the Singapore Flyer is one of the planet’s tallest observation wheels with showstopping views of the bright lights of Singapore and Sentosa. Two rotations of the wheel is just enough time for a private dinner in your pod with a glass of champagne and, who knows, maybe even a proposal of marriage. Equally fun is dinner and drinks on board a private cable car across the bay as you and your partner fall in love all over again on the ride from Singapore to Sentosa. Again, two rotations ensure there’s no need to rush dessert. Watch the Sunset Together Trying to identify the best sunset spot in Singapore is like attempting to find the best chili crab in town, i.e. near impossible – there are just so many great places to choose from! Our pick? Head for Marina Barrage next to the Gardens by the Bay. Here, not only can you watch the extraordinary free nightly light show in Supertree Grove thanks to those panoramic 360-degree views, you can also catch some of the most spectacular technicolor sunset views in town. Take a picnic blanket, a bottle of bubbly and some fresh passion fruit with you and that perfect Singapore date night is all but guaranteed. Save on date night activities in Singapore Save on admission to Singapore attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak

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