Our Singapore Stopover: The Clan Hotel, Gardens by the Bay & Chinatown

We were travelling from Manchester to Australia and decided to make the most of our Singapore stopover. Rather than rush straight through the airport, Mr N and I spent three days discovering the city. It was a chance to enjoy some very different experiences: historic streets, extraordinary gardens, good food and a hotel with a distinctive sense of place.

I’ve filmed the entire experience for YouTube, but I wanted to bring together the places we visited, a few of my favourite photographs and the clothes and accessories I took with me.

Susy and Mr N smiling among the sunflowers at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore — Mr N and I at Gardens by the Bay.

Our base: The Clan Hotel, Telok Ayer

We stayed at The Clan Hotel in Telok Ayer, an excellent area for exploring Chinatown and the surrounding heritage streets. I was particularly interested in the interiors, which bring together contemporary design and references to the area’s Chinese heritage.

For clarity, we paid for our stay and received a complimentary room upgrade. All the opinions here are my own.

The Clan Hotel lounge with warm lighting and views over Singapore — One of the interiors at The Clan Hotel.

We explored the hotel, enjoyed its Nanyang tea ritual and had a look at the Sky Pool on Level 30. The hotel appears throughout the YouTube vlog, rather than in one continuous section, so the video chapters are useful if you particularly want to see the room, tea ceremony or rooftop.

Rooftop infinity pool at The Clan Hotel overlooking Singapore — The Sky Pool on Level 30.

Susy standing with Ivan from The Clan Hotel in Singapore — Meeting Ivan at The Clan Hotel.

Walking through Chinatown and Far East Square

I always enjoy exploring a city on foot. Around Chinatown and Far East Square, there is a fascinating contrast between traditional shophouses, temples, cafés and Singapore’s modern skyline. It’s the sort of neighbourhood where there’s something interesting around almost every corner.

Susy in a lemon blouse at Far East Square Singapore — An evening at Far East Square.

Susy walking through Singapore Chinatown in an olive outfit — Exploring Chinatown.

Tea, cake and some very good food

Food and drink are always part of our travels. We stopped at Amacha for tea and kueh lapis, and enjoyed discovering the different flavours available around Chinatown. I love those smaller stops as much as the headline attractions.

Wood-lined interior of the Amacha tea shop in Singapore — Inside Amacha.

Tea and wrapped kueh lapis cake on a wooden table at Amacha — Tea and kueh lapis.

One of our meals was a particularly colourful affair, with beautifully presented dishes and a restaurant interior full of character. You can see more of our food discoveries in the vlog.

Susy and Mr N at a restaurant table enjoying Singaporean food — Dinner with Mr N.

Gardens by the Bay: a gardener’s highlight

As someone who spends so much time growing fruit and vegetables and working in my own garden, Gardens by the Bay was always going to be high on my list. The scale of the planting and the way the conservatories combine horticulture with architecture made it especially interesting.

Susy wearing a green dress in front of the Supertrees at Gardens by the Bay — Among the Supertrees.

We explored both the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest. The Cloud Forest’s dramatic planting, elevated walkways and waterfall are quite an experience, and I enjoyed seeing so many tropical plants together in one place.

Lush tropical plants and high walkways inside Cloud Forest Singapore — The scale of the Cloud Forest planting.

Susy among tropical plants with the Cloud Forest waterfall behind her — In the Cloud Forest.

Marina Bay, the ArtScience Museum and Jewel Changi

Our time in Singapore also took us around Marina Bay and into the ArtScience Museum, where we visited an immersive exhibition. It was a completely different side of the city from the older streets of Chinatown.

Before continuing to Australia, we stopped at Jewel Changi Airport to see its extraordinary indoor waterfall. It’s quite a way to finish a stopover.

Watch our three days in Singapore

The full 40-minute vlog brings everything together: our Singapore Airlines Premium Economy journey, The Clan, the tea ceremony, Gardens by the Bay, Chinatown, the ArtScience Museum and Jewel Changi. Mr N and I share our own impressions along the way.

Watch our Singapore vlog on YouTube — use the chapters to jump to a particular place or experience.

What I wore in Singapore

I’ve linked the clothes, jewellery and accessories featured in the video below. Where an item isn’t identical, I’ve said so.

More of my recommendations: ShopMy · My discount codes · The Susy B Edit newsletter.

Affiliate disclosure: Some shopping links above are affiliate links. I may earn a commission if you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. Some items may have been gifted. Our stay at The Clan Hotel was paid for by us, and we received a complimentary room upgrade.

If you’ve been to Singapore, I’d love to know which places you enjoyed most — or what you would put on your list for a first visit.

All the best,
Susy