Transported to a world miles away from the dreary skies of Britain, Singapore boasts humid conditions yet still accustomed to a shower or two. Taking the city in, it’s almost surreal to walk the streets paved with such modern aesthetic, still new born compared to its aged historian neighbours.
In the thick heat, tall buildings ascend to form the city’s synonymous skyline, striking to view from a distance and picturesque to experience at a height. Singapore is a city state which meets in the middle of cultural influence, a hybrid infusion of western ideas built upon eastern structure for a winning formula location to serve urban dwellers with ease.
Shopping
A city with expensive taste, high life living is easily enabled for those who know where to look. With a choice selection of malls to cater to both spectrums of budget, fine dining restaurants in their dozens and easy transport to get around, Singapore offers endless opportunity to tailor your trip accordingly. Avid shoppers will enjoy the Orchard Road Mall, a 2.2.km stretch of tempting shops inclusive of the city’s best stocked designer labels.
For those who like to browse the more obscure, Chinatown Street Market and Little India are two mini-cultural hubs to include on your list in hope of finding those more bespoke items to take home. On the food front, top picks to try out include Ding Dong and Tippling if you want to spend big for extra quality. For dessert lovers, Sunday Folks offer mouth wateringly heaped ice cream scoops, laden with your choice of toppings, enough to satisfy the sweetest toothed diner.
Accommodation
Hotel-wise it doesn’t get much better than the Marina Bay Sands. Fully equipped to make you feel like royalty, the hotel is a landmark itself on Singapore’s tourist scene. The iconic curved architecture stands out against the city landscape, boasting three buildings to support the rounded top deck, which is open for the public to enjoy. Inside the hotel, amenities include the Banyan Tree fitness club and spa, in-room dining services and even a florist service to thank that special someone or just perk up your room décor. A choice selection of bars and restaurants are located across the hotel’s many floors, with Club 55 located on the 55th floor for dizzying views and drinks.
As the Marina Bay Sands is such a must-see attraction, certain parts of the hotel are available to general public, including the Skypark observation deck, which takes you to the second highest viewing point (the floor above is reserved for guests only). The view from the top really is a sight to behold and is a must for anyone wanting to fully appreciate the full spectrum of the city centre. If you are staying at the Marina Bay Sands there is also option to take in the view from the hotels enviable infinity pool, which takes you literally to the edge of the city.
Activities
A key component of Singapore’s charm is its vast array of gardens to enjoy. Escaping the hustle and bustle of city living, the botanical gardens in Singapore capture the beauty of nature, small urban jungles serving to evade the monotony of metropolitan repetition.
The main Botanical Gardens lay in the heart of the centre and offering a relaxing walk to undertake outdoors. Browsing the varying plants and flowers, the gardens are regularly updated to keep with the season and years themes as necessary. Easily describable as other-wordly, the tranquillity these gardens invite is enough reason alone to visit Singapore.
Other must-visit gardens are located neighbouring the Marina Bay Sands, the Gardens By The Bay. Housing two domes to explore, the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest, both environments are acclimatised to suit the organisms within. The Cloud Forest asserts poignancy with a huge made-to-scale waterfall which stands up to the height of an average building. Funnelling masses of water at an impressive speed, the structure really puts into perspective the great triumphs of nature. The structure is also open to explore from within, with high-up walkways available for viewers to make their way up the waterfall.
In contrast, the Flower Dome sits in more humble dwellings, with two floors to discover, yet still remains all the same impressive. The flowers are artistically arranged to build around themes and inspiration, making for plenty of pretty photo opportunities.
For those who are self-professed thrill seekers or just trying to keep the kids entertained, there are definitively westernised tourist attractions to choose from at the Sentosa Resort. Hosted on a tiny manufactured island, the resort is split to offer a Universal Studios theme park, Adventure Cove Waterpark, Animal Shelter, Aquarium and beach, promising enough activity to keep the kids busy all week and provide access to some favourable western franchises if you’ve been missing your local delicacies a little too much.
To visit Singapore or find out more information, visit Your Singapore.
