Singapore
By destination-guides Mar 30, 2010 5:57PM UTC
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Singapore has long been considered one of the cleanest, safest and most modern city destinations in Southeast Asia, and a popular stopping off point for inter-continental travelers. Recent developments have seen something of a transformation in the city as it strives to attain a hipper image. New casinos and resorts are springing up at pace, and Singapore is now host to big new events such as the Singapore Grand Prix. Add this to the great food, warm weather, nearby beaches and excellent shopping, and it is easy to see why Singapore is fast becoming one of the region’s top destinations.
A Day in the Life
If you only have 24 hours to spare, here is a suggested itinerary for your day in Singapore:
Morning – Start the day with breakfast at local breakfast joint, Ya Kun, which serves the traditional local breakfast of toast, half-boiled eggs and hot beverages all day, every day. A kaya (local coconut-based jam) breakfast toast set would set you back about SGD5 ($3.60). Ya Kun has over 25 branches all around the island, with one located at Changi Airport’s Terminal 3 and another at Terminal 2.
Afternoon – A visit to the award-winning local zoo beckons next. Proceed to the food court in the basement of ION Orchard, one of the newest malls along Singapore’s shopping street, Orchard Road. Have your choice pick of local hawker fare in air conditioned comfort after walking through the different floors of the mall, which is an interesting exemplar of social stratification – the brands/shops get more highbrow the higher up you go in the complex.
Travel to the Esplanade waterfront after that. After the customary touristy shot set against the Merlion, take a stroll around the historic Padang area and the Asian Civilizations Museum before taking in Boat Quay.
Evening – After a quick shower back at the hotel/hostel, start the evening with a walk around the Haji Lane area. This is historically the Malay area of the city, with the Sultan Mosque as its center, but nice hookah restaurants dot the area, as with nice indie clothing joints these days. Have dinner there and take in the chilled out, Arabic-esque vibe of the place.
If you need night-time entertainment, the newly opened casinos or themed parks in Sentosa might be a good option. Or have a drink atop the Swissotel Raffles City at the New Asia Bar. End the day with supper at RochorRoad Bean Curd – ice-cold soy bean curd with fritters.
Best of the Rest
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The Singapore Flyer is a good place for a romantic dinner for two. Did I also mention the stunning view of the city, especially at night?
Lau Pa Sat, or “old market” in Hokkien, a local Chinese dialect. Go there for food. The surrounding side streets are sealed off in the evenings and stalls lined the streets like in the old days before they were rounded up and clustered in food centers for environmental reasons.
Check out the Bukit Timah branch of The Wine Company: a restaurant with a huge collection of wines.
Hidden Gems
The offshore islands – If you have a full day to spare, go cycling in rustic PulauUbin – which should be a good antithesis to the concrete jungle on mainland Singapore. Sentosa beaches have nice beach bars if you want the sand, sun and the sea;and are good for people-watching at the weekend.
Demsey Road – An attractive cluster of colonial buildings, with a ton of food and beverage outlets.
Accommodation
There are plenty of places to stay in Singapore, ranging from budget to high-end. For example, a dorm bed at the popular hostel, InnCrowd, starts at SGD20 per night ($14). A room at a boutique hotel likeHangout@Mt. Emily will set you SGD80-150 per night ($57-$107), depending on whether you make advance bookings. The most expensive rooms are probably at the iconic Raffles and St Regis hotels, where rates start at about SGD800 ($570) per night.
Singapore at Night
ZOUK and Butter Factory are the two it-clubs in Singapore at the moment. You have to typically pay a cover charge that includes a drink or two. But expect long lines outside these two, especially on weekends.
Mambo Jumbo, Wednesday nights at ZOUK, has become something of a rite of passage of most young Singaporeans: the deejays spin cheesy retro anthems while revelers do a mass dance routine on the dance floor. Terribly amusing.Singaporeans generally party Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, but Thursdays are an increasing fixture.
For the indie crowd, Home Club is a must-go. They have a fun indiepop-themed Friday night program. There are a few nice outdoor restaurant-music places like Timbre – with three outlets across town – and WalaWala in expat-land, Holland Village a standout.
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Retail Therapy
The main shopping street, Orchard Road, is basically a miniature transplanted version of New York’s 5th Avenue. There are small clusters of urban street wear outlets at Far East Plaza, high-end chi-chi brands at Paragon and the Japanese mega malls, Takashimaya and Isetan at Wisma Atria. Don’t expect drastically cheaper prices.
Transport
Getting there & away -Having accumulated over 250 awards, Singapore’s Changi Airport is recognized as one of the best, if not the best airport in the world. With 80 airlines serving 200 cities in 60 countries, Changi has established itself as a major aviation hub in the Asia Pacific region – so you shouldn’t have a problem flying there.Changi’s four terminals – 3 full and 1 budget – now has an annual handling capacity of more than 70 million passengers.
If you are heading to Singapore from neighboring Malaysia,or even from Thailand, you might want to try the train service for a sense of history. The KeretapiTanahMelayu (KTM), the main railway operator in Malaysia, connects Singapore with most main cities in Malaysia. A full fare guide can be found here. There are also buses that ply between Singapore and many peninsular Malaysian cities, but bus tickets can cost more.
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Getting around – The Southeast Asian city-state has an efficient public transportation system. Its subway system is always being expanded to include more routes and stops, and it’s complemented by a decent public bus system and an inexpensive taxi service. Most subway and bus services terminate after midnight. The local subway services the airport, so you can zip from the airport to the city centre in just over half an hour. A cab ride to the city should not cost more than SGD18-35, depending on traffic. All cabs are metered – insist on them being turned on.
Clement Tan is a Singaporean multimedia journalist, editor and photographer currently based in Washington, D.C. and interning at The Atlantic, where he works primarily on the Web and does research on American and international politics for staff writers.