Singapore for 5 days in August?

[Catsslave]

Vaguely considering this as a post A levels trip for ds2 (and me) as ds1 is making noises about not coming away with us next year and this is somewhere he doesn't want to visit and ds2 does. I'm thinking if ds1 does change his mind I should still be able to stretch to a similar length trip to Europe with him or both of them.

Questions are is it ridiculous to go there just for 5 days? Is August an ok time to go? Also, any idea of how expensive it is to be there and when would be the best time to buy flights would also be appreciated.

Picking Singapore for 5 days, can I assume you already know the place? Singapore is hot all year round so August is no different from March. I have been to Singapore a few times but genrally I don't think people go there for more than 5 days? I have family in Hong Kong and I go for 10 days every year, so 5 days isn't too long if you do things beyond the standard touristy stuff. I take my teens hiking, lots of Japanese and Korean pop culture shopping and eating. I'm sure these are available also in Singapore.

I'm planning to go next year during summer because of GCSE. I'm expecting it to be very hot.

Have fun and enjoy your trip.

Sorry, meant to say I know 5 days is long enough for Singapore itself but it does seem a bit crazy to fly 13 hours to stay such a short time. I assume, perhaps wrongly, that people go elsewhere in the region afterwards, but I don't want to do that as it would use up my entire holiday budget.

It’s a long way to go for a mere 5 days but it is do able.

Singapore National Day in August 2027 is on August 9th and is a public holiday. Lots of events going on that day together with an airshow.

Humidity is high and can be quite draining. That can be more of an issue that the rain which does not last all that long. Singapore is often used as a stopping over point for onward travel to Australia.

We had a few days stop-over flying home from Cambodia, just over 2 hours so Economy class was fine.
However, I would not even think about flying that distance for such a short time.
It's also very expensive.

We did 7 nights in Singapore and it was fine. We split it so 4 nights in the city and then 3 on Sentosa, as a resort style holiday, as an alternative suggestion if you can increase your time there slightly but don't want to move onto another destination.

I think crossing 7 time zones for a 5 day holiday is probably an ambitious plan, you will just start to get over the jet lag and onto the Singapore timezone and then you fly back and start again. Saying that we did a week in Jamaica last Easter, which was 6 time zones, though we didn't do much whilst in Jamaica other than chill on the beach and even a week we were at breakfast for opening at 7:30am. I do like Singapore, food is great, and have been in August multiple times as we often stop briefly on the way to Australia. It can be quite wet in August.

I bloody love Singapore but NO WAY would I go there for 5 days. That is crazy. As pp have noted, it takes about that to get over jet lag. My rule is no fewer nights than hours in the air. Pick somewhere else or extend trip and do Thailand or Vietnam or Malaysia too.

Too short stay for the long journey. We did 4 days in KL and fly onto Vietnam for a week afterwards. Singapore is probably one of the most hot and humid places I’ve visited

Flying all the way there for 5 days defintiely is too much effort. I think you need at least a week to make it worth it. That's also the reason I asked if you know Singapore already. 5 days is very long to spend in a city state unless you are going there like my family go to London (we are in Hampshire).

Look at combining it with Malaysia too? Or Japan?

About what @oncemoreuntothebeachdearfriends says. Of course Singapore is more expensive than Cambodia. I think the OP knows that?

We were in Singapore a few weeks ago for two nights en route for Australia and I can’t say it was particularly expensive to eat out and get around - certainly cheaper than home. Not sure about hotel prices because we just stayed at the airport for convenience.

Would I go for 5 days? I could easily find 5 days worth of things to do. Walking in the nature reserves with macaques and beautiful butterflies wouldn’t ever become boring. And if you got a flight that landed late afternoon then working more or less on Singapore time is do-able. But it’s a long, long journey, especially if you don’t fly direct.

It will be very, very hot. I went in February and it wasn't that hot at all. It wss very pleasant.
No way would i go all that way for just 5 days.
And I wouldn't go in August either.

