I’m currently on my annual journey through Asia - this time travelling through Singapore and Indonesia. I’m writing this from the shores of Indonesia, where the warm breeze and gentle waves create a picture postcard backdrop.
Having grown up in the region, returning always feels special. There’s something deeply nostalgic about revisiting the familiar tastes, scents, and sights, even as places like Singapore continue to transform and evolve so dramatically.
So far on this trip, we’ve explored several wonderful spots in Singapore, and I’ve noted a few highlights below.
Lau Pa Sat
One of our first stops was Lau Pa Sat, nestled right in the heart of Singapore’s city centre. It’s an easy place to visit, and a fantastic introduction to the country’s famous hawker culture.
Hawker food has always been food for the people - affordable, accessible, and full of flavour. One local favourite you absolutely have to try is Chicken Rice, made with boiled or steamed chicken and fragrant rice cooked with ginger and garlic. Truly divine.
At first, Lau Pa Sat can feel overwhelming, but don’t worry - it’s part of the charm. Lau Pa Sat is known as a ‘Hawker Centre’, or in more European terms, a food court. Singapore has over 100 hawker centres across the island, and you’ll find them in almost every mall basement. Lau Pa Sat itself is very much tailored to tourists, but in my opinion, it still does an excellent job of capturing the hawker atmosphere.
Each stall specialises in a particular dish or cuisine, and Singapore’s food scene reflects the diverse cultures that make up its population - Chinese, Malay, Indonesian, Indian, Bangladeshi, and many more. We suggest choosing a few dishes from different stalls and sampling as much as you can. Singapore’s food hygiene standards are extremely strict, so you can be confident the food is prepared properly.
One fun local detail - if you see a small packet of tissues on a table, it means the table has been reserved - or in local slang, “chope”. Historically, an “Auntie” might sell tissues nearby, so vendors won’t usually provide any. With that said, it’s worth bringing your own or asking an Auntie if needed.
Finally, don’t forget Satay Street, on the road next to Lau Pa Sat. By day it’s a busy road, but at night it transforms into a lively stretch of satay stalls, where you can't miss the grill aromas!
If you’re looking for a more authentic hawker experience beyond Lau Pa Sat, we’d also recommend heading over to Maxwell’s. A much more local experience - but still amazing food!
Singapore Botanical Gardens
Having not visited the Singapore Botanical Gardens in many years, I shouldn’t have been surprised by how beautifully maintained everything was. The gardens are thoughtfully designed, with manicured trails, ponds, and peaceful corners throughout.
It’s absolutely worth a visit if you want a break from the city’s concrete jungle. You can pay to enter the Orchid Gardens (around $15 SGD/ $11 USD for an adult), but to be honest, the main gardens alone are more than enough to wander through and enjoy. Just be sure to time your visit wisely - the Singapore sun can be intense, and temperatures are often upwards of 28°C.
Dempsey
If you’ve already visited the Botanical Gardens, Dempsey is only about a 15-minute walk away. Set within old colonial barracks, Dempsey is a relaxed area filled with food, drink, art, and little pockets of greenery. It makes for a lovely slower-paced stop.
On this trip we visited the PS Café for lunch. The menu leans more Western, though with an Asian twist in places - a nice change after several days of local hawker meals. The infamous Burnt Ends is also located in Dempsey, although it’s famously difficult to get a table. We’ve heard from many friends that it’s worth the hype.
If you fancy a coffee, there are several great spots. We stopped at Maison Garden, a calm café with an in-house florist - the whole place smells divine. Have a wander through Dempsey and you’re bound to find something that suits you.
There you have a few places I’ve recently visited - and of course, there are countless more to explore. I’ll do my best to share more recommendations in future trips.
Staying Connected Using an eSIM in Singapore
Now, on to using an eSIM in Singapore. On this trip, I wanted to compare the experience of using a travel eSIM versus purchasing a SIM directly from a local Singapore provider - to give you a sense of the pitfall and hassle of buying a local SIM.
My Experience Buying a Travel eSIM for Singapore
As usual, buying an eSIM wasn’t the first thing on my mind. It wasn’t until I was walking onto the airbridge at Heathrow that I realised I hadn't bought one - so I started my search right there. Using RoamCompare, I quickly found a plan that matched my data needs and offered the best value. I simply entered how long I was travelling for and answered a few questions to estimate my usage. A plan from Roamify was recommended for me, given its competitive price and amount the recommended of data for my trip.
