If you’re planning a holiday and want to keep it green then Singapore is a great choice. Not only does the city boast many eco-friendly buildings, including hostels, hotels, and its airport, it also offers many green excursions.
In 2010 the Green Premium Lounge was unveiled at Singapore’s Changi airport. The lounge boasted a green terrace centerpiece and even the air is green; filtered by a purification system from Oxyvital that claims to keep passengers not only healthier, but also happier and more productive. Where do we sign up for a lungful of that O2?
This awesome airport is just the start of your eco-friendly adventure in Singapore.
Transport
As part of its green initiative, Singapore’s government have put a lot of emphasis on the use of public transport. The city has a phenomenal bus and train system that can take tourists to all destinations, on time, as well as providing signs, fare information, and maps in English.
For ease of access, grab an EZ pass card at any station that will pay for all buses and trains and unlimited use for a day costs just $8!
Even if you do decide to jump in a taxi most will get you to your destination using compressed natural gas rather than gasoline; impressive!
Excursions
Green is a great way to describe Singapore, especially in relation to colour!
The city has plenty of parks and gardens to visit and even has its own rainforest! Covering 164 hectares, the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve is home to a utopia of natural, tropical plant and wildlife. A tour is completely free and gives tourists the opportunity to explore Singapore’s other, less urban side. Other must-sees include the ChekJawa Marine Park, Singapore Botanic Gardens, and Fort Canning Park.
Shopping, Dining, and More!
When you’ve had your fill of Singapore’s nature, get urban and do a little eco-friendly shopping and more. The city boasts an array of shops, wellness centres, and restaurants for the green tourists and you can even grab an eco-friendly hair treatment at the Ecorganics salon on Thomson Ridge.
The city has a surprising amount of vintage and organic fashion storesand if this utopian city has left you feeling incredibly Zen, you can head to Touch the Toes and grab some eco-friendly or organic yoga wear before hot-footing it to a one of many wellness centres.
Shopping until you drop and taking in all that Singapore has to offer will leave you feeling pretty hungry! Whether you want to cook for yourself, or fancy dining out, in Singapore you won’t have to venture far for an eco-friendly meal. Along with a whole host of organic shops and markets (make sure you head to the Four Seasons Organic Market) there are a number of vegan and eco-friendly restaurants. A visit to Delcie’s Desserts and Cakes will leave your mouth watering and you won’t be able to resist their range of organic, egg-free, dairy-free creations but if you need something even more filling VeganBurg is your haven! Who doesn’t wrap their lips around a vegan fast food burger that’s made using eco-friendly ingredients?!
Hotels
Singapore’s hotels were actually quite slow to jump on the bandwagon but they are certainly making up for it now.
The ParkRoyal is the superhero of green hotel is Singapore and its facts speak for themselves; thanks to its attention to detail, rain sensors, natural sky gardens and more the hotel saves enough energy annually to power 680 homes!
The Marina Bay Sands is another well-known eco hotel in Singapore that uses concave and convex roofs to keep its temperatures under control in a green manner. The hotel itself was eco-friendly even before it was built and has been marked
with a prestigious Green Mark Gold Award.
Thanks to the National University of Singapore you can be safe in the knowledge that whatever green hotel you are staying in is legitimately eco-friendly. The university is at the head of the city’s green revolution and keeps a close eye on all hotels claiming to be eco-friendly to ensure they actually are.
Bonus Points
As well as championing public transport, keeping hotels on side and offering green excursions, Singapore is also paying attention to its eco-friendly title in other ways.
Take the Semakau landfill site, for example. This specially constructed landfill site was created in a way that did not affect the natural plant and animal life of Singapore and although much of the city is an urban jungle Semakau boats an impressive ecosystem where wildlife thrives. Stick this on your excursion list and enjoy a guided nature walk or bird-spotting tour.
The Lion City certainly boats a tremendous roar when it comes to eco-friendly opportunities and proves it’s green in more ways than one. If you’ve been to Singapore let us know what your favourite eco-friendly spot is.
About the author:
Milda is the Community Manager @ AsiaRooms. Born in Lithuania (love it!), studied in the UK, travelled around Asia and USA, taught in Africa and now residing in Singapore where, equipped with a strong cup of coffee and surrounded by an amazing team I’m blogging about travels, cultures, events and hotels in Asia.