I liked Singapore and it's not too expensive, but it's a very long way to fly for five days. Especially if you fly non-direct to save money.

And if you got a flight that landed late afternoon then working more or less on Singapore time is do-able

Agree..I've done a lot of short work related visits and one short holiday stay and that can work fine.

Most of the non-stoppers ex-UK (last time I looked that was Singapore Airlines, Qantas and BA) get you into SIN late PM/early evening local after an overnight flight so if you are prepared to bias your activities whilst there towards the afternoon/evening it's possible to avoid the worse effects of the time change.

I travel to Singapore a number of times each year for work. It certainly is no hotter in August than February. Because of the proximity to the equator, there are no hot and cold seasons like the UK; it is tropical. Cloudy skies can be expected though and you can expect rain in the afternoons. That’s not to say it won’t rain at other times.

As for going for 5 days, l think it depends how the individual reacts. Some people sleep well on an aircraft and their body clock adjusts quickly. Although there is more to it than just sleeping on an aircraft. Others take several days to adjust. For me, it helps if l adjust to the new time zone immediately. In other words start to “live Singapore time”. Other people want to sleep on arrival and indeed take several days to adjust.

It is an amazing city, very safe and lots to see. Singaporeans are in love with their air con though, many buildings are akin to walking into a freezer, so if you do go, take a cardigan as well as a lightweight waterproof.

Yes its silly to go for 5 days. The jet lag is brutal and by the time you are over it, it will be time to come home. I love Singapore, but consider it more of a stop on the way to somewhere else in Asia rather than somewhere worth going to specifically.

Hmm, thanks for all the replies, though it's disappointing that the 'No's seem to have it. I've only gone East once - years ago to Thailand. I don't remember experiencing jetlag at all and we just got on with it as soon as we arrived - but obviously I was a lot younger then. Is it really so bad as to mean I couldn't enjoy the time away at all? I would only get a direct flight if we did go and as a teacher if we go early August I can have plenty of recovery time when we get home.

As l mentioned up thread, it impacts on different people in different ways. Yes, age takes its toll, but if you were OK back then, l think you are likely to be OK now.

l’ve gone for slightly less time on work trips.

lf l was in your shoes, would l go? Yes.

lf it is possible to squeeze in an extra day or so, all the better.

If you opt to go, drop me a PM, l can give you some suggestions worth seeing and off the beaten track.

Agree with @StarlightLady

I personally I wouldn't describe the jet lag UK>SIN as being inevitably brutal, there are far worse.

A lot depends on the individual and what you plan to do....

I dont think I could face doing that long journey for just 5 days. We went to Singapore last August as a 4 day stop over before heading to Indonesia. we were all wiped out the first day with the 8 hour time difference. Day 2-4 were good though. The weather is humid and hot. You walk outside and are immediately sweaty! However, Gardens of the Bay were fantastic as was Singapore Zoo. The food is fab and cheap.

Four years ago I went to Cambodia and had a six hour layover in Singapore. My jet lag was fine, I think perhaps it was the adrenaline of being someone new but I felt really good. I was 53 at the time.

We flew to asia with a 4 month old and 3 year old and did a night flight A 9pm take off I think

everyone slept all night (except me as I was watching the kids and holding the baby for a lot of it

by the time we got there we just stayed up until a reasonable time like 8pm local time went to bed and slept all night and up at like 7 and we were straight on the right time Zone tbh - didn’t find jet lag bad at all tbh

saying that it seems expensive and far to go for 5 days

I stayed over for 2 nights when I last flew to Sydney. My flight landed at 5pm Singapore time, I went to bed at 10pm and woke up feeling fine.

Go OP, go!

I'm grateful for all replies and perspectives. I booked it yesterday so we are off and will just have to deal with any jetlag. DS is very excited and I am pretty sure it will be worth it either way!