What to expect
Marina Bay is reclaimed land, and it shows in the best way: everything is deliberate, wide and photogenic. The bay itself is a freshwater reservoir, dammed at one end, which is why you see kayaks rather than container ships. Walking the full loop takes about an hour at a steady pace, longer if you stop, and the far side towards the gardens is noticeably quieter than the stretch by the financial district. Most of what is worth seeing is outdoors and free; the ticketed attractions sit at the southern end and can be skipped entirely without feeling like you missed the point.
Getting there
Bayfront on the Circle and Downtown lines drops you between the gardens and the hotel complex. Raffles Place puts you on the north bank near the financial district, about eight minutes from the water. Esplanade and Promenade both work if you are heading for the concert hall end. If you are walking the loop, arrive at one station and leave from another rather than doubling back.
When to go
Late afternoon into evening is the obvious answer and it is the right one. The heat drops after five, the light gets useful for photographs around six thirty, and the buildings light up after dark. Weekday evenings are markedly calmer than weekends. Midday here is punishing: there is almost no shade along the promenade and the paving throws heat back at you.
What a resident would tell you
The rooftop of Marina Barrage is where Singaporeans actually go, and almost no visitor does. It is a grass slope on top of a dam with a full view back at the skyline, and people bring kites, mats and food. It is a twenty-minute walk from the gardens and it is free.
Worth knowing
The bay is bigger than it looks in photographs. People routinely underestimate the walk between the north bank and the gardens and end up doing it in the sun. Check the distance before committing, and use the covered link bridges where they exist.
If it rains. Little shade along the promenade. The conservatories and museum are the fallback when it rains.