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If you’ve embarked on an international flight beyond Bali or New Zealand, chances are you would have experienced a brief stopover in Singapore and spent a few hours in Changi Airport, which in itself is an impressive place. Yet just a short train trip out of the busy terminals into the heart of the island, Singapore offers a fantastic choose-your-own-adventure holiday – whether it’s luxury shopping immersion along Orchard Road, trawling colourful neighbourhoods like Little India and Chinatown, a foodie odyssey sampling local fare at the many hawker centres or spending a few days simply hitting the hotspots loved by tourists and locals alike.
Plan your trip to Singapore
Where to stay: Swissotel The Stamford Singapore, Swissotel.com; for a great central locale and superb buffet breakfast. Marina Bay Sands, marinabaysands.com; for the ultimate in luxe and a dip in the world’s largest rooftop infinity pool.
Where to eat/drink: Raffles Hotel, raffles.com. To explore the myriad options and hawker centres check out eatbook.sg
Where to visit: Gardens by the Bay, gardensbythebay.com.sg; Singapore Zoo, mandai.com; for the gorgeous wildlife.
Where to shop: For luxury retail therapy, head to Marina Bay Sands and Ion on Orchard Road. Find local labels and an indoor climbing centre and cycling track at Funan Mall at City Hall. Shop
vintage and handmade along Haji Lane in Kampong Gelam.
Getting there: Depending on when you travel, expect to pay from approximately $700 for a return trip from Sydney with Singapore Air. Direct flights from Sydney to Singapore are 8.25 hours.
The CBD is a great base, particularly if you get a room with a view overlooking the city’s many architectural gems and the Singapore Strait where you can watch the endless passing parade of shipping containers on the horizon, heading in and out of the port of Singapore, one of the busiest harbours in the world.
Staying in a central location also provides a convenient oasis to head back to during the day for a quick dip in the pool or recharge in air conditioning, as no matter what season you travel, Singapore is hot. Even coming from an Australian summer, the humidity is next level, which also means you can almost always count on a daily downpour, often around lunchtime – so pack an umbrella.
With plenty of holiday enthusiasm and bubble tea in hand, it doesn’t take long to adapt to the balmy greenhouse conditions, which adds to the city’s urban jungle feel. Wherever you look, buildings are draped in layers of vegetation, towering palms fan streets, while ferns perch along tree trunks, climb bus shelters and cascade from street signs. Often referred to as the ‘Garden City’, plants just want to grow and are
encouraged to flourish, creating green pockets throughout the streets.
The best way to get around is travelling via the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) train network which connects the city, often via underground hubs where shopping strips and impressive food courts exist in subterranean air-conditioned havens. Even if you’ve only got a few days to explore, with many sights open until late, it’s possible to cram a lot into a short stay with evening walks – a wonderful way to take in the city sights and nightly light and water show along the Marina Bay Sands Promenade. Gardens by the Bay often tops the must-see lists and is an absolute highlight. No amount of photos can truly capture the immersive botanical experience – I tried.
The sheer scale alone encompassing more than 100 hectares of parkland is simply incredible. Fortunately the five major attractions are within an easy walk of each other. The Flower Dome is a riot of colour with blooms and thousands of different plant species from around the world, while the Cloud Forest is a lush haven and engineering marvel with aerial walkways wrapping around an architectural plant-clad mountain with its very own waterfall. Also within the grounds is the Supertree Grove, where a bridge walk takes you between the iconic towering futuristic vertical gardens, which transform at night with a free light and music show.
While Singapore Sling cocktails are widely available, the ultimate place to enjoy one is at the Raffles Hotel Long Bar, where the iconic drink was first mixed. Although a splurge, the fruity pink cocktail is served with a generous bowl of unshelled peanuts, where the custom is to brush the shells off the table onto the floor, which makes for a memorable experience, while soaking up the bar’s colonial-style ambience. A short bus trip from the CBD to Mandai, Singapore Zoo is another fun day out.
Rainforest-flanked boardwalks take you past a variety of habitats with animals from around the world, yet it’s hard to top seeing the variety of monkeys, from Bornean orangutans, chimpanzees, Celebes crested macaque and proboscis to douc langurs – best of all, views aren’t obscured by tall fences. Instead, many of the animal habitats are contained by moats which stop them venturing beyond enclosures, where waist-high barriers delineate visitor viewing zones. You’ll find some smaller monkey varieties aren’t deterred by water though and swing across overhead tree canopies and clamber across paths, which is a delight to see.
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