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A shopping centre known as Singapore's Myanmar hub since the 1990s — Myanmar restaurants, grocery stores, travel agencies, and money changers, especially busy on Sundays.

Getting there:

City Hall MRT (NS25 / EW13), take Exit B and walk about 5 minutes. Busiest on Sunday afternoons.

Food:

Myanmar restaurants on the upper floors — mohinga, tea-leaf salad, curry and rice at prices close to home cooking.

111 North Bridge Road, Singapore 179098

Singapore's only traditional Burmese-style Buddhist temple, founded in 1875 — a spiritual and cultural gathering point for the community.

Getting there:

Toa Payoh MRT (NS19), then bus, or Novena MRT (NS20) and about 15 minutes' walk.

Food:

No restaurant inside. Bring water; there are shops on Balestier Road, about 10 minutes' walk.

14 Tai Gin Road, Singapore 327873

An informal Sunday gathering spot near Little India where many Myanmar workers meet friends on their day off.

Getting there:

Farrer Park MRT (NE8). The crowd builds through Sunday afternoon and into the evening.

Food:

Every kind of South and Southeast Asian food in the surrounding streets, much of it under $6.

Stamford Road / Farrer Park / Little India area

A wet market and hawker centre at the exit of Little India MRT, and the centre of Sunday life for South Asian workers — cheap food, money transfer shops, phone top-ups and the crowds along Serangoon Road. Open daily 6.30am–9pm.

Getting there:

Little India MRT (NE7 / DT12), the exit opens almost onto it. Open daily 6.30am–9pm.

Food:

Hawker centre downstairs — biryani, roti prata, fish head curry. Among the cheapest hot meals in the city.

665 Buffalo Road, Singapore 210665 — at Little India MRT (NE7 / DT12)

The junction of Desker Road and Lembu Road, long known as the main Sunday meeting point for Bangladeshi workers. Busiest on Sunday evenings, with food stalls and Bengali groceries in the surrounding streets.

Getting there:

Farrer Park MRT (NE8), then walk. Desker Road meets Lembu Road.

Food:

Bengali restaurants and grocery shops through the surrounding streets, busiest on Sunday evening.

Desker Road at Lembu Road, Little India — nearest MRT Farrer Park (NE8)

A 24-hour department store near Farrer Park MRT, used for everything from groceries and phone cards to gold and remittance. Open at any hour, which matters if your rest day starts late.

Getting there:

Farrer Park MRT (NE8), about 3 minutes' walk. Open 24 hours.

Food:

Food court inside, and the surrounding streets are full of cheap South Asian restaurants.

145 Syed Alwi Road, Singapore 207704 — nearest MRT Farrer Park (NE8)

A mall beside Chinatown MRT that is the main gathering point for workers from mainland China — regional Chinese food, money changers, remittance counters and travel agencies under one roof.

Getting there:

Chinatown MRT (NE4 / DT19), the mall is right beside the station exit.

Food:

Regional Chinese food court — Sichuan, Northeastern, Hunan — plus a hawker centre next door.

1 Park Road, Singapore 059108 — at Chinatown MRT (NE4 / DT19)

The Supertrees and the outdoor gardens are free to walk through, and the light show at the Supertree Grove runs free in the evening. The two glass domes (Flower Dome, Cloud Forest), the Skyway bridge and the Supertree Observatory all charge admission — you can have a full afternoon without paying for any of them.

Getting there:

Bayfront MRT (CE1 / DT16), Exit B, then follow the underground link. About 10 minutes' walk to the Supertrees.

Food:

Hawker-priced food at Satay by the Bay, at the far end of the gardens. The cafes near the domes are tourist-priced.

18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953 — Bayfront MRT (CE1 / DT16)

A UNESCO World Heritage site, free to enter every day for everyone. Lawns, lakes, a rainforest trail and shade — the easiest place in Singapore to spend a whole day without spending money. Only the National Orchid Garden inside charges admission.

Getting there:

Botanic Gardens MRT (CC19 / DT9) opens directly onto the Bukit Timah Gate.

Food:

Food court near the Tanglin Gate at ordinary prices; the restaurants inside are expensive. Bringing your own food is allowed and common.

1 Cluny Road, Singapore 259569 — Botanic Gardens MRT (CC19 / DT9)

A dam with a grass roof, open 24 hours and free. The roof is one of the best places in Singapore to sit with a view of the whole skyline — people fly kites, picnic and stay till late. Popular with worker groups on Sundays.

Getting there:

No station at the door. Bayfront MRT (CE1 / DT16) then about 20 minutes' walk through Gardens by the Bay, or bus 400.

Food:

Nothing much on site beyond a small shop. Most people bring food; there is a hawker centre at Marina South Pier or Satay by the Bay nearby.

8 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018951 — Gardens by the Bay, then walk

A whole island that can cost you nothing, or a lot, depending entirely on how you go. Walking in across the Boardwalk from VivoCity is free — Sentosa's own site lists the admission charge for walking in as FREE. Once you are on the island, the Sentosa Express monorail, the island buses and the beach shuttle are all free to use, and the three beaches (Siloso, Palawan, Tanjong) cost nothing. So a full day of beach, sea and walking is genuinely free. The paid part is the attractions. Universal Studios starts around $76, the Oceanarium around $43, Adventure Cove around $29, Wings of Time around $22. None of them is needed for a good day out. Note: there is no Disneyland in Singapore — the theme park here is Universal Studios, on this island.

Getting there:

HarbourFront MRT (NE1 / CC29), then VivoCity Lobby F on Level 1, and walk across the Boardwalk. Free, about 15 minutes. Part of the Boardwalk is closed for construction until around 2030 and walkers are redirected through a covered linkway — the route is still open, just signposted differently. The Sentosa Express from VivoCity costs $4 one way if you prefer to ride in.

Food:

Expensive at the resort side. Cheaper: eat at VivoCity's basement food court before you cross, or bring your own — the beaches allow picnics.

Sentosa Island — walk in from VivoCity Lobby F, Level 1 (HarbourFront MRT NE1 / CC29)

The indoor waterfall — the Rain Vortex — is free to see, and free to sit and watch. In the evening it becomes a light and music show. You do not need a flight or a ticket to go in. The Canopy Park playgrounds and walkways upstairs are the part that charges.

Getting there:

Changi Airport MRT (CG2), then follow signs — Jewel connects directly to Terminal 1. Rain Vortex runs 10am–10pm.

Food:

A very large food court in the basement at normal Singapore prices, plus every fast food chain.

78 Airport Boulevard, Singapore 819666 — Changi Airport MRT (CG2)