Hawker Centres are hands down, the best way to eat while in Singapore! And they are everywhere, which makes it even easier to choose hawker centres over anything else. Hong Lim Food Centre is my absolute favorite hawker centre to date and I believe that it is incredibly underrated. So needless to say, I just had to share it with you all. Although there's quite a few stalls in Hong Lim worth checking out, I'm just going to give you my top three. These places are definitely *must trys* and after you sample their goodies, thennnnn you can move onto all the others :)

This centre is in a great location in between Clark Quay and Chinatown, so you can easily take different train lines to this area. It's located on the second floor of a parking garage, right behind PARKROYAL on Pickering if youre approaching from Clark Quay area. Depending on the time of day that you go, you can either find giant lines and craziness while locals try to eat quickly on their lunch breaks orrrr you could find a collection of old men sitting quietly at their own tables in silence, staring off with maybe 6 empty Tiger beer bombers in front of them. All depends on the hour. 

Each time I've visited this Hawker Centre, I never saw foreigners. (At least noticeable looking ones with tour books and loud English speaking voices). I also didnt read many blogs suggesting visiting Hong Lim Food Centre. Maxwell Food Centre in Chinatown and Lau Pa Sat Food Court in the business district are definitely more well known, but I think that's what makes Hong Lim even more special. You're eating amongst locals that eat here everyday and tourists haven't overtaken. So really, it's a gem! 

Ji Ji Wanton Noodle Specialist

Wanton Noodle- where to even start?! This dish was my absolute favorite while in Singapore and as I sit here, staring at the ceiling trying to think of how to properly describe its magic, I hear myself saying aloud, "the shit is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S". So I'll just leave it at that. I was lucky enough to get to Singapore twice in 3 months this past year and each time, you can bet your butt I ended up here. Wanton Mee can be served dry or in a soup and typicallly consists or noodles, barbecued pork, greens and wantons. Usually a bowl of broth and boiled dumplings come on the side when you order it dry. And at Ji Ji Wanton Noodle Specialist, they'll be quick to tell you not to pour the soup into the noodles if you look like you dont know what youre doing. In addition to the delicious, flavor packed boiled dumplings in the broth, they also serve crispy fried wontons over the noodles. Watching the girl behind the counter prepare your bowl is definitely entertaining as well. She's incredibly quick, dipping serving spoons into different pots and containers to pour in the perfect amount of sauce combination. Different portion sizes range from 3-5 Singapore dollars and you don't have to order the largest portion to be satisfied. (But you also won't be disappointed if you do!) 

Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa

It's no wonder that Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa has a Michelin Bib Gourmand award. Laksa is one of those dishes you *must* try while in Singpore and this is definitely the place to go for it! Sungei Road has two locations, this one, and another closer to Little India. The other location is a bit out of the way, but if you have the time, check it out as well. It only has one option on the menu, it costs 3 Singapore dollars and people wait in line forever for it. The Hong Lim location also has a ridiculous (yet understandable) line, but unlike the Little India location, they have protein options. Anddddd the master behind Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa works at the Hong Lim Stall with his wife. So there's that! They're absolutely adorable and will chat with you while preparing your dish. Traditionally, laksa is a spicy soup made with a rich coconut milk base, rice noodles, and various seafood. It's an explosion of flavor and you'll find yourself wondering how something could taste so good!

Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee

Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee has a line every single day that stretches around the row of stalls and keeps people waiting for up to an hour. Mee is the term in Singapore and Malaysia used for "noodle". Being able to identify this word will help you loads in Singapore, by the way. Kway Teow mee though is a popular Singaporean dish that you may have already heard of or read about. It reminds me a bit of the Thai dish, pad see ew, but I doubt anyone from Singapore would be pleased with my comparison. Kway Teow Mee, however, is typically cooked with egg, bean sprouts, and often served with prawns. Heading over to the Outram Park stall is definitely a must when visiting Hong Lim.