Sitting in my seat, I created a Roamify account, purchased the plan, installed it, and that was it - all in under five minutes. It’s worth noting that I was using my home mobile connection at the time. I bought this Roamify eSIM for around £11 GBP/$15 USD, which included 30GB of data valid for 15 days. When I arrived in Singapore, the savings became immediately clear. EE, my UK provider, sent me a text saying roaming would cost £25/$20 USD for one week. I was away for two weeks, which would have been £50/$42 USD - a totally unnecessary spend, and easily enough for a couple more rounds of drinks on arrival.
My Review of Roamify eSIM in Singapore
The moment I landed, switched off Airplane Mode, and connected to the local network, SIMBA, automatically, I was already online. For £11, it was an absolute no-brainer. The only feedback I would give - and this is very specific to eSIM nerds - is that speeds varied quite a lot across the island. I received speeds between 17Mbps and 100Mbps depending on my location which may feel slightly slower than what you’d get with a fully local SIM. That said, across Singapore I had a strong connection and no coverage issues at all. It’s also worth remembering that roaming on your home provider can often be even slower. O2 in the UK, for example, offers just 2Mbps on some travel plans - which is extremely slow and not really enough to stream.
Here's a test while out and about giving 12Mbps.
And here's a test in my Hotel near Orchard giving me 108Mbps - very speedy. For eSIM Nerds - there was a femtocell outside my room.
How Not to Buy a Local SIM in Singapore (My Bad Experience)
Local operators in Singapore offer plans designed specifically for tourists, so I also decided to try buying a SIM directly from Singtel, a local network. My first attempt was through their website, but after two failed payment attempts, I wasn’t able to complete the purchase. On a previous trip I had bought one online successfully, so your mileage may vary - perhaps there was simply an issue at the time.
I’ve also heard that you can buy eSIMs from convenience stores like 7/11, but in all my travels, they’ve never actually been in stock. Rather only the actual Singtel stores have them.
If you want calls and texts included, you’re more likely to receive a physical SIM rather than an eSIM. Singapore regulations require in-person or remote identity verification when purchasing SIMs with data, minutes and SMS. If the online eSIM purchase route works for you, then you'll only get access to data.
If you go into a store to buy a SIM, you'll need to take a photo of your passport and a selfie before buying the SIM.
After visiting a couple of Singtel retail stores, I eventually found one with stock at Somerset Orchard. I took a queue number, waited around ten minutes, gave them my passport to copy, and purchased the plan. I bought a $30 SGD (£17 GBP/$24 USD) package that included Unlimited Data for 28 days, plus 10GB of roaming data for my trip to Indonesia (it also included a few other countries). Although it's advertised as 'Unlimited' data its actually 120GB under fair use.
Keep in mind that if you want to extend it for longer than 28 days, you must got back to a Singtel store to get it reverified. With a Travel eSIM you can easily top-up.
From a pricing perspective it wasn’t too bad, but overall, it was still more expensive than using my Roamify travel eSIM and way more of a hassle.
Local Singapore Singtel SIM Review (Fast but inconvenient)
Because my Singtel plan included calls and texts, it came as a physical SIM. I dug out a paperclip and removed my EE home SIM. Since my home SIM was also physical, I first converted it to an eSIM, so I could continue receiving calls and texts, then installed the Singtel SIM. A little bit annoying really.
Once installed, everything worked perfectly, and speeds were noticeably faster. In one test I reached 1Gbps, which is incredibly fast - though realistically unnecessary, as the 20Mbps Travel eSIM I had with Roamify was more than enough for everyday use.
I was slightly apprehensive about wether it would work properly in Indonesia, as I’d had issues on a previous trip. However, those concerns disappeared the moment I crossed into Indonesian waters on the ferry and connected to local TSEL networks immediately.
While roaming, I averaged around 10Mbps on 4G/LTE, though of course this depends heavily on location and coverage. Overall, the Singtel SIM was good - but the process of buying and installing it is definitely more effort.
