Singapore holidays

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Popular hotels in Singapore
Facts about Singapore

With a city break to Singapore, you can shop the designer boutiques on Orchard Road, dine in restaurants owned by celebrity chefs, and sip world-famous cocktails at the historic Long Bar.

The Lion City

Singapore is one of only five city-states in the world, which means it’s a city and a country in one. Residents have dubbed it the Lion City and although there aren’t any actual lions in this part of the world – other than at the famous zoo – this powerful creature sums it up in several ways. Despite its small size, this place is an important leader in the business world.

Worldly influences

This city-state is a melting pot of Chinese, Malay and Indian culture. Here, you can stroll past lanterns and pagoda-style temples in Chinatown, then hop over to Little India for a fiery curry. There are plenty of British influences, too, with Neo-classical buildings sprinkled over the streets. And, since English is one of the official state languages, you won’t need a phrase book to get by.

Marina Bay

One of the city’s main focal points is the waterfront, where you’ll find the iconic Marina Bay Sands hotel, complete with a glitzy casino, infinity pool and sky garden. Unravelling along its edge is a high-end shopping mall, where a collection of restaurants serve globe-trotting cuisine and meals cooked up by celebrity chefs. And, after dark, lasers, dancing fountains and music bring the waterside to life during the free nightly show.

First-class attractions

Elsewhere in the city, you’ve got the island-style Sentosa resort, where you can soak up the sun on the beach, ride the rollercoasters at Universal Studios Singapore, or whizz down the slides at the waterpark. Meanwhile, the Singapore Zoo and River Safari line up face-to-face encounters with orangutans and manatees. And, at the Night Safari, you can spy on nocturnal animals – like hyenas, tigers and slow lorises – in complete darkness.

Popular hotels in Singapore

Top things to see and do in Singapore

Beaches

Sentosa Island Beaches

Just south of the city, Sentosa Island is Singapore’s tropical beach retreat, with white-sand stretches along the entire length of its northern coast. The rest of the island is filled with shops, restaurants and attractions, so you can pair some time sunning yourself with a visit to Universal Studios Singapore or the Singapore Oceanarium.

Palawan Beach

Calm waters, lots of space and a pirate-themed splash park make this beach ideal if you’ve got children in tow. There’s also a selection of bars, restaurants and a 7-Eleven for stocking up on suncream. Cross the wobbly bridge to the island just offshore and you can climb the lookout tower for panoramic views out to sea. While you’re there, make sure you get a selfie with the sign that marks out the southernmost point of continental Asia.

Siloso Beach

Siloso is the beach where trendy twenty-somethings come to hang out. Swim in the pool, sip cocktails while lazing on a sunlounger and listen to the DJ-spun tunes at one of the beach clubs. Or for something more active, you can ride the waves on the surfing simulator, or have a go at watersports, like kayaking and skim-boarding. Bistro-style restaurants and beach bars line the sand’s edge, and there are regular parties here, too.

Shopping

Bargain buys

Little India is a world away from the high-shine malls you find throughout the rest of the city, and that’s where the appeal lies. Here, you can get stuck in haggling for brightly-coloured pashminas, spices and jazzy bangles, surrounded by the hum of music from Bollywood films. Along the way, stop for some fuel in the form of roti prata vegetable pancakes and coconutty, chickpea stew.

Mid-range buys

Orchard Road will satisfy the most determined of shopaholics with its two-kilometre-long strip of gleaming malls and department stores. You’ll see plenty of familiar high street names here. The Centrepoint shopping mall has its own Marks and Spencer, the Wisma Atria lines up a Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins, and the 313@Somerset centre comes with a New Look.

Designer buys

At the foot of the luxury Marina Bay Sands Hotel, there’s a big, glossy shopping mall, called The Shoppes, which is brimming with luxury boutiques. Gawp at the Cartier watches, try some Jimmy Choo stilettos for size, or pick up a vintage wine. Celebrity chef restaurants spread over the top floor, while the lower level hosts a gondola-filled lagoon – similar to the one at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas.

Nightlife

Laid-back evenings

For an evening of casual bar-hopping, make tracks for the colourful Clarke Quay, where an assembly of bars and eateries spreads along the water’s edge. There’s every kind of theme you can think of, from Cuban bars to aviation-themed pubs, steakhouses and ice-cream parlours. And air-conditioning units blast the routes from one place to another, making changing venues a literal breeze.

Lively evenings

Singapore party nights start in an area known as Bar Street, which – as you’d expect – is filled with trendy wine bars and breweries. After a few early evening tipples, hop in a taxi to Kyo, a popular nightclub in the financial district, where a DJ spins chart-topping tracks.

Food & drink

Singapore Sling

Pineapple juice, grenadine, lime juice, cherry brandy and gin are blended together to make this bright-pink cocktail, which is known as Singapore’s national drink. It’s topped off with a pineapple slice and a maraschino cherry.

Satay sticks

Satay is so popular in Singapore that there’s a whole street dedicated to it. After dark, stalls selling skewers of chicken, lamb, beef and pork line up around the Lau Pa Sat outdoor dining area, in the middle of the city’s Central Business District.

Chicken rice

This Chinese-inspired dish is simple yet flavoursome. The chicken is cooked in an aromatic broth, before being sliced and served on a bed of rice along with ginger, soy and hot chilli sauces.

Durian fruit

This spiky, green fruit has a smell so pungent that it’s banned from enclosed public spaces, like trains. As unappetising as it may sound, Singaporeans love its sweet, custard-like flavour. Try it if you dare.

Curry laska

If you like Thai curries, give laska a try. This Malaysian dish consists of vermicelli noodles, fried bean curd, fish, green vegetables and pineapple served in a creamy, coconut sauce.