Once seen as just a stopover, Singapore is now a fantastic destination in its own right.
It’s a mellow, beautiful city-state where record-breaking skyscrapers tower over nature preserves and massive malls.
There’s no shortage of places to stay and the country is famous for its UNESCO-listed street food scene and lush, sprawling parks, many of which are connected by Singapore’s ever-expanding network of bike lanes.
Glittering Heights: Once considered just a stopover, Singapore is now a fantastic destination in its own right. Above is the city’s spectacular skyline
Chili crab is a Singaporean delicacy (file photo)
A SKYLINE TO Rival DUBAI
Singapore’s skyline – especially on the waterfront – makes Dubai look positively boring. You’ll find every style of architecture here, from the 57-story Hotel Marina Bay Sands with its rooftop Sky Park (longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall) to the neoclassical grandeur of the waterfront Fullerton Hotel, once Singapore’s main post office.
EAT LIKE A MOVIE STAR
In late 2020, Singapore’s hawker culture – which refers to the open-air food courts serving delicious, local dishes – was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (try saying that after a sip of chilli crabs – a Singaporean delicacy).
Fantastic places to sample Singapore’s famous street food are Newton Food Center (which starred in the 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians) and Maxwell Food Center near Chinatown.
For fine dining, try Hotel Raffles Singapore’s newest restaurant, Alain Ducasse’s Osteria BBR, which opened late last year. Or try Singapore’s first Nobu outpost at the Four Seasons Hotel. As for that all-important Singaporean sundowner? It must be the Regent Hotel’s Manhattan bar.
OFF TO THE SHOPPES
Visit The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, which now boasts 170 stores. You’re just a short walk from the world’s first floating Apple Store, which opened on the water of Marina Bay in 2020.
Singapore’s giant Raffles City mall will have 50 new stores by the end of the year. These include Sephora, L’Occitane, Lululemon, and Acqua di Parma.
For true Singaporean souvenirs, visit Design Orchard, a sprawling boutique on Orchard Road with an ever-expanding selection of brands.
TREASURE ISLAND
The island of Sentosa pictured above is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year – check out the island’s new SkyHelix Sentosa scenic drive
There has never been a better time to visit Sentosa Island, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Do you have a head for heights? Brave the new SkyHelix Sentosa ride – Singapore’s highest open-air scenic ride.
After strapping in, slowly ascend to 260 feet above the ground. The ride rotates and offers 360 degree views over Sentosa and Singapore’s southern islands. By the way, the view will soon be even more spectacular – there are plans to move the port, and Sentosa itself will be expanded to include the smaller nearby island of Pulau Brani.
For a glimpse of history, visit Fort Siloso – a coastal artillery battery that became Singapore’s 74th National Monument this year.
Elsewhere, several hotels on Sentosa Island (including the Hard Rock Hotel Singapore) will soon be renovated as part of a renovation that includes an expansion to the SEA Aquarium and a new Minion Land zone at Universal Studios Singapore, set to open in 2024.
186 MILES OF PEDAL POWER
Take a bike ride on the recently expanded Park Connector Network, a 186-mile bike path connecting Singapore’s green spaces. Above is a section of the network in East Coast Park
Embark on a pedal-powered exploration of Singapore. One of our favorite cycling routes is the recently expanded Park Connector Network, a 186-mile bike path connecting Singapore’s green spaces. One of the most popular routes is the Eastern Coastal Loop, which meanders along Singapore’s south coast. There’s also the 16-mile Rail Corridor, a new cycling and walking trail in the footsteps of a railway that once transported goods to Malaysia.
The route is lined with nature reserves and historical sites (including old steel truss bridges and restored train stations), and pangolin and lemur sightings are regular.
FAMILY FUN
Marina Bay Sands (pictured) hosts a twice nightly water and light show called Spectra
Singapore will soon have its first dedicated children’s museum. Interactive exhibits will be the focus of the museum, which opens near Fort Canning Park in December. Meanwhile, kids (and their parents) will love Future World at the ArtScience Museum near the base of Marina Bay Sands.
Future World is packed with interactive digital art – the highlight of which is the Sketch Aquarium. After drawing their favorite sea creature, kids can scan the picture and watch their design swim through the floor-to-ceiling virtual aquarium.
For some free fun, consider strolling through the nearby shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. Art installations include the Rain Oculus, which stores rainwater and dumps it into the mall’s channels, creating a thundering indoor waterfall at 10:00am, 1:00pm, 3:00pm and 5:00pm daily.
Equally unmissable is Spectra, Marina Bay Sands’ twice-nightly water and light show. It returned in April after a two-year hiatus.
WHEN TO GO
AS Singapore is north of the equator, it is hot and muggy year-round, and the temperature rarely drops below 25 °C (77 °F) or exceeds 33 °C (91 °F). Key events include the Singapore Food Festival this month and the Singapore Grand Prix weekend which begins on September 30th.
WHERE TO SLEEP
Enjoy the legendary Afternoon Tea at the historic Fullerton Hotel Singapore (above)
Stay at the historic Fullerton Hotel Singapore from £276 per room per night (fullertonhotels.com). Enjoy views of the Singapore skyline while enjoying the hotel’s legendary afternoon tea.
Visitors in the mood for a pedal-driven journey of discovery should consider the Ibis Singapore in Bencoolen near Orchard Road. From £80 per room per night (all.accor.com) it has a fleet of bamboo bikes for guest use. Raffles Sentosa Resort and Spa (raffles.com) will be the brand’s second hotel in Singapore when it opens later this year. Also consider the Park Royal Collection Marina Bay (panpacific.com), which recently emerged from a £25m makeover.
Though places to stay during the Grand Prix are already in short supply, you’ll have no trouble finding one at the 1,080-room Hilton Singapore Orchard (hilton.com), which became the region’s largest Hilton property when it opened this year.
