A Singapore fling shouldn’t be a short, pitstop of an affair, rushed between flights. This city-state has blossomed in recent years, with outlandish and extraordinary new architecture, fantastic restaurants, and impressive galleries.
And what was always good – street food, the dazzling mix of colonial and modern buildings, the tropical sub-islands and lush interior – is still there too. Set aside several days to take it all in, as it may end up being the highlight of your trip.
Day 1
Your first task is to choose a hotel – and there are some amazing ones.
If you opt for Marina Bay Sands you’ve chosen an all-singing, all-dancing five-star place with views to match.
Its real draw is the stomach-dropping infinity pool that teeters on top of three 55-story landmark towers and feels like the edge of oblivion but has the best views in the city. It’s a great place to start your day and wash out the jetlag. You could spend a full day in the hotel complex alone.
There’s an entire shopping mall – The Shoppes – complete with canal and gondolas, a casino, spa, and 80 fancy restaurants. Make sure at some stage you sip a cocktail with a view on the Sands SkyPark Observation Deck.
After your morning dip pick another sky-high vantage point over this petite packed island. Take the scenic cable car across the water to the attractions of beachy Sentosa Island and then choose to return by road, boardwalk, monorail, or the cable car (they don’t do things by half here).
Then it’ll be time to eat and choosing where is a decision that could take a while. Malay, Indian, Chinese, and European melting-pot clichés aside, there are few destinations with such variety in as compact an area.
For today jump on one of the biggest Singapore trends: grill-houses are the thing (try CUT, or Luke’s Oyster Bar and Chop House).
Speaking of oysters, the afternoon is yours. I’d recommend jumping on an island ferry trip to explore (or hire a private charter if you prefer).
If the jet-lag sees you wide awake come your usual bed time the night-safari at the zoo is a fun and quirky way to spend the evening.
Day 2
You may decide that with such a range of incredible hotels it’s a good idea to try another one. I couldn’t agree more.
For hotel number two try the newly refurbished Raffles, now officially a Singapore national monument, as well as a refined butler-service 115-suite hotel.
Stay, and you’ll be following in the footsteps of Rudyard Kipling, Bill Clinton, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who all sipped a welcome glass of special-recipe Singapore Sling.
If the £400-a-night price tag doesn’t slip down so easily, there are more than 50,000 other hotel rooms in the city, with something good for all budgets.
Once you’ve settled in go macaque spotting at MacRitchie National Park, or strolling in the bird-rich Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.
For a longer walk, The Southern Ridges 9km trail linking three Singapore parks, offers great views, particularly from the undulating architectural curves of Henderson Waves bridge.
For lunch you have another difficult decision to make. While some of the most audaciously expensive restaurants imaginable are here, Singapore is also the world’s street-food capital.
Sampling a hawker centre, where each stand sells a speciality dish, is a must. Start at Maxwell’s Food Centre near Chinatown for chicken rice, or dumplings.
Come evening, another fine high-rise view (yes being up high on a number of occasions is a key part of a Singapore stopover) is from the top of one of the spectacular Super Tree sculptures in the Gardens by the Bay.
The entrance fee includes a drink in the bar at the top, plus access to the magical lit-up walkway between these solar-powered giants.
Day 3
On day three, with your flight beckoning later in the day your mind may turn to shopping.
Arrive with space in your case because you’re going to need it. Orchard Road beats the best of London and Paris for designer stores.
But also visit the boutiques of Tiong Bahru, a charming Art Deco area with rows of independent cafes and shops.
And you can’t miss Chinatown for souvenirs, or vibrant Little India, where the markets are full of inexpensive gifts, and more delicious food.
If you have time there’s plenty to sate the culture-lover’s appetite, too. The National Gallery offers more than 8,000 artworks that chronicle local art history back to the 19th-century, housed in the stunning former Supreme Court and City Hall buildings. It even has a rooftop cocktail bar.
Or head for the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum, full of ornate decoration and what many believe is Buddha’s left canine.
Icons of the sky
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