When I started talking about possibly making a trip to Singapore, everyone seemed to have an opinion about how expensive it was. I was a bit worried considering I was on a backpacking budget with no source of income at the time. But I figured I had to go and would make it work somehow. I found that if you book your accommodations ahead of time and accept that this will be your big purchase, you can totally do Singapore on a budget. Here are some tips I picked up on along the way:

FOOD

The answer to Singapore on a backpacking budget isss, drumroll please.. HAWKER CENTERS. You’ll be amazed how much you can save. And I’m not only suggesting you eat every meal at a hawker center because it will save you money. Hawker Centers are also DELICIOUS. You can absolutely expect to find some of the best food you’ll have in Singapore in a Hawker Center. Anywhere from 2 to 6 Singapore dollars can score you an entire meal that will fill you up and leave your taste buds completely satisfied. And these Hawker Centers are everywhere. So don't worry about not being able to find one. If you'd prefer to have a few in mind, I definitely recommend Hong Lim Food Centre. It's located on the second floor of a parking garage, between the Clarke Quay area and Chinatown. If youre approaching from Clarke Quay direction, it's right behind PARKROYAL on Pickering. Maxwell Food Centre is located in Chinatown and has some awesome options as well. Make sure to get your chicken and rice here! Lastly, Lau Pa Sat Food Court is easily spotted since it sits right in the middle of downtown buildings in the central business distrct. Dont miss the satay street outside! Again, there are loads of food centers, so if these arent convenient, don't sweat it! Just make sure to feast at whatever Hawker Centre you end up at!

TRANSPORTATION

If you don’t already have the Grab App downloaded on your phone, go ahead and do that now. Grab is Asia's version of Uber or Lyft. It’s super handy to have and you can pay cash after your ride instead of loading your credit card info! Keep in mind though that Grab requires an internet connection. So this could be unavailable if you don’t have free wifi or data on your phone. I suggest getting acquainted with the public transit system. It’s very easy to figure out and surprisingly cheap. You can jump right on the MRT straight from the airport when you arrive and take it pretty much everywhere throughout the city. When you initially purchase the train card, you’ll have options between day passes with unlimited travel (I believe train and bus) and just loading the card with a certain amount of money. If you choose the latter, you can cash out the balance at the end of your stay. There is a nonrefundable 5 dollar fee for the card, however. So make sure to keep the card for next time you visit!  We did a fair bit of train riding for 3 days and only used about 15 Singapore dollars. But if you’re planning on a lot of traveling around, maybe the day pass would better suit you.

DRINKS

Alcohol in Singapore is very expensive. I found the average price for a cocktail to be 16-19 Singapore Dollars. Depending on where you’re from and with the currency conversion, these prices could be normal for you. But if you're trying to definitely cut back on spending, check out the Duty-Free Shop in the airport when you initially land in Singapore. You can save some money just buying a bottle there. If you prefer beer, you’re in luck! Beer doesn’t seem to have as much of a markup and you can easily pick it up at 7-11 or other convenience shops where the prices will be lower than in bars.

THINGS TO DO

Gardens by the Bay is a huge tourist attraction in Singapore. Unlike the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome, you can wander the Supertree Grove for free! There are loads of different plant species and giant supertree structures throughout the garden. In the evenings, the supertrees put on a free light show that you can’t miss! The show starts at 7:45 and 8:45 every night. Plan to grab a spot under the trees and lay down, gazing up at the sky and trees above you.

Make time to explore the streets of Chinatown and Little India! In addition to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Chinatown is also home to Singapore’s oldest Hindu temple, Sri Mariamman. Both temples are free of charge and definitely worth checking out. If youre heading to Little India, stop by Hajl Lane on the way. Hajl Lane is a small lane known for it’s cafes, boutique shops and street art. If you take the Blue Downtown line to the Bugis stop, you can check out the Bugis Market, head over to Hajl Lane and Arab street and then make your way to Little India. Otherwise, you can reach Little India by the Purple NorthEast Line (Little India Stop) or the Blue Downtown Line (Jalan Besar Stop). Both of these lines are located at the Chinatown MRT station, in case you plan on doing them back to back.

Instead of paying top dollar for rooftop views, head over to Pinnacle @ Duxton Skybridge. This rooftop is 50 stories up and offers 360 degree views of the city. It’s unique in that it’s actually the viewing deck of 7 residential buildings all linked together. For only 6 Singapore dollars, you can head up and wander, walking the entire 1600 foot length. Viewing time for the public is from 9AM to 9PM, but only 200 nonresidents are permitted a day. I went right when they opened and only saw 3 other people the entire time I was up there. If you do go early, try to have exact change.

One thing I’ve learned about budget traveling is that it’s not always about how much money you’re saving, but also about maximizing your time and exploring efficiently. You will save not only money, but also time by planning your day out and having an idea of what you hope to fit in. Try saving restuarants and sites you'd like to visit on google maps. This will help you keep track of places you want to check out and see where they are in relation to your current location. I discovered this trick recently and it's been a game changer!