Our eSIM Recommendation
From a coverage perspective, Singapore is a small island, so even travel eSIMs with access to just one local provider should offer strong connectivity. In general, local SIMs may provide faster speeds, while travel eSIMs offer far greater convenience.
On my last trip in 2025, I used a Nomad eSIM which worked perfectly. This time I’m using Roamify, and I would also recommend GoMoWorld and Ubigi based on feedback from our community.
The best plan for you will depend entirely on your needs - so we always suggest using our RoamCompare search tool to find the right fit.
| Provider | Price | Capacity | Validity |
| Mays | $9.99 USD | 10 GB | 7 Days |
| Romaify | $10.45 USD | 20 GB | 7 Days |
| GoMoWorld | $23.62 USD | 35 GB | 30 Days |
| AloSim | $29 USD | Unlimited | 30 Days |
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What’s the Cheapest Plan for Singapore
You may come across free or trial eSIM plans for Singapore offering small amounts of data.
While useful, it’s always worth checking what happens once the trial ends, as some providers increase prices significantly when you want to top up.
The cheapest plan depends largely on how long your trip is. Here are a few plans for comparison.
| Provider | Price | Capacity | Validity |
| Ubigi | $12.00 USD | 10 GB | 7 Days |
| Roamify | $10.45 USD | 20 GB | 15 Days |
| GoMoWorld | $12.99 USD | 17 GB | 30 Days |
| Roamify | $33.25 USD | Unlimited | 30 Days |
| Maya Mobile | $69.99 USD | 900 GB | 60 Days |
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Overseas Data Roaming in Singapore
If you’re visiting Singapore from the UK or Europe, your home provider will usually place you in a “Rest of World” roaming zone. Without roaming included, costs can add up quickly.
Even when roaming is bundled, providers may restrict speeds or usage. O2 in the UK, for example, caps speeds at just 2Mbps on certain travel plans. Calls and SMS can also be expensive, so using WhatsApp, FaceTime, or iMessage which are included in data plans is always better when using a Travel eSIM.
If you need a local number, RoamCompare filters can help you find plans that include calls and texts.
Where to Buy an eSIM for Singapore
If you decide to buy a local SIM, you’ll find options at the airport and across the city. Singapore has 4 major networks - Singtel, Starhub, M1 and SIMBA.
Prices can be competitive - around $10 USD (£8 GBP) for 5GB valid for 30 days, often with some local minutes and texts included.
Just remember you may be required to show your passport when purchasing.
How to Activate Your eSIM in Singapore
If you buy a Travel eSIM before you travel, you can activate it the moment you land.
You can also purchase one after arrival, but you’ll need WiFi to complete installation. If you’re new to eSIMs, take a look at our guide on activating an eSIM on iOS for step-by-step instructions.
WiFi Access in Singapore
WiFi is widely available, although Singapore’s fast cellular internet means some places rely less on public WiFi. Overall, connectivity is excellent.
Will My Phone Be Compatible with eSIMs in Singapore?
Most modern smartphones support eSIMs, but always make sure that your device is unlocked (that is, not fixed to a specific carrier) and your device supports eSIM. The good news is that most modern devices support eSIM. Have a look at out Compatibility Checker tool to double check.
How Much Data Do You Need In Singapore (Updated 2026)
Your data needs depend on where you’re too travelling and how you use data, but here’s a general guide:
Low: Emails and light browsing
- 7 Days - 2 - 5GB
- 14 Days - Up to 5GB
- 30 Days - Up to 10GB
Medium: Social media and browsing
- 7 Days - Up to 10GB
- 14 Days - Up to 15GB
- 30 Days - Up to 20GB+
High: Streaming, video calls, navigation
- 7 Days - Up to 20GB
- 14 Days - 20 - 40GB
- 30 Days - Unlimited
Buying a Local eSIM vs a Travel eSIM in Singapore
Ultimately, the main differences come down to convenience and speed. Purchasing a local SIMs require more effort to buy and install, but may deliver faster speeds.
Travel eSIMs like Roamify and Nomad are incredibly easy to set up, and while slightly slower, they’re more than sufficient for everyday travel needs.
Singtel Tourist Plans
StarHub Tourist Plans
M1 Tourist Plans
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