Futuristic Skyline, Four Cultures
& the Best Food in Asia
Singapore is compact, efficient and endlessly surprising. Most visitors scratch the surface. This guide helps you find the depth.
Why Singapore?
Singapore is one of the cleanest, safest and most efficient cities on earth — a city-state of 5.9 million people on an island smaller than London. It shouldn't work as well as it does, and yet it works extraordinarily well.
What makes it special: the food. Singapore has more culinary variety per square kilometre than almost anywhere in Asia. Chinese, Malay, Indian and Peranakan cooking exist side by side — at hawker stalls, in neighbourhood restaurants, in Michelin-starred kitchens. You can eat brilliantly for S$4 or S$400 and both experiences are worth having.
Marina Bay — The Postcard
Marina Bay is Singapore's showcase — the Marina Bay Sands hotel with its iconic rooftop infinity pool, the lotus-shaped ArtScience Museum, the Esplanade performing arts complex, and the spectacular Gardens by the Bay with its giant Supertrees.
The Garden Rhapsody light and sound show at Gardens by the Bay happens nightly at 7:45pm and 8:45pm — free, standing in the Supertree Grove, the trees lit up in colour and music. One of Singapore's best free experiences.
Changi Airport — Start Here
Jewel Changi — the newest terminal at Changi Airport — is genuinely worth visiting even if you're not flying. A 40-metre indoor waterfall (the world's tallest), a multi-level indoor forest, dozens of restaurants and shops. Many visitors plan their first hour in Singapore here before heading to the city.
Cultural Neighbourhoods — The Real Singapore
Chinatown — Singapore's traditional Chinese quarter. Temples, incense, traditional medicine shops, and some of the best hawker food in the city. The Chinatown Complex Food Centre has over 200 stalls. The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is free and genuinely beautiful inside. Don't miss the streets of Keong Saik Road for the modern café and restaurant scene.
Little India — a kaleidoscope of colour, spice and sound. Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, flower garland stalls, Tekka Centre market, gold jewellery shops. Serangoon Road has been the heart of Singapore's Indian community for over 150 years. The banana leaf curry restaurants here are some of the best Indian food outside India.
Kampong Glam — the Malay and Muslim quarter, centred on the Sultan Mosque with its golden dome. Arab Street, Haji Lane (Singapore's most Instagrammed alley), and excellent nasi padang restaurants. The Malay Heritage Centre tells the community's story well.
Tiong Bahru — Local & Charming
Tiong Bahru is Singapore's most loveable neighbourhood — art deco apartment buildings from the 1930s, independent bookshops, specialty coffee cafés, excellent hawker food at Tiong Bahru Market. Very few tourists, very local feel. A perfect half-day away from the main attractions.
The streets around Kim Cheng and Guan Chuan Streets have Singapore's most charming street-level architecture. The Tiong Bahru Bakery (French-influenced, excellent croissants) is worth a morning visit.
What to Eat in Singapore
Singapore's food scene is one of the world's great ones. Start at the hawker centres and work outward.
Best Time to Visit Singapore
Singapore is equatorial — always hot and humid (28–34°C). Dress light, stay hydrated, use the excellent air-conditioned MRT to avoid walking in midday heat.
Singapore Travel Tips
Singapore stays with you
Singapore surprises people who expect a sterile modern city. It's anything but. Give it three days and you'll want five.